[Fight Scene Friday] The Ring - A Rising Tiger Wedding

 It's Fight Scene Friday™, and this week's scene is a short film celebrating Leroy Nguyen's wedding! Talk about a romantic, hard-hitting story! This collaboration between Rising Tiger Films and Art School Dropouts rules so hard! Great use of music in this, too! It's always great to see Leroy in action (he's one of my indie action/film making heroes)! Check it out!

 

SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS Official Trailer 1 & BLACK ADAM Comic-Con Sneak Peek

 The Shazam! Fury Of The Gods trailer was finally unveiled at San Diego Comic Con, and it looks very cool! This movie is the sequel to Shazam! (2019), with many of the first film's stars returning. The synopsis is:

Shazam takes on the villainous Hespera and Kalypso, daughters of the Greek titan Atlas.

 I still have not been able to watch Shazam! yet, but I really, really want to! This trailer makes me want to watch it even more! Can't wait for this one! Shazam! Fury Of The Gods comes out December 21, 2022!

 

 

 

A sneak peak trailer for Black Adam also premiered at San Diego Comic Con! Very cool that archenemies Shazam and Black Adam had their trailers drop on the same day! We see a lot more of Dr. Fate and Hawkman in this one! Here is the synopsis, if you don't remember it: 

 Nearly 5,000 years after he was bestowed with the almighty powers of the Egyptian gods -- and imprisoned just as quickly -- Black Adam is freed from his earthly tomb, ready to unleash his unique form of justice on the modern world.

 

 Black Adam looks really cool! I just hope that it is good, and that it is a success because... there are some very interesting plans for future movies involving Black Adam, Shazam, and Superman (along with other superheroes). Black Adam comes out October 21, 2022.

 

 

BABY ASSASSINS (2022) - Movie Trailer

 Here is the trailer for Baby Assassins, a martial arts crime comedy directed by Hugo Sakamoto and starring Akari Takaishi, Saori Izawa, and Masanori Mimoto. Here is the official synopsis:

 Upon graduation, highly trained teenage assassins Chisato and Mahiro are informed by upper management that they will need to hold down “normal” jobs as a cover, and—even worse—they’ll be forced to share an apartment. However, after an unfortunate run-in with a Yakuza member, the two must band together to survive an epic fight for their lives.

Baby Assassins comes out  Aug 16, 2022, but it is already streaming on the Hi-YAH martial arts channel streaming service! It's also on Amazon Prime right now, apparently. I can't afford paid streaming service subscriptions, so I will wait until it is released on Blu-Ray! Even so, I really want to watch this movie! It looks so good!

 

[Fight Scene Friday] Special ID (Flash Point/SPL) {Donnie Yen tribute}

 It's Fight Scene Friday™, and today's scene is a tribute to the movies of martial arts movie legend, Donnie Yen! This scene was done by the EMC Monkeys crew, and they really captured the look and feel of Donnie Yen's modern action scenes. Watching this made me want to watch those Donnie Yen movies again (which I own, naturally). Check it out!

 

Warriors Of Future (2022) - Movie Trailer

Here is the trailer for Warriors Of Future, a Hong Kong movie starring Louis Koo, Carina Lau, and Sean Lau. Here is a synopsis:

 In 2055, a meteorite, which brings a fast-growing alien vine named "Pandora", crashes down on a barren Earth ravaged by pollution and global warming. "Pandora" purifies the planet but kills everything in its path. To protect the citizens of their city, the heavily armored military of Hong Kong, armed with the plant's genetic map, tries but fails to destroy "Pandora" and uncovers a conspiracy.

Not going to lie, this trailer looks amazing! I just hope the full movie is actually good! In any case, Warriors Of Future comes out August 25, 2022 in Hong Kong. Hopefully it gets an international release because I have to see this!

 

Hunt 헌트 (2022) - Movie Trailer

 Here is the trailer for Hunt, Lee Jung-jae's directorial debut. Here is the synopsis:

Taking place in the 1980s, Park Pyeong-Ho (played by Lee Jung-Jae) and Kim Jung-Do (played by Jung Woo-Sung) are agents for the National Security Agency. They are both elite at their jobs and have a rivalry with each other. The two men chase after a North Korean spy director, known as Dong Lim, sent to South Korea who has begun to leak top secret intelligence. They soon uncover a hidden truth...

 You could say Hunt is a bit of a passion project for Lee Jung-jae, as he directs, stars, contributed to the script, and co-produced the movie! The film was shown at Cannes and received a seven minute standing ovation after it was finished! So yeah, I need to see this movie! Hunt comes out August 10, 2022 in South Korea.

 

Suzume no Tojimari Anime Film Trailer

 Here is the trailer for Suzume no Tojimari, the latest film from Makoto Shinkai. Here is the synopsis:

 Suzume, a 17-year-old girl who lives in a quiet town in Kyushu, encounters a traveling young man who tells her "I'm looking for a door." She follows after him and discovers a weathered door in the ruins in the mountains, as if it were the only thing left standing from a collapse. As if drawn by something, Suzume reaches for the door...

Before long, doors begin to open one after another in various parts of Japan. As disasters come from the far side of the doors, the open doors must be closed.

The stars, the setting sun, and the morning sky—in that place she wandered into, there was a sky that seemingly blended all of time together. Guided by the mysterious doors, Suzume's "door-locking journey" begins. (from MyAnimeList)

All I can say is, holy crap this looks good! I cannot wait to watch this one! I loved Your Name (also by Makoto Shinkai), so I hope this is just as good! Suzume no Tojimari comes out November 11, 2022 in Japan and early 2023 internationally.

[Fight Scene Friday] Jay vs. Eric Jacobus 3 (Gunpoint series)

 This week's Fight Scene Friday™ scene is a one-on-one fight between Eric Jacobus and Fernando 'Jay' Huerto! This scene is taken from a remake of the Gunpoint series Jay was working on (I assume). This series looked like it was going to rock! Things happen, and I don't think the series was ever released (I've been looking for it), but at least we have this scene to marvel over. Eric and Jay really go hard in this one!

 

3 Ninjas Knuckle Up (1993/1995) - A Review

 

This movie rocks!

3 Ninjas Knuckle Up is a family martial arts comedy movie released in 1995 (but filmed in 1992) starring Michael Treanor, Max Elliott Slade, Chad Power, Victor Wong, Crystle Lightning, Patrick Kilpatrick, Donal Logue, Charles Napier, Don Shanks, and Don Stark. The movie was directed by Shin Sang-ok (known as Simon Sheen in the credits for this movie), with fight scenes choreographed by Wan-Chang Lin and Han-Ching Liu. 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up is the direct sequel to the first 3 Ninjas movie, though it was released after the third movie (3 Ninjas Kick Back).

From left: Max Elliott Slade as Colt, Chad Power as Tum Tum, Chrystle Lightning as Jo, and Michael Treanor as Rocky.

In 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up, Rocky (played by Michael Treanor), Colt (played by Max Elliott Slade), and Tum Tum (played by Chad Power) are spending summer vacation with their grandpa (played by Victor Wong) again when one day they help Jo (played by Crystle Lightning) deal with grown men picking on her (she is about 12 years old, and these guys are grown men pushing her around) at a pizza parlor. After the fight, the crowd praises the 3 Ninjas, and the 3 Ninjas seem a little too proud of their accomplishment. Grandpa feels they are getting too cocky, so he punishes them. He also asks them a very philosophical question relating a flower to their situation. The 3 Ninjas are stumped by this question...

A bit later, the 3 Ninjas find out from Jo that her father is missing, and the men messing with her at the pizza parlor are most likely involved. Those men work for a business man whose company has been dumping toxic waste illegally on the Native American reserve where she lives. Her father went to get some information to prove the illegal activity was happening, but never came back. The 3 Ninjas decide to help Jo find her dad.

From there, the 3 Ninjas actually act like real ninjas and track their enemies' movements, they make their weapons by hand, and go on their mission in the cover of night. They find Jo's father, who has to present evidence in a court case to stop the illegal dumping. Of course, Jo gets kidnapped, and the 3 Ninjas have to rescue her before her father has to make his case in court.

Probably the funniest scene in the movie. Tum Tum kills it in this scene!

3 Ninjas Knuckle Up is a very different movie from the first 3 Ninjas movie. There is a lot more action in this one! There isn't that much comedy, but it is still a very funny movie. It has a different feel and look to it. The movie almost seems like a low budget film even though there are a lot more locations and stunts in this one. Still, I think this movie rocks! I didn't hear about this movie until my dad gave me and my brother a copy of the movie he recorded off of HBO or Showtime. There were no commercials on TV for this movie at all. We did see 3 Ninjas Kick Back at the movie theater, so this movie just came out of nowhere for us. It was weird to see the original actors back in their roles after some of them were recast in 3 Ninjas Kick Back. I prefer the originals, not going to lie.

I like how the 3 Ninjas grow as people and as heroes in this movie. At the start of the movie, the 3 Ninjas help people because they have the skills to do it and they genuinely want to help, but they also like the attention they get from it. As the movie goes on, they help people because it is the right thing to do, period. I also like how Native Americans are treated respectfully by the 3 Ninjas (of course, the bad guys are jerks to them). It is a pretty positive portrayal, but then there is the whole 'white savior' aspect to the movie that may not play well today. It does make me wonder, are there any mainstream movies where there is a Native American protagonist who stands up to oppressors and helps others regardless of ethnicity? If not, why isn't there one? 

3 Ninjas Knuckle Up has some great fight scenes!

The fight scenes in 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up blew me away when I first watched it back then! The action was very Hong Kong-inspired. I was not expecting that! The 3 Ninjas kick major butt in this one! A great scene happens at a junkyard. There is a lot of acrobatic moves and using the environment in the fight. Very similar to a Jackie Chan fight scene! The final fight scene takes place at an abandoned (seemingly) little town where the 3 Ninjas fight off cowboys and bikers. It's like a fight in a saloon in a western movie! During this scene, Rocky and Tum Tum get their dance on while fighting off the bad guys. It's cute. How that segment of the scene starts off reminds me of the start of the bar fight in Project A. The kids do most of their own stunts, but stunt doubles are used for some of the more spectacular and dangerous moves/stunts. Colt does some wild stuff in this one! The action is very good in 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up!

In conclusion, 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up is another underrated martial arts movie that should be seen by more people. I will say, this sequel is more about the action than the comedy, but the comedy that is there is enjoyable. It's a nice family movie with some fun fight scenes. Check it out! It is really unfortunate that these kids never got to go on and become action stars. They were really talented. At least we have 3 Ninjas and 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up to remember them at their best.

Reviewed by David Williams

Sadako DX - Movie Trailer

 Check out the trailer for Sadako DX, the latest movie in the Ring/Ringu saga. Here is the synopsis:

People who watch a cursed video suddenly die. These deaths take place all over Japan. Ayaka Ichijo is an extremely smart graduate student with an IQ of 200. Her younger sister happens to watch the cursed video for fun. Ayaka Ichijo tries to reveal the mystery of the cursed video.

Sadako DX comes out October 28, 2022 in Japan. We shall see if it gets an international release, though. I hope this movie is good, as I quite liked the 1998 Ring/Ringu movie.

 

[Fight Scene Friday] Ness - Cop martial arts thriller ネス

 This week's Fight Scene Friday™ scene is a short film from Eric Jacobus and the Stunt People crew. The fight scenes are fast and hard-hitting in this one, and the concept is actually pretty interesting to me. If this was a full length movie or a TV show, I would be all about it! Check it out!

 

Contorted 뒤틀린 집 (2022) - Movie Trailer

 Here is the trailer for Contorted, also known as The Contorted House, a South Korean horror movie starring Seo Young Hee, Kim Min Jae, and Kim Mo Bin. The movie was written and directed by Kang Dong Hun. Here is the synopsis:

A family moves to a quiet and isolated place, but suffers from nightmares on their very first day in the new home. The wife is anxious about a strange sound she hears in the warehouse, but her husband ignores her concern. Meanwhile, the family’s nightmares are getting worse, to the point that they can hardly tell the difference between dream and reality. 

Contorted comes out July 13, 2022 in South Korea. I hope this gets an international release because this movie looks very intriguing. I need to see this!

 

3 Ninjas (1992) - A Review

 

Classic 90s family movie. Underrated, I think.

3 Ninjas is an American family comedy martial arts movie released in 1992 and starred Victor Wong, Michael Treanor, Max Elliott Slade, Chad Power, Kate Sargeant, Rand Kingsley, and Professor Toru Tanaka. 3 Ninjas was directed by Jon Turteltaub, with Rick Avery as stunt coordinator and Monty Cox as second stunt coordinator.

Michael Treanor as Rocky, Chad Power as Tum-Tum, and Max Elliott Slade as Colt: The 3 Ninjas!

In 3 Ninjas, Victor Wong plays Mori Tanaka, a master in the martial art of ninjutsu who is taking care of his three grandsons over the summer. At the end of the summer, Mori gives them nicknames based on their personalities: The oldest brother, Samuel Douglas Jr., (played by Micheal Treanor), is named Rocky; the second oldest, Jeffrey Douglas (played by Max Elliot Slade) is named Colt; and the youngest brother, Michael Douglas (played by Chad Power), is called Tum-Tum. Before the kids head back home, Mori is visited by an old friend, Hugo Snyder (played by Rand Kingsley), who wants Mori's son-in-law Sam, the kids' father, to stop investigating him. Snyder threatens Mori's family if he doesn't get Sam off his back...

Hugo Snyder was almost caught by Sam and the FBI previous to this, in a sting selling illegal warheads. Mori doesn't help Snyder, so Snyder decides to kidnap the kids. He sends his assistant's bumbling nephew (and his two friends) to kidnap them. For the kidnappers, their mission doesn't go so good, as the 3 Ninjas are able to defend themselves. Unfortunately, Snyder's bodyguard (played by Professor Toru Tanaka) shows up and kidnaps them anyways. Sam must trust Mori to confront Snyder and help get the kids back. The 3 Ninjas, must find a way out of their situation while keeping faith that their grandfather isn't a bad guy...

Victor Wong as Mori Tanaka, the 3 Ninjas' grandfather. He rules in this!

I'll just say it, and it's been said before: 3 Ninjas is basically Home Alone with martial arts. This isn't a bad thing, though! 3 Ninjas is still funny and entertaining in it's own right, after all these years. It's good clean fun for the whole family (though there are two instances of offensive words in regards to handicapped people used; unfortunately, that is how kids talked back then...and even now). Yes, most of the comedy is kid humor, but there's nothing wrong with going back to your childhood and enjoying what was funny to you back then (if you are an adult reading this review). Kids reading this review, just go watch the movie!

I like the relationship between the three brothers: Rocky is steady and unshakeable, Colt is hotheaded, and Tum-Tum is...a little kid that loves to eat. Rocky and Colt don't always include Tum-Tum in their celebrations, and Tum-Tum repeats what his older brothers says a lot. Rocky calms Colt down when he's fired up, but Colt always backs up his brothers. Tum-Tum is the funniest of the brothers, I would say. The brothers are confident in themselves and in their skills. The brothers love their grandpa, as well as their parents; so the conflict between their father and their grandpa (Sam doesn't approve of Mori teaching the kids ninjutsu) has an effect on them throughout the movie.

The three kidnappers, lead by Fester (played by Patrick Francis Labyorteaux) are three of the dumbest surfer/skater dudes you'll ever see! Think Bill and Ted, but way, way dumber. When I was kid, they annoyed me so much (and I loved Bill and Ted), but watching it now, I think they are hilarious! The main villain, Snyder, is quite the bombastic jerk! He is rich, greedy, and an expert martial artist. Rand Kingsley gives a good performance as Snyder, but he is not a really memorable kids movie villain. Victor Wong as Mori/Grandpa is great in this. You can tell through his performance that he loves his grandchildren. He is a bit stubborn, in a good way and in a bad way, but he is willing to compromise. Victor Wong rules!

The 3 Ninjas don't hold back in their fight scenes!

The action in 3 Ninjas is pretty good...for a kids movie. Nothing too violent to worry about. At first, the 3 Ninjas fight their enemies using their surroundings (what Jackie Chan is famous for in America). It is very comedic, and it's funny to see the enemies flying around like ragdolls after getting hit by the kids. Later on in the movie, we get to really see the ability of the kid ninjas. They definitely have the skill! The best fights involving the kids is at the end when they are trying to escape being kidnapped. Mori also fights quite a bit in this, but it is obviously a stuntman. It's fine, though. There actually are some scenes where you can't tell if it's Victor Wong himself or a stuntman, so kudos to the stunt team and the editor! The early fights are fun and silly, the later fights are a bit more serious with higher stakes.

I do recommend 3 Ninjas, for sure! It's just an enjoyable, funny movie safe for the whole family. I will say, the version I watched (which was on the streaming site Tubi) was the international version. This version is a little longer and has some things changed from the original 'American' version I watched as a kid. To say what the differences are would spoil the movie, but it doesn't change the movie as a whole. Anyways, 3 Ninjas is really underrated nowadays, and I think people should give it a chance in the 2020s.

(ROCKY loves EMILY, by the way.)

Reviewed by David Williams

[Fight Scene Friday] Unlocked (Four Points Film Project 2018)

 This week's Fight Scene Friday™ scene is a short film by the Jabronie Pictures crew! Unlocked was directed, produced, and stars Fernando 'Jay' Huerto. Fight choreography was done by Fernando Huerto, Eric Nguyen, Andreas Tihanyi, and Keith Hammond. Jay always has fun and funny scenes, and this one is no exception!  Check it out!