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This one has been a while coming: a halfway decent UK release of Fong Sai Yuk, aka The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk! THis fantastically enjoyable martial arts movie stars Jet Li as the eponymous lead with Josephine Siao in a great performance as his ass-kicking mother. Directed by longtime Li collaborator Corey Yuen, director of So Close and The Transporter, and with a script by seasoned screenwriter Jeff Lau (Saviour of the Soul, As Tears Go By, Days Of Being Wild), this is one hell of ride featuring some of the most silly but inspired fight scenes in Hong Kong movie history. (You can almost feel the friendly competition between Corey and Yuen Woo-ping’s work on Iron Monkey and, of course, Once Upon A Time In China.)

Previously this has only been available in the UK under in it’s awful English-dubbed form, which even had an incorrect image of Jet on the cover from Fist Of Legend.  In fact the only way to see this in it’s original form in the UK being a Channel 4 screening of both Legend and it’s sequel in the mid-90s – but this new Cine Asia release, licensed from the US Dragon Dynasty version, finally rights (most of) the terrible wrongs this picture has faced. At last we have the original soundtrack, together with a new commentary by Hong Kong movie expert Bey Logan.

There’s also two great interview features with Corey and Lau respectively, where they reveal their inspirations for the movie, and how abundance of similar films (particularly Once Upon A Time In China with Jet Li), made them consider tackling the Fong Sai-yuk legend rather differently than any of these films had done before.

Sure, there is the English dub too (if you must!), but on the whole this is a great package. Notably there is not a blu-ray release of the film – presumably because new master of the movie isn’t that great, as ironically many of the films of the early 90s seemed have been filmed on poorer stock than films decades before, so look far worse in comparison. Perhaps the only disappointment is that, like the US release (obviously!), this is the international edit and not the full length version, available on the now very-hard-to-get Hong Kong DVD release.

You can read our original review here »

The Legend Of Fong Sai-Yuk is released on DVD on Monday 6 September by Cine Asia / Dragon Dynasty.

Yep, Kazuaki Kiriya’s (Casshern) latest and arguably far more enjoyable Goemon is released today, along with Tokyo Gore School and 14 Blades.

Something of a bumper day then!

Director Daniel Lee is back, this time with Donnie Yen and Vicky Zhao in tow – thank god this is an improvement on Three Kingdoms then… (more…)

Another martial arts classic from Jet Li finally makes its way to UK DVD, this time from the height of wire-fu – co-starring Michelle Yeoh and directed by Yuen Woo-ping… (more…)

The spirit of Ong Bak is alive and well in the latest from Producer, director and fight choreographer Panna Rittikrai and Chocolate star Jiji Yanin… (more…)

Jet Li’s classic martial art film Fist Of Legend, a stunning reinterpretation of the events that Bruce Lee’s Fist Of Fury was based on, finally gets released on UK DVD and Blu-ray in an unbutchered form.

Directed by Gordon Chan with action choreography by Yuen Woo-ping, this Dragon Dynasty edition is packed with extras…

(Review coming soon…!)

Sill causing a stir with it’s Asian release, Jackie Chan’s dark, dramatic The Shinjuku Incident (banned in China!) is released on Blu-ray and two-disc DVD on 22 February by Cine Asia. Provocative, compelling and underscored with hard-hitting action, the pulse-pounding thriller, The Shinjuku Incident explodes with tension and delivers a career-defining performance from international action-superstar, Jackie Chan.

Further ahead, Cine Asia will also be releasing – through their new distribution deal with Weinstein’s US Dragon Dynasty (move over Momentum, that lasted long!) – the Jet Li classic Fist Of Legend, at last! The holy gail of Jet Li’s movies, previously unavailable in the UK outside of the (dreadful!) English dubbed release by Dimension, debuts on Blu-ray and Two-disc DVD on 22 March. Yay!!!

The new tie-up with Dragon Dynasty will also FINALLY see the release of S.P.L. aka Kill Zone – the first and undoubtedly best of the collaborations between director Wilson Yip and star/action choreographer Donnie Yen. This debuts on UK Blu-ray and two-disc DVD on 8 March.

Winner of the Best Action Choreography Award at the 2006 Hong Kong Film Awards and hailed by Variety as “a must see” for martial arts and action movie fans, the action-thriller Kill Zone comes to Blu-ray and DVD (as a two-disc Ultimate Edition) in March packed with special features that include behind the scenes featurettes, plus exclusive interviews with the stars and filmmakers.

Directed by Wilson Yip and featuring the work of many of the creative talents who helped him in bringing ‘Ip Man’, ‘Flashpoint’ and ‘Dragon Tiger Gate’ to the screen, Kill Zone stars Donnie Yen (Ip Man; An Empress And The Warriors), Simon Yam (Ip Man; Triangle), Sammo Hung (Three Kingdoms; Kung Fu Hustle; The Medallion) and Jacky Wu (Invisible Target; Fatal Contact) and combines hard-hitting martial arts action with gritty police thriller conventions.

Finally apprehended by veteran detective Chan Kwok Chung (Yam) after years of ruling the Hong Kong underworld, brutal gangster Wong Po (Hung) manages to escape justice by arranging the execution of the prosecuting attorney and the witnesses who could have sealed his fate and kept him behind bars. As Po walks free, the soon-to-retire Chan is diagnosed with terminal cancer and, with nothing left to lose, persuades his team of detectives to bring down their nemesis no matter what the cost.

However, their plans to operate outside the law are uncovered by Chan’s future replacement, Ma Kwun (Yen), a cop with a fearsome reputation who suddenly finds himself at odds with both the criminals he is trying to catch and the men he needs to trust. But Ma’s ethics are brought into question when Po hires a deadly assassin (Wu) to kill Chan’s men with ruthless efficiency and he is forced to join forces with his predecessor in order to wage bloody war on Po and his henchmen.

Climaxing in a long-awaited, extended screen showdown between martial arts legends Sammo Hung and Donnie Yen and featuring a breathtaking mano-a-mano face-off between Yen and Jacky Wu, Kill Zone is an electrifying and suspenseful thriller guaranteed to keep action fans on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

Kill Zone (cert. tbc) will be released on DVD (£17.99) and Blu-ray (£24.99) by Cine Asia on 8th March 2010.

Directed by Gordon Chan (The Medallion; Beast Cops) and starring martial arts superstar Jet Li (The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor; The Forbidden Kingdom; Fearless; Hero), Fist Of Legend gets the Ultimate Edition treatment courtesy of Cine Asia with an extra features-packed Blu-ray and two-disc DVD release on 22nd March 2010.

A stunning reinvention of Bruce Lee’s timeless 1972 classic, ‘Fist of Fury’, Fist Of Legend delivers scene upon scene of intense and magnificently composed martial arts action for what is now considered by many to be the greatest kung fu movie of all time.

In the most electrifying performance of his celebrated career, international superstar Jet Li plays Chen Zhen, the matchless number-one student of China’s preeminent kung fu master, Fok Yun-gap. Upon returning home to Shanghai after a period of study abroad, he discovers that his homeland has been devastated by a brutal Japanese occupation and that his once proud martial arts academy has fallen into disarray following the untimely demise of his beloved Master, allegedly in a challenge match with a member of the Japanese Black Dragon Clan.

Disgusted by the official verdict on his teacher’s death, Chen embarks on a heroic and uncompromising one-man quest to uncover the true killer and restore dignity to his fallen people – a journey that will bring him into deadly confrontation with Japan’s most formidable fighters.

Showcasing exceptional action-choreography from ace martial arts director, Yuen Woo-ping (The Matrix Trilogy and Kill Bill), Fist Of Legend is a brilliant martial arts masterpiece that justifiably has been awarded iconic status by fans and critics worldwide.

Fist Of Legend (cert. tbc) will be released on DVD (£17.99) and Blu-ray (£24.99) by Cine Asia on 22nd March 2010.

Special Features include: audio commentary by Hong Kong Cinema expert Bey Logan; ‘The Man Behind The Legend’ – an exclusive interview with director Gordon Chan; ‘Brothers In Arms’ – an exclusive interview with kung fu impresario Chin Siu-ho; ‘The Way Of The Warrior’ – an exclusive interview with Japanese action legend Kurata Yasuaki; ‘The School Of Hard Knocks’ – a screen fighting seminar at the celebrated Kurata Action School; a look at ‘Fist Of Legend’ with director Brett Ratner and critic Elvis Mitchell; deleted scenes gallery; trailer gallery; DTS HD MA English 5.1 audio (Blu-ray); Dolby Digital Cantonese 2.0 Stereo, Mandarin 2.0 Stereo and English 5.1 audio options (DVD); optional English subtitles.

Heartbroken, his life descends into darkness and petty crime quickly escalates to murder. With blood on his hands, he will risk everything to secure a future for his people, as they face an increasingly brutal onslaught from a criminal empire protected by a secret code. However, ancient traditions will not be broken and his defiance will lead to all-out war as both factions fight for control of the infamous Shinjuku district in the heart of Japan’s greatest city.

Ultimately pursued by forces on both sides of the law, Steelhead must fight for redemption and the survival of those he loves in the darkest night he has ever known…

Provocative, compelling and underscored with hard-hitting action, the pulse-pounding thriller, The Shinjuku Incident explodes with tension and delivers a career-defining performance from international action-superstar, Jackie Chan.
 Coming to Blu-ray and to DVD as a two-disc Ultimate Edition featuring a host of extras, including behind the scenes featurettes, cast interviews and deleted scenes, this is a must-have for Jackie Chan fans and lovers of action cinema.

Special Features include: Making of; behind the scenes featurettes; extended and deleted scenes; trailer gallery; interview gallery (Jackie Chan, Daniel Wu, Xu Jinglei, Masaya Kato, Naoto Takenata, Chin Kar Lok, Pater Kam Pau-Tat); Dolby Digital original language 2.0 and 5.1, plus English 5.1 audio tracks (DVD); DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 original language and 5.1 English, plus Dolby Digital original language 2.0 audio tracks (Blu-ray).

THE SHINJUKU INCIDENT (18)  is radical, uncompromising cinema with the most unforgettable finale of any Jackie Chan film to date! Released on two-disc DVD (£17.99) and single disc Blu-ray (£24.99) by Cine Asia on February 22.

Shot back-to-back with Ashes Of Time and sharing much of the same cast, the stars get to let their hair down in a very different take on the same Louis Cha novel… (more…)

Wong Kar-wai returns to his 1994 classic to produce a definite version – but is it really any better…? (more…)

Okay, sure it’s Hollywood! Sure it’s a kids movie! But this Rob Minkoff (Stuart Little, The Lion King) movie starring Jet Li and Jackie Chan – together for the first time ever – is a whole lot better than you’d expect! And with action scenes directed by Yuen Woo-ping, there’s plenty for adults too, so if you missed this at the cinema it’s well worth catching up on…

You can read our review here »

Wong Kar-wai’s recent tweak of his 1994 Swordplay epic, Ashes Of Time, is on limited release at the Renoir cinema London. The original version is typically Kar-wai, beautifully shot by cinematographer Chris Doyle but with a somewhat confusingly narrative. Though I’ve yet to hear the significant differences, his Redux version runs some seven minutes shorter so is unlikely to improve that.

Twitch film reports that Park Chan-wook’s next film, Thirst, will co-produced by a major Hollywood studio. An increasingly common trend, it seems one of the most successful ways studios have of entering the Asian market.

Meanwhile Wu-Jing reports that Jackie Chan will be involved in a TV update of The Shaolin Temple, and Zhau Wen Zhuo will be returning to his role as Beggar Su, with Yuen Woo-ping directing.

There’s something in the air all right… but Beijing Olympics or not, haven’t we seen it all before? (more…)

The competition is now over and the winners will be receiving their package in the post soon. Thanks to everyone else that entered, we’ll be hosting other competitions in the future so you might be luckier next time!