MOVIE REVIEW: "KUNG FU JUNGLE” (2014) Hong Kong Movie Review 一个人的武林

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“KUNG FU JUNGLE” (2014)

Hong Kong Movie Review 一个人的武林

Yes, Donnie Yen is back in full throttle. And mind you, he’s jolly good in this one.

He is aware that critics and fans can switch camps in a whiff, especially after a recent couple of big-time dismal flops that almost floored his hard-earned reputation as a A-list martial arts actor.

But an actor depends largely on a fine film script and a director with foresight and vision to steer the vessel.

But now DONNIE is back with a vengeance.

“KUNG FU JUNGLE” is his latest action feature helmed by director TEDDY CHAN.

As good as you can get, this film is fast paced and powerful, laced with pow-wow action all the way.

This will keep his die-hard followers very happy.

It promises almost two hours of non-stop duels, grueling the action out of the ’80s Kung Fu stalwarts (playing cameos) that would have you on edge of your seat.

If you enjoyed his previous IP MAN successes, then you’d surely love this one where he plays a kind, righteous anti-hero.

LOGLINE:

TEDDY CHAN (陳德森), directs Donnie Yen (甄子丹) in KUNG FU JUNGLE where he plays a martial arts instructor who is imprisoned after accidentally killing a man.

He is later released on temporary bail to help the Hong Kong Police track a psychotic killer, portrayed by Wang Baoqiang (王寶強).

This rogue is club-footed and has a penetrating glare. His wife has just died and he is often seen in a hapless rage. He aspires to be number one champion, and challenges anybody who dare oust  him.

DONNIE YEN (Ha Hou Mo) is the indisputable champion of Hong Kong’s most respected martial arts sect.

“KUNG FU JUNGLE” also stars Shaolin-trained Chinese actor WANG BAO QIANG as a menacing killer known as Fung Yu Sau whose sole mission in life to vanquish top martial arts opponents so that he can become the ultimate champion.

DONNIE YEN plays an accidental convicted killer who can read WANG’s deeper most twisted psyche.

He offers to help the police nab Wang in return for his freedom.

Breathtaking and spectacular, “KUNG FU JUNGLE” frontlines YEN’s and WANG’s impressive athleticism.

The final duel to the death is brilliantly executed and the velocity of the fights will have  you glued to your seat.

In summary, “KUNG FU JUNGLE” is an action thriller which is well crafted and scary.

For DONNIE YEN’s fans and fight followers, this is one film you should not miss.

RATING 4 out of 5.

LOCAL DISTRIBUTOR: GSC MOVIES.

MOVIE REVIEW: "ICEMAN" 2014 (HONG KONG) (冰封俠: 重生之門)

“THE ICE-MAN” 2014 (HONG KONG) MOVIE REVIEW

冰封俠: 重生之門

It is an overdue production that should have been wrapped up a year ago. Here are the reasons for the massive delay:

Filming commenced on 19th December 2012 in Hong Kong with an initial budget of HK $100 million.

Technical and location problems plagued the entire cast and crew.

Progress was further hampered when the Hong Kong government rejected the use of Tsing Ma Bridge as a principal location.

Thereupon a massive amount of  HK$ 50 million had to be spent to erect an imitation life-like set of the Tsing Ma Bridge.

Shooting shuttled between Hong Kong and Beijing. 

In the end, HK $200 million was spent in total, an incredible amount for any film.

It is apt to say that little known director Law Wing-Cheong helmed this  martial arts fantasy re-make with an  enormous budget (starting from HK 100 million, but finishing at a whopping HK 200 million.)

Was the money well spent?

The plot is as silly as you can get. He Ying (Donnie Yen) and his sworn brothers Sao (Wang Baoqiang) and Niehu (Kang Yu) are accused of collaborating with the Japanese pirates in year 1621.

They flee for dear lives but end up being frozen in ice when an avalanche engulfs them for 400 years.

When they wake up from their deep “slumber” they find themselves roaming aimlessly along the streets in  modern-day Hong Kong. Suspend your disbelief, please.

While Sao and Niehu try to track down their sworn brother He Ying, little do they know that He Ying has gotten accustomed to the depressive city life.

He also befriends a pretty nightclub hostess called May (Huang Shengyi) whose intention is to fleece him of whatever wealth he may seem to possess.

Meanwhile, corrupted Police Commissioner Cheung (Simon Yam) together with a more corrupted politician Tang (Lam Suet) are working hand-in-glove to recapture the three frozen Ming Dynasty warriors for the purpose of selling them to the North Koreans as human exhibits.

Practically everyone: the good,  bad and ugly are here, all also locating a powerful Indian device called “Golden Wheel of Time”, which has the ability to propel people through time

And we get this cat-and-mouse movie that could have been done a lot better.

What happened?

No thanks to a ridiculously patchy script, notwithstanding abrupt shifts in mood and tone that dampen the overall “feel” of the movie.

Bad-taste “shooting pees” are graphically shown, as with scenes showing Donnie Yen “breaking wind” to smashing the toilet bowl whilst he is taking a dump with poop spewing helter-skelter.

The star power of Yen (also the film’s action director) will definitely attract domestic and international audiences but “Ice Man” is an ancient-modern comedy that begs not to be taken seriously.

The first part is screening now, and the second conclusive part will hit the screen before end of the year.

Director Law Wing-Cheong, who often worked with Johnnie To as an associate director, is clearly out of his league when comes to handle such a colossal project as the sole director. 

As for Donnie Yen being the action director here, it’s surprising that much of his fight choreography lacks the finesse we often seen in his past efforts.

 The only notable action scene is the film finale, where Donnie Yen tackles his opponents at the Tsing Ma Bridge.

Hopefully part 2 will be better.

RATING: 2.5 out of 5

 

“WU XIA” 武侠 Movie Review. FILM NOIR where OLD SCHOOL challenges the NEW.

“WU XIA” 武侠 PRESS PREVIEW

“WU XIA” is a magnificent piece of film noir by celebrated director PETER CHAN.

Make no bones about it.

The CASTING is a stirring potpourri of finesse, skilfully blending a splash of retro actors to challenge the new, to render us one of the more watchable martial arts films in recent years.

Trudge memory lane, folks.

Behold taut action entertainment laced with doses of ancient wisdom aplenty.

An overflow of didacticism can sometimes be tiresome though.

DONNIE YEN treads precariously between the old and new school. He has spent more than two decades as an actor and it is in recent years that his star is finally shining extremely bright.

JIMMY WANG YU (the supreme one-armed swordsman of the hazy 60s) astounds in a ferocious cameo come-back and is a force to be reckoned with.

In truth, he is a forgotten hero and it’s a welcome respite to see him dominates the giant screen again.

Apart from his aging, he is otherwise in true form, excelling in what he was known best, as a formidable martial arts artiste.

Then there is the lovely, evergreen KARA HUI who can give the younger actors a run for their money. This dame can surely fight.

In the background and no less insignificant are TAKESHI KANESHIRO and TANG WEI taking much of the screen time.

The list goes on.

The plot takes you through the throes of the late Qing dynasty.

DONNIE YEN is in the role of Liu Jin Xi, an amicable paper maker who’s content with an idyllic life of peace in a small town. This man hides a secret identity.

His family unit comprises of his loyal wife Liu Ayu (TANG WEI) and two adorable children.

It appears that their happiness is short-lived.

Along comes an adversary in the form of a nosy detective cum part time acupuncture expert called Xu Bai Jiu (TAKESHI KANESHIRO) who’s bent on uncovering Liu’s past life as Tang Long, a dangerous butcher.

“WU XIA” dramatizes a cat-and-mouse battle of wits between the two men – one shying away from a past that is best forgotten, and the other determined to dig dirt and drag him back to justice.

In part a martial arts action movie, it is by large, a heart-wrenching drama showcasing the emotional prowess and grit of the two male leads.

PETER CHAN is in his element when it comes to remarkable film making in its finest form.

He is not into mindless fight sequences and is adept at weaving the intellectual emotivity into the film’s dramatic highlights.

However, it is Yen’s action choreography that carries the pulse of this movie to demonstrate the awesome splendor of WU XIA.

Compelling performances from an all star cast ensures a cutting edge entertainment that can only arrive at our shores once in a long while.

The start may be a tad draggy with the pow wow action coming in after the first half.

Cinematography, jointly by LIU YIU-FAI and JAKE POLLOCK, is captivating and impressive.

The duo manages to give the take and mood of each scene a powerful dose of poetic rhythm.

“WU XIA” is, by and large, a long anticipated martial arts feature that is definitely worth waiting for.

Go get charmed

LEGEND OF THE FIST: The Return of CHEN ZHEN 精武風雲－陳真 Movie Review. DONNIE YEN plays the iconic HERO in this REMAKE.

LEGEND OF THE FIST: THE RETURN OF CHEN ZHEN

精武風雲－陳真 PRESS PREVIEW

Take a hit, give it sequels and prequels, and you have a “franchise” movie.

Or maybe you can address this as a re-make.

Hollywood does it so well, so can Asian Tinseltown.

It’s like “anything you can do, I can do better”.

Let me recollect …..

BRUCE LEE was CHEN ZHEN in FIST OF FURY in 1972.

Then …..

JET LI stepped into his shoes in a similar role in FIST OF LEGEND way back in 1994.

Now, ASIA’S current most prolific martial arts star DONNIE YEN reprises the action hero in LEGEND OF THE FIST: THE RETURN OF CHEN ZHEN in 2010.

In reality, DONNIE YEN had also played CHEN ZHEN in a 1995 20- episode Television series FIST OF FURY.

So amongst the three, who ranks as the most outstanding actor who vividly portrayed CHEN ZHEN, this fictional iconic hero?

This will be the million dollar question that readers will be asking as I pen the online review.

Let’s start with the Story that is riddled with questions that mostly, do not rhyme,

CHEN ZHEN, is he alive or dead?

Well, he should be dead according to this bizarre anecdote:

CHEN ZHEN was gunned down after he uncovered the culprits who was responsible for his teacher Huo YuanJia’s brutal death in Japanese-occupied Shanghai.

But then ….. his body was never found.

Then one fateful day, seven years later, a MYSTERY MAN arrives from abroad and befriends a local mafia boss (ANTHONY WONG) who owns a nightclub called CASABLANCA.

CASABLANCA for all purpose and intent, appears to be a busy mingling venue – inwardly nestling a hub of activities for Japanese officers, spies and Chinese mobsters.

This STRANGER has the meticulous appearance of a well-groomed businessman and he hooks up with the sultry club singer KIKI (SHU QI). KIKI in the end, turns out to be a Japanese spy.

What lies behind the facade of this STRANGER who intends to infiltrate and destroy the local mob which is forming a close alliance with the Japanese?

Disguising himself as a caped fighter by night, our vengeful hero intends to take out everyone involved as well as get his hands on an assassination list prepared by the Japanese

Hence we have the RETURN of CHEN ZHEN, martial arts manifesto.

The film opens with a tracking shot of World War I France, many Chinese laborers were sent to Europe to help the Allied forces fight against the enemies.

CHEN ZHEN was one of those enlisted. When his fellow friend QI TIAN YUAN perishes in the war, he assumes QI’s identity and returns to Hong Kong.

It’s a good headstart for a martial arts epic to lend a touch of patriotic realism, but that’s only in the beginning.

Executive Producer GORDAN CHAN assures that this film is not intended to be a remake.

It’s a reinvention of the fictitious character, he insists.

THE RETURN OF CHEN ZHEN directed by ANDREW LAU, has a high-octane mix of martial arts, espionage and gangster flick.

DONNIE YEN doubles as the film’s action choreographer, and for that, he does an admirable job.

THE RETURN OF CHEN ZHEN is one true-blue kung fu fighting flick that will thrill and spill from beginning to end.

For avid fans of DONNIE YEN this feature can do no wrong.

It’s another masterpiece atop his list of credits.

DONNIE YEN is here to stay, for a long, long while.

The 3-in-1 adrenaline rushing, heart pumping and non-stop martial arts action is definitely worth your price of a cinema ticket.