Seen any good Kung-Fu flicks of late?

[monel]

Kung Fu Hustle- I liked Shaolin Soccer when it came out, and had heard a lot about Hustle years later, but when I finally watched it, I hated it. It had Yuen Wah and Bruce Liang (I think) but it seemed like Chow's main inspiration was a Looney Tunes episode. People love it, I don't get it.

Brave Archer-I think the third film probably has the most action, it's got some of the Venoms in it. Brave Archer definitely lacks fights, and it's a huuuuuge original story adapted into 3 films, but I still can't help loving it. It's just fun I suppose, with a great cast, great music, etc etc.

[QualityChimp]

Same here for Kung-Fu Hustle.

Loved Shaolin Soccer because it was just plain bonkers and pretty funny with it. The CGI was fine because the Shaolin fighting skills were exaggerated for comedy value.

In Kung-Fu Hustle, the plot is a lot grittier so the comedy elements, which are even more crazy in this (like a Looney Tunes cartoon as Shinobi said), don't really sit as comfortably for me. Apparently this juxtaposition of comedy in dark moments is a form of Hong Kong comedy called mo lei tau, but it just felt like the film was unsure of whether it was a gritty slum drama or zany comedy.

A lot of CGI in Eastern movies don't seem right to me. I think it's the shading that's wrong - too light for a night scene for example. Blood is especially bad. It ruined Fatal Move.

I didn't really like Stephen Chow's character either, which doesn't help! I might watch the end fight again.

I wonder how it would have turned out if Sammo Hung had choreographed instead of Yuen Woo-Ping. He had to quit because of health reasons.

---

I watched Legend of the Wolf over the weekend, courtesy of Shinobi. I didn't really know anything about it until the opening credits where Donnie Yen is listed as writer, producer, director and star, so I kinda guessed he was involved in some way...

A man goes to visit the unbeatable assassin, Wolf, to get him to kill somebody for him, but first Wolf tells him all about Fung Man-hin. Fung was an amnesiac travelling to find a certain temple because one of the few things he can remember is that he's supposed to meet a girl there. He ends up getting involved with the nearby villagers and their constant fight against a gang of criminals. As Fung's memory starts coming back to him, things start getting violently out of hand...

This was Yen's directorial d?but and it makes for interesting viewing. The story is OK, but has elements that have been seen elsewhere but interesting enough to find out the fates of both Fung and the Wolf.

The fighting is pretty crazy though. It is so speeded up! There's some great action going on - highlights being the first fight with a gang in a river, a fight with a Monkey Kung-Fu expert and a master of chains - but it's so fast it's bordering on comical. In one fight I thought a machine gun was going off, but it was the speed of the blows Yen was delivering to a patch-wearing henchman!

Good fun, but more of an interesting exploration of Donnie Yen's earlier work.

---

Prinny, I'm looking forward to seeing your updated Top 10 list and your thoughts on the trailer for The Raid.

Shinobi, has your Top 10 changed with your recent interest in the genre again?

[monel]

Legend of the Wolf- it is speeded up, but just a bit more than Iron Monkey (have you seen that, the 90s one?). If you want to see comical, check out Donnie's Fist of Fury tv series. For Legend of Wolf he ran out of money making it, so I think he added some of the story elements later, I really think it could have been a great film especially considering it's the first one he was in charge of. There's Hollywood people who never come close to action like that throughout their career. Then again, it is a flawed film, but I love it- Donnie should've played Ken in a Fist of the North Star film for sure. Top 10- I'm pretty crap at doing lists, I like doing them but my choices would change every other day.

[prinnysquad]

This may change as I think about it more, and remember titles, but it's something like this:

Eight Diagram Pole Fighter
Rebellious Reign
Seven Grandmasters
Crippled Avengers
Legend of a Fighter
Knockabout
36th Chamber of Shaolin
Shaolin Kingboxer
Sword of Justice
Magnificent Butcher

So many films had to be left out It was painful.

[prinnysquad]

Eight Diagram Cudgel Fighter (c.1990)

Bruce Liang plays Fifth Brother in a version of the Eight Diagram Pole Fighter framework. His family are murdered and/or scattered by the enemy, so he seeks refuge in a temple to develop his skills and seek his revenge. It's not a bad film, there's clearly a low budget, but there's some decent action scenes. The action is slightly sped up but works ok, although the end fight is far too short. Poor aspects include naff special effects and a lack of big time action. The special effects in particular are pointless - punches and holds are accompanied by a daft crackle of blue or yellow energy. On the whole, though, the setting is rather nice, and the characters are decent enough. It's more story-based than Pole Fighter, probably due to the budget, but there's some nice double-crossing going on. Enjoyed it, but it's nothing special.

Hapkido (1972)

The kung fu cinema review seems to give this some cuss, and I couldn't really figure out why. Sure, it takes liberties with history, and is an inferior version of the Fist of Fury storyline, but on its own merits I thought it was a cracking film. It's about 3 fighters from a Korean Hapkido school who travel to China to set up their own academy. It's established early on that Sammo Hung is the most headstrong, Carter Wong has honour but maybe lacks technique, and Angela Mao is the most balanced sibling, in strength and attitude. They pay tribute to the other schools of the town, except the Japanese-run one. Before they cab visit, Sammo has a meal with the Shaolin rep in a restaurant, and witnesses the dastardly behaviour of the Japanese school students. He refrains from getting invloved at first, then lays the smackdown. Cue a tit-for-tat series of engagements and attempted apologies that leaves Carter Wong disabled, Hung eventually dead, and the Hapkido institute trashed and occupied. Mao Ying teams up with the head student (Whang In-Shik) from the school in Korea to challenge Pai Ying and the head samurai.

I found it a great watch. Sammo's choreography is very decent, although hapkido styles are seemingly put aside later on in favour of kicks and weapons. There's a decent sense of menace about the exchanges, as you know that every fighter is in mortal danger. No-one is safe from a beating, every fighter has flaws to exploit, which is a constant theme in early 70s bashers. Real life hapkido master Ji Han-Jae puts on a great exhibition at the start. Angela Mao is excellent as usual, and there's plenty of fights to entertain throughout. The extras list is a who's-who of legends - Bruce Liang, Hsu Hsia, Corey Yuen, Alan Hsu, Billy Chan, Wilson Tong, Yuen Wah, Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao - although its blink-and-you'll-miss-them, and I mostly did!

[prinnysquad]

The Odd Couple (1979)

Sammo Hung and Lau Kar Wing star in, and fulfil various production duties on, this action comedy. Hung is the King of Sabres and Wing is the King of Spears. They meet every year to duel, but it always ends in a draw. They decide to take on a student each, to train and represent them at a future date. Old Hung takes on a reluctant pupil played by Lau Kar Wing (without grey wig, etc). Sammo burns his house down and promises to train him in swordplay so he can exact revenge on him! Meanwhile, old Lau Kar Wing meets a young boatman (played by Sammo without wig, etc). He takes him as a pupil to train in the art of spear work. It's a neat little trick so that Sammo and Wing are nearly always on screen together, either playing the old or young character. When it's time for the duel they travel to the meeting place. On the way young Sammo bumps into the 'Rocking Master' Dean Shek, who ponces and minces around, and is forced to eat raw eggs. It's a bizarre peformance, and would irritate many. Eventually they meet, but are captured by the evil Leung Kar Yan (Beardy), who holds a grudge against their masters. The masters travel to rescue them, which causes the students to re-examine their relationship. For a small time.

Sammo and Wing put in extraordinary performances. Their spear and sword work - which obviously they both do in their various guises - is exceptional. Really long, artistic choreography, with beautiful fluid movements. Beardy puts in a terrific performance too, with some great 2-on-1 sequences making him look like a formidable baddie. The opening of the film is particularly memorable, with an explanation of long and short weapons. I also enjoyed the different relationships between the masters and their students, which added some depth to the tried-and-tested formula. The Shek bit is weird and out of place, but on the whole this is a super weapons film, with two performers nailing great showings.

[prinnysquad]

The Iron Fisted Monk (1977)

Sammo Hung's directorial debut. He's a student of Shaolin who harbours a grudge against the Manchu. In a flashback, we see his motivation - his uncle is beaten to death by Manchu scum, and Sammo is in trouble too, until monk Chen Sing intervenes, sending them packing. He is taught by James Tien in the monastery, and spars with Casanova Wong. He decides he is good enough to leave and seek his revenge, so he sneaks out of a hole in the wall. Tien and 4 monks catch up with him, and teach him a lesson about his own limits, so Sammo decides to go to town and keep a lower profile. In town he meets Lo Hoi-Pang, a Han-controlled dye-factory worker who's sister has been raped by a Manchu scummer (Fung Hak-On). Dean Shek is also involved as a fawning creepo Manchu lackey. There's a few incidents where Sammo makes himself known to the Manchus, but the crunch comes when the Manchu try to trick the dye factory but fail, so go and murder everyone instead. A disgusted Sammo and furious Chen Sing go to the Manchu HQ to teach them a lesson.

After watching The Odd Couple, the fighting in this initially seemed a bit tamer. But, by the end, I appreciated it a lot more. Chen Sing and Sammo proper smash the place up, with some great 2-on-1 work where Sammo must take on a mantis expert and his boss, and Chen has to fight two swordsmen while unarmed. Then they engage in a 2-on-2 fight where they leap into each other's places to tackle the alternative enemies, all in the same backwards tracking shot. Superb. The attack on the dye factory is also good, as is Sammo thrashing Manchu henchmen in a brothel. A very nicely done film, less intricate than his future efforts action-wise, but still a great piece of work.

[prinnysquad]

Success! I took a risk ordering two IVL dvds from a bloke I don't know in the US. I sent him $40 in cash through the post last week.

These turned up today:



Shaolin Intruders and The Sentimental Swordsman.

They're originals, with the proper Celestial insert slips advertising future releases, and they're in immaculate condition. Win.

[QualityChimp]

Shinobi, you've got to see Merantau!

[monel]

QC- I had it but didn't watch it as I was annoyed that they put an exclusive fight on the bluray version, was miffed, dunno if I still have it.

Prinny-you've been on a bit of a Sammo kick, a lot of people like Odd Couple as the best weapons film ever, I probably prefer the end of Legendary Weapons. Mars looks a bit too weird in Odd Couple. Check out Fat Dragon, you'll like it I think.


Been a bit ill lately so couldn't reply sooner. I wish more of the IVL Shaws were still in print, Celestial bought the catalogue mainly for tv rights I think. Some of the Australian releases (Siren?) are supposed to be good and the French, I think, have a great picture.

[Fader209]

My last Kung-Fu movie was Armour of God when they showed in Syfy a couple of weeks back. Had been so long since I had seen it!
Am I right in thinking this is the one where Jackie got the "hole in his head" from a fall?

[QualityChimp]

Sure is, Fader! He should have settled with the first take as now he has a hole in his head and limited hearing in one ear.

He took a month to recover and that's why his hair is a different length in the rest of the film.

I watched my HKL version the other day too. Still in my top 5 easily!

[prinnysquad]

Watched recently:

Wu Tang Vs Ninja
The Bloody Fight
The Boatman Fighters
Monkey Fist of Shaolin.

The last one was depressing. A good watch, but very downbeat.

[monel]

Wu Tang V Ninja, is that the aka Ninja Hunter? Hilarious film, some great action, nazi ninjas, pretty close enjoyment wise to Shaolin v Lama, if that's the same film. Good memories.

[prinnysquad]

Yep. Watched it a few weeks ago so memory is a bit iffy, but remember thinking that it was a bit good for a 80s nin-ja flick. Loads of mad ninja **** going off everywhere. There's even a ninja explosion on the cliff-face. Awesome. Lo Rei, Jack Long, Mark Long, Chen Shan.