Guan yun chang - The Lost Bladesman

Guan yun chang - The Lost Bladesman
Hong Kong (2011)
Starring:  Yu Ai Li, Hong Chen, Siu-hou Chin, Donnie Yen

I just got my hands on this movie and the only subtitles I could find were a re-translation from a Vietnamese sub.  The resulting subtitle I used could have had a serious effect on the story as there are a few things that I seem to be missing - the gist of the movie I know I got fairly well.  My recommendation for those of you in the same situation I am in is to try and find a better subtitle file, but the movie is still good.

The Lost Bladesman was a super interesting movie on many levels.     Guan Yu, played by Donnie Yen, is a true Chinese general that helped bring an end to the Han Dynasty and ushered in the beginning of the Three Kingdoms.  It is still common to see small shrines dedicated to Guan Yu in Chinese stores and restaurants around the world.  The movie also depicts the warlord Cao Cao in a way that I had not thought of him.  In this movie he is depicted as a wise manipulative man and not necessarily the feared man who rained death upon everyone in his path.

With all of that said this is one cool movie.  The cinematography is great all the way through.  Most of the fight scenes use the pudao sword requiring large movements that were gracefully executed.  The history and the story part I'm still a little fuzzy on and I might have to do some reading and then watch it again when a different subtitle file is available.   All in all if you are a fan of epic period martial arts flicks involving kings, generals, provincial leaders, and an honorable hero this is certainly one movie you should be happy to get your hands on as well.

Samurai Ayothaya - The Samurai of Ayothaya

Samurai Ayothaya - The Samurai of Ayothaya
Thailand (2010)
Starring:  Seigi Ozeki, Kanokkorn Jaicheun, Sorapong Chatree
Awards:  2011 National Film Association Award (Best Score) - Thailand National Film Association Award

Finally months of patience and perseverance have paid off and I was able to acquire a subtitle file for this movie enabling me to watch it and more to the point: write this review.

The Samurai of Ayothaya is an interesting movie to me.  It loosely follows part of the life of the historic figure Yamada Nagamasa.  In history Yamada became the Govenor of the Nakhori Si Thammarat province.  In the movie Yamada became one of the elite warriors from the Ayothaya province.

Betrayed by his countrymen and left for dead Yamada is saved by an enemy tribe and slowly brought back to health.  He finds tranquility and identity with his saviors and decides to stay after his recovery.

This movie has some really cool fight scenes.  There is this humorous tone to the movie that muay thai is the be all end all of martial arts and is the destroyer of all other forms.  What else should I expect from a Thai movie though.  I don't think the history portrayed in this movie is close to accurate, but I'm okay with that.  The choreography of the martial arts is pretty good in this movie.  The scenes are really cool - including the full moon festival.  The movie served it's purpose of entertainment.  I enjoyed watching it.

Mo hup leung juk - Butterfly Lovers

Mo hup leung juk - Butterfly Lovers
Hong Kong (2008)
Starring:  Charlene Choi, Chun Wu, Ge Hu

Butterfly Lovers itself as a movie didn't really "wow" me on many levels.  The story however is altogether something else.  This movie is based on a story that is almost 2000 years old and is a traditional folktale in China.  Liang Zhu as the tale is often referred to, in honor of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, is a love story that has truly transcended history to bring us a tale of two lovers who are bound by a love so strong heaven itself cast them to live upon the earth and never truly realize that which they sought after most.  It is a fascinating story and may be older then it's Hindi counterpart Heer Ranjha and certainly older then our western Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.  When comparing the similarities of the major characters in these stories the parallels are quite amazing.  It makes me wonder if such stories spread and with a change of characters and local were brought back to life and made famous again in a foreign land, or if the stories have absolutely no connection and from arbitrary chance one story was believed to have happened while something very similar was dreamed up with no influence passing either way.

The main actress and the director in this movie both get slammed in popular reviews citing she is not believable in her role.  There are a few moments where I felt the same way, but there's a few good giggles, a couple decent martial arts scenes, an evil villain fighting to possess a heart that is not destined to be his, and then of course the story that makes butterfly lovers of Butterfly Lovers.  I enjoyed the movie and the history lesson I received while trying to bring you the background on it.  I enjoyed it.  If you're looking for a romantic martial arts flick, I will stand behind this one.

Quote:  Butterflies should be a pair, one left behind will be lonely.  So wait for me.

Ninja's Creed

Ninja's Creed aka Royal Kill
USA (2009)
Starring:  Alexander Wraith, Gail Kim, and Lalaine

I'm not even going to go through the trouble of finding a trailer and embedding it.  While there was a reason to watch Alien vs Ninja, I can think of no reason to watch this movie.

Ninja's Creed started out with some amazing scenery and I thought to myself, "maybe all of the other critics are wrong and it's just an under appreciated movie."  Nope. . . I don't even know how this movie received funding.

Alien vs Ninja

Alien vs. Ninja
Japan (2010)
Starring:  Mika Hijii, Ben Hiura, and Shuji Kashiwabara

This came around in the San Diego Asian Film Festival last year and I was bummed that I didn't see it.  I spent months looking for it and finally Netflix put it on streaming.  For all of the time that I spent looking for this movie it wasn't worth the wait.  With that said, if you feel like watching a mindless flick with a little gore and some funny but off kilter humor it's worthwhile.

All in all you can make the decision.  I watched it once, but I won't watch it twice. Mika herself was more worth watching in the movie then the movie itself. . .

Fighter in the Wind

Fighter in the Wind AKA Baramui Fighter
South Korea (2004)
Starring:  Dong-kun Yang, Aya Hirayama, Masaya Kato

Fighter in the wind is one of those 60 or 70 movies I've been sitting on for five or six months, waiting till the time was right to watch it.  It had literally been so long I forgot what it was supposed to be about.  I'm glad I finally took the time to watch it.   This movie has some pretty horrible reviews, but given that it is based on a true story some of Choi Bae-dal's fans might not like it.  In nearly every movie that surrounds a figure wrapped in legends truth is exaggerated and the films tend to use a sort of poetic license as history is twisted to fit the big screen.  Fighter in the Wind is no different.

The movie begins as a Korean man ends up joining the Japanese air force during WWII.  After he and a few other Koreans refuse to go on a kamikaze mission the fighting life of Bae-dal begins...starting with a Japanese General.  There is a sense of honor that Baedal seems to be fighting to obtain that starts in that one fight with the General.

There are a few things I didn't like about this movie.  The action while good is all fragmented.  I like my martial arts flicks to have fluid action through each fight and not clip to the punch landing or knee breaking.  Okay maybe I have just one complaint.  The movie other then the lack of fluidity from the director in the fight scenes is pretty cool.  All in all I wish I had watched it months ago instead of letting it sit there.

Quote(s):  A man can be poor As long as he has a goal and strives to attain it he is beautiful. - Choi Baedal

I am afraid of fighting.  I am afraid of being beaten and loosing.  But, I am more afraid of surviving as a cripple than dying in a fight.

Ajeossi - The Man from Nowhere

Ajeossi - The Man from Nowhere
Korea (2010)
Starring:  Bin Won, Sae-ron Kim, Hyo-seo Kim


Ajeossi was unique.  It certainly isn't the typical bullet ballad or is it a straight kick ass movie, but it has aspects of both.  The beginning is a little slow, but when the action starts to kick in the pace changes completely.  


As the movie starts it opens up defining this awkward relationship between a pawn shop owner that shuts most of the world out and a little girl that is without friends or a father.  There's speculation due to his seclusion that the pawnshop owner is a sexual predator, but we soon learn that is far from the truth.  


From one silent good deed to the next he takes care of the little girl till her mother betrays the wrong group of people and she is kidnapped.  From then on this silent pawn shop owner goes up against gangs, villains, organ harvesters, police, and his own past. . . when all the forces at work in the movie come together there's one spectacular bang. 


The Man from Nowhere touches on some subjects that we all wish didn't exist.  In some very blunt ways it depicts the atrocities committed by organ harvesters, the dark underworld of gangs and drugs, and the violence created by these shady paths of life.  This movie is super graphic and will leave you going WTF? a few times.  To me it is in a small way a reminder of the acts committed against other humans on a daily basis, we should all be so lucky as to never see this part of life in reality.


With that said, the choreography is done well.  The cinematography is also pretty good.  Every person in the movie had a foul mouth and the way things were translated gave me a good laugh.  It could be the movie was actually written that way and it was designed to interject humor through dialog - I would welcome someone's opinion who can understand it in it's native language.  All in all I'm glad I watched it.  If you want to see it in English though, I'd go for the subtitled version instead of the dubbed one - the audio on the dubbed version is all kinds of horrible.   
Quote:  He didn't flinch when I shot the gun.

San kei hap lui - Mr and Mrs Incredible

San kei hap lui - Mr and Mrs Incredible
Hong Kong (2011)
Starring:  Louis Koo, Sandra Ng, Kwan Yue, and Chapman To

Mr and Mrs Incredible is a funny comedy that had me giggling all the way though.  The story is based on two married superheroes who retire forcing them to deal with some of life's finer points.  From arguments and health issues to acting normal and dealing with small town gossip this couple is plagued by the issues that come with being married for years.  From fertility to infidelity the comical bickering and bantering  was funny all the way through this movie.

Gazer Warrior and Aroma Woman are an inseparable duo that struggle to conceal their super powers and former identities from their friends during retirement.  They are successful, albeit barely, for a good while till trouble comes into their lives again. . .  Yes the silliness in the movie matches their superhero names.

All in all the film was kind of silly, kind of funny, and not super unique.  Foreign superhero movies interest me because they require quite a bit of imagination; I'm curious what types of situations and superhero powers other cultures can dream up.  From that perspective this movie was okay.   With that said, if one were to take Mr and Mrs Smith and cross them with the Incredibles, send them back in time about 900 years the result would be Mr and Mrs Incredible.  This movie really was an Asian fusion of those two movies.  If you youtube the actual trailer it will prove that point in about 30 seconds, though strangely enough the trailer is made with zero percent of the film footage.  It was still worth it just for the giggles.  Not to mention who doesn't like a superhero movie?

Quote:  Drunk carriage driving will be fined 2 dollars, serve six months suspension, and the horse will be confiscated.

Fung wan II - Storm Warriors

Fung wan II - Storm Warriors
Hong Kong
2009
Starring:  Aaron Kwok, Ekin Cheng, and Kenny Ho
Awards:  Nominated for the Asian Film Award (2010)

Probably my second favorite genre of movies right now is the martial arts arena, fantasy martial arts movies are awesome because of the thought that goes into creating the worlds and the martial arts themselves.  Fung wan II is no exception to that.  Virtually all of the action sequences are friggin awesome.  The limits of reality are tested, sure, but that doesn't mean the story isn't cool.  If you liked the looks of Goemon you should certainly like the looks of this.  Some of the names in this movie were a little corny, but that very well could be something that is lost to me in translation.

I think we are coming into a new era for martial arts movies.  I have a hypothesis that the kids who grew up watching anime are becoming directors now with production budgets large enough to create the worlds and special effects their minds have been trained to imagine.  I think we're going to see a large number of flicks coming out of Asia that will rival Hollywood action productions in the next decade.

Storm Warriors has a decent plot behind it.  There is a strong element of good and evil, light and dark, and it approaches the high ranking martial arts training with that perspective.  There is a some type of a love story tied into this movie for both Wind and Cloud, but for some reason if it wasn't for the acting that wouldn't be overly apparent; the subtitles said little about it other then hints here and there.  If you like fantasy martial arts movies with good action virtually all the way through you should check this one out.

Su Qi-Er - True Legend

Su Qi-Er - True Legend
China
2010
Starring:  Man Cheuk Chiu with Xun Zhou and guest appearances by Michelle Yeoh and David Carradine  


Su Qi-Er is a great fictional movie about the founder of the drunken boxing style.  

Do you remember the kung fu flicks of days past?  The awesome striking, kicking, blocking, and unique techniques?  The awesome moves all the way around with names to match?  Have you watched one lately?  I find them cheesy now.  This movie though, True Legend, is one awesome display of martial arts!

I find when looking at reviews that this movie is under appreciated.  True Legend though involves so much that it is one awesome movie.  The story begins in the Qing dynasty (1644-1911).   Su Qi-Er opens with one of the best martial arts scenes.  The movie incorporates battles of good against evil, of family against the forces seeking to tear it apart, of love against separation, and of devotion and believing.

I dare not tell too much about this movie for fear of spoiling it.  This movie though involves daggers and swords.  Gods and poison. And amazing scenes.  I recommend this movie as a top notch hand to hand martial arts flick, a well choreographed and artistic display of Asian cinema, and as a story worth hearing that has survived a millennium.  There is no aspect of this movie that is lacking.  From mortals to gods and everything in between it should be seen by martial arts fans around the world.  It will get you pumped and keep you there all the way through.  Even if just strictly for its martial arts this movie is awesome; watch the firsts 10 minutes and say no to the rest, I dare ya!  It is easily one of the best Kung Fu movies I have seen in a decade.  The choreography of Woo Ping is at its best in this movie and the scenes are just spectacular.  I didn't see this movie nominated for any awards yet, but by the time 2012 hits my assumption is that it will win awards in movie festivals across the world.  I rate this movie as a must see!!

Ye yan - The Banquet

Ye yan - The Banquet
2006
China
Starring:  Ziyi Zhang, You Ge, and Daniel Wu

Ye yan, is credited with being an adaptation of Hamlet from China.  Ye yan
is about a prince who has turned his back on being a future ruler of his kingdom; he would prefer to study the arts then to take the crown and play aristocrat.

The Banquet is complete with back stabbing, forbidden love, poison, family struggles within the government, assassins, and a few good ass kicking scenes.  Wu Luan, the crown prince, has the cards stacked against him from the beginning.

This movie has some spectacular martial arts scenes.  If it is available in HD it would be worth the acquisition. For the lovers of martial arts movies and Chinese period flicks this is a must watch.  If you enjoyed Crouching  Tiger Hidden Dragon for the art and martial arts then you will most certainly enjoy this movie.

Quote:  "Why do you wear a mask when you perform?"
"It transports an actor to the highest state of his art.  Without a mask, happiness, anger, sorrow and joy are simply written on his face.  But, with a mask a great artist can convey to the audience the most complex and hidden emotions."

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Jeon Woo-chi - The Taoist Wizard

Jeon Woo-chi
2009
South Korea
Starring:  Su-jeong Lim, Yun-seok Kim, Dong-won Kang

Jeon Woo-chi was a whole lot of fun to watch.  This movie is a fusion of fantasy, adventure, action, humor, and deities.

Jeon Woo-chi is about a wizard, Wooji, who is grand in all aspects except that of the reality painted in the movie; his character is acting inside of acting.  He is a jester, adventurer, a wizard, wise, and a prankster.  His character makes the movie.

This movie is another from South Korea that explorers time travel and integrates it into the movie.  In Jeon Woo-chi the part of the movie takes place in the distant past and part in some time that resembles our present.

The way magic is used in this movie is a new portrayal of the subject to me.  This movie uses Taoist magic consisting of charms or spells written on pieces of paper which are only good once as best as I can tell.  The use of Taoist magic is a fitting compliment to the gods that are portrayed in the movie.

I have to say I enjoy what I call outlandish outfits used in many of the period movies of South Korea.  They make me smile.

All in all I had a great time watching this movie; it was fun, a good laugh, entertaining, and presented some really unique CGI/magic.  If you're into the fantasy martial arts genre this is a movie for you.

Quote:  "I am a wizard.  What is a wizard you ask?  A ruler of the winds, a bringer of the rain on dry lands, who leaps through space and governs the world with a swift blade, but handles that sword like a gentle flower.  A wizard's duty is to aid the helpless.  The head is where all decay begins!"

Aragami

Aragami
2003
Japan
Starring:  Takao Ohsawa, Massaya Kato, Kanae Uotani

Have you ever seen a movie that takes place in 1 room?  This whole movie takes place inside a remote mountain temple.  You will certainly not have a problem following the cast in this movie.  There are only 3 main characters and 1 or 2 others.

Aragami, for those sword and weapon loving martial arts fans, is a movie that one should see.  I don't recall it being overly impressive, however, the story is decent - even though it can be understood very early on in the movie.  It's a movie I wouldn't rush out and try to buy, but it's a nice reserve when you just feel like a little action with few other complications.  Check it out.  Alcohol plays a funny part in this movie too.

Quote:  Now this liquor is from a land called Russia.  They call it vodka.  It's pretty strong.

Ip Man

Ip Man
2008
Hong Kong
Staring:  Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Siu-Wong Fan

Ip Man is an awesome movie!  If you're a martial arts fan all the of the Ip Man trillogy really are must see movies.  Donnie Yen pulls of some of the smoothest bone crunching, jaw dislocating moves I've seen in a movie in years.  This movie will certainly go down in the annals of martial arts movies as one of the greatest.

Ip Man was a teacher to many world renown martial artists; one of the most famous was Bruce Lee.  This movie is a semi-biographical account of Ip Man's life prior to teaching Wing Chun in Hong Kong.  From the annoying sessions of being challenged in front of his wife, to kicking ass all the way up the local Japanese command during their occupation in Foshan Ip Map is nonstop action done with some class.  This movie is not to be missed!!

Quote:  "Good Kung Fu does not depend on age or sex, but on how well you fight.  You will understand in a bit."