JC & JC collaborate in Hidden Strike

 

 Produced by & starring Jackie Chan

Directed by    Scott Waugh
Written by    Arash Amel
Produced by   

    Esmond Ren
    Hans Canosa
    Joe Tam

Starring   

    John Cena
    Pilou Asbaek
    Ma Chunrui

Cinematography    Tony Cheung
Edited by    Scott Waugh
Music by    Nathan Furst
Production
companies
    
Changchun Film Studio

    XYZ Films
    FilmsHuaxia Film Distribution
    Epitome
    Talent International Media
    Flame Pictures Company

Distributed by Netflix
Release date: July 28, 2023

Synopsis

Two ex-special forces soldiers must escort a group of civilians along Baghdad's "Highway of Death" to the safety of the Green Zone.

Review

Let's talk about the story. The story reminds me of the 1973 classic "Enter the Dragon". But this film is nothing like that.

Let's talk about the two main stars. Jackie Chan & John Cena, what a random duo. This would surely turn out to be a horrible movie, right? Well, no. Chan and Cena have some good chemistry and great lines in the bloopers and the movie.

Let's talk about the action. The action is enjoyable, but really nothing special. It becomes less special when you release Jackie was 64 at the time this was filmed, so all his performances are mostly stunt doubles. This is an average run of the mill one of his movies where the idea of having him in a role is cool but the movie doesn't turn out to be that cool.

The dialogue is pretty funny, I can say that. But I can ALSO say that this movie relies on the dialogue and none of the action, really. There's no cool tricks or kicking, just guns and running and random punching.

I can say the film could have been a lot better but still pretty enjoyable.

Rating: 5.5/10

 

Bruce Lee is Blood And Steels in ENTER THE DRAGON

 

Starring, written and choreographed by BRUCE LEE

a ROBERT CLAUSE film
Written by    Michael Allin
Produced by    

    Fred Weintraub
    Paul Heller
    Raymond Chow

Starring    

    Bruce Lee
    John Saxon
    Ahna Capri
    Bob Wall
    Shih Kien
    Jim Kelly

Cinematography    Gilbert Hubbs
Edited by    

    Kurt Hirschler
    George Watters
    Peter Cheung

Music by    Lalo Schifrin
Production
companies
    

    Sequoia Pictures
    Concord Production Inc.
    Warner Bros.

Distributed by    

    Golden Harvest (Hong Kong)
    Warner Bros. (International)

Release dates
    

    26 July 1973 (Hong Kong)

    19 August 1973 (United States)

August 1973 (Australia)

 

Synopsis

 Lee plays a martial-arts expert determined to help capture the narcotics dealer whose gang was responsible for the death of his sister. Lee enters a kung fu competition in an attempt to fight his way to the dealer's headquarters with the help of some friends.

Review

Bruce Lee's final film, "Enter The Dragon" was the first movie to be produced by a major Hollywood company, Warner Brothers. So other companies tried to cash in the fame such as National General Pictures, re-relasing The Big Boss as Fists Of Fury like Bryanstron Productions, which in 1974, released Way of Dragon as The Return of the Dragon. This film sure does crap on Return of the Dragon (just a joke. I love both films) or whatever you call it.

Yesterday (January 25, 2023) I went to the home video shop to get some movies. They only had Enter the Dragon on Blu-Ray, resulting in my first Blu-ray. And gosh, do I love this film. If I had the chance I'd rewatch it! (I'll do it another day.) 

The film has some appearances from Sammo Hung (he gets to fight Bruce Lee) and Jackie Chan (he gets to get a butt-whupping by Lee) This film is so amazing I'm doubting it being made by humans. You can feel every single hit through the screen!

Jim Kelly's character dies not long into the movie, but his lines feel natural, and he brings a light hearted feel to the movie, but this isn't a comedy. Just some really good action and dialogue from the actors.

 

Not to mention the funky Lalo Schrifin soundtrack, which got 5 hundred thousand copies sold. Enter the Dragon has a soundtrack that uses a lot of bass and piano, and it has resemblance to Kevin Bassinson's score for Police Story, but this is actually way better. Shih Khen has a wonderful performance as a villian

The choreography by Bruce is the best in all of his movies, and that counts Game of Death II (I've never watched Game of Death.). This film is an absolute masterpiece and you NEED to watch it. I know that whenever an actor's films is really popular like Rumble in the Bronx [Jackie Chan] and Lethal Weapon III [Joe Pesci] It turns out to be crappy. But, trust me. THIS IS NOT THE CASE. Enter the Dragon is one of the best movies in the world. I don't care rather it's with piracy, VHS, DVD, Blu-Ray, 4K, Netflix, WATCH THE GODDAMN FILM!!

Rating: 10/10 (best. bruce lee film. EVER!!!)

SUB VS. DUB #1: Police Story (Fortune Star's 2010 Japanese Blu-Ray vs. Cinema Group's 1988 American VHS)

Police Story is the 1985 Hong Kong movie that people love so much that it has 2 re-edits and 4 dubs. Today we're going to be looking at one of those re-edits, the 1986 international export dub!

Original version is the Japanese Bluray on the 2010 Fortune Star DVD. I figure since the credits say 2010 on the SBS on Demand version it's the right release. 

Trailers

Export Trailer

1986

Media Asia

International

 Theatrical trailer

1985 

Media Asia

Hong Kong

The Hong Kong trailer - spoils all the big stunts but doesn't actually tell you anything about the movie. Also is way too long, a trailer should be 1 minutes & 30 seconds at max if it's in cinema. Of course, the background music "Hero Story" by Jackie Chan is completely amazing, but it's in Cantonese, and the trailer has no subtitles (this is a DVD version on the video so that's why it does) That might suck if you watched the movie and weren't from China. 7/10

The USA trailer - Gives away the plot in a good, short, sweet way that is easy to understand and that doesn't spoil much at all with amazing kick-butt music by Kevin Bassington. The trailer also shows clips that will make the average viewer hella excited to watch the film. 10/10

VIDEO QUALITY

BLU-RAY

 VHS

 So.. how is it that a VHS released 22 years before a Blu-Ray has better color quality? 

 

SCRIPT 

On the SBS on Demand version, the script adds a bunch of un-needed, unnatural words. The re-release also adds some unnecessary profane words like "b1tch" which actually makes Kevin sound like a jerk and it turn, makes the scenes with May more funnier. The re-dub actually has funnier dialogue, as well. I guess it's better when you understand the language.

In turn - the re-dub script's better.

CUT / SWAPPED SCENES 

The US dub has a lot of cut scenes, so I will list every cut scene here.    

• All the scenes with the agitated Frank (the cop who shoots a mirror). A few seconds of Kevin after one of the scenes.

  
  
  
  

• The photo-shoot scene is cut out, thus resulting in 47 seconds of the film gone.
• In the Hong Kong version during the fake murder attempt, you get more shots of tired Selina. 
• Mars bumping his head on the lights.
  
• Kevin biting his way into the mask.
• 46 seconds in the courtroom are removed.
  
• Koo watching Kevin on the news in his office.
• The entire phone scene. However, a few seconds before this scene (Kevin getting told what to do, asking a question, getting an answer and talking to a cop who works for Chu on the phone and telling him he only has 3 days.) are still there.
• The angry speech Kevin makes in Li's office.  

The Japanese version is 1 hour & 48 minutes.

The original Hong Kong version is 1 hour & 36 minutes. 

The export version is 1 hour and 27 minutes.

13 minutes have been cut out from the theatrical version.

ADDED SCENES

In the US theatrical version, a shot of Selina clicking "record" on the tape recorder is added. 1 second long, which does fix a minor minor MINOR plothole.

 MUSIC

The original score is composed by Lai Siu-tin, and the re-dub score is composed by Kevin Bassington.

Lai-Siu Tin's score - Inspired by the main theme song, and has a lot of re-used tracks. Still a banger and is definetly worth listening too. Especially the tracks with Ondes Martinot.

Bassington's score - A slap-bass synthesizer score that is incredibly 80s and satisfying to listen too. Sometimes a bit of the instruments get a little bit annoying and go on for a while though.

Lai Siu Tin's score: 11/10

Bassington's score: 7/10

COVERS

VHS

 BLU-RAY

The VHS cover is more exciting and summarizes up the film on the back well. 

OVERALL: THE RE-DUB VHS FROM 1988 WINS!!

 

Beneath the Dragon's Shadow: A Review of The Heroic Trio

 



a JOHNNY TO film

Screenplay by    Sandy Shaw
Produced by    Ching Siu-tung
Starring   
    Michelle Yeoh
    Anita Mui
    Maggie Cheung
    Damian Lau
Cinematography   
    Poon Hang-Sang
    Tom Lau
Edited by Kam Wah
Music by William Hu
Production
companies
    
    China Entertainment Films
    Paka Hill Productions
Release date: 12 February 1993 (Hong Kong)

Synopsis

Michelle Yeoh (The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor), Anita Mui (Rumble in the Bronx) and Maggie Cheung (Clean) form an unstoppable combination as three powerful martial arts experts each with her own secret superhero identity-who band together to battle the ultimate evil. Their foe is a demented but powerful wizard who believes that if he kidnaps all the babies in China, he can build a demonic ruling class and eventually dominate the world. With everything on the line, it's up to The Heroic Trio of Shadow Fox, Mercy and Invisible Woman to rise up and stop him.

Review

Suspend your disbelief and get ready for some wondrous entertainment.

Wow. This is a very unique film. With at times, some very amazing work with wires and crappy editing and weird flashbacks and CGI, this is a pretty solid foreign superhero movie. I'm pretty sure when everyone thinks of a superhero movie that wasn't produced in the United States, they think of those Bollywood films with bad acting, unrealistic scenes and bad CGI. Well, this film is nothing like that. With cringe-inducing fight scenes and a powerful soundtrack, The Heroic Trio is a film that will not dissapoint you! Maggie Cheung was introduced to the Girl with Gun sub-genre in this film and hell does she have a good performance. No joke, I was like "What the hell's Ka-Kui's girlfriend doing with a gun??" when I first saw her in the movie. But don't take my dumb joke for your final opinion, watch the film yourself!

Rating: 8/10

WATCH

"THE HEROIC TRIO"

ON 

 https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/movie/the-heroic-trio/2240022595543 (Cantonese audio, English subtitles)

Miramax 2002 re-release trailer

---------------------------------------------

NOW INTRODUCING - SUB VS. DUB!

 Welcome to Action Movie Review Mondays.. of course, you know what site you're on. 

Now, in-between the regular action film reviews, we also get to see comparisons of action movies with more then two main versions. So far, on the time-line we have:

DRUNKEN MASTER II vs. THE LEGEND OF DRUNKEN MASTER

POLICE STORY (2010 Fortune Star DVD) vs. JACKIE CHAN'S POLICE FORCE

OPERATION CONDOR 2: THE ARMOUR OF THE GODS vs. ARMOUR OF GOD

So keep out for that!!

The Karate Kid - A classic redefined for new generations

 

Directed byHarald Zwart
Screenplay by    Christopher Murphey
Story by    Robert Mark Kamen
Produced by   
    Jerry Weintraub
    Will Smith
    Jada Pinkett Smith
    James Lassiter
    Ken Stovitz
Starring   
    Jaden Smith
    Jackie Chan
    Taraji P. Henson
Cinematography    Roger Pratt
Edited by    Joel Negron
Music by  James Horner
Production
companies
    
    Columbia Pictures
    China Film Group

Overbrook Entertainment

JW Productions
Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing

Release date (Australia): July 8, 2010

Synopsis

When Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) and his mother (Taraji P. Henson) move from Detroit to China, Dre feels lost in a world very different from what he knows. Bullied and beaten up by some fellow students in his school, Dre is rescued by his apartment building's handyman, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), a man who is mourning
a devastating loss. Mr. Han takes pity on Dre and agrees to teach him kung fu to defend himself. Training together, teacher and student learn to trust each other, and ultimately form a friendship that heals them both.

   Review 

Okay, so my opinions on this film are HIGHLY ridden by nostalgia, the first time I watched this was in 2019. I remember those days. Re-watching this movie, using Incredibox on my Dad's laptop, twirling around in the chair, the air-con on, researching Bruce Lee.. ahh. But nevertheless, it is a good movie.

The Karate Kid is one of the most highly-known American action drama films ever, especially the first three films from 1984, '86, and '89. The 2010 sequel is the least discussed film.. oh.. yeah. Next Karate Kid 1994. Never mind. Anyways, the Karate Kid 2010 is a reboot starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith which is hated, but in my opinion pretty good. 

I think the acting in this movie is realistic and natural, and Mr Han's backstory makes the film better and there is also a lesson in the film thanks to the scenes. The direction with the music is amazing. The soundtrack makes the film feel better, unlike other films I've watched, with the soundtrack not being good enough. This is perfect.

Anyways, good film.

Rating: 8/10

 

 

Royal Warriors - Crime, sadness, and some butt-kicking

 

executive producer.............................Dickson Poon

producer..................................................John Sham

director......................................David Chung

starring..........................................Michelle Yeoh

                                                         Henry Sanada

                                                         Micheal Wong

Distributed by.........................................D&B Films

Synopsis

When a Hong Kong policewoman, a Japanese Interpol-agent and an air security officer botch a plane hijacking fempt by a militia fanatic, his veteran friends vow revenge. In order to stop the terrorist attacks and also to save their own lives, the three heroes most team up once again to fight their gun-totting adversaries.

Review

The morning I wrote this, I woke up early today so I could get in my fix on action movies. The first movie I watched was Royal Warriors, which is the sequel to Yes, Madam! The movie met my exceptions.
 

Sure the movie is now missing Carrie, Aspirin (Mang Hoi who portrayed Aspirin directed the action choreography in this movie and won a Hong Kong Film Award for it.) & Strepsil, now bringing a less humourous feeling to the movie. But all the action and scenes with Micheal Wong make up for it! 

This movie is in particular one of the greatest Michelle Yeoh movies ever. If you have an old copy lying around, you need to pop it in your PS3 and watch it immediately.  I recommend watching the film for the shootout and the final fight. You can feel the anger in the three main characters during these two scenes. The acting is natural and great!

Rating: 9.5/10

WATCH

 'ROYAL WARRIORS' 

aka

"IN THE LINE OF DUTY"

aka 

"POLICE ASSASSINS"

at the 

https://archive.org/details/in-the-line-of-duty-2-royal-warriors 

(Tai Seng VHS rip version)

Export Trailer

End of Believe series [So far]

 Due to unpopular demand, the series with Believe has stopped and no new episodes will come.. until next time!

A review of the 1986 Michelle Yeoh film "Royal Warriors" will come out instead.

If I have more episodes lying around soon I'll do it again.

However, a new series is coming soon [not featuring any of my family members]..

Interviewing my brother on Spider-Man 2

 -i was in a loud place while transcribing this, so apologies if you can't understand-

 O: They say sequels are better then the original. Well, nobody says that, except me. But it's not about me. Today we're going to be seeing what my brother thinks about Spider-Man 2, the SAM RAIMI one.

B: Wow.

O: laughs So, who is your favourite character?

B: Umm, octo-plays. I'm joking. Uh, obviously the main character, cause he's Spider-Man.

O:  Who was your LEAST favourite character?

B: I don't know! All the characters were 10/10 to be honest. 

O: Really? Even the villians?

B: Yeah.

O: Why do you say that?

B: Because the villains are on top and Spider-Man's on top too, and his Grandma on top too, so basically everyone's on top.

O: Who was your favou- NO. What was your favourite scene?

B: Basically, I don't have any favourite scenes.

O: What was your least favourite scene?

B: I don't have a least favourite scene.

O: So you think every scene is good and bad at the same time?

B: Yeah.

O: WHA- If they ever made a Spider-Man 2 II, would you wa-

B: NO??? 

O: laughs Okay, and lastly, what is your overall rating of Spider-Man 2?

B: Um, probably.. probably 8.

O: What did it need to make it a ten?

B: I'm not telling you.

O: Why? I'm your brother. 

B: I hate Mary-Jane.

O: laughs Honestly, I do too. But it's still-

B: Wait, wait, wait, I should've said every character was good except Mary-Jane.

O: Yeah, I hate Mary-Jane, but it's not about me, it's about Believe, and we're going to see more of his opinions on ACTION.. MOVIE..

B: TOTALL.. DRAMA...

O: ACTION MOVIE REVIEW.. mONdAAAySSS

Interviewing my brother, Believe on RUSH HOUR 2

O: Rush Hour 2! The sequel to my brother's favourite Jackie Chan movie. So let's start. Is this movie better then Rush Hour 1?

 

B: No.

O: Why do you think that?

B: Because Rush Hour 1 is a classic. 

O: Really?

B: Yeah.

O: A 2011 KID. SAYING A 1999 MOVIE IS A CLASSIC.

B: And you say Tobey Maguire has the best Spider-Man movies.

O: Shut up. Okay. Secondly, who was your favourite character?

 

B: My favourite character..

O: In Rush Hour 2.

B: Carter.

O: Really??

B: Yeah.

O: Every single Rush Hour movie, and Car- okay. Why?

B: Because Carter on top, bro.

O: What was your favourite scene?

B: I don't know. OH WAIT- when Jackie Chan says the N-word. OHH, was that in the-

O: Yes, that was in Part ONE!

B: Oh. Okay.

O: So what was your favourite scene in Part 2?

 

B: Favourite scene? I don't know. OH, WAIT, WAIT. Where, uh, Carter tries to rizz the girl up when they're fighting.

O: Nahh bro. Yeah, that scene. Carter has negative rizz. I'm sorry for saying the word 'rizz' on an action movie review blog. If they ever made a Part 2 to a Part 2, which in this case is Rush Hour 2, would you watch it?

B: No?? That's so stupid. laughs

O: Okay, what would you rate RUSH HOUR II out of ten? 

B: Five.

O: What did it need to make it a 10?

B: Five... more people.

O: laughs Okay thank you for watching, bye.

 

 

Interviewing my brother Believe on Spider-Man

 O: Welcome back to Action Movie Review Mondays. Today my brother is going to talk about Spider-Man.

B: Spider-Man on top, lil bro!

O: Sam Raimi's Spiderman.

B: Yeah, um..

O: With Bully-

B: Andrew Garfield better, kid.

O: There's no way you just said that.

B:Yeah.

O: Okay, so-

B: You like Tom Holland, lil bro.

O:  *laughs* No, I don't. That was when I was younger. Okay, first question, who is your favourite character?

B: In what?

O: In Spider-Man.

B: Two?

O: One. The Sam Raimi one. Yeah?

B: Yes.

O: Okay.

B: Bully Maguire L. *laughs*

O: Okay, who is your least favourite character? 

 

B: John Johnson.

O: Okay, umm..

B: Josh Hutcherson.

O: Okay, So I'm assuming you're talking about the guy who tried killing him in Part II?

B: No.

O: THEN WHO ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT??

B: The news reporter guy, annoying him all the time.

O: laughs Oh, him!! Yes.

B: He- okay.

O: If they ever made another whatever-his-name-is Spider-Man film movie, would you watch it?

B: Ehh, yeah.

O: Really?

B: Yeah.

O: Why?

B: I don't know! It's just Spiderman, lil bro.

O: Lastly, what'd you rate Spiderman out of 10?

B: Uhhh.... five? I'm joking. Probably a eleven.

O: An eleven out of 10?

B: Yeah.

O: Wow, that is a hard take. Anyways, thank you for listening to this, taking your precious time for whatever the heck this is. Umm... or reading it, if you're reading the transcript. Nevertheless, this is stupid. Bye.

 

Interviewing my brother, Believe, on Rush Hour

 O: Hello everyone, and welcome back to Action Movie Review Mondays with me and my brother, who is older then me. Today we're going to be talking about his so-called favourite Jackie Chan movie, and don't get mad at him for this: Rush Hour. So, this is a very-

B: Carter is the best character.

O: Okay. Why is it your favourite movie?

B: Because Carter carries.

O: Really?

B: Yeah.

O: Your favourite Jackie Chan movie is not even-

B: It's because it has so much action and balanced humor.

O: Oh really? Really? What was your favourite action scene?

 

B: You know in the beginning, about this guy, he..

O: With the bombs?

B: Yeah, and then, *unintelligible* 

O: What was your favourite comedy scene?

B: Carter. Everything.

O: Every single scene with Carter in it?

B: Yeah.

O: That's literally every comedy scene.

B: Yeah.

O: Okay. If they ever made a RUSH HOUR IV which they are going to, would you watch it?

B: Yeah.

O: Really?

B: Yeah, I guess. Okay.

O: Anyways, what would you rate Rush Hour-

B: A 10.

O: 10/10?

B: Yeah.

O: Wow.

B: Yeah.

O: Okay, thank you for answering my questions, we're gonna see more of you next week.

Interviewing my brother, Believe, on SUPERCOP

 O: Supercop! Supercop! Supercop! Today I'm gonna be talking about my brother, who is gonna be talking about Police Story 3: Supercop. So, uhm, what was your favourite scene?

 

B: Uhm, when Jackie Chan- wait, Supercop is about drug dealers.. whatever.

O: Yes. Jackie Chan and Michelle-

B: When Jackie Chan.. uhm.. you know that explosion scene? About the guy- It was kind of like a war.

O: Yeah, not really a war, but it was kinda like a war.

B: Okay, yeah.

O: And are you talking about where Jessica throws a grenade in the building-

B: Yes. Yes. I'm talking about that.

O: Secondly, who is your favourite character?

B: Um.. probably Jackie Chan or Michelle Yeoh.

O: Okay, so I KNOW you're gonna say.. ugh. Who is your least favourite character?

B: That Un-Jong Kim ripoff.

O: laughs No way you called a Un-Jong Kim ripoff!

B: I don't know.

O: You are so racist. Okay. If there was ever a Supercop 3 because there was a Supercop 2-

B: Yeah, I'd watch it.

O: REALLY?! Honestly, I would too. Lastly, what was your rating of Supercop?

B: 9/10.. 9.5/10.

O: What was it missing?

B: I don't know. It was the Kim-Jong Un ripoff.

O: laughs. So, he's very weird. I have a feeling he doesn't want to do this. But you'll see more of him next week, and I'm ending this early so he doesn't say anything dumb!

INTERVIEWING MY BROTHER ON DIE HARD: WITH A VENGEANCE

 O: Yello everyone, yippie ki yay! Today I'm gonna be talking about my brother who is going to be talking about DIE HARD III. So, what was your favourite scene?

B: 5.

O: What?

B: Wait, wait, DIE HARD III? 

O: Yes.

B: Where he gets- where John McClane ball.

O: WHAT?

B: Oh, yeah. That's in DIE HARD 6.

O: THERE IS NO DIE HARD 6!

B: I don't remember, kid! 

*laughing*

O: Okay, well, um, okay, who was your favourite character?

 B: John McClane.

O: Thirdly, Uhh, if there was ever a "Die Hard III: Part II" which I know makes no sense at all, BUT it happened with Supercop. Anyways, if there was a Die Hard III: Part II" would you watch it?

B: No. Because it's a mistake.

O: laughs Very straight-forward. Why do you think it'd be a mistake? 

B: Because, see, with movies, you're supposed to remember them. If it's a movie that you forget, that's how you know it's bad.

O: Well, you literally forgot every single scene of this movie. Anyways, I-don't-know-what-number-it-isly, what was are your overall rating of Die Hard with a Vengeance.

B: I don't remember anything.

O: Well, I guess that makes it an automatic zero. Anyways-

B: Five.

O: laughs Anyways, we're going to see more Believe on ACTION MOVIE REVIEW MONDAYS.

Interviewing my brother on DRUNKEN MASTER II

 O: Welcome back to ACTION MOVIE REVIEW MONDAYS with my brother, today we're gonna be reviewing DRUNKEN MASTER II starring Jackie Chan.. and uhh.. that.. guy. Ok, so what was your favourite part of the movie?

 

B: When Jackie Chan falls into the coals, but he still survives. And he's so badarse. That's why. Yeah.

O: What? Falls into the what?

B: In the coals, like the hot-

O: Oh, yeah. Yeah. I don't think you could die from that, but I DO think that'd be really hot. Secondly, who was your favourite character?

 B: Alright, it's Jacky Chan.

O: REALLY? Not even his stepmother? This is one of the rare movies-

B: Oh wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, yes, the stepmother. So.

O: Yeah, I knew you were laughing SO HARD at all the stepmother's scenes. Thirdly, what is your only problem with DRUNKEN MASTER II?

 

B: Where he got brain damage at the end. (Note - this scene is removed in the Dimension Films release.)

O: And uhm, what was your first thought during that scene?

B: Uhh.. "bro got brain damage".

O: If they made a sequel to Drunken Master 2, would you watch it?

B: No.

O: What is your rating overall of Drunken Master 2?

B: 8/10. 9, actually.

O: Straight-forward! Thank you for your answers, Believe, and we're gonna see more of him next week on.. ACTION.. MOVIE.. REVIEW-

B: Total! Drama!

 

 

 

 

Interviewing my brother on POLICE STORY 2

 O: Jing cha gu shi juk jaap! (I tried saying the Cantonese name of this movie.) So today, I'm going to be asking Believe some questions about the Jackie Chan classic, POLICE STORY II. Now, when everyone thinks about sequels, they always ask this question first: So, which is better? Police Story or Police Story 2?

B: Huh?

O: laughs Okay, which is better, POLICE STORY or POLICE STORY II?

B: Police Story, the first one.

O: Yeah, I agree. Secondly, who is your favourite character?

 

B: Uhmm, to be honest, in all Jackie Chan movies, all the characters are mediocre, except the main character.

O: So you're saying, that Kevin once again is your favourite character?

B: Yeah.

O: Okay. what was your favourite SCENE? (He got POLICE STORY 2 & POLICE STORY confused, so he's talking about a scene from POLICE STORY 1)

B: My favourite was when he went down that chandelier. Pretty good. Pretty good scene.

O: Okay. If they ever made a sequel to POLICE STORY II which I know makes no sense because no idiot makes a sequel to a sequel (I wasn't thinking of SUPERCOP 2), would you watch it??

B: No. No idiot-Anyways, I'm joking, I'm joking.. Maybe, yeah.

O: And the last question - What would you rate POLICE STORY II out of ten?

B: 5.

O: 5/10?

B: Wait, two or one?

O: Two.

B: Uhh.. 7.

O: 7?? WOW!! NOBODY HAS SAID POLICE STORY 2 IS BETTER THEN POLICE STORY 1, EXCEPT MY BROTHER. So, we're going to see more of his stupid opinions on ACTION MOVIE REVIEW MONDAYS!

Interviewing my brother on DIE HARD

This is an interview from Jan 2024.

O: Hello everyone! A shocker - I WATCH AMERICAN MOVIES. And so does my brother. And one of those movies is DIE HARD, which we both watched together. So who was your favourite character?

B: John McClane.

O: Really? In every movie you've watched, the main character is your favourite?

B: Yeah, kind of.

O: WOW. Okay.

B: What was your favourite fight scene?

 B: When John McClane beats the hell out of Hans Gruber & then I think at the end, he dropped him off the 9/11 tower. I don't know.

O: laughs 9/11?! Okay, so seriously, you're saying your favourite scene was when Gruber dies?

B: Yeah.

O: Wow. If there was a DIE HARD 6, would you watch it?

B: No. Actually, yeah.

O: Really? Wow. And, lastly, what would you rate Die Hard out of ten.

B: 55. 

O: 55?

B: It's pretty good.

O: Wow. We'll be back with more Believe on ACTION MOVIE REVIEW MONDAYS next week!

 

Interviewing my brother on Police Story

 Yes, this is an interview from January 2024. I just don't feel like sharing the voices.

O: Hello everyone, welcome back to Action Movie Review Mondays and we've got my anime-loving brother back again, Believe... uhh.. yeah. Believe. I'm gonna ask you some questions about POLICE STORY. So what was your first thought during the fight scenes?

B: Uhm, they were pretty cool. Like, I like how they were pretty cool. 

O: laughs Who was your favourite character?

B: Um, main character. (He is talking about Kevin Ka-Kui)

O: Really?

B: Yeah.

O: You just go with that answer?

B: Yeah.

O: Well, why?

B: Cuz, he's on top.

O: Okay. What was your favourite scene?

B: Where Jackie Chan (Kevin) got May off that motorcycle, whatever. (I asked him why a few hours later and he thinks that May deserved it.)

O: Really? 

B: Yeah.

O: I've heard a lot of people don't like that scene.

B: Why?

O: Many people don't like Kevin as the main character because he's "mean" to his girlfriend.

B: Mean on deez nuts.

O: Wow. Why are you like this? Secondly, I mean, I don't even know which question this is, uhh, if there was a Police Story 9 (there is a Police Story 9 coming out in 2024, so I meant to say Police Story 10), would you watch it?

B: Hell no.

O: Why?

B: There'd be 55 Police Stories.

O: laughs What? Okay, uhm.. And lastly, and what would you rate POLICE STORY out of ten?

B: Five.

O: 5/10??

B: Yeah. Cool.

O: Thank you for listening, and we'll be back with more Believe on ACTION MOVIE REVIEW MONDAYS next week!

 

Interviewing my brother on Drunken Master

Yes this is a real interview from JAN 4 2024 I just stuttered too many times to show you the audio

O (me):Hello everybody, and welcome back to action movie review Mondays. As you can see, we have got a surprise guest, and who is that? My older brother. Umm.. so today I'm going to ask him some questions about the 1978 Jackie Cla- UGH. Jackie Chan classic "Drunken Master". So-

B (brother): 5 years old.

O: laughs Okay. So who was your favourite character?

 

B: Favourite character, Jackie Chan. (He was talking about Freddy Wong).

O: Really?

B: Yeah.

O: You REALLY just picked the main character?

B: Yeah.

O: Is-is that because you can't memorize anyone else? 

B: Yeah.

O: Okay. What was your favourite part of the movie.

B: Nothing.

O: What?? Be honest. 

B: My favourite part of the movie- wait, what's the story?

O: You don't remember DRUNKEN MASTER?

B: Oh, Drunken Master. My favourite part was when he (Freddy) got arse-whooped and then had character development.

 

O: Yeah. Uh, I wouldn't say that part is the favourite of many people. If there was a Drunken Master IV, would you watch it?

B: No.

O: Why?

B: Because that's a waste of time!

O: Really?!

B: Yeah.

O: But you watched Drunken Master II and I'm pret-

B: Because it was more fun with you. Yeah.

O: Wow. I cannot believe you just said that. So the next question is- Wow, I really need to start thinking these out. Umm-

B: No.

O: What was your first thought watching the fight scenes?

B: My first thought was.. uhh.. "Jackie Chan got arse-whooped!" laughs

O: Who was your least favourite character?

 

B:  My least favourite character was Thunderstorm, or whatever his name was.  

O: Why??

B: Cuz he's flipping annoying!

O: Wow. You cannot be more honest then that. Well, everybody thank you for listening (or reading in this case) to this so-called podcast which is only 1 minute and 50 something seconds. Well, today I'm gonna ask him some more questions about some more movies and we'll see his answers. Don't worry. You'll be hearing him a lot on this blog. Uh, thanks for listening, go get a life & touch some grass. 

 Thank you to Believe for accepting the request

Way of the Dragon: The Best of Bruce

 

  

Directed, written, produced by and starring Bruce Lee

Produced by   
    Raymond Chow

     Starring   
    Nora Miao
    Paul Wei
    Huang Chung-hsin
    Tony Liu
    Unicorn Chan
    Chuck Norris
    Malisa Longo
    Robert Wall
    Hwang In-shik
    Jon T. Benn

Cinematography by Tadashi Nishimoto
Edited by Peter Cheung
Music by  Joseph Koo
Distributed by Golden Harvest

Release date (Australia): October 1974

Synopsis

Tang Lung visits his relatives at their restaurant in Italy and has to help them defend against brutal gangsters harassing them. 

Review 

The Way of the Dragon. Hmmm. Not exactly his most popular, but definetly MY FAVOURITE!

 First of all, you can see this film was supposed to be a comedy. Tan Lung asks to use the bathroom in all the first 3 scenes in the movie after he is asked 'anything you'd like?' and I have no idea why but that is too funny to me.Secondly, the casting choice is amazing. All the young boys in the movie play restaurant workers who practice karate. Their line delivery and everything they say feels realistic and natural. This movie is all Lee. He produced it, wrote it, directed & starred in it all perfectly. His character is brave & heroic and that's why he is my favourite in this movie. Thirdly, the action in the movie is like no other. Forget Enter the Dragon, this is way better then this. This movie was the second to have Lee use nunchucks and he does it perfectly in this movie. The fight scenes are clearly choreographed, especially the one with Chuck Norris. Crazy how a man with only 3 words to say and a LOT of chest hair can be intimidating. Lee vs Norris was basically the 1970s alternative to Jackie vs. Urquidez in "Wheels on Meals", except this is less better. But we aren't talking about Wheels on Meals, we're reviewing Way of The Dragon! This film is the best Bruce Lee film I've watched. It might not be THAT realistic, but it ends goodly and doesn't disappoint.

If you have the time or the money, watch this movie ASAP!!

Edit February 2: while enter the Dragon is better, this comes in a close second

Rating: 10/10

 

 

WATCH

 THE WAY OF THE DRAGON

AT

https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/movie/way-of-the-dragon/489513539845

 

Burning Fists, Broken Hearts: A Review of Fist of Fury

 

Directed & written by Lo Wei

Uncredited co-writer: Ni Kuang

Composed by & starring Bruce Lee

Produced by Raymond Chow

Starring
Nora Miao
Riki Hashimoto
Cinematography  Chen Ching-chu
Edited by  Peter Cheung
Music by Joseph Koo
Distributed by Golden Harvest

Release date (Australia): July 1, 1973

Synopsis

 A young man seeks vengence for the death of his teacher.

Review 

All I ever hear action cinema fans talk about is how amazing either how good Lee was in Enter the Dragon or how good he was in this movie - Fist of Fury. And I have to say, they are right.

Bruce Lee plays Cheng Zhen, a Chinese Kung-fu student on a rampage to stop the racism in Japan. He kills many people during the process. One of the reasons I live this movie so much is because of how realistic it is. The Japanese in the 20th century were complete jerks. The world isn't all butterflies and toys. Behind the punches and yelling, there is a lesson behind it. The world should be united and not hating each-other no matter the race. The ending is also the most realistic part of the movie, with the main character dying. The good guy always wins right? Well, no. In this movie he kills & hangs at least 6 people, which is illegal, but it was for a good reason!! He gets shot down by the police which are also very unfair to the Chinese residents. And if you just think about 2020, that's pretty accurate to real life. Why is it a rule that in Hong Kong action cinema, the good guy has something bad happen to him at the end? Drunken Master 2, Fei-hung is blind and mentally stupid. The Young Master, Dragon is in a full-body cast. The Big Boss, Cheng-Chao an gets arrested. Urgh.

But enough the sad parts of this movie, can we talk about the action? This movie was one of the first to use the classic Nunchucks that Bruce Lee would go on to use in The Way of the Dragon, Enter the Dragon & Game of Death. The action is cleanly choreographed, and it might be so fast, but you can see every hit, and it makes you grimace. Mission succeeded! The beginning fight is one of Lee's most iconic fights ever and I see why. Trust me. He beats up about 20 Japanese students all by himself and with little-to-no emotion.

Speaking of emotion, this is a pretty emotional movie, as Lee comes to marry a women but then dies at the end of the movie. This film is one of my highest recommendations, and I guarantee you, you NEED to watch it. 

Rating: 9.5/10

WATCH FIST OF FURY AT 

https://archive.org/details/bruce-lee-fist-of-fury-1972-eng-sub (Cantonese version)

https://archive.org/details/fist-of-fury-bruce-lee-full-movie-in-english-black-belt-movie-night (English dub)

https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/movie/fist-of-fury/493677123527 (Original version, Eng subs)

THE WAY OF THE DRAGON review coming soon.

The Big Boss: A Fistful of Reasons to Watch

 This review is the first one to be written in 2024, first written Jan 01.

Directed by 

Lo Wei
Wu Chia Hsiang
Produced by    Raymond Chow

STARRING

Bruce Lee
Maria Yi
James Tien
Han Ying-chieh
Cinematography  Chen Ching-chu
Edited by  Sung Ming
Music by  Wang Fu-ling
Distributed by  Golden Harvest
Release date (Australia): April 1974

 Synopsis

Cheng is a city boy who moves with his cousins to work at a ice factory. He does this with a family promise never to get involved in any fight. However, when members of his family begin disappearing after meeting the management of the factor, the resulting mystery and pressures forces him to break that vow and take on the villainy of the Big Boss.

 

Review 

This movie is unrealistic. Cheng Chao An gets arrested for defeating the Big Boss, police officers are beat up and nothing is done about it, Cheng gets drunk and sees a woman at a dinner as his crush, and one of the Big Boss' men are killed with a saw put in their head. 

Regardless this movie is awesome.

This movie has tons of violence, which is what I was looking for. Sometimes it's really really bloody and violent, but not enough to get it banned in May 1973, but too much to get an M rating.Cheng is a can of whup-butt the whole way through the movie. Thank god he broke the oath he sweared to his mother.  Before watching The Big Boss / Fists of Fury, I would defend Jackie Chan and say he was a million times better then Bruce Lee. And while Chan is still my favourite action star, Lee is amazing too and they both are in their both ways. I highly recommend this movie, no matter which version of it you have. 

Hopefully I get to see more Lo Wei films. I have a way of watching Fist of Fury, Shaolin Wooden Men and Fearless Hyena now!

Rating: 7/10 

 

 Watch the 1983 Cantonese dub of "The Big Boss" at SBS On Demand

Stupid Spy Kids - The Downfall of the Spy Kids Franchise

 
Directed, produced, composed and written by Robert Rodriguez
Produced by
David Ellison
Dana Goldberg
Don Granger
Elizabeth Avellan
Racer Rodriguez
Written by
Racer Rodriguez
Studio(s)
Skydance Media
Spyglass Media Group
Double R Productions
Distributor
Netflix

 

 

SYNOPSIS

When the children of the world's greatest secret agents unwittingly help a powerful Game Developer unleash a computer virus that gives him control of all technology, they must become spies themselves to save their parents and the world.

Review

OH HELL NO.

While it reboots the franchise with flashy CGI and a new generation of pint-sized heroes, "Armageddon" stumbles over its own nostalgia, leaving us yearning for the days of thumb thumbs.

First, the plot...déjà vu, anyone? It's a carbon copy of the original, with kids unwittingly unleashing a technological menace and stepping up to save the day. Talk about recycled spy gadgets! The sense of originality is as lost as Floop's pet monkey in the sewers.

The characters? Well, let's say they're less "kiddie Kobra" and more "whiny chihuahua." Tony and Patty are blander than a bowl of unseasoned popcorn, lacking the spark and charm of Carmen and Juni. Their "softness" wouldn't melt a popsicle, let alone thwart a world-dominating game developer. No idiot would stop a spy by ASKING him to just be kind, Patty.

And then there's the dialogue, peppered with more "Spy Kids 1" references than a Carmen Cortez fan convention. It's like Rodriguez is desperately trying to remind us of the franchise's glory days, instead of forging its own path. It's pandering, not pioneering.

Ultimately, "Spy Kids: Armageddon" is a nostalgic misfire. It tries to recapture the magic of the original but forgets the ingredients that made it special. It's a pale imitation, leaving us asking: should we just rewatch "Spy Kids 1" and relive the true spy-tastic adventure?

Watch at your own risk. Highly a stupid movie. 

1/10