Li, Jet - DVD

Everyone Is Kung-Fu Fighting

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Solid look into independent martial arts shorts! 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

For fans of martial arts and low budget films, A55 films delivers a full featured action packed dvd with 9 short films from various directors. Particularily interesting is the stringing together of the movies to make one long film, breaking them up into chapters.

Everything from director commentaries on each film, to photo galleries, outtakes, bloopers, a crazy fighting game, and hidden menues can be found on the dvd. This is a must purchase for fans of independent cinema, and those looking to get into making movies themselves.

The nine movies are DARE, KAELA, GUNG-HO, TEAMWORK 2, PRISON WARZ, COLLECTION AGENCY, CRADLE OF THE BLIND, KUNG-FU LEGENDS: TURBO, and CROUCHING WAITER, HIDDEN CHEF

Every film has something different to offer, some shot on 35mm, some on digital, different lighting, plots etc.., and best not to spoil them here, just buy it and find out!

Editorial Review:

Get kicking with these unique and highly entertaining short films, a bonanza of martial arts action ranging from anime-style fury to video game spoofs, kung fu parody to hard-hitting fight scenes. Includes: Dare, Kaela, Gung-Ho, Teamwork 2, Prison Warz,

Chop Socky - Cinema Hong Kong

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Good summary of the "Kung Fu Flick" 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I remember back inthe 80s, saturday afternoon kung fu movies on TV, the Kung Fu triple feature matinees at the local downtown theater. These old school films remain some of the most entertaining and thrilling movie experiences to date(even inspite of all that CGI!).

Chop Socky explains the story of how Chinese cinema was born with emphisis on the martial arts movies. It offers a good ecapsulated overview. Taking you through the early 1920s up to the present day. My only gripe is that it was too short. Not enough in the special features. There also should have been more on the Shaw Bros Studios. After all... they WERE fung fu theater during the 70s and 80s! Despite that, this is a must to own if you call yourself a fan of the genra.

Editorial Review:

In this action-packed original co-production from the Independent Film Channel, filmmaker Ian Taylor takes a behind-the-scenes look at the stars, fighting styles and weaponry of Hong Kong cinema from its earliest beginnings to the latest big-budget epics. Through rarely seen film clips, detailed scene analysis and in-depth interviews with martial arts masters such as Jackie Chan, Jet Li and John Woo, CHOP SOCKY: CINEMA HONG KONG provides an in-depth portrait of Hong Kong's wholly original and undeniably unique contribution to world cinema.

Once Upon a Time in China III

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Poor editing and voice overs don't kill this movie entirely 3 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Wong Fei Hung is an important figure, not only to Chinese history, but also to me as a student of the style, which he helped make famous. The Hung Gar Style is traced back to Hung Tsi Kwan (there are lots of debates over the spelling of his name) who taught Luk Ah Choy, and Wong Tai (Wong Fei Hung's grand father) who taught Wong Kei Ying (Fei Hung's father) who refused to teach Fei Hung, forcing him to turn to Luk Ah Choy for lessons. Fei Hung then went on to teach Lam Sai Wing who wrote the book that more or less made the style famous. Hung Gar is a very common style in Southern China, but is very rare stateside with only a small number of schools teaching it. Wong Fei Hung is therefore a matter of great interest to me, which is why I bought this film without actually seeing it first. Sadly I was disappointed.
The voice-overs for the English dub of OUATIC 1 and 2 were decent, and I liked the voice actor behind Jet Li in the first two films. Sadly he was replaced with a less appropriate voice actor. I didn't really notice if any of the other mainstays of the series had different voices, but Fei Hung's voice was very different and not as good as the previous installments. Granted bad voice-overs are to be expected with Kung Fu movies, but why fix what isn't broken?
The editing in this movie also leaves a lot to be desired as it is the worst editing I have seen in a modern Kung Fu movie, period. Story line wise the movie is very good with a story that sets the stage for the Boxer Rebellion, which shook the very foundations of the Qing (or Ching depending of your spelling preference) Dynasty. In that time frame the Empress decided to use the anti-foreign attitudes of China to what was supposed to be her advantage. The idea was inspire the Martial Artists to revolt against them; she never anticipated that the Martial Artists (many of them Ming Dynasty patriots) would not only violently revolt against the foreigners, but also the Ching themselves. This movie is kind of a precursor to that bloody massacre, with the empress trying to inspire the revolt by hosting a Lion Head (King) competition. Parts of this story are indeed based on actual history, which make this story perhaps the most intriguing of the trilogy. However, now Wong Fei Hung and Cousin Yee are discussing marriage, and while Wong Fei Hung was married three times it was never to his cousin-by-marriage. The bizarre and arguably incestuous relationship gets even more interesting when Lilly Lee meets up with an old flame that has now turned into a Russian-Japanese double agent who is plotting to kill China's President Li. Also in this film is a poorly portrayed Wong Kei Ying, who was in his prime one of the Ten Tigers of Canton (China's greatest fighters at the time). Here the one fight scene he has he looses... and I am sorry, but seeing such a legendary fighter get beaten was kind of an eye roller. I'm as much of a fan of Wong Kei Ying as I am of Wong Fei Hung... I wasn't happy with how the elder Wong was portrayed. On the plus side while the action sequences failed to meet expectations set by the first two the Lion Head sequences are simply breathtaking. I have always loved Lion head dances and hope that one day my SiFu will allow me to participate in one myself. This movie did a fantastic job or portraying the multiple sides of the Lion Head tradition. On the one side, its fascinating to watch, amazing to participate on, and can be a lot of fun over all. On the dark side, they were used to pass messages around during various revolts, and in many cases Lion Heads were used as vehicles of assault, or assassination. This move does a superb job of focusing on both aspects.
Although the movie is still good I only recommend it over all for fans, or completists as this is sadly not the OUATIC series' finer moment, and the casual movie goer may not get into it as much.

Editorial Review:

World-wide superstar Jet Li (Romeo Must Die Lethal Weapon 4) kicks into action when he reprises his role as martial arts master Wong Fei-Hung. When he and his trusted sidekick Chung arrive in Peking they're just in time for the Empress-sponsored Lion King martial arts contest. But first Wong Fei-Hung must win back his secret love Yee from the nefarious Russian diplomat-turned spy Tumanovsky who has a secret plan to assassinate the president. Now fists and feet will fly as Wong Fei-Hung tries to foil the assassination attempt defeat his awesome rival Thunder Foot triumph over the untrustworthy Leung Fun and win the Lion King contest in this gravity-defying non-stop action adventure!System Requirements:Running Time: 107 Min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: FOREIGN/LATIN Rating: R UPC: 043396056749 Manufacturer No: 05674

The Defender

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 53 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Hong Kong martial arts master Jet Li plays a bodyguard from the Beijing secret police, sent to Hong Kong to protect a beautiful young witness to a mob killing, played by Christy Chung. Li turns her home into a high-security prison, complete with video cameras surveying every room, even her bedroom. Furious, Chung resists his efforts to protect her--until the threat to her life is made abundantly clear in a spectacular shopping mall shootout. As is natural under such circumstances, romance begins to bloom, much to the dismay of Chung's lawyer boyfriend, who hired Li in the first place. Made in the last few years before the British province of Hong Kong was returned to the rule of mainland China, The Bodyguard from Beijing makes many (possibly anxious) jokes about the differences between the austere Communist bodyguard and the lackadaisical H.K. police. Li's character is so consistently stone-faced that his usual boyish charm is repressed, and the movie emphasizes gunplay over acrobatic kung fu action, but there are still kicks galore and the usual Hong Kong combination of spectacular violence and outrageous sentimentality--all captured in stylish, glossy cinematography. And how often do you get to see venetian blinds used as an offensive weapon? --Bret Fetzer

Hitman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 40 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A good Jet Li movie that does not exactly break new ground 3 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

This is an odd Jet movie because it is not exactly action packed. I would compare it to Dragonfight where Jet only has 2 fight scenes but they are both pretty good. This movie is actually directed by Steve Tung Wai. Only directing 4 films in his LONG matial arts choreographing and stunt career, he really shows that he can make good movies. I would have liked more action, but it is nice to see a well done film.

Now while this movie is not thrilling whatsoever, it does put in action at the right time. Jet starts out as a guy living with a bunch of hitmen and ends up being recruiting by some guy(Eric Tsang). There is a killer on the loose who is taking out bad guys and a 100 million contract has been put out on him. Seriously, 10 million wouldn't be enough? Anyway, Tung Wai puts together a nice mix of comedy and drama but goes more for the laughs. Simon stars in a really good role as a cop and Kenji Sato is very good as the villian.

There is an unbelievably stupid action sequence with a guy that uses lasers on his fingers and feet to blind Jet while fighting but it leads to a much better fight between the 2 at the end. The finale I thought was great and there is just enough action mixed in the beginning and middle to keep you interested in the somewhat yawner of a story.

The picture quality on the Mei Eh version is pretty good and good subtitles also. After seeing the American releases of Jet's Legend of the Red Dragon and Donnie Yen's Fist of the Red Dragon, I made sure never to watch those releases from Sony Pictures ever again. At least I can now laugh at the reviews concerning the rap music, terrible voice dubbing, Sony cutting at least 10 minutes of footage out...

Kiss of the Dragon

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Editorial Review:

Martial arts genius Jet Li explodes onto the screen with an intensity not seen since Bruce Lee. "Kiss of the Dragon" is not merely a thriller but a shocker. (San Francisco Chronicle) China's top secret agent visits Paris on a pleasure trip only to encounter government espionage at the highest level. "Li's action sequences are like an oil fire, spilling from one room into the next and lighing up in the interiors with heat and wreakage"! (The New York Times)

Deadly China Hero/Killer

Amazon Price: List Price: $14.98 By: Beverly Wilshire Amazon Marketplace: 21 new & used starting at $1.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 44 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In Last Hero in China, Jet Li reprises the role of Wong Fei-hung, a legendary figure in China. Both a doctor and a teacher of martial arts, Wong has just moved his school in Canton, only to discover that the neighboring house is a brothel. Though Wong's students are delighted and the earnest brothel master only wants to study with him, Wong feels he has lost face. But this becomes the least of his troubles: soon he's fighting a corrupt police chief, a temple of slave-trading monks, and a deafness-causing medicine sold to children--and that's just in the first hour. Last Hero in China is a grand melodrama, featuring exaggerated heroes and villains, goofy humor, and hyperbolic kung fu action. The plot takes some hard-to-follow turns, but the action is so nonstop it hardly matters. The lion vs. centipede dance/fight has to be seen to be believed, to say nothing of the priest with a floating lotus chariot and a flying claw. Jet Li is in fine form, Gordon Liu (as the venal top cop) is maniacal and despicable, and the lovely Cheung Man plays an expert martial artist looking for her kidnapped sister. The character of Wong Fei-hung also appears in the Once upon a Time in China series (where he was first played by Li) and in Jackie Chan's Drunken Master movies. --Bret Fetzer

Last Hero in China

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 44 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In Last Hero in China, Jet Li reprises the role of Wong Fei-hung, a legendary figure in China. Both a doctor and a teacher of martial arts, Wong has just moved his school in Canton, only to discover that the neighboring house is a brothel. Though Wong's students are delighted and the earnest brothel master only wants to study with him, Wong feels he has lost face. But this becomes the least of his troubles: soon he's fighting a corrupt police chief, a temple of slave-trading monks, and a deafness-causing medicine sold to children--and that's just in the first hour. Last Hero in China is a grand melodrama, featuring exaggerated heroes and villains, goofy humor, and hyperbolic kung fu action. The plot takes some hard-to-follow turns, but the action is so nonstop it hardly matters. The lion vs. centipede dance/fight has to be seen to be believed, to say nothing of the priest with a floating lotus chariot and a flying claw. Jet Li is in fine form, Gordon Liu (as the venal top cop) is maniacal and despicable, and the lovely Cheung Man plays an expert martial artist looking for her kidnapped sister. The character of Wong Fei-hung also appears in the Once upon a Time in China series (where he was first played by Li) and in Jackie Chan's Drunken Master movies. --Bret Fetzer

Swordsman II

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 59 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

It's not necessary to see the first Swordsman before you see Swordsman II--though some of the characters are the same, the cast is almost completely different. Into the thick of a clan feud in long-ago China comes young swordsman Ling (Jet Li), who has a romantic attachment to the leader of one side of the feud (Rosamund Kwan). However, on the other side is an evil sorcerer, Asia the Invincible (Brigitte Lin), who has found a magical scroll that will give the user formidable powers if the user castrates himself. Not only has Asia done so, over the course of the movie he transforms into a woman. Ling accidentally meets the newly feminine Asia, who remains silent to hide her still masculine voice, and they find themselves in the throes of a powerful attraction. But this much of the plot is only the tip of the iceberg; Hong Kong movies routinely pack enough story for three films into one, and Swordsman II is no exception. What is exceptional is the emotional power of the story, the superb performances, and the spectacular and hyperkinetic cinematography. Lin is completely magnetic and Li is at his buoyant, charismatic best. There's something so delightful and inviting about the special effects in Hong Kong films that it's simply more fun to believe them than not, even if they aren't realistic by Hollywood standards. At their best, Hong Kong fantasies (like A Chinese Ghost Story or Green Snake) become much more than camp. An epic of amazing scope and surprising richness, Swordsman II is quite possibly one of the greatest movies ever made. --Bret Fetzer

The Evil Cult

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 31 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Fantastic incomplete Kung Fu saga 5 out of 5 stars.
18 of 18 people found this review helpful.

Jet Li plays Chang Mo Kei, a young fellow who was injured as a child by a life threatening Kung Fu move called the "Jinx Palm", which has made him weak and unable to learn Kung Fu. Plus on the same day his parents were both forced to commit suicide, which, as you might expect, was also no fun. Mo Kei is raised by his father's former master, a spry 100 year-old played with great aplomb by an unrecognizable, white-haired Sammo Hung, who also did a very good job as the fight choreographer for the film. The plotline is too complex to summarize, but needless to say Jet Li starts kicking ass and taking names pretty quickly. The film is of the fantastic Kung Fu variety, with people flying through the air, and using magical Kung Fu powers which put Jedi Knights and Neo to shame.

"The Evil Cult" has a variety of english titles and is based on a chinese martial arts novel which hasn't been translated to any western languages as far as I'm aware. It was supposed to be the first in a trilogy, but it didn't make enough money and so even though Jet Li, Sammo Hung, and the others involved fought to make them, it never came to pass. Apparently there have been some other films and TV Series made following the same story, but the most recent TV Series from 2003 hasn't made it to North America yet.
Still this first part of an incomplete saga is a great kung fu flick, primarily because of the incredibly quick pace, intricate plotline, bad humour, and non stop ass-kicking fun. It overwhelms the senses and if this type of flick is your cup of tea, I think you'll find this is as good as it gets. It seems to be a style of film you either get or you don't, so don't be put off by any bad reviews you see. This isn't Proust, but has its own virtues. If you like it, you likely be frustrated when it ends before resolving much of anything plot-wise, but just hold on, I'm sure they'll do a proper remake in ten years with genetic clones of the original cast or thereabouts. We'll see.

Editorial Review:

Jet Li and Sammo Hung star in one of their greatest adventures! Action on the master level in the Jet Li kung fu tradition!