Seen any good Kung-Fu flicks of late?

[beecee]

kickboxer - vengeance

ARHHH, it has plenty of ARHHH, "stars" in it, ARHHH, from world strongest men, ARGHH old action stars ARHHH and a footballer. ARGHHH

its complete utter sh,,,,,, ARGHH..





Watch it and you'll understand what the ARGHH's are about.

[QualityChimp]

Manhunt. Netflix original directed by (I've got more action than my man) John Woo.
Pretty weak, tbh. Avoid.

Headshot. (Netflix).
OK, so let's get The Raid comparisons out of the way. It stars Iko Uwais (Rama), Julie Estelle (Hammer Girl) and Very Tri Yulisman (Baseball Bat Boy). It's co-directed by Kimo Stamboel and Timo Tjahjanto (also known as the “Mo Brothers”), the latter of which co-directed the V/H/S/2 short “Safe Haven” with Raid director Gareth Evans.

So, with that established and the familiar vibe and washed out look explained, you can enjoy the film!

It's a pretty simple Bourne-esque story of a man washed up on shore with amnesia when he wakes from his coma induced by a shot to the head (hence the film's title).

Turns out he's a baddun' that was supposed to be offed by his boss when he crossed him and now the boss has escaped from jail, he'll stop at nothing to finish him off...

This one surprised me at how brutal it is, almost horror levels of gore at times. There's a pretty long list of causes of death in this, my faves including the guy impaled through the neck by his own machete and the guy who has a bullet casing slammed into his eye socket.

All the fighters are impressive. There's a great sequence mid-way at a police station that's full-on for ages. Julie Estelle was trained to fight for The Raid, but she's totally convincing as a fighter in this and her character is possibly even more unhinged than Hammer Girl.

The Big Bad, played by Veteran Singaporean actor and stunt performer Sunny Pang is great and comes across like a old-school evil Kung Fu master with tiger claw raking of wounds and devastating Choong-gun double punches.

There are some lovely shots throughout and some really clever sequences that pan around the fighters as they parry at lightening speed.

It suffers from classic Kung Fu movie tropes like people still fighting even after massive head trauma or hits that should've broken limbs and the plot is pretty light. It doesn't have the heart that Evans has brought to all his films.

It's still a violent blast, though, that had me wincing and laughing at the tense action sequences.
When it finished, I started it again and watched all the fights again!

Recommended.

[QualityChimp]

Jackie Chan's POLICE STORY & POLICE STORY 2 Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07DDPRV..._-ZaeBbXT59QP6

[CMcK]

Jackie Chan's POLICE STORY & POLICE STORY 2 Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07DDPRV..._-ZaeBbXT59QP6

Ordered! Thanks for the heads up. Two classics right there. Keeping my fingers crossed for Dragons Forever and Wheels on Meals in the next box set.

[QualityChimp]

No problem!
I'm in two minds as they don't seem as thorough as the Hong Kong Legends discs (which I already have) and two new booklets aren't as great as a new Interview or documentary, IMHO.

[QualityChimp]

I put in Kill Zone 2, but thought I'd watch Kill Zone 1 as it's been a while. I think last time I watched it was the Asian version of SPL, whereas this is the double-disc Dragon Dynasty release.

It wasn't quite as good as I remembered and I may be mixing bits up with Flashpoint, but it's still good.
The end quarter is immense though, as all bets are off and both the cops and gangsters go on a rampage.

Last last couple of fights with Donnie Yen are great. He looks so badass in this with his leather jacket and night stick.


I forgot how harsh the ending is - sheesh!

I started watching the sequel, but I was fading fast by that point, so I'll have to try again.

[QualityChimp]

I also saw Kill Zone 2.
Less impressive than 1. A convoluted plot and few likeable characters make the action scenes less bearable, especially when there's a mix of shots, including some jumpy ones in places with a reliance on wirework.

Thought the two mains and the Governor were badass though.

I'm still interested in seeing the third film.

Something else I fancy seeing is Re:Born.
Anyone seen it? It's supposed to be a Japanese John Wick.

[QualityChimp]

Ordered! Thanks for the heads up. Two classics right there. Keeping my fingers crossed for Dragons Forever and Wheels on Meals in the next box set.

The next Eureka JC film is.... City Hunter!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/City-Hunter-Eureka-Classics-Blu-ray/dp/B07F8C25DB/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1530871478&sr=8-1

Jackie Chan stars as the girl-chasing private detective Ryo Saeba in this hilarious live-action adaptation of the popular Japanese manga series, City Hunter, presented from a stunning new 2K restoration!


Hired to track down Shizuko Imamura, the runaway daughter of a publishing tycoon, Ryo initially turns the job down... until he sees a picture of the missing woman! Ryo eventually finds her aboard a luxury cruise ship, but much to the annoyance of his exasperated assistant Carrie ( Joey Wang, A Chinese Ghost Story), Ryo seems more interested in catching Shizuko s attention than returning her safely to her father. When terrorists hijack the ship, Ryo must put his romantic feelings aside and swing into action to dispatch the bad guys and save the day.


Packed with inventive action sequences coordinated by an at his peak Chan, City Hunter is one of the most visually creative films of Jackie s career - with a vibrant cinematography and a quirky sense of humour. Eureka Classics is proud to present the film for the first time in the UK on Blu-ray.


BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES


Limited edition slipcase (First print run only)
Stunning 1080p presentation from a brand new 2K restoration
Original Cantonese mono audio track (also available in 5.1 presentation)
Optional English and Mandarin audio tracks | Interviews with Jackie Chan
Interview with director Wong Jing
Interview with stuntman and long-time member of Jackie Chan's stunt team, Rocky Lai
The Jackie Chan Experience - an interview with Richard Norton
Evolution of a Fighter - an interview with Gary Daniels
Outtake montage
A Collector s booklet featuring new writing on the film (First print run only)

I don't see much over the HKL DVD, tbh.
There's no Bey Logan commentary but a couple of extra interviews.

->Open Spoiler<-

[CMcK]

Thanks for the heads up QC that’s one of my favourite JC films. Great comedy and action. That’s a must buy for me.

[QualityChimp]

It's worth watching for the Street Fighter section alone!

[prinnysquad]

Not a film obviously, but Kung fu related.

Bruce Lee: A Life by Matthew Polly is well worth a read.

[QualityChimp]

Is that the new one where he says Lee died from heatstroke after having his sweat glands surgically removed?

[prinnysquad]

Yes, he presents that as a theory. It’s an excellent biography. It doesn’t fawn over the myth, but respects the reality. There’s lots of new material in it, too.

[QualityChimp]

What's the general consensus on its authenticity?

[prinnysquad]

The theory? He places an emphasis on the effects of heat on his body, in conjunction with the other factors well-established, such as the medication and cannabis.

The heatstroke theory isn’t new. Polly is just the first to place primary emphasis on it. Bruce Thomas, author of a different biog, disagrees with him, but to be honest that’s one small detail in a much, much bigger book. Polly really disspells some of the myths and puts the record straight on a number of things. He interviewed a lot of people. It’s a very good read. You finish it totally respecting Lee as a master of his craft, a total legend, but also flawed and fascinating human being.