In The Line Of Duty 3 (1988) - A Review

 

Cynthia Khan busts onto the Hong Kong movie scene with In The Line Of Duty 3.

In The Line Of Duty 3 (also known as Yes Madam 2, Force Of The Dragon, and  In the Line of Duty - Part 3) is a martial arts crime comedy movie released in Hong Kong in 1988 and stars Cynthia Khan, Fujioka Hiroshi, Nishiwaki Michiko, Stuart Ong, Paul Chun Pui, Dick Wei, Sandra Ng Kwun-Yu, Benny Law Ching-Ho, and Yueh Hua. Brandy Yuen and Arthur Wong directed the movie, with martial arts directed by Chris Lee Kin-Sang, Tony Leung Siu-Hung, Brandy Yuen, Yuen Cheung-Yan, and Yuen Yat-Choh. In The Line Of Duty 3 was Cynthia Khan's debut film.

Fujioka Hiroshi (left) as Hiroshi Fujioka and Cynthia Khan as Madam Yeung, our two heroes.

In In The Line Of Duty 3, Cynthia Khan plays Yeung Lai-Ching, a young cop who has been promoted to her uncle Insp. Cameron Chuen's (played by Paul Chun Pui) squad in the Hong Kong police force. Being her uncle, Insp. Chuen doesn't want Madam Yeung to get involved in dangerous police cases. Eventually, a major case comes in, and Madam Yeung gets thrust into the action.

The case they are working on involves two Red Army terrorists (played by Nishiwaki Michiko and Stuart Ong) who steal jewels at a fashion show in Japan, and brutally kill people in the process. Interpol agent Hiroshi Fujioka (played by Fujioka Hiroshi, yes, the first Kamen Rider) and his young partner are there and chase the terrorists. Unfortunately, the terrorists kill Fujioka's partner and get away. Fujioka vows to find the terrorists and kill them in revenge for his partner. The terrorists go to Hong Kong to sell the jewels to get money for a cache of weapons. After finding out the jewels are fake, the terrorists go on a search for the fashion designer they stole the jewels from to kill him. Fujioka follows them to Hong Kong, and Madam Yeung is assigned to keep him out of trouble. As you can imagine, Fujioka cannot be stopped in his quest for vengeance, and Madam Yeung gets thrust into the middle of this conflict. Things go from bad to worse, and Madam Yeung has to deal with the terrorists on her own terms...

Nishiwaki Michiko (left) and Stuart Ong as the Red Army terrorists. Yes, things get kinky during this scene...

After Michelle Khan (Michelle Yeoh) got married and retired from acting, D&B films wanted to continue the successful In The Line Of Duty franchise with a new actress. They chose Cynthia Khan (real name Yang Li-tsing, her name is a combination of Cynthia Rothrock and Michelle Khan's, two of the most successful female action stars at that time) to star in In The Line Of Duty 3, and they really did everything they could to make her a credible action star. Their efforts were successful, as Cynthia Khan showed she can live up to her namesakes, and bring something all her own to the role.

As Madam Yeung, Cynthia is shown as being very smart, strong, brave, and physically capable and skilled to take on any violent crime. Throughout the movie, the stakes are raised higher and higher, and Cynthia rises to the occasion every time. She is determined to catch the bad guys no matter what. On the other hand, Nishiwaki Michiko (you may remember her as the muscular woman in My Lucky Stars, 1985) who plays one of the terrorists, is absolutely ruthless! She is relentless in her vengeance, and is a very tough foe for Cynthia. Her character is very... sensual in a way (you have to see the movie to see what I'm talking about). Similarly,  Fujioka Hiroshi, the Japanese Interpol agent, is driven by revenge as well. His role is actually similar to Hiroyuki Sanada's role in Royal Warriors (1986). He does everything he can to avenge the death of his partner, but it causes more problems for Cynthia and the Hong Kong police force.

The tone of the movie is mixed; it is mostly a comedy, but things get violent and gritty as well. On the comedy side, we have a few cameos from the My Lucky Stars cast. Richard Ng and Eric Tsang seem  straight up to be playing their characters from My Lucky Stars. The relationship between Madam Yeung, her uncle the Inspector, and his squad is comical. On the other hand, the terrorists are violent and vicious. There are violent shoot-outs, massive explosions, and gritty fights. There is nothing funny going on involving them. Hey, it's an 80s Hong Kong action movie! This is to be expected, and I would not have it any other way!

Cynthia Khan kicks major butt in this movie!

The action in In The Line Of Duty 3 is hard-hitting. Cynthia Khan shows off her fighting skills well in this, and she gets put through the wringer. Not only does she have to fight Nishiwaki Michiko, but she has to fight the ferocious Dick Wei at the same time! This is a great fight, and shows Madam Yeung's intelligence as well. She has to use her wits as well as her brawn to defeat them and survive. Fujioka Hiroshi and Stuart Ong have a gritty fight to the death that isn't so much about martial arts skill, but about doing any thing they can to maim and kill each other. It's an amazing fight that will have you on the edge of you seat! The choreography is very good; it's fast, fluid, and impactful. 

In conclusion, I highly recommend watching In The Line Of Duty 3! It may not be as good as its predecessors, Yes, Madam! or Royal Warriors, but it is good in its own way. It has comedy, cameos, emotion, and awesome action. Really, the action is the main reason to watch this, as is Cynthia Khan, who makes her film debut in smashing fashion. Cynthia has gone on to star in more action classics through the years, and she should get the respect she deserves as an action star.

Here is the original export trailer:

Reviewed by David Williams

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (2024?) - Teaser Trailer

 Check out the teaser trailer for Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In. It stars Sammo Hung, Louis Koo, Phillip Ng, Richie Jen, and Raymond Lam. It is directed by Soi Cheang Pou Soi, with Kenji Tanigaki in charge of the action. Here is the synopsis, according to Variety:

Cheang’s film features troubled youth Chan, who accidentally enters the Walled City, discovers the order amidst its chaos, and learns important life lessons along the way. He becomes close friends with Shin, Twelfth Master and AV. Under the leadership of Tornado, they resist against the invasion of villain Mr. Big in a series of fierce battles. Together, they vow to protect the city, which they have come to regard as their safe haven.

This movie has been in the works for years, with Donnie Yen being involved at one point. Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In is finally coming out some time this year (2024), and I personally can't wait for this one! It looks so good!

 

Legend Of The Wolf (1997) - A Review

 

Legend Of The Wolf gives us a glimpse of Donnie Yen's brilliance before he became a megastar.

Legend Of The Wolf (also known as The New Big Boss and The Big New Boss) is a Hong Kong martial arts movie released in 1997 and stars Donnie Yen, Dayo Wong Chi-Wah, Carman Lee Yeuk-Tung, Edmond Leung Hon-Man, and Ben Lam Kwok-Bun. It was directed, produced, and co-written by Donnie Yen; with action choreographed by Donnie Yen, Tony Tam Chun-To, Mak Wai-Cheung, and Bill Lui Tak-Wai.

Wai (Dayo Wong, left) and Wolf/Fung Man Hin (Donnie Yen).

In Legend Of The Wolf, a young determined man, Ben (played by Edmond Leung Hon-Man) is looking for Wolf (played by Donnie Yen), a legendary assassin. He meets up with Wai (played by Dayo Wong Chi-Wah), who takes Ben to meet Wolf in his office. When Ben sees Wolf, who is old and sleeping at his desk, he is not very impressed. Wai (and eventually Wolf) then tells Ben about Wolf's life...

Through flashbacks, we find out that Wolf came to Wai's poor village in search of a temple. Wai volunteers to take him to the temple, and they become friends. Wolf has amnesia, and all he can remember was that he was a soldier and that he was supposed to meet someone at the temple. Throughout this time, bandits keep attacking Wai and Wolf, and we see that Wolf is an expert fighter. After getting injured in a fight, Wolf reunites with the person he was looking for, but his amnesia makes their reunion bittersweet. As you can imagine, people are looking for Wolf, and they find him in the village. Wolf has to fight these bandits to protect the people he loves...

Carman Lee (left) as Wai-Yee. She and Wolf have a past...

Legend Of The Wolf is the first full Donnie Yen movie I ever bought and watched back in the late 1990s. I bought the VHS tape (it was called The New Big Boss) and excitedly watched it. Not going to lie, I was disappointed. Back then, I was always looking for VHS movies in their correct aspect ratios (so on 4:3 TVs, they would have black bars on the top and bottom of the screen; despite those bars, the whole screen of the movie is shown this way). The New Big Boss was pan and scan, and the picture quality was only okay, not great. Now, why was this movie disappointing? Because of the full screen/pan and scan picture, a lot of the action was hard to see. All you would see was a lot of fists and weapons swinging up close, but you wouldn't see the effect of the moves (you couldn't see who was hitting who). The fight scenes were confusing and a let down. I recently found this movie on American streaming service Tubi, in its correct aspect ratio, so I decided to give it another shot. Does the movie hold up?

Legend Of The Wolf is way, way better than I remember it being! I was actually blown away by how good it was! The story is intriguing (there are a few twists in there), the main characters are interesting, and the action is really good. The movie is never boring and goes by pretty quickly. The actors play their parts well (Ben Lam as the final boss is instantly hateable as soon as he appears; it's amazing actually). This is a serious, dramatic movie for the most part, but there is a little bit of comedy (mainly provided by Dayo Wong Chi-Wah as Wai). The movie has a message, which I feel was conveyed well, but I will leave it up to you to make your own judgement on that.

Donnie Yen is unstoppable in this movie!

The action in Legend Of The Wolf is fast, furious, and hard-hitting. This movie is pretty bloody and violent as well. Seeing as this was a Donnie Yen movie in the 90s, you can expect that the fight scenes are sped up big time. At least in this movie, only certain parts of the fight scenes are sped up. All of the weapons choreography and the rapid-fire punches are sped up to the max, while more of Donnie Yen's varied offense goes at a more normal speed (he's still swift, though). There are also a lot of quick cuts, which may cause you to lose track of where the characters are in relation to each other, and confusion over what's actually happening in the fight. The fights are shot and edited very similar to The Blade (1995) or Ashes Of Time (1994), but I think the fights in Legend Of The Wolf are more coherent than in those movies. The choreography in this movie is not at the level of a Yuen Woo-ping or Sammo Hung, but it is still exciting. Donnie shows off all his awesome kicks in this, and man does he know how to make them look awesome on film. All of the fights in this movie are good...except for maybe the first one (it's a weapons fight), and they are all different from each other. Donnie's fight against the monkey style kung fu fighter is probably the best in this movie, while the final fight is the most emotional (for obvious reasons). Depending on your fight scene preferences, you may enjoy the fight scenes in this movie or you will absolutely despise them.

I recommend watching Legend Of The Wolf. It's got an interesting story, likeable protagonists, and lots of violent and bloody action. A lot of the reviews I read said this movie offers nothing new; it's full of cliches and terrible fight scenes. I don't know, the movie was deep enough for me, and the action was pretty awesome (though I admit to not liking the fight scenes when I first watched it decades ago). I think Donnie Yen did a pretty good job in his movie directorial debut. Directing this movie was the first step in him becoming the martial arts movie megastar he was always meant to be. Check it out, you may like it!

Reviewed by David Williams

Wing Chun (1994) - A Review

 

Another classic Michelle Yeoh movie.

Wing Chun (also known as The Beautiful Secret Agent and Bandit Queen) is a martial arts comedy movie released in Hong Kong in 1994 and stars Michelle Yeoh, Donnie Yen, Kingdom Yuen King-Tan, Waise Lee Chi-Hung, Catherine Hung Yan, Norman Tsui Siu-Keung, Chui A-Fai, and Cheng Pei-Pei. Wing Chun was directed by Yuen Woo-Ping, with action choreographed by Yuen Woo-Ping, Donnie Yen, and Yuen Shun-Yi.

Michelle Yeoh as Yim Wing Chun. Do not mess with her!

In Wing Chun, Michelle Yeoh plays Yim Wing Chun, a master martial artist and owner of a tofu shop in a mountain village. Since Yim is a woman martial artist, she has given up hope of meeting a man and getting married. She even dresses like a man, with many people mistaking her for a man. One day a beautiful young woman, Charmy (played by Catherine Hung Yan) comes to town with her sick and dying husband, looking for a way to help him. After he dies, Charmy needs money for the funeral. Her only option is to sell herself to the highest bidder in town. Yim "buys" her, and hires her to work at the tofu shop.

A group of bandits want Charmy (and revenge on Yim Wing Chun for stopping them) for their own "personal pleasure". After Wing Chun defeats the brother (played by Chui A-Fai) of the leader, Flying Chimpanzee (played by Norman Tsui Siu-Keung), challenges her to a duel; if Wing Chun loses, she must become Flying Chimpanzee's woman.

During all this, Wing Chun's childhood friend, Leung Pok To (played by Donnie Yen), comes into town looking for her. He wants to marry her, but he mistakes Charmy for Wing Chun, and Wing Chun for a man! As you can imagine, a lot of mistaken identity shenanigans ensue. Can Yim Wing Chun defeat Flying Chimpanzee and avoid forcibly becoming his wife, and will she ever find love (particularly with  Leung Pok To)?

Donnie Yen is looking for the love of his life... and kicking butt.

I first watched Wing Chun in the late 90s on cable TV channel TNT late at night. I loved it back then, as it was the first time I watched a Michelle Yeoh movie where she was the top star, and it was the first movie I ever saw Donnie Yen in (I had heard of him before that, though). I recorded it on VHS off the TV so I could watch it whenever I wanted, but as you can imagine, when DVDs became the popular format, I wanted to buy the DVD version. Of course, I could never find it on sale anywhere (in-store or online) for years. The last time I watched Wing Chun was probably in the early 2000s. (There is a rumor that Miramax bought the rights for Wing Chun, just so nobody else could release it in America. Not sure how true that is, but it seems to be true in my experience.)

So how does Wing Chun hold up? I think it holds up great! Reading other reviews of this movie, it seems like everybody gives it negative points for not being about the creation of the Wing Chun style, or about the creator of the style, Ng Mui (who does appear in this movie, played by Cheng Pei-Pei), or a more truthful profile of Yim Wing Chun, who was Ng Mui's first student and who the style is named after. This movie is a silly comedy, basically. I hate to call it a romantic comedy, but there is a lot of comedy based on romantic situations. I actually enjoyed the comedy, for the most part (unlike a majority of the reviews I read), but as I always say: comedy is subjective. You may not find the movie funny, but maybe you will.

Michelle Yeoh plays Yim Wing Chun as a stoic, martial arts master who kind of regrets not finding love, but does not regret becoming a martial artist. She has great chemistry with Kingdom Yuen King-Tan, who plays her aunt Abascus Fong, a very smelly and desperately amorous woman. Donnie Yen plays Leung Pok To as a heroic young man with honorable intentions. He is also kind of a goof in this movie (which impacted how I though of him as an actor for a little while... until I saw Legend Of The Wolf, 1997. I gained a whole new appreciation for him after that movie!) It was great to see Norman Tsui Siu-Keung as the main villain, Flying Chimpanzee. I can't believe I didn't recognize it was him until now. He plays Flying Chimpanzee as a cocky, chauvinist jerk. All the performances in this movie are great, as are the characters.

A lot of creative fights in Wing Chun, as expected in a Yuen Woo-Ping movie!

 The fight scenes in Wing Chun are really, really good. I will say, though Yim Wing Chun is a Wing Chun master, the way she fights in this movie is not totally Wing Chun-based. Still, there are some Wing Chun strikes in there, and the fights are entertaining. Donnie Yen gets in on the action, and he does some of his great kicks in this. Norman Tsui Siu-Keung is a formidable final boss, who is an expert with a spear and a master of the cotton belly. The most famous fight in this movie is when Yim Wing Chun challenges a bandit to hit a tray of tofu. Wing Chun blocks all of his strikes, uses the tofu as a weapon, and even does some fancy tofu dodging as well. Probably the most creative fight in the movie. Since this movie was made in the 90s, the fights have that really sped up look to it. Not as bad as other movies during that time period, but it's still noticeable. I don't like fight scenes that are sped up like that, but in Wing Chun it's tolerable.

So, should you watch Wing Chun? I say yes! It's a fun, funny, action-packed movie. Michelle Yeoh is great in this, playing the unselfish hero to perfection, and Donnie Yen is a goofy butt kicker. Though this movie may not be historically accurate, it's a fun way to find out about the originators of the Wing Chun kung fu style. Michelle Yeoh is just the best!

Reviewed by David Williams

Customs Frontline (2023) - Teaser Trailer

 Check out the trailer for Customs Frontline, which stars Nicholas Tse (New Police Story, 2004 and Raging Fire, 2021) and Jacky Cheung (Days Of Being Wild, 1990 and High Risk, 1995) and is directed by Herman Yau (The Untold Story, 1993 and The Legend Is Born - Ip Man, 2010). There is no official synopsis for the movie (as of this blog), but Customs Frontline deals with the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) in Hong Kong (which fights against smuggling, drug trafficking, and drug abuse, among other things).

Customs Frontline comes out some time in 2023. This looks like it could be really good; I hope it gets an international release!

 

Future Cops (1993) - A Review

 

The infamous Hong Kong take on the Street Fighter characters.

Future Cops is a fantasy comedy movie released in Hong Kong in 1993 and stars Andy Lau, Simon Yam, Jacky Cheung, Dicky Cheung, Chingmy Yau, Ekin Cheng, Billy Chow, Charlie Yeung, Andy Hui, Aaron Kwok, Ken Lo, and Richard Ng. It was written and directed by Wong Jing, with action directed by Tony Ching Siu-Tung. Future Cops features characters based on the video game characters in Street Fighter II.

Dicky Cheung as Chan Tai-hung (left), Andy Hui as Kei-on the bully (right).

In the future, The General (M. Bison, played by Ken Lo) is imprisoned for trying to take over the world. His henchmen, Kent (Ken, played by Ekin Cheng), Thai King (Sagat, played by Billy Chow), and Toyota (E. Honda, played by William Duen) decide to go back in time to 1993 to brainwash the judge that convicted their leader. The Future Cops get wind of the criminals' plans in a battle with them and tell their superior, who sends them to 1993 to protect the future judge. Lung (Ryu, played by Aaron Kwok) stays behind because he is their superior's brother-in-law .

Ti Man (Vega, played by Andy Lau), Broom Man (Guile, played by Jacky Cheung), and Sing (Dhalsim, played by Simon Yam) arrive in 1993 to find that the future judge, Chan Tai Hung (played by Dicky Cheung) is a bit of a loser. He is still in high school, even though he is 28 years old, still lives at home with his mom and sister, and is constantly bullied by everyone at his school. Learning this, they help him stand up to his bullies and become more of a success in school.

As you can imagine, Chan Tai Hung starts evolving as a person, even becoming successful with his crush, Choy Nei (played by Charlie Yeung). Ti Man becomes involved with Tai Hung's sister, Chun May (you can guess who she becomes, played by Chingmy Yau), and Broom Man gets involved with Tai Hung's bully's girlfriend (played by Winnie Lau). Eventually, the bad guys make their presence known, and take over the school. It's up to the Future Cops to level up and stop the General from taking over the world...

The Street Fighters... I mean Future Cops. Yes, that is Simon Yam as Dhalsim (far left) and Jacky Cheung as Guile (far right).

I had heard of Future Cops back in the day after finding out the director of City Hunter (1993) made a 'Street Fighter II' movie. I could never find much information about it, but I saw the odd movie still and trailer here and there. I finally found it on my favorite DVD online store and ordered it (paid for it and everything). It's been close to 20 years and I still haven't gotten it in the mail! As you can imagine, trying to find and watch this movie has been quite the struggle. I finally found the whole movie online, and I watched it. Did it live up to my expectations?

It did not. The director, Wong Jing, is known for making wacky, silly comedies that you either love or hate. I've seen City Hunter (which I liked at first... now I find it too silly) and Last Hero In China (1993, only really liked the action in that one), so I was expecting some zaniness, but... this is just too wacky for my tastes. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of funny scenes, but there is a lot of annoying things in it, too. It also doesn't help that there are only three action scenes in this movie (and much like the Jean-Claude Van Damme Street Fighter movie, most of the actors don't have martial arts skills). The Street Fighter fight scene in City Hunter is better than all of the fight scenes in Future Cops. It also bothers me that all these grown adult men are pursuing relationships with teenage high school girls.

Despite all of that, there are some good performances in this. Andy Lau is good as the sensitive Vega. Dicky Cheung is likable (for the most part) as the bullied future judge, though he says some horrible things to the people that are laughing at him (it's really messed up). Andy Hui as the main bully is great (as is his hairstyle). It's always great when Charlie Yeung shows up in a movie (though she just plays the love interest). Chingmy Yau is the best thing in this movie; she is just so funny. Richard Ng is in this as well, and of course he's hilarious! There is also an homage to a classic video game that was pretty unexpected!

Ken Lo as M. Bison is an inspired choice. Ken and E. Honda are his henchmen.

As stated above, there are only three main action scenes in Future Cops. Inspired by Street Fighter II: Turbo (I assume), the fights are super sped up with special moves galore. You'll see Hadokens, Spinning Bird Kicks, Hurricane Kicks, Yoga Flames, Sonic Booms, and more. Sound effects from the Super Nintendo/Super Famicom version of Street Fighter II are used in the fight scenes, at least. Despite all that, I can't say the fights were actually good or exciting. They are over the top, but not in a good way. Really disappointing. Some may like the fights, though!

So, do I recommend Future Cops? I would say no, unless you are that much of a Street Fighter fan that you have to consume every type of Street Fighter media. You may also like it if you are looking for a wacky and insane over the top type of movie. As I've said in other reviews: humor is subjective. What's funny to me may not be funny to you, and vice versa. Otherwise, steer clear. This movie is a clear case of cashing in on a phenomenon, without actually paying for the license. I was looking forward to this movie for years, and it broke my heart when I finally watched it. It's not the end of the world. There are three excellent Street Fighter movies in existence (two anime, one live action), so I can watch those for my Street Fighter movie fix. If you still decide to watch Future Cops, go into it with expectations for a crazy comedy and not for an awesome action movie based on a video game.

Reviewed by David Williams

Raging Fire (2021) - A Review

Raging Fire was director Benny Chan's final film. He left us a good one!

Raging Fire is a martial arts/action movie released in China and Hong Kong in 2021, starring Donnie Yen, Nicholas Tse, Ray Lui Leung-Wai, Ben Lam Kwok-Bun, Ken Lo Wai-Kwong, and Yu Kang. It was directed by Benny Chan (in his final film), with action directed by Donnie Yen.

Donnie Yen as Bong Cheung. He always does the right thing.

In Raging Fire, Donnie Yen plays Bong Cheung, an unwavering righteous cop who refuses to deal with the shady parts of being in the Hong Kong police force. After refusing to work with some powerful (and shady) businessmen, Bong and his team are left out of a drug bust, where all of the police officers involved get killed by a crew of masked men. The men who killed these police officers are experts in their field of robbery and assassination. These masked men have a past with Bong Cheung.

Yau Kong-ngo (played by Nicholas Tse) is the leader of these masked thieves, and he has little patience for mistakes. We find out through flashbacks how Yau and Bong know each other, and why Yau and his crew are killing certain people in brutal fashion. Bong and his team have to find out who is killing these people, and stop them before they kill their next victim. As you can imagine, the conflict becomes personal between Bong Cheung and Yau Kong-ngo, and it becomes inevitable that they will have to face each other one last time...

Nicholas Tse as Ngo. He is one cool, calculated, and vicious villain.

Raging Fire is really good! It has great action, complex characters, and an interesting (if a bit basic) story. Donnie Yen plays the stoic, righteous cop who loves his wife. His character is put in tough situations, morally and physically. You really root for his character to overcome the odds that are stacked against him. Nicholas  Tse plays the morally corrupt villain who will do anything to get what he wants. He is cool, calm (for the most part), collected... and also vicious. Through flashbacks we find out how he became this way, which is pretty tragic. He is a ruthless criminal, though, so my empathy for him was limited. You can tell Bong and Yau respect each other, but their difference in morality will keep them at odds. Great performances from Donnie and Nicholas.

One thing I really liked about this movie was the scene where it shows Bong's battered and bruised body after a fight, and his wife's reaction to it, and his response to her reaction. It's something that's not regularly shown in action movies, and it really brings home the consequences of being in a fight. I also liked the flashbacks; they give the backstory of all the characters, and where their motivations come from. I can't believe some reviews complaining about the amount of flashbacks. I had no problem with them (everyone is different, though). Also, there are some parts of this movie that remind me of Jackie Chan's New Police Story (2004), which was also directed by Benny Chan.

The action in Raging Fire is top notch!

Plain and simple: The action in Raging Fire rocks! There are two main fight scenes and one shoot out, and as you can imagine, they are hard-hitting and intense. The first fight scene involves Bong being surrounded and majorly outnumbered! Bong has to fight his way out to safety, and he does not hold back against his numerous opponents. In the shoot out, it's Bong's squad against Yau's crew, and there's bullets and explosions galore. The shoot out is intense, and there aren't many that are left unscathed. The final fight between Bong and Yau is awesome. There are hard-hitting strikes, grappling, and weapons involved. There is even a little callback to SPL (2005) when Bong reveals his weapon of choice. This fight is brutal, actually and worth the price of admission. Really great stuff in this fight. There is more action in Raging Fire, I just highlighted the major scenes.

As you can guess, I highly recommend Raging Fire! It is the epitome of modern Hong Kong action. Interesting plot, complex characters, and incredible action. What more could you want? Benny Chan's last movie is one he can be proud of. Raging Fire also shows how always doing the right thing is actually very difficult. You have to deal with the consequences, and deal with those who prefer to take the easy way out. Nonetheless, Raging Fire is just great entertainment!

Reviewed by David Williams

Election 2 (2006) - A Review

 

Election 2 is a dark and grim sequel.

Election 2 (also known as Election 2: Harmony Is A Virtue and Triad Election) is a Triad/crime film released in Hong Kong in 2006 starring Louis Koo Tin-Lok, Simon Yam Tat-Wah, Gordon Lam Ka-Tung, Nick Cheung Ka-Fai, Lam Suet, Andy On Chi-Kit, Jonathan Lee Yat-Sing, and Wong Tin-Lam. Election 2 was directed by Johnnie To Kei-Fung, with action choreographed by Ling Chun-Pong. Election 2 is a direct continuation of Election (2005).

Louis Koo plays Jimmy Lee, a Triad member who wants to be a legitimate businessman.

In Election 2, Lam Lok's (played by Simon Yam Tat-Wah) two-year term as chairman of the Wo Lin Shing triad is almost up, and there are members who want the position: Kun (played by Gordon Lam Ka-Tung), an overtly aggressive triad member who feels he deserves a chance as chairman after going to jail for helping Lam Lok secure his position; Jet (played by Nick Cheung Ka-Fai), an assassin that Lam Lok has promised to make the next chairman; and Jimmy Lee (played by Louis Koo Tin-Lok), a business-savvy triad member who has a business deal going in mainland China, and wants to become a legitimate businessman. Because of his business success and the massive amount of money he is making for himself and the triad, Jimmy is the top choice for chairman.

Jimmy does not want to become chairman; he wants to move to China with his wife and start a family there. Unfortunately, Jimmy finds out that if he wants to do business in China, he will have to become chairman and help the police keep Wo Lin Shing under control. Jimmy accepts the offer, and then does everything he can to become chairman. While this is going on, we find out that Lam Lok does not want to give up his position, and wants to run for re-election (which is against the rules). Lam Lok does whatever he can to maintain control of the situation while also dealing with his son's (played by Jonathan Lee Yat-Sing) growing delinquency. As you can imagine, betrayals, murders, switching allegiances, and breaking of moral codes abound.

Simon Yam as Lam Lok. He does not want to give up his position as chairman.

Election 2 is a much darker and more violent movie than Election. The previous movie is kind of a set up to this movie (obviously). It is not really necessary to have seen the first movie to enjoy this one, but a lot of the things that happen in this movie hit harder if you've seen the first one. The story is very interesting, with a lot of twists and turns throughout. Power has changed Lam Lok, and he is not really the same person he was in the previous movie. Jimmy Lee goes from someone who wants nothing to do with the Triad life, to someone who become very proficient in Triad tactics. Some of the things Jimmy does shocks even the most hardened Triad members. Simon Yam is great in this, as is Louis Koo, who has a heck of a performance as Jimmy. At first you root for Jimmy, but as the movie goes on, you wonder how far he will go to become chairman.

Power and money corrupts...

 This movie has a lot more action than the first one, though there is only one fight scene once again. The fight involves knives and choppers/machetes. It's a pretty good fight, and once again fits the tone of the movie. Andy On, who is a martial artist, has a role in this movie, but he does not have a major action or fight scene. At least he plays one of the more sympathetic characters. Nonetheless, there is a lot more brutal violence in Election 2. A certain character crosses the line, and his actions shock his allies. This is the most disturbing scene in the movie, for sure.

In conclusion, Election 2 is the violent and gritty conclusion to Lam Lok's and Jimmy Lee's path to chairman. I highly recommend watching this movie. It is well made, well paced, with a very interesting story and characters, and some brutal violence as well. The acting is top notch. Simon Yam and Louis Koo kill it in their roles. This movie has a great soundtrack as well. Check it out, and be prepared for some shocking turns of events. This is another movie where you'll be thinking about it long after it's done.

Reviewed by David Williams

Election (2005) - A Review

 

Election, directed by the great Johnnie To.

Election is a Triad/crime movie released in Hong Kong in 2005, starring Simon Yam Tat-Wah, Tony Leung Ka-Fai, Louis Koo Tin-Lok, Nick Cheung Ka-Fai, Lam Suet, Maggie Siu Mei-Kei, and David Chiang Da-Wei. Election was directed by Johnnie To Kei-Fung, with action choreographed by Wong Chi-Wai.

Simon Yam (at the forefront) as Lam Lok.

In Election, Simon Yam plays Lam Lok, a crime boss who is in contention for the chairman position of the Wo Lin Shing triad, the oldest triad in Hong Kong. He is a quiet, contemplative man, who has a young son, and the support of many triad members and bosses.  He is even-tempered and shows the qualities of a good leader.

Tony Leung Ka-Fai (in the middle) as Big D.

Tony Leung Ka-Fai plays Big D, the other Triad boss in contention for the chairman position of  Wo Lin Shing. He is flashy, cocky, ambitious, and impetuous. He wants the chairman position, and is willing to do anything to win the election. He also has his supporters for the chairman position.

As you can imagine, two totally different personalities up for the chairman position causes a lot of problems within the Triad brotherhood. Lam Lok ends up being elected for Wo Lin Shing chairman, and Big D is not happy about this. Big D commands his Triad members to find the symbolic baton in China (which the chairman possesses throughout his term) and bring it to him. Lam Lok and his fellow higher ups also instruct their members to find the baton before Big D gets it. A lot of betrayals, violence, and intrigue ensues. All Lam Lok wants is to become chairman and bring prosperity to the organization. Big D tells Lam that if he is not elected, he will start a new society, and that there will be a war between their Triad groups. Wo Lin Shing and the Hong Kong police do not want this to happen.

Things get bloody and violent...

I've heard of Election for years, but I never found a physical copy of it back in the early 2000s, so it isn't until now (2022) that I was able to watch it. Knowing that Johnnie To directed it, one of the best directors in Hong Kong, watching this movie comes with a bit of hype to live up to. It did live up to the hype. This is a very good movie! Truthfully, I do not like movies that glamorize criminals or criminal organizations, so I avoid most Triad/Mob/Yakuza movies, but this movie didn't glamorize the Triad at all. At first, it may seem like it does, but eventually, you'll see being in a Triad is not worth it.

The story is very compelling, with an underlying tension running throughout the movie. You never know how certain characters are going to react to certain situations, and it puts the viewer on edge. The performances from all the actors are top notch. Simon Yam as Lam Lok is cool, calm, and collected. You actually root for him throughout. He seems like a good leader. On the other hand, Tony Leung Ka-Fai as Big D is a gigantic, arrogant, overambitious jerk. You see from his actions and reactions to certain situations that he would be a terrible leader. I really did not like his character. There are many betrayals in this movie, and characters switch sides for the good of the brotherhood.

The descriptions of this movie describe it as action-packed, but it really is not. There are bursts of violence and chase scenes, and there is one fight scene. The fight scene is more of the brutal kind, with knives and choppers/machetes involved. In a movie about Triads, there are no guns involved in this one. Still, that fight scene is pretty good and fits the movie's tone.

So, should you watch Election? I would say yes. It is directed by the excellent Johnnie To, and it is really well made. It will have you on the edge of your seat. Though there is not that much action, what action there is, is good. If you have an interest in the criminal underworld, this movie will give you some idea of how Triads work. Apparently, the Triad rituals portrayed in Election are pretty close to accurate. Simon Yam and Tony Leung Ka-Fai give excellent performances as well. Branch out and check it out, you may like it! I know I did.

Reviewed by David Williams

The Victim (1980) - A Review

 

One of the best martial arts movies ever made.

The Victim (also known as Lightning Kung Fu) is a comedy/martial arts movie released in Hong Kong in 1980, starring Sammo Hung, Leung Kar-Yan, Fanny Wang, Chang Yi, Billy Chan Wui-Ngai, Peter Chan Lung, and Wilson Tong Wai-Shing. Sammo Hung was the director of The Victim, as well as the martial arts director, along with Yuen Biao, Lam Ching-Ying, and Billy Chan Wui-Ngai.

Sammo Hung (left) as Chan Wing and Leung Kar-Yan as Chung Yau.

In The Victim, Sammo Hung plays Chan Wing, a young man hoping to learn martial arts from a man who can beat him in a fight. Chan Wing finds the man who can beat him, Leung Chung Yau (played by Leung Kar-Yan), but Chung Yau refuses to teach him. Chan Wing follows Chung Yau wherever he goes, just trying to get accepted as his student, but Chung Yau refuses every time. Chan Wing even goes to Chung Yau's house, where he meets Yuet Yee (played by Fanny Wang), Chung Yau's wife. Yuet Yee is sympathetic to Chan Wing's plight, and it is through her that he finds out why Chung Yau is constantly on the run and avoiding any conflict.

It is a tragic story, but I will reveal that it is Chung Yau's stepbrother, Cho Wing (played by Chang Yi) who has them on the run. Will Chung Yau accept Chan Wing as his student? Will Chan Wing learn the Iron Cross Kung fu style? Will Chung Yau finally face his stepbrother and make him pay for what he's done?

A family in turmoil.

The Victim is one of those movies I always heard/read about, but was never able to find/watch back in the day. It is only within the last year that I've finally been able to watch it, and man it was worth the wait. This movie has some incredible fight scenes. It is a comedy, but it deals with some tragic circumstances. The story is actually very good. It has some nice plot twists (which I was careful to avoid, hence the vague plot summary) as well. Sammo plays the lovable underdog in this, and he plays it perfectly. You want him to be accepted as a student by Chung Yau, and you always root for him in his fights. Leung Kar-Yan as Chung Yau plays the frustrated hero perfectly. You wonder why he's on the run with his wife, why he always avoids fights and conflicts, and you wonder why he won't take Chan Wing as his student. All those questions are answered in the movie, and you see just why he is frustrated. When he finally lets those frustrations out, he becomes a destructive force! It's awesome! Chang Yi as the stepbrother Cho Wing is a complete bastard! I hate this guy! If there's anyone who ever deserved a butt-kicking, it's Cho Wing!

Profile in anger...

 The fight scenes in The Victim are incredible. Top-notch Sammo Hung choreography. These fight scenes are hard-hitting! All the fight scenes are good in this one. Of course, the final fight scene where Chung Yau really unleashes his fury and skill is probably the best fight in the movie. That fight is, as I previously stated, hard-hitting to the max! It's just amazing how the fight is choreographed and filmed. You'd never know Leung Kar-Yan is not a trained martial artist if you watched this fight, because he goes all out in this one. His precision and speed is so good. The final boss (you can guess who it is) is a great fighter as well, and he hits just as hard! It is just a great fight, worth the price of admission. The other fights in the movie are excellent as well. Sammo Hung takes his opponents down with some hard strikes and sweeps, and his awesome combos. Wilson Tong Wai-Shing comes in as one of the top students to take on Chung Yau, and his footwork is awesome in this fight. Chung Yau has to basically counter Wilson's footwork to defeat him. That fight rules! Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Lam Ching-Ying, and Billy Chan Wui-Ngai really outdid themselves with the fight choreography in this movie!

As you can imagine, I highly recommend The Victim! It has a good story, it has some good comedy, it has tragedy, and it has some awesome fight scenes. This movie has somehow become underrated, not only in Sammo Hung's filmography, but in the top martial arts filmography as well. Do not miss out on this one! Hoping against hope that this movie gets remastered some day, it really deserves to be seen in the best way possible. The Victim really is one of the best martial arts movies ever made!

Reviewed by David Williams

Painted Faces (1988) - A Review

 

An important movie to watch if you're interested in 80s Hong Kong cinema.

Painted Faces is a biographical/historical drama released in Hong Kong in 1988 starring Sammo Hung, Lam Ching-Ying, Cheng Pei-Pei, Cheung Man-Lung, Siu Ming-Fui, Chung Gam-Yam, Yeung Yam-Yin, Wong Kim-Wai, Goo Fai, and Alex Law Kai-Yui. Painted Faces was co-written (with Mabel Cheung Yuen-Ting) and directed by Alex Law Kai-Yui, with martial arts directed by Yuen Wah and the Sammo Hung Stuntmen's Association.

Sammo Hung plays his Master, Yu Jim-yuen.

Painted Faces tells the story of Yu Jim-yuen (played by Sammo Hung), the headmaster of the China Drama Academy, one of the main Peking Opera schools in Hong Kong. The main attraction of the China Drama Academy was the Seven Little Fortunes, a group of children who performed plays that used music, acrobatics, acting, and martial arts to tell historical stories real and legend. The Seven Little Fortunes had members who became Hong Kong legends later on: Jackie Chan (called Big Nose in this movie, and played by Siu Ming-Fui as a child and Cheung Man-Lung as a teenager), Sammo Hung (played by Yeung Yam-Yin as a child and Chung Gam-Yam as a teenager), Yuen Biao (played by Goo Fai as a child and Wong Kim-Wai as a teenager), Corey Yuen Kwai, Yuen Wah, and Yuen Qiu among many others.

Master Yu forcing flexibility into Yuen Biao.

We see some of the tortuous training the students go through, and what a stern master Yu is. Though Yu is very strict and stern with his students, he is totally ill at ease around the woman he is interested in, Master Cheng (played by Cheng Pei-Pei). Throughout this, we also see the students get into mischievous situations, causing Master Yu to brutally punish them. The Peking Opera school kids are picked on by other 'regular' kids, and they get into scuffles. Eventually, we see teenage Jackie's first romance progress at the same time Master Yu's relationship with Master Cheng is developing.

The students at the China Drama Academy.

As the movie goes on, Master Yu begins to worry that he is not preparing his students enough for success for when they leave his school. Master Yu's Opera brother, Uncle Hua (played by Lam Ching-Ying) tells him of his troubles being an older stuntman, but also how lucrative it is for the young men. As the popularity of Peking Opera dies down in Hong Kong, Master Yu has to decide what to do with his school, his students and the rest of his life...

The real Master Yu Jim-yuen.

 Painted Faces is one of those movies I always read about in my research of martial arts movies in the 90s, before I had internet access. Magazines and books would always talk about this movie and about how good it was. It was always on my radar; I looked for it every time I went to the video store on the weekends in my search for everything Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao (their movies were my priority at first, I began to branch out as I learned about other martial arts movies and actors/actresses). I could never find it physically. I eventually watched it online in the early 2000s, but the quality was terrible. The main thing I remember is the dance scene where the Seven Little Fortunes go to a dance party. Also the tragic Uncle Hua scene. I was... underwhelmed at the time.

Watching a better version recently, and my thoughts about it have changed. I liked it a lot this time! It helped that I knew what was going on (the subtitles on the previous version I watched were hard to see). The acting is excellent in this, especially by Sammo Hung, Cheng Pei-Pei, and Lam Ching-Ying. You feel for these characters: For Master Yu, you hope he gets together with Master Cheng, and you hope everything works out for his school. Master Cheng is so nice and elegant, it's hard to imagine Master Yu not falling for her. Uncle Hua is absolutely tragic, and his final scene is a bit disturbing. The kids as Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao are great as well, with Jackie as the most mischievous one, and also the one who gets into an awkward romantic relationship. There isn't really a plot to the movie, it just shows the progression of Master Yu's life and the Seven Little Fortunes lives from training, to performing, to becoming stuntmen. There isn't really any martial arts action, it's more brawls (and there are only like two or three), but it would be weird for this type of movie to have that type of action.

The real Seven Little Fortunes.

 As you can guess, I highly recommend watching Painted Faces. It gives us a glimpse of what Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, and the other Seven Little Fortunes went through to become the forces they became in the Hong Kong movie industry. I will admit, this movie is not entirely factual. Having read Jackie Chan's autobiography I Am Jackie Chan (which is a must read), and seeing interviews from the other Seven Little Fortunes, the torturous training is actually toned down a lot. The punishments they received (either beatings with reeds or a walking cane; or torturous acrobatic exercises) are toned down as well. Jackie described his master as a very vain and proud man, whereas in the movie he is a bit humbler. Jackie and Sammo's rivalry is only hinted at, and Sammo (not what he was called as a child, he got the name after becoming a successful figure in the movie industry) stays longer in the school than he actually did in real life. Plus the fact that the female students at the China Drama Academy are not shown, and the rest of the Seven Little Fortunes get no focus. Still, this movie is amazing, and it may even make you emotional by the end. Check it out! This movie is a tribute to the man who gave many Hong Kong stars (both in front and behind the camera) the skill to succeed in the movie industry, and become legends in the process. Sammo Hung won the Best Actor award for his performance in this movie, so you've got to see it just for that!

Reviewed by David Williams

Mr. Vampire (1985) - A Quick Review

 

Classic Hong Kong movie!

Mr. Vampire is comedy/horror/martial arts movie released in Hong Kong in 1985 starring Lam Ching-Ying, Ricky Hui Koon-Ying, Chin Siu-Ho, Moon Lee Choi-Fung, Billy Lau Nam-Kwong, Pauline Wong Siu-Fung, Huang Ha, and Yuen Wah. Mr. Vampire was directed by Ricky Lau Koon-Wai, with martial arts directed by  Lam Ching-Ying and Yuen Wah. Sammo Hung was the producer of this movie.

Our heroes. From left: Ricky Hui, Lam Ching-Ying, and Chin Siu-Ho.

In Mr. Vampire, Lam Ching-Ying plays Master Kau, a Taoist priest who is an expert in the supernatural arts. He has two assistants, Man-choi (played by Ricky Hui) and Chow Chun (played by Chin Siu-Ho), who are both a bit immature. They get a case from rich businessman Yam Fat (played by Huang Ha), who arrives with his daughter, Yam Ting Ting (played by Moon Lee Choi-Fung); Mr. Yam wants to remove his dead father from his grave and rebury him to bring prosperity to the Yam family. When they unearth the body, they find that the corpse has barely decomposed, and the place where he was buried has bad feng shui. They bring the corpse back to their house, and the two assistants fail to properly seal it in its coffin. It escapes, eventually claiming several victims.

Though the victims bear the wounds of a vampire attack, the idiotic police inspector (played by Billy Lau) arrests Master Kau for their murders. While jailed, Master Kau sees one of the victims come back to life and attack the police chief! Chow Chun breaks him out and they battle the vampire until they subdue it. Meanwhile, the original vampire grows stronger every day it stays loose. Man-choi gets attacked by the vampire, and Master Kau has to give him a remedy to stave off becoming a vampire (as you can guess, things don't go according to plan). Throughout all of this, Chow Chun is seduced by a ghost (played by Pauline Wong Siu-Fung), who is taking his life force every time they "get it on". Master Kau has a lot to deal with in this movie!

One of the all-time classic scenes in Hong Kong cinema.

Mr. Vampire is one of the all-time classic Hong Kong movies. The success of this movie started the jiangshi trend in Hong Kong films, and many sequels and spin-offs came from this movie. This is the role Lam Ching-Ying is most remembered for, and he played it (and roles very similar to it) in many films after Mr. Vampire. Sammo Hung produced this movie, once again showing how influential he was in the history of Hong Kong film.

So, what do I think about the movie? I love it! It's definitely a classic! Lam Ching-Ying is great in this. He plays Master Kau with sternness, intelligence, strength, and a bit of empathy. He is always on top of the situation, and you can tell he cares about his assistants (and those he is hired to help). The story is interesting as well; they explain why the grandfather's corpse became a vampire, how they can stop it, and how to cure vampirism if you contract it. The comedy is good, too (though, humor is subjective). Billy Lau is so good as the idiotic police inspector. This is one of the best roles I've seen him in, actually. He is such a pompous jerk in this movie. The scene where he loses control of his body and the scene where he tries to fight off a vampire are great. There is a bit of tragedy in this as well (though it's not depressing or anything). Pauline Wong Siu-Fung as the ghost seducing Chow Chun is incredible. You end up feeling bad for her by the end. The way her character is introduced is so awesome and eerie. One of the best creepy introductory scenes ever filmed, in my opinion.

The action is wild and crazy in Mr. Vampire!

The action in Mr. Vampire is fun and crazy. There is not actually a lot of martial arts fighting in it. Chin Siu-Ho is the main fighter of the movie, and he does some awesome moves. Lam Ching-Ying gets to show off a brutal kick or two, as well. The incredible Moon Lee is in this movie, who is an awesome fighter in other movies, but she does not fight at all in Mr. Vampire. Kind of disappointing if you're a Moon Lee fan, but she is still great in this. She even helps out at the end! Otherwise, all the action mainly consists of crazy stunts. Lots of brutal falls, crashing through furniture, explosions, and magical mayhem. It's just a fun time!

I highly recommend Mr. Vampire. It's a classic that you need to see if you are into Hong Kong cinema or Asian cinema in general. Admittedly, Mr. Vampire is not that scary, and there are two scenes of animal cruelty (one involving a snake, the other one a chicken), but don't let that stop you from watching this great movie. Watch the movie that started the vampire craze in Hong Kong (and Japan) and gave Lam Ching-Ying his most beloved role. Maybe you'll get the bug and look for more jiangshi movies. It could happen!

The DVD I watched for this review. It's great, though the English dub calls the jiangshi/vampires "zombies". I need this on Blu-ray!

Back cover of the DVD case.

The DVD disc. Master Kau looks on with determination.

Reviewed by David Williams