Check out this live action version of Voltes V, called Voltes V: Legacy airing later in the Philippines! This looks amazing, and is apparently very faithful to the original anime! I hope this gets released beyond the Philippines, because I really want to watch this!
If you want to watch the original anime, Voltes V is on Tubi in the U.S.!
 |
| Tony Jaa ready for action! |
Tom-Yum-Goong is a Thai martial arts movie released in 2005 starring Tony Jaa, Mum Jokmok, Bongkoj Khongmalai, Xing Jin, Damian De Montemas, and Johnny Tri Nguyen. The movie was directed by Prachya Pinkaew, and fight choreography was done by Tony Jaa and Panna Rittikrai. Tom-Yum-Goong is known as The Protector in the United States in an edited version of the movie.
Tony Jaa plays Kham, the last guard of the royal elephants in Thailand. He grew up around elephants, particularly Por Yai (full grown) and Kohrn (baby elephant), who he considers family. These elephants are stolen at the New Year's festival, and Kham's father is injured in the process. It is Kham's responsibility to protect those elephants, so he goes in search of them.He ends up going to Sydney, Australia in his quest to find them. While there, he joins forces with a fellow Thai cop named Mark (played by Mum Jokmok). Tony Jaa becomes falsely accused of a crime and becomes hunted by the police. In all of this, Chinese triad bosses jockey for leadership, which affects Kham's quest.
Admittedly, the plot of the movie is a bit simplistic. Kham wants his elephants back. A lot of people made fun of this back when it was released in America. I didn't have a problem with the story. It was what Kham was raised and trained to do. I guess in the American edit, the importance of the elephants and Kham's true relationship to them aren't really thoroughly explained. In the original version, we see the townspeople praying for the missing elephants. We are shown why the elephants are so important, and why Kham goes through all the trouble he does to get them back.
Then there is the main villain, played by Xing Jin. She is a trans woman, and the other triad bosses don't take her seriously because of it. It is a bit complicated how she is treated in the movie. The rival triad bosses treat her disrespectfully. To Kham, it doesn't matter. To me, it does not seem like she is portrayed as evil because she is trans; she is evil because she is overly ambitious and greedy. I really hope I am reading that portrayal right. The backstories of villains don't interest me much, but hers' is pretty interesting. I will say, the corrupt cop working with her is a dead ringer for an older Andrew Garfield!
The action is really good in this one! Kham's first fight in the movie has one of the best hero entrances ever! The fight in the subway is awesome; a lot of creative choreography and stunts in that one. Then there is the one-shot fight scene, where Kham goes up a flight of stairs fighting off bad guys. Really cool to see a one-shot fight scene like that, and man that must have been tiring to prepare for, film, and perform in! Kham has awesome fights with a capoeira fighter (Lateef Crowder) and a wu shu fighter (Jon Foo). Probably my favorite fights in the film! There is the fight scene where he destroys dozens of guys' limbs and joints with bone cracking submissions, strikes, and holds. At the end he has to fight a bunch of roided up fighters (with Nathan Jones being the main one). It's a good fight scene, creative and hard-hitting, but the roided up guys are not very mobile.
So, do I recommend Tom-Yum-Goong? Yes I do! As I said before, the plot is a bit simplistic, but the action more than makes up for it. Tony Jaa is a dynamo in this! Plus, if you've ever wanted to see a musclehead fling a young elephant across the room, this is the movie for you! Try to watch the full version of the movie, though. It has a nicer pace, and has more scenes expanding on the plot and motivations of characters. Some characters' fates are changed as well (as compared to the American edited version).
 |
| I watched the Dragon Dynasty DVD release of this movie! |
 |
| I really need this movie on Blu-Ray! |
 |
| Disc 1 is the American cut, called 'The Protector'. |
 |
| Disc 2 has the original cut of Tom-Yum-Goong. |
Reviewed by David Williams
There will be an OddTaxi movie coming out in Japan in April, 2022! OddTaxi was the best anime series I watched this year, so I really want to see this! This movie seems to recreate the series, but also expands on what happens after the end of the series. I am very intrigued by this! Crunchyroll will stream this movie as well! I can't wait!
If you haven't seen OddTaxi yet, do it now! It's on Crunchyroll!
 |
| Now THIS is a cool poster! |
The Long Kiss Goodnight is a 1996 action movie starring Geena Davis, Samuel L. Jackson, Craig Bierko, and Yvonne Zima. The film was written by Shane Black and directed by Renny Harlin. This is one heck of a Christmas movie!
Geena Davis plays Samantha Caine, a school teacher who is suffering from amnesia. One night during the Christmas season, she gets into a car accident, sustaining a head injury. While recovering from this, she begins to exhibit highly specialized skills with a knife, to the amazement and shock of her fiancee and daughter. Later on, a crazed killer comes to their house and attacks Samantha. She ends up killing him with her bare hands! After this, Samantha hires a private investigator (played by Jackson) to help her find out who she really is. The attack ends up getting the attention of a nefarious organization, where one of the members (played by Bierko) is on a ruthless mission to kill her.
This movie is awesome! Geena Davis plays her part well. She is very believable! It is amazing how she can play such a caring, loving person in one scene and a cold, ruthless killer in the next, and you still root for her the whole way through. Geena Davis is underrated as an actress and as an action star. She kicks butt in this!
 |
| I'd trust her with my life...if we were friends. |
Samuel L. Jackson is the man in this! He plays a kind of skeezy character named Mitch Hennessey, but he has a heart. He also has the perfect one-liners for every situation. This is prime Samuel L. Jackson! He is so funny in this. You genuinely care for his character, and root for him as well. This role is apparently Jackson's all-time favorite role to have played, and that is understandable. He rules in this!
 |
| Samuel L. Jackson is the man in this! |
The action in this movie is over the top, but in a good way. There are a lot of bullets, knives, blood, and explosions! Geena Davis handles her fight scenes like a pro. Samuel L. Jackson gets in on the action as well! There is some creative violence in this. There's even an homage to Jackie Chan's Police Story at the end! There is a lot of blood, and it has one of the craziest explosions I've ever seen in a movie!
The story of the movie is very interesting. We find out about Samantha Caine's past through flashbacks, and through those flashbacks we find out about the larger overall plot of the film. I must say, it feels like Jackie Chan's Who Am I was influenced by this movie to a certain extent. The heroes are tough, but realistic (for the most part), and the villains (especially Craig Bierko) are detestable. You really want the bad guys to get their butts kicked! It is really awesome to see a female amnesiac butt kicker story out there.
So, should you see this movie? I would say yes. It is very entertaining. It has lots of action, explosions, and laughs. And what a better way to spend Christmas than seeing Geena Davis gun down loads of bad guys! I know that puts me in the holiday spirit!
Reviewed by David Williams
Here is the movie trailer for Pure Japanese, a Japanese (duh!) film coming out on January 28th, 2022! It stars Dean Fujioka, Aju Makita, and Yukio Sakaguchi, among others. The movie seems to be about an action actor with a troubled past who helps a high school student deal with the Yakuza. Seems interesting! Also cool to see Yukio Sakaguchi in this! He is an MMA fighter and pro wrestler in DDT Pro Wrestling. Can't wait to see his performance!
Unfortunately, this trailer is not subtitled, but you can get the gist of it.
Here is the trailer for the South Korean movie, The Game Of Life. It is being released in December 2021! This movie looks pretty interesting to me. I really like the music in this trailer as well. I hope this turns out good! We shall see...
Here is a fascinating video on the somewhat obscure anime series Heart Cocktail, done by the great kenny lauderdale. He goes into what the anime is about, and the creative force behind it, Seizo Watase. Even though it may have been an anime that has been lost to time, it still influenced the current artists in Japan. Check out the video, kenny explains everything so much better than I can. I really want to watch this series (with subtitles) some day. Still, I can at least enjoy it on a visual and aural level on YouTube. The art style is just so nice to look at. It has nice music in it, too! We shall see if this ever gets subtitled, whether officially or by fans...
(I had nothing to do with the creation of this video)
Check out the trailer for the South Korean movie, Tiger Mask! It seems to be a comedic superhero/vigilante action movie. This has no connection to the Japanese Tiger Mask manga/anime character or pro wrestler. This trailer really surprised me, I was not expecting this! I need to see this! It comes out December 30th in South Korea.
Here is a video by Hong Kong Cinema Appreciation Society's Will comparing Wong Kar Wai's Chungking Express and Fallen Angels! A very interesting video, especially if you have already seen these movies. I have only seen Chungking Express so far (it is one of my all-time favorite movies), but I really want to see Fallen Angels! I really need to get that Wong Kar Wai Criterion box set! I am so behind in everything I need to watch (and in effect, buy). Enjoy! If you like his videos, make sure you give it a 'like' and subscribe to his channel!
(I had nothing to do with the creation of this video!)
 |
| One of the many posters for Ong-Bak. |
Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior is a Thai martial arts movie released in 2003, starring Tony Jaa, Mum Jokmok, Suchao Pongwilai, Pumwaree Yodkamol, and Chattaphong Pantana-Angkul. The movie is directed by Prachya Pinkaew, with fight and stunt choreography by Panna Rittikrai.
In Ong-Bak, Tony Jaa plays Ting, a skilled muay thai fighter who volunteers to find the stolen head of his village's Ong-Bak statue. The village is small and impoverished, and they give the little money they have to him to help him survive the city they suspect the lead suspect lives in. In Bangkok, Ting meets up with George/Humlae (played by Mum Jokmok), his cousin who has abandoned his humble village's values. One thing leads to another, and Humlae steals the villagers' money and bets it all at an underground fighting tournament. Ting unwittingly enters the tournament and wins his fight easily. This embarrasses Komtuan (played by Pongwilai), the local crime boss, and gets Ting on his radar. From there, Ting and Humlae team up to find the Ong-Bak, with chases and fights galore!
This movie was Tony Jaa's break out role, and it is a showcase for his incredible martial arts and acrobatic skills. In the first chase sequence, you see Tony doing incredible acrobatics to run away from a crowd of thugs. The way he slides under an SUV is amazing. Not only that, he jumps over two moving cars twice in a row, all without wires! Tony Jaa makes gravity his b****!
The fight scenes are choreographed to show off a more traditional form of muay thai, and to show off Tony Jaa's fighting prowess. His second underground tournament fight is hard-hitting, and he takes on three different opponents (including a very Bruce Lee-like fighter). This is his first major fight in the movie, and he impresses! There are other fights with crazy stuff in them, like when he does a knee, then a multi-spin kick to a guy's face...with his legs on fire! Literal fire kick! Of course, the final fights are the best. You see his quickness, his agility, his weapon ability, and the power behind his strikes in these fights! The fights in this movie may not have the incredible choreography of Hong Kong movies, but Panna Rittikrai does a great job showing the power of traditional muay thai and the skill level of Tony Jaa.
The story is a bit simple, I will admit, but there is nothing wrong with that when you have characters and action scenes that make up for it. Humlae, though a bit of a greedy scammer at the start, is great throughout this movie. You grow to like him. He is really funny, too! Komtuan, the main villain, is a very flawed character. He is very powerful, but he is confined to a wheelchair and has to talk with an electrolarynx. Even so, he is a very proud, greedy, and petty man. What a jerk! As is Don, the guy who steals the Ong-Bak head in the first place! I hate that guy!
The version I watched was the edited version released by EuropaCorp. A subplot involving Muay's sister is apparently edited out, and the final fight between Ting and Saming is shortened. It also has a hip hop/techno soundtrack, as compared to the Thai rock the original had. All in all, three minutes are edited out. Even so, I would like to see the original version. This version is very good, though! I like some of the music in it! I have to get this on Blu-Ray!
So, should you see it? I would say yes! Just keep in mind, the story is a bit basic. If you've never seen Tony Jaa in action, you need to see this NOW! I just hope Tony Jaa will gain that superstardom that has eluded him since. He is way too talented to not be starring in huge action movies!
 |
| Front cover of the DVD I watched for this review. |
 |
| Back cover of DVD. |
 |
| Disc of version I watched. |
Reviewed by David Williams
Here is the trailer for The Policeman's Lineage, being released on January 5th, 2022.
Check out the trailer for Everything Everywhere All At Once, starring Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis, with action choreography by the Martial Club crew! This looks very intriguing! Kind of reminds me of the Jet Li movie, The One. Not sure if this is a straight up action movie, but it stars Michelle Yeoh, so I have to see it!
Here is the teaser trailer for Legend Of The White Dragon, starring Jason David Frank (the original Green and White Ranger), Jason Faunt (Red Timeforce Ranger) Mark Dacascos (martial arts legend), David Ramsey (Diggle on Arrow), Michael Madsen, and more! This looks like it could really be good, action-wise! I cannot wait to see this one!
After close to ten years, I was finally able to watch UHF again! I used to watch it when I was a kid when it came on cable (either HBO or Showtime, I can't remember; never came on basic cable or OTA TV). Let me tell you, I LOVED this movie! It also helps that I am a big Weird Al fan! I also always wanted to run a TV channel. I used to pretend I had a TV channel back then, and whatever I watched or played (either action figures or video games) was what was airing on my channel. I was able to watch it on YouTube, free with ads!
In UHF, George Newman (played by Weird Al) is put in charge of a bankrupt UHF TV station. George is an imaginative person and has many ideas, but he tries to 'play by the book' at first in trying to make the TV station successful. When that doesn't work (and after he finds out the station is days away from being flat broke), he gives his janitor Stanley Spadowski (played by Michael Richards) a shot at hosting his live kids show. The show becomes a hit! This inspires George to put on more weird TV shows, all of which become hits! A rival network TV station boss, R.J. Fletcher (played by Kevin McCarthy) decides to buy his competition after the UHF station becomes number one in the ratings. From there, George has to come up with $75,000 in two days to keep the station on the air!
This movie is full of parodies and wacky humor. The film starts with an Indiana Jones parody! The part I loved the most was the Rambo scene. I always laughed maniacally at that. Of course, I loved the Money For Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies* music video. I always hoped to catch that video on MTV, but I was not disappointed when the original Money For Nothing video aired. Both videos rocked!
The TV shows were a wild mix! Conan The Librarian was a favorite of mine. Ghandi II is just crazy! The animal show with the enthusiastic Latino host is great! Never noticed until this past viewing how crazy that guy is! Fran Drescher plays the station newscaster. Perhaps this is where my crush on her began...
Michael Richards (known to Seinfeld fans as Kramer) plays Stanley Spadowski in such an energetic, pure-hearted manner. You can't help but love the guy. It is great how such a good, pure person becomes beloved in their city. How lucky is he to have such a hit show immediately, without even trying!
This movie is pretty safe for the whole family... to a certain extent. There is no sexual humor, but there is some cartoonish, yet extremely violent scenes. The extremely violent scenes are played for laughs, so hopefully kids will not be scarred for life by watching them! (Do not get me started on Robocop!)
So yeah, I love this movie. Humor is subjective, so I know not everyone will like it or even get it. Also, this movie was made in the late 1980s, so some of the references are dated. I think you should at least give it a chance. If you know what Weird Al is about, then you'll get an idea for what you're in for. If not, I hope you enjoy it just the same!
Reviewed by David Williams
Here is the trailer for Short Bus: Ready, Action! Looks really interesting! Keeping this on my radar for sure!
Here is Hong Kong Cinema Appreciation Society's review of the JSA Blu-Ray release by Arrow. JSA is directed by one of my favorite directors, Park Chan-wook. Even though I am a fan of Park Chan-wook, I have never seen JSA. I remember always looking for this on DVD back in the day, but I could never find it. Luckily for me, JSA is streaming on Tubi for free! I will still get this Blu-Ray, though!
(I had nothing to do with the creation of this video!)
Belle is coming to theaters in January 2022 in the United States! It will be released subtitled and dubbed, so you have no excuse! This looks very interesting to me! I'll be watching the subtitled version, naturally. Check out the trailer for the English dub!
Here is the trailer for The Commando, starring Michael Jai White and Mickey Rourke! Michael Jai White is the man, and it will be very interesting to see Mickey Rourke in this type of role. Can't wait to see this!
 |
| Ninja II movie poster |
Ninja II: Shadow Of A Tear is an American martial arts movie released in 2013 and is the direct sequel to the 2009 Ninja movie. This film stars Scott Adkins, Mika Hijii, Kane Kosugi, Shun Sugata, and Tim Man. Isaac Florentine returns as director, and Tim Man did fight choreography.
Casey Bowman (played by Adkins) and Namiko (played by Hijii) are now married and living a nice married life. Suddenly, something tragic happens, and Casey's life is turned upside down. Nakabara (played by Kosugi) offers Casey a place to train in Thailand. From there, Casey falls into a revenge-filled rabbit hole. Casey seeks vengeance, in the most violent way possible!
Ninja II is a much darker and grittier film compared to the first one! Casey Bowman is pretty much obsessed with revenge throughout the movie. Everyone that gets in his way gets hurt badly, or worse. When Nakabara tries to help him out with some training exercises/rituals, Casey loses focus and either hurts his friends or hurts himself. He unleashes his rage and pain in spectacular fashion, though.
It is cool that Kane Kosugi is in this movie. Kane's father, Sho Kosugi, is famous for playing ninjas in the 1980s Ninja movie boom. Kane Kosugi starred with his father in some of those movies as a child. Kane is a very accomplished martial artist, and he really gets to show what he's got in this movie!
This movie is filled with fight scenes! Tim Man did an excellent job with the fight choreography. We see lots of cool moves from Scott Adkins, Kane Kosugi, and Tim Man himself. My favorite fight scenes in this are the bar fight, the fight against Goro's (played by Shun Sugata) right hand man, Myat (played by Tim Man himself), and of course, the final fight scene. They go all out in that final fight. Incredible stuff! Isaac Florentine knows how to present a fight scene as well!
If you love martial arts movies, especially martial arts movies that have that 1980s Hong Kong style of choreography, then you will enjoy this movie. I think this is one of Scott Adkins' all time best movies. If you want to see a hero wreak vengeance with absolutely no mercy, check this movie out!
 |
| Cover of the Blu-Ray that I watched for this review. |
 |
| Back cover of the Blu-Ray case. Yes I own it. Jealous? |
 |
| The Blu-Ray disc. You can watch this movie for free on Tubi and Pluto TV On Demand! |
Reviewed by David Williams
Here is a video review covering China O'Brien, a classic American martial arts movie starring the legendary Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton, and Keith Cooke Hayabusa. I remember not liking this movie that much when I first watched it back in the day. After seeing Cynthia Rothrock and Richard Norton really showing their skills in Hong Kong movies, the fight choreography in China O'Brien was underwhelming to me. Still, it is an American movie that portrayed a woman as a tough, smart, hero in the main character role. I need to watch this movie again, it's been decades since I last saw it. Hopefully it's on Blu-ray...
 | |
| The awesome movie poster |
Casey Bowman (played by Adkins) is an American martial artist who lives in and studies martial arts at his sensei's (played by Igawa) dojo. Living there since being placed there as an orphan, Casey has grown close to his sensei and his daughter, fellow martial artist Namiko Takeda (played by Hijii). The top student there, Masazuka (played by Ihara) is jealous of the budding relationship between Casey and Namiko and loses control during a sparring match. Their sensei expels Masazuka, who goes on to become a high-tech ninja for hire by Temple Industries (which runs an underground cult called The Ring). Masazuka goes back to the dojo to claim the title of 'soke' (the headmaster at a Japanese martial arts school), but is denied by his sensei. The sensei sends Casey and Namiko to New York to hide the 'Yoroi Bitsu' (a chest with the apparel and arsenal of an ancient ninja fighter), which he feels Masazuka will go after. From there, things get crazy, violent, and bloody!
This movie is pretty awesome. The plot is pretty simple, but that is forgivable when the action rocks like it does in this movie. The movie is about honor, living up to your responsibilities, and martial arts tradition. Casey (the 'accepted foreigner' who is highly skilled) is the honorable martial artist, Masazuka (the native, top student) is the dishonorable one. They are destined to clash, and clash they do!
I do like how Masazuka is portrayed as a traditional ninja: a covert mercenary. Like the ninjas of the past, he has no honor. He fights in the shadows, he kills mercilessly, and he won't stop until he accomplishes his mission. Masazuka is a formidable fighter, further enhanced by his high-tech ninja suit. He has night vision goggles in his mask! He has the advantage when he fights everyone he comes into contact with, including Casey!
Casey is the more traditional, honorable fighter. He does not kill unless he has to. He fights fair, and he is an incredible fighter. The kicks he can do are amazing! The fight scene in The Ring's hideout is top-notch. Scott Adkins really gets to strut his stuff in that scene. In the end fight, Casey must use traditional tactics to defeat Masazuka's neo-ninja.
As previously mentioned, The Ring hideout fight scene is the stand out. There are also fun fight scenes that take place in a subway car (with one crazy death in it) and on the roof of a building. The final fight scene is great as well. With Isaac Florentine directing, you know you'll be getting well-filmed and edited fight scenes. Akihiro "Yuji" Noguchi is the fight choreographer, and he put together some fantastic fights. If you like fast paced, sometimes gorily violent fight scenes, you'll love this one!
I like this movie a lot! Some may not like it because of the simplistic plot, or that it has a direct to video feel to it, or whatever. If you like ninjas, if you like martial arts movies with awesome fight scenes, and if you like seeing an honorable good guy do the right thing, then Ninja is the movie for you!
 |
| Cover of the Blu-Ray I watched. |
 |
| Back cover of the Blu-Ray I watched. |
 |
| The Blu-Ray disc I watched. This movie is available to stream for free on Tubi, as well! |
Reviewed by David Williams
Here is the trailer for Special Cargo, a South Korean action movie coming out in January 2022! Not going to lie, this movie looks awesome! I've gotta catch it when it releases on Blu-Ray or streaming!
Eureka! will be releasing Odd Couple remastered on Blu-Ray in March 2022! Lau Kar-wing directs and stars in this movie, along with Sammo Hung! I have never been able to watch this movie, so it's very exciting that it is getting released on Blu-Ray! As far as I know, it may be a Region B disc, so if you have a multi-region player you are in luck! Here is the trailer Eureka! put out for their release:
Ebola Syndrome has been released on 4K UHD Blu-Ray by Vinegar Syndrome! This is a rather infamous Category III horror film from Hong Kong. I am not a horror film fan, but I have to get this release! I want to watch it at least once, and I think it would be a nice Blu-Ray to have in my collection.
Other Blu-Rays recently released by Vinegar Syndrome is the Tiger Claws series, starring Cynthia Rothrock & Bolo Yeung! I am a huge Cynthia Rothrock fan, so I have to get those as well!
Here is a video by Hong Kong Cinema Appreciation Society with all the details!
(I had nothing to do with the creation of this video)
It's Fight Scene Friday ™, and this week we have another reunion between The Stunt People forum members. This one has a lot of inside ...
