As you know, Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In (2024) is one of my most anticipated movies of the year, and it is out currently in Hong Kong and in select theaters in the United Kingdom in a few days from now. Here are two good reviews about the movie from two of my favorite Asian cinema YouTube channels. Don't worry, they're spoiler-free!
Here is TheFanaticalDragon's review:
Here is Hong Kong and Beyond's review:
Here is the final trailer:
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| Tony Jaa ready for action! |
Tom-Yum-Goong is a Thai martial arts movie released in 2005 starring Tony Jaa, Mum Jokmok, Bongkoj Khongmalai, Xing Jin, Damian De Montemas, and Johnny Tri Nguyen. The movie was directed by Prachya Pinkaew, and fight choreography was done by Tony Jaa and Panna Rittikrai. Tom-Yum-Goong is known as The Protector in the United States in an edited version of the movie.
Tony Jaa plays Kham, the last guard of the royal elephants in Thailand. He grew up around elephants, particularly Por Yai (full grown) and Kohrn (baby elephant), who he considers family. These elephants are stolen at the New Year's festival, and Kham's father is injured in the process. It is Kham's responsibility to protect those elephants, so he goes in search of them.He ends up going to Sydney, Australia in his quest to find them. While there, he joins forces with a fellow Thai cop named Mark (played by Mum Jokmok). Tony Jaa becomes falsely accused of a crime and becomes hunted by the police. In all of this, Chinese triad bosses jockey for leadership, which affects Kham's quest.
Admittedly, the plot of the movie is a bit simplistic. Kham wants his elephants back. A lot of people made fun of this back when it was released in America. I didn't have a problem with the story. It was what Kham was raised and trained to do. I guess in the American edit, the importance of the elephants and Kham's true relationship to them aren't really thoroughly explained. In the original version, we see the townspeople praying for the missing elephants. We are shown why the elephants are so important, and why Kham goes through all the trouble he does to get them back.
Then there is the main villain, played by Xing Jin. She is a trans woman, and the other triad bosses don't take her seriously because of it. It is a bit complicated how she is treated in the movie. The rival triad bosses treat her disrespectfully. To Kham, it doesn't matter. To me, it does not seem like she is portrayed as evil because she is trans; she is evil because she is overly ambitious and greedy. I really hope I am reading that portrayal right. The backstories of villains don't interest me much, but hers' is pretty interesting. I will say, the corrupt cop working with her is a dead ringer for an older Andrew Garfield!
The action is really good in this one! Kham's first fight in the movie has one of the best hero entrances ever! The fight in the subway is awesome; a lot of creative choreography and stunts in that one. Then there is the one-shot fight scene, where Kham goes up a flight of stairs fighting off bad guys. Really cool to see a one-shot fight scene like that, and man that must have been tiring to prepare for, film, and perform in! Kham has awesome fights with a capoeira fighter (Lateef Crowder) and a wu shu fighter (Jon Foo). Probably my favorite fights in the film! There is the fight scene where he destroys dozens of guys' limbs and joints with bone cracking submissions, strikes, and holds. At the end he has to fight a bunch of roided up fighters (with Nathan Jones being the main one). It's a good fight scene, creative and hard-hitting, but the roided up guys are not very mobile.
So, do I recommend Tom-Yum-Goong? Yes I do! As I said before, the plot is a bit simplistic, but the action more than makes up for it. Tony Jaa is a dynamo in this! Plus, if you've ever wanted to see a musclehead fling a young elephant across the room, this is the movie for you! Try to watch the full version of the movie, though. It has a nicer pace, and has more scenes expanding on the plot and motivations of characters. Some characters' fates are changed as well (as compared to the American edited version).
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| I watched the Dragon Dynasty DVD release of this movie! |
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| I really need this movie on Blu-Ray! |
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| Disc 1 is the American cut, called 'The Protector'. |
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| Disc 2 has the original cut of Tom-Yum-Goong. |
Reviewed by David Williams
After close to ten years, I was finally able to watch UHF again! I used to watch it when I was a kid when it came on cable (either HBO or Showtime, I can't remember; never came on basic cable or OTA TV). Let me tell you, I LOVED this movie! It also helps that I am a big Weird Al fan! I also always wanted to run a TV channel. I used to pretend I had a TV channel back then, and whatever I watched or played (either action figures or video games) was what was airing on my channel. I was able to watch it on YouTube, free with ads!
In UHF, George Newman (played by Weird Al) is put in charge of a bankrupt UHF TV station. George is an imaginative person and has many ideas, but he tries to 'play by the book' at first in trying to make the TV station successful. When that doesn't work (and after he finds out the station is days away from being flat broke), he gives his janitor Stanley Spadowski (played by Michael Richards) a shot at hosting his live kids show. The show becomes a hit! This inspires George to put on more weird TV shows, all of which become hits! A rival network TV station boss, R.J. Fletcher (played by Kevin McCarthy) decides to buy his competition after the UHF station becomes number one in the ratings. From there, George has to come up with $75,000 in two days to keep the station on the air!
This movie is full of parodies and wacky humor. The film starts with an Indiana Jones parody! The part I loved the most was the Rambo scene. I always laughed maniacally at that. Of course, I loved the Money For Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies* music video. I always hoped to catch that video on MTV, but I was not disappointed when the original Money For Nothing video aired. Both videos rocked!
The TV shows were a wild mix! Conan The Librarian was a favorite of mine. Ghandi II is just crazy! The animal show with the enthusiastic Latino host is great! Never noticed until this past viewing how crazy that guy is! Fran Drescher plays the station newscaster. Perhaps this is where my crush on her began...
Michael Richards (known to Seinfeld fans as Kramer) plays Stanley Spadowski in such an energetic, pure-hearted manner. You can't help but love the guy. It is great how such a good, pure person becomes beloved in their city. How lucky is he to have such a hit show immediately, without even trying!
This movie is pretty safe for the whole family... to a certain extent. There is no sexual humor, but there is some cartoonish, yet extremely violent scenes. The extremely violent scenes are played for laughs, so hopefully kids will not be scarred for life by watching them! (Do not get me started on Robocop!)
So yeah, I love this movie. Humor is subjective, so I know not everyone will like it or even get it. Also, this movie was made in the late 1980s, so some of the references are dated. I think you should at least give it a chance. If you know what Weird Al is about, then you'll get an idea for what you're in for. If not, I hope you enjoy it just the same!
Reviewed by David Williams
Here is a video review covering China O'Brien, a classic American martial arts movie starring the legendary Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton, and Keith Cooke Hayabusa. I remember not liking this movie that much when I first watched it back in the day. After seeing Cynthia Rothrock and Richard Norton really showing their skills in Hong Kong movies, the fight choreography in China O'Brien was underwhelming to me. Still, it is an American movie that portrayed a woman as a tough, smart, hero in the main character role. I need to watch this movie again, it's been decades since I last saw it. Hopefully it's on Blu-ray...
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| The awesome movie poster |
Casey Bowman (played by Adkins) is an American martial artist who lives in and studies martial arts at his sensei's (played by Igawa) dojo. Living there since being placed there as an orphan, Casey has grown close to his sensei and his daughter, fellow martial artist Namiko Takeda (played by Hijii). The top student there, Masazuka (played by Ihara) is jealous of the budding relationship between Casey and Namiko and loses control during a sparring match. Their sensei expels Masazuka, who goes on to become a high-tech ninja for hire by Temple Industries (which runs an underground cult called The Ring). Masazuka goes back to the dojo to claim the title of 'soke' (the headmaster at a Japanese martial arts school), but is denied by his sensei. The sensei sends Casey and Namiko to New York to hide the 'Yoroi Bitsu' (a chest with the apparel and arsenal of an ancient ninja fighter), which he feels Masazuka will go after. From there, things get crazy, violent, and bloody!
This movie is pretty awesome. The plot is pretty simple, but that is forgivable when the action rocks like it does in this movie. The movie is about honor, living up to your responsibilities, and martial arts tradition. Casey (the 'accepted foreigner' who is highly skilled) is the honorable martial artist, Masazuka (the native, top student) is the dishonorable one. They are destined to clash, and clash they do!
I do like how Masazuka is portrayed as a traditional ninja: a covert mercenary. Like the ninjas of the past, he has no honor. He fights in the shadows, he kills mercilessly, and he won't stop until he accomplishes his mission. Masazuka is a formidable fighter, further enhanced by his high-tech ninja suit. He has night vision goggles in his mask! He has the advantage when he fights everyone he comes into contact with, including Casey!
Casey is the more traditional, honorable fighter. He does not kill unless he has to. He fights fair, and he is an incredible fighter. The kicks he can do are amazing! The fight scene in The Ring's hideout is top-notch. Scott Adkins really gets to strut his stuff in that scene. In the end fight, Casey must use traditional tactics to defeat Masazuka's neo-ninja.
As previously mentioned, The Ring hideout fight scene is the stand out. There are also fun fight scenes that take place in a subway car (with one crazy death in it) and on the roof of a building. The final fight scene is great as well. With Isaac Florentine directing, you know you'll be getting well-filmed and edited fight scenes. Akihiro "Yuji" Noguchi is the fight choreographer, and he put together some fantastic fights. If you like fast paced, sometimes gorily violent fight scenes, you'll love this one!
I like this movie a lot! Some may not like it because of the simplistic plot, or that it has a direct to video feel to it, or whatever. If you like ninjas, if you like martial arts movies with awesome fight scenes, and if you like seeing an honorable good guy do the right thing, then Ninja is the movie for you!
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| Cover of the Blu-Ray I watched. |
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| Back cover of the Blu-Ray I watched. |
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| The Blu-Ray disc I watched. This movie is available to stream for free on Tubi, as well! |
Reviewed by David Williams
Here is a review for the new Chinese Boxer Blu-Ray release by 88 Films. This is a Region A and B release, so those in North America without multi-region players will be able to watch it on their player with no problems! This is definitely on my list of Blu-Rays to buy! (I also have never seen this movie before, so I really need to get this!)
(I had nothing to do with the creation of this video!)
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| The Hong Kong Movie Poster. So cool! |
'The Big Boss' (formerly known as 'Fists Of Fury' in America) is Bruce Lee's first major movie where he has the lead role, and it catapulted him into super stardom. The movie had quite the effect on the Hong Kong film industry! In his autobiography 'I Am Jackie Chan', Jackie talks about his experience first watching the movie with Sammo Hung and his fellow friends/stuntmen, and how Sammo said about the fight scenes, "That is real! That is how it should be done." (paraphrased by me, of course). This movie made Bruce Lee a superstar, but his next movie made him a hero in Hong Kong...
'The Big Boss' is about Cheng Chao-an (played by Bruce Lee), a young man from China who has moved to Thailand to work at an ice factory. He has made a promise to his mother to never fight again, with a jade necklace worn around his neck to remind him of this. He ends up living with his cousins and experiences some of the negative parts of life in Thailand. This all eventually leads to Cheng getting involved in fighting against the Big Boss's son and henchmen and the drug smuggling racket the Big Boss is running. Cheng faces the Big Boss, and justice prevails, though it is not exactly a happy ending.
For a long time, 'The Big Boss' was my favorite Bruce Lee movie. That has changed over the years, but I still really like this movie. The fight scenes are a bit 'primitive' compared to current Hong Kong movies, or to even Bruce Lee's next movie, but they are still enjoyable. It's always great to see Bruce use his Wing Chun skills in the final fight scene. The fights are violent, bloody, but not gruesome. I do wonder how the handsaw scene looked in action, though. My favorite fight scenes are Cheng vs. the henchmen then the Big Boss's son at the ice factory and the final fight scene against the Big Boss himself.
Growing up, I watched the Fox VHS version of 'The Big Boss' called 'Fists of Fury'. This version had an incredible English dub and soundtrack. The music in this version was composed by Peter Thomas, a German music composer. All I can say is, the music he composed for this movie is genius, incredible, and fitting. The soundtrack, besides Bruce Lee himself, is what I love the most about this movie. The music helps drive the anticipation of the fight scenes coming up, and helps heighten the emotion in more serious scenes. Peter Thomas should have won an Oscar and the Nobel Prize for this soundtrack!
I mean, listen to that opening theme song! How could you not be pumped to watch The Big Boss?
(I eventually got the Peter Thomas Sound Orchestra soundtrack for the Big Boss, but it was missing the song I loved the most: the song when Bruce defeats the Big Boss's son. That song actually makes me all emotional. It's so awesome and fits the scene so well. I NEED THIS SONG!)
Since this was Bruce Lee's first major movie, his influence over his character or the movie itself was minimal. We don't see his philosophy so much in this movie. Even so, Bruce Lee plays Cheng Chao-on with understated humility and grace, but is totally a hero you can believe in. He is a conflicted hero, but he rises to the challenge. The other great performance belongs to Li Kun, who plays Ah Kun. He plays his character with such enthusiasm and believability. When his character turns on Cheng Chao-on, he makes you feel anger and resentment toward how he is treating Cheng. He has a few comedic scenes, too!
The version I watched for this blog post.
Later on, I got 'The Big Boss' on DVD in the Bruce Lee Ultimate Collection. The picture quality is great! The sound is great on very version except the English dub. It has the dub I grew up with (with and extended scene that uses the more stereotypical 'kung fu movie dub-type voice for Cheng Chao-an), but the soundtrack and sound effects are ruined! It has the Peter Thomas Orchestra soundtrack, but it has added music that doesn't go with the movie at all! There is no quiet anticipation anymore. There is a scene where Bruce Lee is running, and they added go-go dancing type music to it, so it seems like Bruce is dance running to his destination. Just terrible! They also added those horrible American sound effects that sound like a guy hitting a thawed turkey with a bat. So crappy. (If you've seen the Hong Kong martial arts movies ruined by Miramax/Dimension/New Line Cinema, then you know how those sound effects sound).
Criterion Collection has released a Bruce Lee box set containing 'The Big Boss'. It apparently has the English dub with the Peter Thomas Sound Orchestra soundtrack, but without the added terrible music. I NEED to get this box set! I will write my thoughts about it when I get it, for sure!
A star was born in 'The Big Boss', and that star rose into mega stardom with each movie he made. Bruce Lee's influence began here and has lasted ever since then!
Here is a review of the Eureka Blu-Ray release of Full Alert (directed by Ringo Lam) by the Hong Kong Cinema Appreciation Society channel on YouTube! I really want to see this movie!
(I had nothing to do with the creation of this review)
Hello, and thank you for visiting my den. Not sure how you found it, it is supposed to be my secret ninja hideout. Since you are here, let me explain what goes on in the den, and why it is in existence...
Besides being a ninja, I am an aspiring writer/film maker. I majored in film making in college. As you would expect, I have not been able to get into the film industry since graduating. With massive student loan payments piling up, I have decided to start my media empire. This blog is ground zero. I have other projects planned, but it all starts here.
I started Ninja Goliath Productions while I was in college. I have made a few videos, but not as much as I would have liked (it is hard to make interesting stories with only one character...which has to be played by myself). Here is the logo for my production company:
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| This took me 2 years to design. |
This blog will be where I talk about movies I have watched, whether as reviews or as my personal thoughts on them. I will also be sharing videos and articles I think are interesting and should get more attention. Feel free to share your thoughts (as long as they are not hateful or racist) in the comments!
From here on out, I will be working on other projects, like screenplays, web comics, videos, and hopefully movies. This is just the beginning. Join me as I run into the sun.
November 22, 2021 is the beginning.
Here is the trailer for Jackie Chan's latest movie, The Shadow's Edge ! Here is the synopsis (according to Variety): Set against...
