"Mind-blowing". "Breath-taking". "Jaw-dropping". Pick one or use all three, it makes no difference. One way or another, at least one of those phrases is going to pop up in your response to "The Raid 2". Whoever said that sequels are rarely as good as the original clearly never passed that message on to Gareth Evans. ...
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Martial arts films are often dismissed by those apathetic to the genre as little more than characters trading blows for ninety minutes and are only enjoyed on the most puerile level possible. One film that’s clearly on a mission to debunk that blatant prejudice is “Man of Tai Chi”, the directorial debut of Keanu ...
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There's some good news and some bad news. The good news is that "The Man with the Iron Fists" is a sincere love-letter to the Shaw Brothers’ martial arts films that guys like the RZA grew up loving, and it is, for the most part, a decent send-up to the genre ala "Kill Bill". The bad news is that it's not the instant ...
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The burgeoning popularity of MMA has spilled over into the world of martial arts action movies. The results have been, no pun intended, a mixed bag - for every instant classic the sub genre has produced ("Flash Point", "Undisputed II: Last Man Standing", "Undisputed III: Redemption") there seems to be at least one ...
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"Haywire" is a film about a women's MMA champion who beats the skittles out of men twice her size for an hour and a half. That's all you need to know going in, and it's all you will know coming out. The film marks the first lead for MMA virtuoso Gina Carano, and it is the type of action film with no loftier ...
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There are many reasons why the popularity of Way of the Dragon has not waned since its release in 1972. Its setting in the ancient city of Rome, the first onscreen matchup between Bruce Lee and Bob Wall, and the fact that the film marks Bruce’s first directorial effort, sadly the only one he’d live to complete. ...
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Beware! This review contains spoilers! Fist of Legend is Hong Kong martial arts cinema at its finest. This gem from 1994 is a remake of the classic Fist of Fury, starring the unsurpassable Bruce Lee. However, Jet Li does the mythical figure of Chen Zhen more than justice, putting on a ferocious and unforgiving ...
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This review contains spoilers! Drive (1997) is an American made straight-to-video martial-arts/action movie which surprised critics and wooed viewers around the world. It was hailed at the time as the finest action film never made in Hong Kong and one of the best action movies B-grade or major studio. Cast Mark ...
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Following his sabbatical from flying knees and falling elbow strikes for the peace and solitude of a Buddhist monastery, Tony Jaa returns to his throne as the King of Thai action stars with Tom Yum Goong 2 (aka The Protector 2). Aided by the leading lady of “Chocolate” Jeeja Yanin and dynamic newcomer Marrese Crump, ...
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Most Hollywood biopics try to give the audience the essence of someone’s life in the space of one film, but Hong Kong filmmakers have consistently displayed an eagerness to depict the life of their subject over the course of a series. Sure, they make more than a little use of poetic license, but it’s all in the spirit ...
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From their youth in the Peking Opera Academy to their early rise to stardom in Hong Kong, Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, and Sammo Hung all seemed inseparable. If they weren’t battling hordes of henchman and dastardly villains alongside one another in the likes of Project A, My Lucky Stars, or Dragons Forever, they were ...
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For those of you who may have been hibernating wondering what brought about the sudden deluge of Ip Man movies, you can extend your sincerest “Thank You” to 2008’s “Ip Man” starring Donnie Yen. For those who have been hibernating for many seasons, Ip Man was history’s most renown Grandmaster of Wing Chun, the powerful ...
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