I'm sure you've seen it by now, but here is the latest trailer for The Prosecutor, Donnie Yen's latest movie! Here is the synopsis:
A poor young man is wrongly charged with drug trafficking after being deceived. An ex-prosecutor investigates the case, uncovers a corrupt lawyer team's scheme, and restores justice despite obstruction from evil forces.
Donnie Yen, Kent Cheng, Julian Cheung. Ray Lui, and Francis Ng star in the movie. After a year and a half of work it's finally coming out. To say I am excited for this movie would be an understatement!
The Prosecutor opens on December 27, 2024. Hopefully a U.S. release comes soon after that!
Check out the trailer for Life After Fighting; written by, directed by, produced by, choreographed by, and starring Bren Foster. Here is the synopsis:
A martial arts instructor is confronted with the disappearance of two of his students, leading him into a direct confrontation with a group of international child traffickers.
I barely found out about this movie today, so it's been off my radar, but dang the action in this looks awesome! I need to see this right now!
Life After Fighting is out now in selected theaters, and you can watch purchase it on places like YouTube and Google Play!
This movie gets better as it goes on, ending up being a martial arts movie classic.
The Last Dragon (also known as Berry Gordy's Last Dragon) is a martial arts comedy movie released in the United States in 1985 and stars Taimak Guarriello, Vanity, Julius Carry, Leo O'Brien, Christopher Murney, Faith Prince, Glen Eaton, Mike Starr, and Ernie Reyes Jr. The Last Dragon was directed by Michael Schultz, with martial arts choreographed by Torrance Mathis, Ernie Reyes Sr., and Ron Van Clief.
Taimak as Leroy Green. There is a lot of questionable cultural appropriation in this movie, by the way.
In The Last Dragon, Taimak plays Leroy Green (nicknamed Bruce Leeroy), a kindhearted martial arts student who wants to become a master martial artist like his idol, Bruce Lee. Leroy's master tells him that he must find the "last dragon", the final level of martial arts mastery. At this level, a martial artist will be able to control his inner energy in such a way that his whole body will glow, giving him or her great power. The master tells him where the master of "The Glow" lives, so Leroy goes in search of him. With half of a gold medal that once belonged to Bruce Lee, Leroy goes on a quest to find this master, who has the other half of the medal and the knowledge to master "the glow". Leroy runs into a lot of wacky and zany characters in search of this final master, including the "Shogun of Harlem", Sho'nuff (played by Julius Carry). Sho'nuff loudly proclaims himself to be the top martial artist in the city and isn't above beating up innocent people to prove it. After finding out about Leroy Green's martial arts skill, he wants to fight him in a duel, but Leroy refuses to accept the challenge.
Leroy Green and Laura (played by Vanity) enjoying Bruce Lee clips playing on a video wall. I would have the same reaction!
While all of this is happening, Eddie Arkadian (played by Christopher Murney), a sleazy arcade business owner, wants his girlfriend Angela Viracco's (played by Faith Prince) music videos played on Laura Charles' music video show. Laura (played by Vanity) refuses to play Angela's videos, so Eddie gets his henchmen to kidnap her. Leroy ends up saving Laura, and through this (and other circumstances) they become friends. Eventually, Eddie Arkadian and Sho'nuff join forces, and Leroy has to decide whether he should use his martial arts skill to stop them. Does Leroy find the final master and learn "the glow"? Can he defeat Sho'nuff and stop Eddie Arkadian's criminal activities?
The Last Dragon is one of those movies I've heard about for years, but never had a chance (or really a desire) to watch it. I saw some scenes of it on TV when my cousin was watching it randomly one day, but it didn't really look appealing to me. Decades later, I have decided to give this movie a chance. It was on Pluto TV On Demand, so I decided "why not?" After a shaky start, I ended up really liking this movie!
This movie shows a lot of respect towards Bruce Lee, with a lot of references to him throughout, and a lot of clips from his movies (even referred to by their correct titles, as they were known as at that time). Considering this movie was released by Columbia Tristar, it was surprising to see clips from Enter The Dragon (1973) in there along with clips from his Hong Kong films. Bruce Lee is the ultimate martial artist in this movie, despite what Sho'nuff thinks!
Sho'nuff (played by Julius Carry) is one of cinema's greatest villains! Julius Carry should have won some kind of acting award for this performance, not joking.
This movie is mainly a comedy, and it is funny for the most part. Unfortunately, there is a lot of goofy comedy, too. For some people, all this comedy would make them not take the movie seriously. If you stick with the movie, a shift in the plot puts the comedy on the back burner, and it becomes more of a straight up martial arts movie. This is where I really became interested in The Last Dragon. When Leroy Green has to face everything he's been avoiding or has been unsure about, is when the movie becomes awesome. You really root for Leroy Green throughout the movie, and you always hope for the best for him.
The performances of the actors vary, though there is no one that is truly terrible. Taimak as Leroy mainly speaks in a calm, wise way. He says mainly dialogue that is full of wisdom. He is great at awkward comedy. The scene between him and Vanity in her car is probably Taimak's best non-action scene in the movie. Vanity as Laura is really likeable, while Christopher Murney as Eddie Arkadian is truly detestable. Glen Eaton as Johnny Yu, Leroy's martial arts student, is really funny (though some could find him annoying), and Faith Prince brings a lot of emotion to a very comedic role (and she has a great, cartoony voice). The best actors of the movie are Leo O'Brien as Richie, Leroy's younger brother, and Julius Carry as Sho'nuff. Leo says his dialogue so naturally, and is hilarious doing it. That kid should have become a bigger star. Julius Carry is charismatic to the max. Even though he is an over the top character, he is totally believable. Another actor that should have become a bigger star after this movie.
As for the action in The Last Dragon, it's okay. Not bad, but it doesn't compare to the Hong Kong fight scenes of the same period. In the early fight scenes of the movie, we get an idea of the skill levels of both Leroy and Sho'nuff. These fights are a bit more simple in choreography. When we get to the final fights, the choreography becomes a bit more complicated. As you can imagine, since this is an American movie, the editing and camera work do not showcase the fights in the best way. At the end, we get to see Ernie Reyes Jr. bust loose on some bad guys, in a huge group battle. Taimak takes part in the group fight, and then eventually faces off against Sho'nuff. Julius Carry was not a trained martial artist, but he really went all out in his fight scenes. Taimak is a really talented martial artist and stuntman, and he got to show it off throughout this movie. His final fight against Sho'nuff is definitely a classic martial arts battle that will have you cheering by the end.
In conclusion, I highly recommend watching The Last Dragon. It's good, clean fun! It is lighthearted, funny, action-packed, and respectful towards Black and Asian culture. This is a movie of it's time, though; with references to arcades (though not really showing any games), music videos, and hip hop in the 1980s. Taimak should've become a bigger star after this movie, as well as several of his co-stars. Watch this movie for the Bruce Lee homages, the final fight scenes, and to see Taimak glow for one brief moment in movie history.
Check out the trailer for 100 Yards, director Xu Haofeng's latest martial arts epic. It stars Andy On (yes, the actor from Black Mask 2 (2002) and New Police Story (2004)), Jacky Heung, Li Yuan, Tang Shiyi, and Hayden Kuo. Here is a synopsis:
100 Yards is set in 1920s Tianjin, northern China, and centers on the rivalry between the son of a martial arts master and his most talented apprentice. When the old master dies, the two face off to take over his prominent martial arts academy. But rather than obey the rule of settling disputes behind closed doors, they take their fight to the street.
This movie looks amazing, I must say. It should be noted that Xu Haofeng's martial arts movies have action that is much more realistic than most martial arts movies of today. No wirework or stylized fights. Some people like it, some people don't. I haven't seen any of his movies yet, but two of them are on my list: The Master (2015) and The Sword Identity (2011). Anyways, I hope 100 Yards ends up being good. It comes out in 2024, so keep an eye out for it!
Red Sun Rising is a martial arts action movie released in the United States in 1994 and stars Don 'The Dragon' Wilson, Terry Farrell, James Lew, Mako, Soon-Tek Oh, Michael Ironside, Edward Albert, Peter Vasquez, Stoney Jackson, Jacqueline Obradors, and Yuji Okumoto. Red Sun Rising was directed by Francis Megahy, with fight choreography by Don 'The Dragon' Wilson and Art Camacho.
Terry Farrell (left) as Karen and Don 'The Dragon' Wilson (right) as Hoshino make quite the combo.
In Red Sun Rising, Don 'The Dragon' Wilson plays Thomas Hoshino, a Japanese American cop whose partner (played by Yuji Okumoto) gets murdered by a mystical Yakuza assassin, Jaho (played by James Lew) in service of Yakuza boss Yamata (played by Soon-Tek Oh) in Japan. Jaho is a master martial artist, and he is an expert of the 'Touch of Death', which he uses to disable Hoshino momentarily and then kill his partner. As you can imagine, Hoshino is determined to get Yamata and Jaho, no matter the consequences.
Hoshino goes to Los Angeles, California in the United States on the trail of Yamata, a few months later. There he meets up and gets partnered with Karen Ryder (played by Terry Farrell), a tough, no nonsense police detective working on a brewing gang war in the city. Hoshino and Karen also meet up with his martial arts master, Iga (played by Mako), who helps train Hoshino in the same art that Jaho uses. Hoshino checks in with a federal agent (played by Edward Albert) on the Yamata case, while Karen checks in with her captain (played by Michael Ironside) to keep Hoshino out of trouble. Everything all ties together, so will Hoshino be able to catch Yamata and Jaho, and be able to stop the impending gang war?
James Lew is one menacing assassin!
Looking online for what Don 'The' Dragon Wilson's best movies are, Red Sun Rising kept making the lists; and since that movie is on free streaming services, I decided to check it out. I really didn't know what to expect with this movie, since I had never heard of it before. Of all the Don 'The Dragon' Wilson movies I've seen, I would consider Red Sun Rising one of his best. Saying that, the movie is flawed.
It is cool that Don 'The Dragon' Wilson got to play a character that shared the same ethnic background as him (Japanese and Caucasian), and it plays a major part in the plot of the movie. Don kind of plays a fish out of water in this, his character not having been in America for many years. There's even a scene very similar to Rush Hour (1998), that I feel has to be copied from this movie. Don has great chemistry with Karen (Terry Farrell), and they even have some comedic scenes together. Terry Farrell is great, as she plays a strong woman on the police force who can get things done. Mako also has a great performance as Hoshino's master, and he plays against type (he's almost like Master Roshi from Dragon Ball). James Lew as the assassin is also an intimidating force, not only being a master of the death touch, but also being able to 'hypnotize' women, seemingly. This movie has a multiracial cast, but unfortunately, there are a lot of stereotypes in this.
The racism and racial slurs are abundant in Red Sun Rising. The movie takes place in America, Los Angeles to be exact, and deals with the L.A. police force, so it is accurate, unfortunately. Even Karen, the co-protagonist, is pretty racist to Hoshino. The only Latino and African-American characters in this movie are in rival gangs (though there are two high ranking or important Latino and African-American characters that are not in gangs but get killed off). Usually, this would give me a very negative view of the movie, but it is integral to the plot and the story it's trying to tell. Everything makes sense by the end of the movie. It was surprising how thought out this aspect of the movie was.
The action in Red Sun Rising is very 90s American style, but it is decent enough.
As you can imagine, since this a low budget martial arts movie made in America during the mid-1990s, the action is not so good. The choreography (by Don 'The Dragon' Wilson and Art Camacho) is decent, but the way it was filmed and edited totally ruins it. The camera angle are too close up most of the time, and contact from the strikes are rarely ever shown. I don't know why fight scenes are edited like this, it makes them so unsatisfying. Despite that, Don 'The Dragon' Wilson and James Lew get to show off their martial arts skills to a decent degree. The fights are entertaining enough, just don't go in expecting Hong Kong style action.
I am conflicted on whether I recommend Red Sun Rising; it is not the best movie in the world, but it is entertaining and has a message. Apparently, Red Sun Rising is Don 'The Dragon' Wilson's favorite movie that he's done. For that alone, I will recommend watching it. The story is interesting, the characters are memorable, there is a lot of action, and there is even a lesson to be learned. Check it out, it's one of Don 'The Dragon' Wilson's best!
Here is the trailer for FARANG, an action movie directed by Xavier Gens and starring Nassim Lyes, Olivier Gourmet, Vithaya Pansringarm and Loryn Nounay. Here is the synopsis (from the YouTube description):
Sam is a professional boxer about to get released from prison. While on parole, his past catches up with him and he has no choice but to flee. Five years later, he has rebuilt a simple life on an exotic island in Thailand with his wife and her daughter, but when he gets blackmailed by a dangerous local godfather, he must embark on a dangerous drug smuggling mission which results in a tragedy. Now has only one purpose: to seek merciless vengeance.
Xavier Gens is the director of Hitman (which I haven't seen) and Gangs Of London (which I have seen). If the action in FARANG is going to be like the action in Gangs Of London, then I think this movie will be quite the wild ride! Jude Poyer (former Hong Kong stuntman in charge of Reel Power Stunts) is responsible for the action in this, so I think we have nothing to worry about fight scene-wise. FARANG comes out June 28, 2023 and I absolutely cannot wait for this one!
Shadow Master is a horror martial arts movie that you've got to see to believe.
Shadow Master (also known as Hanuman: Shadow Master) is a martial arts horror movie released in the United States in 2022 and stars D.Y. Sao, Craig Ng, Luciana Faulhaber, Eric Gay Jr., Anna Harr, Brian Le, Daniel Mah, Layton Matthews, Dominique Swain, and Pearry Reginald Teo. Shadow Master was written and directed by Pearry Reginald Teo, with stunts and choreography by D.Y. Sao and Martial Club (Andy Le, Brian Le, and Daniel Mah).
D.Y. Sao as An Voaen. Sao has some major martial arts skills!
In Shadow Master, D.Y. Sao plays An Voaen, a mysterious man with a violent past looking for a job as a night watchman at a building that has many colorful characters. Boon-Nam (played by Craig Ng) is in charge (it seems) and tells An that children are being abducted from this building. An keeps an eye out for this, especially after he befriends Janett (played by Luciana Faulhaber) and her wheelchair-bound son, Benison (played by Eric Gay Jr.).
An encounters the group that has been kidnapping the children, and dies in a battle against them. He is resurrected by his newfound friends in the building, but when Benison is kidnapped, An makes the decision to give his body to Hanuman, the Monkey King God of Death (played by Pearry Reginald Teo), to gain the otherworldly power he needs to defeat Mephisto and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (yes, you read that right). Can An defeat them and get Benison back safe and sound, and prevent the end of the world?
Brian Le (left) as the most dangerous fighter of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Shadow Master is a dark, brooding, post-apocalyptic movie that combines horror and martial arts. The story is told in quite a nontraditional way, which seems to have confused a lot of people who have watched it. Well, all I can say about that is: this is the type of movie where you shouldn't look too deeply into the story. Just take everything at face value. To me, everything is explained well enough. An, after violent encounters in his past, wants to avoid using violence. Of course, he has to fight in order to protect the children in the building he lives in/works at. The mysterious group is kidnapping the children in the building to give themselves enough power to bring about the end of the world. Hanuman will give An the power to defeat them, but at the cost of his (An's) life. I liked the story, and how it combined several religious cultural icons, but some may find this nonsensical or even offensive. D.Y. Sao plays An as a very conflicted man trying not to succumb to his violent past, having to, to save the world.
The fights are the best part of Shadow Master!
The absolute best part of Shadow Master are the fight scenes. With D.Y. Sao and Martial Club in charge of the action, you know the fights will rule, and they do not disappoint. The fight choreography is a mix between Hong Kong style and Panna Rittikrai's Muay Thai-based style. So not only is there fluid, fast, and intricately choreographed moves, but there is also the hard-hitting strikes of Bokator (which D.Y. Sao is an expert of). The best fight is the final fight (obviously) between D.Y. Sao and Brian Le (of Martial Club). This fight is so fast and hard-hitting; it's worth the price of admission alone! The fights in this movie can get very violent and gory, so watch out for that!
So, do I recommend watching Shadow Master? I would say, yes! The story is dark and foreboding, the characters are interesting, and the action is top notch. D.Y. Sao has a promising career ahead of him, hopefully he will be given more chances in Hollywood and beyond. It is really unfortunate that director Pearry Reginald Teo passed away this year (2023), as I think he could have gone on to make more cult classics and mainstream hit movies. Shadow Master isn't the best movie ever made, but it really is entertaining!
Don 'The Dragon' Wilson's first starring role, and it set him up for American action movie stardom.
Bloodfist is a martial arts movie released in 1989 starring Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Billy Blanks, Michael Shaner, Joe Mari Avellana, Riley Bowman, Kris Aguilar, Vic Diaz, and Marilyn Bautista. Bloodfist was directed by Terence H. Winkless, with stunts coordinated by Fred Esplana.
Don 'The Dragon' Wilson as Jake Raye.
In Bloodfist, Don "The Dragon" Wilson plays Jake Raye, a retired kickboxer who co-owns a gym in California. One day he finds out his brother (also a kickboxer) has been murdered in Manila. Jake goes to the Philippines to retrieve his brother's remains, but decides to stay and find the killer. He meets Baby Davies (yes, that's his name, played by Michael Shaner), an American martial artist and his sister Nancy (played by Riley Bowman), an exotic dancer, and stays with them at their apartment. He also meets Kwong (played by Joe Mari Avellana), who tells Jake about the martial arts tournament his brother was involved in before being murdered, and offers to train him for it. Jake agrees, and he goes through some grueling training.
While Jake is training, he is searching for clues and witnesses to his brother's murder. He finds out that the murderer is entered in the tournament, and this drives Jake's will to fight him and get revenge. Jake also finds out Kwong has a personal reason for helping him train for the tournament. Along the way, tragedy and betrayals occur, along with brutal fights to the death. Will Jake be able to get revenge for his brother?
Kwong trains and guides Jake Raye.
In the late 80s and throughout the 90s in the United States, the king of straight-to-video martial arts action movies was Don "The Dragon" Wilson. He was a legit champion kickboxer who became a martial arts movie star. I found out about him from my mom, who is also a martial arts movie fan. She thought Don was a "hunk". I saw a few of his movies on cable TV channels like HBO and Showtime back in the day. I liked Don, but I always felt his movies were lacking something. It has been decades since I've seen Bloodfist, so I thought it would be interesting to watch it again with more experienced eyes.
Bloodfist was Don "The Dragon" Wilson's first starring role, and what a debut it was. Don got to go to Manila, have some cool fight scenes (for 1989 Hollywood, at least), and make out with Riley Bowman. There was no turning back for him after that! This movie was obviously influenced by Bloodsport (1988), as many American martial arts movies were at that time. It is cool that there are quite a few legit champion martial artists in this movie, including Billy Blanks and Rob Kaman. This movie also stars Marilyn Bautista, who you may remember as the beautiful prostitute in The Big Boss (1971), in a comedic role.
The story is kind of basic; Jake is looking for his brother's killer so he can avenge his death. It's fine. The acting is... okay. Nobody is horrible or anything, but Riley Bowman gives the best acting performance in this movie. Don, as Jake, gives a more stoic performance. He is very charismatic, and you root for him throughout the movie. Michael Shaner, as Baby, gives a more comedic performance and is very likeable in the role. This movie has some twists and turns, with a shocking revelation at the end. For what it is, Bloodfist is very well written. My only problem with the movie is the sound design. It is very hard to hear Kwong's dialogue for some reason. When you can hear him, he's perfectly understandable, though. The sound in this movie was mixed weird.
The action is... not the best. It's just okay.
The fighting in Bloodfist is... okay. The fights in this movie are not the best, but they are not the worst, either. Frankly, the fights in this movie are ruined by the camera angles and the editing. The fighters could be doing some cool moves, but the camera is too close up to see the full movement, and the contact or connection of the hit was not filmed or edited out. Just terrible. The best action shots are when the fighters are kneeing each other in a clinch. You see everything there, and it looks painful. The fights get bloody as well, so if you're into that, you won't be disappointed. Don"The Dragon" Wilson is a great martial artist, and you can see some of his greatness despite the editing and camera angles. Don and Billy Blanks face off, and is one of the best fights in the movie. The final fight partly takes place in the rain, and that makes it stand out. Basically, Bloodfist has American style fight scenes, so don't watch this expecting Hong Kong style brilliance, unfortunately.
It pains me to say, but I can't recommend watching Bloodfist. I can only recommend watching it if you are a fan of Don 'The Dragon" Wilson or if you want to see what American martial arts movie fans had to watch before Hong Kong movies became more widely available in video stores. Don is a likeable leading man, and he does have the martial arts skill to carry an action movie. Unfortunately, the choreography, camera angles, and editing fail him. The story is pretty interesting, too. I have always wondered what it would be like if Don "The Dragon" Wilson starred in a Hong Kong movie. How would he have been showcased with Hong Kong style choreography. Nonetheless, Don is a legend and deserves respect for all that he has done in the movie business.
The Paper Tigers is a martial arts comedy movie released in the United States in 2020 and stars Alain Uy, Ron Yuan, Mykel Shannon Jenkins, Yoshi Sudarso, Peter Adrian Sudarso, Gui DaSilva-Greene, Matthew Page, Jae Suh Park, Joziah Lagonoy, Andy Le, Brian Le, Ken Quitugua, Roger Yuan, and Yuji Okumoto. It was written and directed by Tran Quoc Bao, with action directed by Ken Quitugua.
From left: Hing, Danny, and Jim; the Three Tigers.
In Paper Tigers, Alain Uy plays Danny, a middle aged father dealing with a high-pressure job, his young son Ed (played by Joziah Lagonoy), and his ex wife Caryn (played by Jae Suh Park). On the day he has custody of his son, he finds out his former kung fu master (played by Roger Yuan) has died. Danny meets up with an old friend he hasn't seen in years, Hing (played by Ron Yuan), who has gained weight and has a bum knee. When Danny, Hing and their friend Jim (played by Mykel Shannon Jenkins) were younger, they were the best of friends, and they all studied kung fu together under Sifu Cheung, their master. They were the best fighters in the city, beating other martial arts challengers with ease. Danny was the best of the three fighters, and their sifu chose him to carry on the legacy of his style. One cocky challenger, Carter (played by Matthew Page) kept being defeated and made a fool of by Danny. Thirty years later, Danny, Hing, and Jim are older and haven't kept up practicing kung fu (Jim is now a mixed martial arts coach and is the only one still in fighting shape).
Danny and Hing find out from Carter that their sifu was murdered. Carter gives them some leads on finding people who may know who killed their sifu. They get Jim involved, even though Danny had a falling out with him years back. The three friends have a reputation, and they have to live up to it against some younger martial artists. We then find out why the friends became distant from each other and from their sifu. Danny has to deal with his ex-wife and being a good father and role model for his son. We also learn that the person who killed their sifu has a reputation of his own, and Danny has to be the one that faces him to avenge their master's death...
The Three Tigers face off against Martial Club?!?
I first heard about The Paper Tigers from a Martial Club post on social media saying they had roles in the movie. From then on, it has been on my radar. I did see it being sold in stores, but I was (and still am) broke, so I couldn't buy it and watch it. I randomly found it on Tubi, and I finally watched it. Did it live up to my expectations? It more than lived up to my expectations! I love this movie, as a matter of fact!
The Paper Tigers is a drama with a lot of comedy in it. The movie mainly focuses on Danny and how he deals with his daily obligations as a middle-aged man, and how he left martial arts behind. Danny, along with Hing and Jim, not only left kung fu behind, but they dishonored their master as well. This dishonor is basically what causes everything that happens in this movie. The character of Carter does bring a lot of the comedy, along with Hing, and it is very funny and not mean-spirited. There is a lot of heart in the story and in the characters; you root for the three tigers to overcome their obstacles and honor their master. The performances of the actors are excellent and very natural and believable. This is just a very well-made, enjoyable, and fun to watch movie.
The action in The Paper Tigers is excellent!
Though The Paper Tigers is a modern day kung fu movie, there are more styles displayed in the fight scenes. Andy Le and Brian Le (of the Martial Club stunt crew and Everything Everywhere All At Once stars) use more of a high-flying, acrobatic, yet powerful fighting style. It's always great to see them unleash in a movie! Since Jim (played by Mykel Shannon Jenkins) is an MMA coach (and practitioner, I would guess) he uses more wrestling and Brazilian jiu jitsu type of moves. Hing is out of shape with an injured knee, so he can't fight to his greatest ability (but he is still pretty good). Danny, the best of the three tigers, is just out of fighting shape and has seemingly lost his fighting spirit. Trust me, though, he still has the skills deep within him. Carter (played by Matthew Page) is their childhood rival and is still in fighting shape. He is really good! If you ever wanted to see Master Ken (yes, that Master Ken) in a Hong Kong style fight, here is your chance! The final boss, played by Ken Quitugua (and the fight choreographer of the movie), is a martial arts killer and seemingly unstoppable. The fight scenes are very Hong Kong style, exciting, with a little comedy in them. The action is great in this one!
As you can imagine, I highly recommend The Paper Tigers! It has drama, it has comedy, it has awesome action, and it has heart. What more could you want in a movie? I loved every minute of it, and I hope you will, too. The film makers and actors in this movie should be really proud of the work they created. It is really good. I hope these guys all team up again one day, I need more of their movie magic in my life!
Mortal Kombat (2021) ushers in a new era in the MK movie franchise.
Mortal Kombat is a fantasy martial arts movie released in the United States in 2021 and stars Lewis Tan, Joe Taslim, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Max Huang, Chin Han, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Tadanobu Asano. This reboot of the Mortal Kombat movie franchise was directed by Simon McQuoid, with fight choreography by Chan Griffin.
Ludi Lin (as Liu Kang) and Lewis Tan (as Cole Young). Cole is the main character in this one.
In Mortal Kombat, Lewis Tan plays Cole Young, a former champion mixed martial arts fighter who has seemingly lost his fighting spirit. After losing an MMA fight, Cole is visited by Jackson Briggs ("Jax", played by Mehcad Brooks). Jax is interested in Cole's birthmark (the Mortal Kombat logo) and reveals he has the marking as well. While Cole is out with his wife and daughter, Sub-Zero appears and tries to kill Cole and his family (seemingly). Jax saves them, and tells Cole to find Sonya Blade (played by Jessica McNamee). Cole puts his family into hiding while he searches for Sonya.
Cole does find Sonya, who has Kano (played by Josh Lawson) held captive in her home. There, Cole finds out that the birthmark means he is one of the chosen warriors to defend Earth against Outworld's fighters in the Mortal Kombat fighting tournament. One thing leads to another, and Cole, Sonya, and Kano are on their way to Raiden's temple.
At Raiden's temple, Cole and the others meet the Earth Realm's champions and Raiden (played by Tadanobu Asano) himself. Cole and the other new recruits must train to unlock their 'arcana', their personal super technique, in order to stand a chance against the Outworld's fighters and their leader, Shang Tsung (played by Chin Han). Can Cole and his fellow Earth Realm warriors unlock their arcana, defeat the Outworld warriors, and survive Sub-Zero's onslaught?
Some of the Outworld fighters. Yes, that's Nathan Jones on the left.
I must admit, I am not a fan of the Mortal Kombat video games. I am, however, a fan of the first Mortal Kombat movie, the animated series (Mortal Kombat:Defenders Of The Realm, 1996), and the TV show (Mortal Kombat: Conquest, 1998-1999). The whole story and the backstories of the characters are interesting to me, but the actual video game is just not fun to me. So, when I heard a new Mortal Kombat movie was coming out, I was intrigued, but also worried it wouldn't be as good as the first one. I finally watched it on Tubi (a free, ad-based streaming site), and I was pleasantly surprised.
The movie starts out with a battle between Bi-Han (played by Joe Taslim) and Hanzo Hasashi (played by Hiroyuki Sanada), and the choreography was good, and it got pretty violent (much more violent than the 1995 movie). This fight is important and integral to the plot. The movie is all about these two characters, though they actually aren't in it that much. This is not a bad thing, but if you were hoping Liu Kang would get his moment in the spotlight again, you'll have to settle for him being a side character in the spotlight. Then we meet Cole Young, and unfortunately, he is not a very interesting character. The writing totally failed Lewis Tan, as he has very little lines (compared to, well, everyone else), and what he says is very cliched and basic. The character with the most character in this movie is Kano. He is an a-hole, and he never shuts up. Ludi Lin is great as Liu Kang (and I wish the movie focused on him a lot more). Sonya (she gets her own moment to overcome and shine) and Jax are cool, Kung Lao is awesome, and Shang Tsung is a schemer. Overall, the cast is pretty good. The plot is interesting, and I feel like this was a reintroduction to the Mortal Kombat universe, and this was just part one of a huge story. The places the sequels could go are intriguing! Hope everything turns out well on that front.
The fight scenes in Mortal Kombat are violent and bloody.
The action is good in Mortal Kombat. For those that complained that there wasn't blood or fatalities in the 1995 movie, there is plenty of that in this one! There are quite a few actors skilled in martial arts in this movie, and they all performed well. It was great to see Hiroyuki Sanada in a martial arts fight scene again, and he's still got it. Ludi Lin as Liu Kang is awesome, and he does some of Liu's patented moves. Same with Max Huang as Kung Lao; he is probably the most bad a** fighter in Mortal Kombat. Joe Taslim as Sub-Zero is incredibly skilled and cruel as a fighter. He is pretty scary, too! As for the actors who do not seem to have martial arts skills, you can tell by how the fight goes (it is more of a brawl than a martial arts battle). Even so, there are a lot of fight scenes, and they're all entertaining. Not meaning to compare the two Mortal Kombat movies, but there isn't a fight in this one that even compares to the Liu Kang vs. Reptile or the Johnny Cage vs. Scorpion fights in the 1995 movie.
So, should you watch Mortal Kombat? I would say yes; especially if you are a fan of the games. There are a lot of Easter eggs in the movie referencing things from the games, so watch out for those. This movie is grounded, yet highly fantastical. There is a lot of CGI in this, some things looking better than others (a certain character is full CGI; the design is good, but it doesn't move realistically. It moves too smoothly, and it looks like a cartoon... I say this as someone who does not like CGI, for the most part). You root for the main characters and hope the villains get their butts kicked. It does have humor, but it's not quip city. Plus, there's lots of blood and fatalities. This movie is a good introduction to this version of Mortal Kombat, but I think the sequel could be even better. Check it out, it's a pretty good time!
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!
Honor And Glory is a martial arts action movie released in the United States in 1992 and stars Cynthia Rothrock, Donna Jason, Chuck Jeffreys, Robin Shou, John Miller, Yip Kim Hing, Richard Yuen, Gerald Klein, and Tai Yim. It was directed by Godfrey Ho (credited in this movie as Godfrey Hall), with fight choreography by Tai Yim.
Cynthia Rothrock (left, as Tracey Pride) and Donna Jason (right, as Joyce Pride) play sisters who kick butt!
In Honor And Glory, Cynthia Rothrock plays Tracey Pride, an FBI agent on the trail of a stolen nuclear warhead detonator with her partner Dragon Lee (played by Robin Shou). Her mission brings her back to America, where she meets up with her sister Joyce Pride (played by Donna Jason). Joyce is a TV news reporter investigating the illegal dealings of the super wealthy banker and businessman, Jason Slade (played by John Miller). Since Jason is being hounded by Joyce and assassins, he has a security group protecting him, lead by Jake Armstrong (played by Chuck Jeffreys), the top bodyguard in the game.
Joyce shows her news report to Tracey, and Jason Slade gets on Tracey's radar. Though Tracey and Joyce get along, Joyce does not get along with her father, CIA agent John Pride (played by Leo Rocca). Jason Slade ends up with the nuclear warhead detonator, and wants to sell it to the highest bidder. Joyce's fellow kung fu school classmate Mickey (played by Yip Yim Hing) investigates strange goings on at a warehouse and gets video evidence of Jason Slade's illegal activities. Jake Armstrong starts questioning whether Jason Slade is a criminal or not and begins to help Joyce in her investigation. Things boil to a head when Jason Slade kidnaps the Pride sisters' father, and Tracey, Joyce, Dragon, and Jake team up to finally stop him...
John Miller, as Jason Slade, plays one of the biggest jerks you've ever seen in a movie!
Honor And Glory is one of those movies I watched only once on TV (cable channel TNT) late at night in the 90s, and never saw it again after that. I thought this movie was amazing back then! I had been searching for it for years (though my local video rental place had it; I didn't realize it was the same movie until after it closed down). I finally found it again on the free streaming sites Tubi and Pluto TV, and I finally watched it again recently! Was this movie as great as I remembered it?
Unfortunately, it is not! With Cynthia Rothrock, Chuck Jeffreys, Robin Shou, Donna Jason, and John Miller starring, you expect this to be filled with awesome fight scenes. The fight scenes are not that great or plentiful. Most of the focus is on the Pride sisters' and their pursuit of Jason Slade, and on their relationship. Basically, this is a very American martial arts movie. At least the fight scenes are Hong Kong style, but as said before, there aren't that many fights and they're short.
The acting is not good. The best actors are Donna Jason and Chuck Jeffreys, and they really have good chemistry in their scenes. Cynthia Rothrock is okay in her scenes, but the things she says are so unnatural (as in, no real person would say what she says). Though this movie is billed as a Cynthia Rothrock movie, she is actually not in it that much. It is more of an ensemble movie (and Donna Jason's Joyce Pride seems to be the main character). John Miller as Jason Slade is one evil bastard! He is way over the top, and it makes you wonder why anybody would work for him with how terribly he treats his employees/co-workers.
Honor And Glory has some decent fight scenes.
What you're most probably interested in is, is how are the fight scenes in HonorAnd Glory? They are...okay. Though this movie was made in America in the early 90s, the fight scenes were choreographed in the Hong Kong style. Unfortunately, there are not that many fight scenes; and the fight scenes there are, are slow and short. Every character gets to show off their skill in a fight scene, including the main bad guy. Donna Jason is an excellent fighter as well, it's too bad she wasn't in more martial arts movies back then. We get all this build up to the final showdown, and it ends so disappointingly. Every character is in a fight at the same time, but instead of focusing on one fight at a time, the movie cuts between every fight every few minutes. We at least get to see Cynthia Rothrock do her patented scorpion kick. We see Robin Shou and Chuck Jeffreys do some cool stuff as well. The way Jason Slade is defeated is quite the disappointment. It could've been awesome, but they went with a totally American movie type of way to "defeat" him. Every martial artist is capable in this movie, but the choreography and editing let them down.
So, should you watch Honor And Glory? I would have to say no. If you want to watch a "cheesy" American action movie from the 90s, or need to watch every Cynthia Rothrock movie, then go ahead; you may like it! The director of this movie, Godfrey Ho, is infamous for making terrible movies (usually involving ninjas or kickboxers), so I shouldn't be surprised at its mediocrity. If you can believe it, Honor And Glory is considered one of his better movies. Cynthia Rothrock deserved so much better in America.
Blood And Bone is a martial arts action movie released in the United States in 2009 and stars Michael Jai White, Eamonn Walker, Dante Basco, Nona Gaye, Michelle Belegrin, Bob Sapp, Dick Anthony Williams, Ron Yuan, Julian Sands, and Matt Mullins. It was directed by Ben Ramsey, with fight choreography by J.J. Perry and Michael Jai White.
Michael Jai White as Bone. He is a good guy you do not want to mess with.
In Blood And Bone, Michael Jai White plays Bone, a man just released from prison looking for a place to live in Los Angeles. He finds an apartment run by Tamara (played by Nona Gaye), who rents out a room for him there... as long as he doesn't bring any trouble there. Tamara takes care of 'abandoned' children at her apartment, including a young boy named Jared. Bone does look for trouble, though. He wants to get into the underground fighting circuit in L.A.
Bone becomes friends with Pinball (played by Dante Basco), a local fight promoter. He also meets James (played by Eamonn Walker), a local crime boss and fight manager. Bone is especially interested in James' girlfriend, Angela (played by Michelle Belegrin), which James does not like. Eventually, Bone becomes a sensation, using his martial arts skills to dominantly win his fights.
James wants Bone to fight for him, and he wants him to face the top underground fighter in the world, "Pretty Boy" Price (played by Matt Mullins). James wants to use this fight to elevate his ranking in the Consortium, the shady organization running the underground fighting circuit. We find out Bone is not fighting for fame or money, but to keep a promise. Will fighting for James end up making Bone break his promise...?
Eamonn Walker (left) as James. He is one bad dude. Ron Yuan plays his lackey.
Blood And Bone is one of those movies I've read is really good, but I have never been able to watch it. I finally found it on American streaming site Tubi (as of this review), so I got to see if it lived up to the hype. It did! In fact, it more than lived up to hype. I loved this movie! Not only is the action good, but so are the characters and the story. It goes a little deeper than just an underground fighting tournament movie. We see the street life, we see good people trying to make it in a tough world, we see race and class issues, and we see the best and worst of humanity in this movie.
Michael Jai White plays Bone as a stoic, disciplined man doing what he has to do to keep a promise. Eamonn Walker, as James, is also stoic (to a certain extent) and disciplined (he doesn't use bad language), but is also very narcissistic. Bone is genuine in his personality and motives, while James is all show. Dante Basco as Pinball brings a lot of the humor in the movie, and man can he talk! Nona Gaye gives an understated performance as Tamara. Michelle Belegrin as Angela Soto is a sight to behold, but she plays a very tragic character. You feel something for the characters in this movie, and that's a good thing.
The fight scenes in Blood And Bone are excellent!
Blood And Bone has a lot of exciting, hard-hitting fights. Michael Jai White is awesome in this. Not only does he do some impressive high-flying kicks, but he also does some submission work. The movie starts out with Bone being attacked in prison, and in this fight scene we see that Bone does not play around in fights! Of course, the best fight in the movie is when Bone fights 'Pretty Boy' Price. Really good choreography here, and Matt Mullins is an awesome martial artist. He is another guy that should be in more movies (I loved him in Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight, an underrated TV show).
There are a lot of martial artist/fighter cameos in this movie! Kimbo Slice, Bob Sapp, Ernest 'The Cat' Miller, Maurice Smith, Erik Betts, Gina Carano, Bob Wall, Fumio Demura, and Gene LeBell (among many others) all make appearances. Watch out for them!
As you can imagine, I highly recommend Blood And Bone. This movie is really good. In fact, I would recommend it to people who are not martial arts movie fans, too. The plot may be the 'basic' tournament fighting story, but there is a lot more to it. Even though the movie is a bit dark and gritty, it is actually very uplifting and inspirational. Plus, the action is excellent! Michael Jai White is a national treasure, and he deserves to be a huge action star. Check Blood And Bone out, you won't regret it!
The Black Dragon's Revenge (also known as The Death Of Bruce Lee) is a martial arts/blaxploitation/Bruceploitation movie released in 1975 and stars Ron van Clief, Charles Bonet, Jason Pai Piao, Yuen Qiu, Lau Hok-Nin, and Thompson Kao Kang. It was directed by Tony Lou Chun-Ku, with martial arts directed by Chan Lau, Ron van Clief, Jason Pai Piao, and Leung Pasan.
Ron van Clief is the man in this movie.
In The Black Dragon's Revenge, Ron van Clief plays...himself. He gets hired by a mysterious wealthy man (played by Thompson Kao Kang) to find out why and how Bruce Lee died. Ron, being a close personal friend of Bruce, accepts the assignment. So he goes to Hong Kong in search of answers. Ron meets up with his friend Charlie Woodcock (played by Charles Bonet), an antique dealer and martial artist, and they travel throughout Hong Kong interrogating people. They face off against thugs who seem to want to stop them from finding out the truth. Little do our heroes know, there are students from a kung fu school who are also looking for answers about Bruce Lee's death. Perhaps if they worked together, they could find out what really happened to Bruce Lee.
Yuen Qui (left) and Jason Pai Piao more than hold their own in this movie.
I first learned of Ron van Clief from the Top Fighter documentary, and have always kept him in mind when looking for martial arts movies to watch. I watched that documentary in the 1990s, and in 2023 I finally watched a Ron van Clief movie! I knew (from the documentary) that he is a legit martial artist, and I watched his UFC fight back in the day, so I had high expectations for his action scenes. Ron van Clief does not disappoint in The Black Dragon's Revenge...unfortunately, everything else does.
This movie is straight up weird. Ron and Charlie go around asking people about Bruce Lee and about the way he died (even asking a Betty Ting Pei analogue questions at her apartment). Basically, the movie talks about all the different theories on how Bruce Lee died. This did not feel right to me. It felt...exploitive. I guess this shouldn't be a surprise, considering this is a blaxploitation and a Bruceploitation movie. The acting is stiff and awkward; there are many scenes of characters just walking to their destination, no dialogue or anything to keep it interesting; and the plot seems a bit convoluted, until the end when everything comes together.
Despite all that, Ron van Clief is very cool in this. He has an awesome look (the afro and mutton chop sideburns), and he has this swagger about him throughout. Also cool to see Yuen Qui in an early role (she played the Landlady in Kung Fu Hustle, 2004). She's really good in this! Jason Pai Piao is also cool in this movie. Charles Bonet, as Ron's friend Charlie, is interesting in this. Their friendship seemed genuine. Also, this has some cool music; though I must say it seemed a bit too upbeat in some scenes.
Ron van Clief kicks major butt in this movie!
The main reason to watch The Black Dragon's Revenge is the action. The fight scenes are the best part of this movie. Ron van Clief is the real deal as a martial artist, and he kicks butt in this. Ron's style is powerful and straightforward. Charles Bonet, as Charlie Woodcock, is a kung fu fighter, so his style is more fluid. Yuen Qui is also an awesome fighter in this, and she gets to show off her skill pretty well here. The fight scenes are rough and rugged, but very entertaining. They may not compare to the fight scenes that would happen about three years later in Hong Kong, but they are still very good. I also liked how the Hong Kong martial arts students in the movie were respectful of Ron van Clief's karate-based style. Very cool.
So, should you watch The Black Dragon's Revenge? I would say yes, just so you can see Ron van Clief in his prime kicking butt. The movie itself is very weird and awkward, with some weird comedic scenes as well. The music is good, Ron van Clief and his allies are good, and the fight scenes are good. Ron van Clief doesn't get talked about enough when it comes to great martial arts movie stars, so I thought I'd shine a light on him. Ron van Clief is the real deal!
