Seen any good Kung-Fu flicks of late?

[QualityChimp]

The Karate Kid: 2010 remake
Not seen it, so I couldn't say.

Shogun Assassin: Limited Edition
The new BluRay does seem to have some nice features on it:

• Stunning fully-restored 1080p presentation of the uncut film in its original aspect ratio
• New video appreciation of the film by actor Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction)
• Two commentary tracks: one featuring producer David Weisman, illustrator Jim Evans and actor Gibran Evans (the voice of Daigoro), the second with film scholar Ric Meyers and martial arts expert Steve Watson

You need to remember that Shogun Assassin Shogun Assassin was edited and compiled from the first two films in the Lone Wolf and Cub series, using 12 minutes of the first film, Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance, and most of Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx. Both were originally released in 1972. There were six films in all in the series.

I'm a bit torn, becuase part of me says see all the individual films, and the other part of me says that if you've seen one, you've seen 'em all!
I guess a high-res print and two commentaries makes it something you'll watch a few times.
Review here: http://jclarkmedia.com/film/filmrevi...nassassin.html
Nice article here: http://www.avforums.com/movies/Shogu...-Aug-2010.html

Shaolin Soccer
This is well worth seeing, but it completely nuts. There's loads of CGI in it and very little fighting, they use their Shaolin skills to play football. You can probably get the DVD for about £3. I don't think I've seen it again since I watched it for a second time with a bunch of mates who were equally amused/confused, so might not be worth investing in the BluRay for.
Review: http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2004/10/1...4_review.shtml

Ong Bak 3
The original Ong-Bak is brilliant and was a breath of fresh air with its inventiveness, stunts and humour. There's a long story about how star, Tony Jaa, went a little loopy, quit the film, became a monk and then changed his mind and finished it off and parts 2 and 3 are a bit rushed.
There's a review here, but it doesn't look good:

http://www.newsinfilm.com/2010/12/08/ong-bak-3-the-final-battle-movie-review/

Fist Of Legend
I've not seen this for years, but I picked up the DVD for a fiver and I think the BluRay can be picked up for under a tenner. It's the first time it's been released with subtitles in the US/UK, and there's a bunch of extras like making of docs and interviews and there's a Bey Logan commentary!
Review here:

http://collider.com/dvd/reviews/article.asp/aid/9245/tcid/3

The Sword With No Name
Don't know much about this Korean film, sorry!
Review:http://newkoreancinema.com/review-th...gyun-2009-1232

Hope that helps!

[monel]

Damn, typed out a reply, got timed out and then see QualityChimp did a much more detailed reply...Heh, anyway:

I don't know of which Blurays are out in the UK, I know there's some good foreign releases though.

From the ones you linked at Play, these stand out:

Fist Of Legend-probably the purest KF flick from that list, 90s kung fu classic

Chocolate-recent Thai film, not as good as Ong Bak (the first one) or Tom Yum Goong, but still a good film and the last fight is great.

Fearless-I've had this for years but never got round to watching it. People seem to like it and the director's cut has some extra scenes I think.

Hero-again, got this but haven't seen it, very popular film but more artistic I think and a swordplay film rather than hand to hand combat.

Of the others, Shaolin Soccer is really quite good because it's a funny film (Bruce Lee impersonater goalie is great!), saw it yonks ago but I would say make sure it isn't the edited for Western market version. I would call it a comedy with some martial arts, not really a kung fu film.

Kung Fu Hustle-everyone loves this but I haven't seen it. I know Yuen Wah is in it so I need to get round to watching it.

Shogun Assassin-a mash up of one or two of the Lone Wolf And Cub series from Japan, dubbed, with an amazing soundtrack, made for the western market. Purists don't like it and would rather watch the original films but I love the over-the-top dubbing (great voices) and the soundtrack is a personal favourite. Note-it's a samurai film, you won't see any hand to hand combat.

Force Of Five-I need to see this asap.

I would pick up Fist Of Legend, Chocolate and Shogun Assassin from that list first before the others. Fist Of Legend and Shogun Assassin are the only older releases on that list I think, the rest all come from more recent times.

A lot of fans complain about some of the Bluray releases so I would also suggest you google some info on the quality of the remastering.

Ip Man is a good recent film that should be out here, good story, great fights.

[QualityChimp]

Would you happen to know what are the better martial art films, that are released on bluray, thus far?

http://www.play.com/DVD/Blu-ray/-/2794/2061/3-/Refine.html

The above link, is Play.com's 'Martial Arts' catagory for bluray film. I would like to get one or two good-uns.

That's quite a subjective question, Dan! Most of the regular posters in this thread have different faves, but it you re-trawl this thread, you'll find some good suggestions and reviews.

Starting on page 9, we start listing our top tens! They've probably changed a little since, we've all seen a few more flicks thanks to suggestions from each other.

How about you say some of your fave KF flicks you've seen so we can suggest some similar corkers?

[redstar_dan]

So aside from the Karate Kid remake (novelty may hold this steady) the only real downer there is Ong Bak 3.

I noticed on Play, theres a remake of Ong Bak, 'Ong Bak: The Beginning'
Have you seen this version?
I might pick up the collectors DVD of the original Ong Bak.

Cheers for the review links, I will study them closely. I am quite new to this genre.

[redstar_dan]

That's quite a subjective question, Dan! Most of the regular posters in this thread have different faves, but it you re-trawl this thread, you'll find some good suggestions and reviews.

Starting on page 9, we start listing our top tens! They've probably changed a little since, we've all seen a few more flicks thanks to suggestions from each other.

How about you say some of your fave KF flicks you've seen so we can suggest some similar corkers?

Sorry for the double post

I have actually been working my way through the many posts with in this thread, and litrally copying down titles and pasting them into notepad. This was superb at first, however now my Notepad is very text heavy with titles haha. I was going to go for a few blurays before going heavy on the DVDs. Im not very well educated on martial arts films in general, so I am finding it hard picking out what could be the better titles.

I am hoping before long, I can start to list out some films that I really like, and go from there with it.


Cheers for this information shonobi7000

I would pick up Fist Of Legend, Chocolate and Shogun Assassin from that list first before the others. Fist Of Legend and Shogun Assassin are the only older releases on that list I think, the rest all come from more recent times.

I will be sure to check thoes out.

[QualityChimp]

No probs, Dan, we're all happy to help!

We're all still seeing new stuff all the time. In 2010 I saw stuff like The Lucky Stars films, Eastern Condors and all the Ip Man films, so a mix of old and new.

If you're trying to make the most of your BluRay player and the hi-res footage, then maybe a newer film like Ip-Man 1 or 2, Kill Zone or Flashpoint would be suitable?

Most of us aren't really bothered with a bit of grain in this thread though, in fact I think it adds to the charm on older titles!

[QualityChimp]

For ?2.50 from CEX, you can pick up Jackie Chan's Police Story!

I'll never forget the first time I saw JC driving through a shanty town, hanging off the back of a bus using an umbrella and beating up a shopping mall full of thugs.

Great commentary by Bey Logan on it too.

[redstar_dan]

Ace, so Im going to focus around these titles first off, and go from there;
Fist Of Legend, Chocolate, Shogun Assassin, Ip-Man 1 and 2.

Thanks for the help

[monel]

Police Story 1 and 2 blew my mind at a young age, I can watch the playground fight in part 2 over and over.

Dan-if you get Ong Bak make sure you get Tom Yum Goong, and watch them in that order. I got the special edition of the latter for a fiver from Play earlier this (last) year, even posted it in this thread as a heads up on the price.

[redstar_dan]

Dan-if you get Ong Bak make sure you get Tom Yum Goong, and watch them in that order. I got the special edition of the latter for a fiver from Play earlier this (last) year, even posted it in this thread as a heads up on the price.

Sorry, I am not quite sure if I follow, is Tom Yum Goong a name of one of the films?

[monel]

Sorry, I should have been clearer, Tom Yum Goong is the film that followed Ong Bak, made by the same team. After a long, long drought of quality martial arts films Ong Bak blew a lot of people away, and then Tom Yum Goong came out with even more crazy action.

edit-whoops, it's called Warrior King over here.

[redstar_dan]

Sorry, I should have been clearer, Tom Yum Goong is the film that followed Ong Bak, made by the same team. After a long, long drought of quality martial arts films Ong Bak blew a lot of people away, and then Tom Yum Goong came out with even more crazy action.

edit-whoops, it's called Warrior King over here.

Cheers for that So would this be correct order to follow?

Ong Bak : The beggining
Ong Bak,
Warrior King [aka Tom Yum Goong]
Ong Bak 2
Ong Bak 3

Edit - It appears as though I have thrown this thread off-topic slightly, apologies heh

[monel]

Actually, I'm not sure of the UK releases but I think Ong Bak:The Beginning is an alternate title for Ong Bak 2.

Also, Tom Tum Goong/Warrior King isn't a part of the Ong Bak series but is made by the same guys, and came out after Ong Bak (the first one).

Also, Ong Bak 2 and 3 are set in the past, not the present like Ong Bak 1 and Warrior king/TYG.

It's all a bit confusing. And nobody seems to like Ong Bak 3, I've got it but haven't watched it.

Finally-read some online comparisons for Ong Bak 1 UK release vs foreign releases-they may have altered the soundtrack. I have the Thai version. The 2 disc UK dvd of Warrior King is not a butchered version, ie original soundtrack etc etc.

[prinnysquad]

That's quite a subjective question, Dan! Most of the regular posters in this thread have different faves, but it you re-trawl this thread, you'll find some good suggestions and reviews.

Starting on page 9, we start listing our top tens! They've probably changed a little since, we've all seen a few more flicks thanks to suggestions from each other.

How about you say some of your fave KF flicks you've seen so we can suggest some similar corkers?

There'll be a few new entries on my top 10 list, I'm sure. I'd probably have to do a few top 5 lists tbh, because it's daft comparing sub-genres in one top 10. Top 5 swordplays, top 5 shapes films, top 5 bashers, top 5 comedy, etc.

Sorry for the double post

I have actually been working my way through the many posts with in this thread, and litrally copying down titles and pasting them into notepad. This was superb at first, however now my Notepad is very text heavy with titles haha. I was going to go for a few blurays before going heavy on the DVDs. Im not very well educated on martial arts films in general, so I am finding it hard picking out what could be the better titles.

I am hoping before long, I can start to list out some films that I really like, and go from there with it.


Cheers for this information shonobi7000


I will be sure to check thoes out.

What could be good, Dan, is if you put up your notepad list as a post on here. Then we could highlight maybe 5 ones we'd personally recommend as sure-fire classics, and what type of kung fu film they are. Then you could get 3 different top 5s to aim for, approaching the genre from different angles.

I'll admit that if you've noted down any of my reviewed films, then you're in for a totally different kettle of fish to QualityChimp's entries. Loads of people hate the stuff I like, it's very abstract to a newcomer. Some of the shapes films in particular play out more like a dance, with slow, deliberate and highly stylised and (arguably) unrealistic moves. I love them, though, because they have a skilled rhythm and pace. They look hilarious and/or ridiculous to many, and are maybe the type of thing you have to build up to. Swordplays took me a while to get into, now I love a good Taiwanese 70s effort. I plunged straight into the genre with shapes, but plenty would cuss something like Snake Deadly Act on first viewing. Not that I'm saying you will! Just to be aware that my choices are very old school.

Most of us aren't really bothered with a bit of grain in this thread though, in fact I think it adds to the charm on older titles!

It's practically a requirement in the films I watched! Sometimes, the grainier the film, the more atmospheric it is. Like you're watching archival footage of some old legend.

[QualityChimp]

Don't forget to write up your reviews, Dan!

I might try and cram in Police Story 2 and Fist of Legend tonight after all these posts...

EDIT: I've just spotted this is the 600th post in this thread, awesome!