Near Death Experience for Jackie

I’ll start this one with a quote from Markgway from one highly respected forum in Internet – “Remember when Jackie Chan movies used to be in Cantonese?” (All copyrights goes to Markgway). After this obvious attempt for copyright theft I’ll try to share my thoughts over one quite old and significant movie from Jackie’s filmography. Old, because it was made in 1986 and significant as this was a near death experience for poor, battered body of Jackie Chan. 

Quick Punch: ancient beauty contest

Another day, another movie, another review, which I wanted to be at least better than the previous entry, but alas – again I found underwater rock and my positive emotions sunk like Titanic, with even more casualties. The movie itself is produced by the legendary Jackie Chan, however here his name is not even enough to generate the needed impact on my martial arts movies feelings, due to numerous factors, which I’m going to explain further down. It’s epic in scale, grand in patriotic feel, and with the same weight it crashes flat on its back and cries lonely on the bottom of the vault for useless movies.

Quick punch: flesh and bullets...

A long time ago I saw a movie involving chicks with guns, and all I remember was the odd looking shattering glass all over the place. It wasn’t so bad as a martial arts movie or as action wise, however it was nothing above average. Nice stunts, good choreography and some fine looking women – Shu Qi, Karen Mok & Wei Zhao. Corey Yen was there as a director and I strongly suspect that he was involved in the martial arts department too. Why am I explaining this to you, and what relation has with the title reviewed here – all is revealed further down. 

The Four - a mixture of something...

Significant portions of my days now are being taken by sleeping, eating and watching movies, however due to the fact that I'm a father of a 4 years old daughter, these movies are far from the martial arts universe (well, except Ninja in the Dragon's den, Kung Fu Hustle & Drunken Master), therefore I wasn't much present here to write something really inspiring. But after watching the last movie I thought to break my stiffness and deliver another review in style. Now I'm boasting myself, but that's only temporary event. So how come the title suggest one thing and in reality is happened to be another? Answers follow up - please feel free to read.

B-movie? Nah, it's more like F+ to me...

In history of martial arts movies many titles were close to the definition "bad", but only few made it into Hall of Fame, being the cream of the top in worse to awuful filmmaking. Unfortunately such underwater mines can't be detected by simply watching the trailer, so you just have to sit and "enjoy" the full length of medieval acting, combined with lousy production values, ugly actors, plot as simple as drawing a line and last but not least - unique blend of idiotic martial arts choreography only surpassed by the idiotic dialog.
This is something tough to achieve, even in the martial arts department, however the movie reviewed here managed to complete all of the above 100%. A rare gem indeed.

A dream came true - my trip to China

To all my foreign readers - regretfully I must put this next article in Bulgarian language only, as my vocabulary is not capable of expressing my emotions on such large scale, maybe in future I'll manage to contemplate an English version of it. Part of this exists here under the title "Once upon a time in Foshan". Accept my sincere apologies.

Bulgarian version

 Първо бих искал да спомена, че мечтата ми да отида в Китай се зароди някъде около 15-та ми годишнина (когато пък прохождах в света на филмите с бойни изкуства) и когато 2007 ми предложиха да работя там едва не ударих главата си в тавана на офиса от радост, изумление и прочие колоритни емоции, съпътстващи такова предложение.

На китайска сватба - исках да кумувам, но вместо това хванах жартиера.

Retro Fu: The Golden Age...

A long time ago when the martial arts industry in HK was flourishing (according to my humble opinion) many fine movies were produced and executed with such refinement, that not many films are reaching it nowadays. Being old enough myself, I prefer to watch over and over again any of the fine examples from the period between late 70's to early 90's where characters were one dimensional, driven with the help of vengeance, following their purpose until the end - no matter happy or bitter.

 So, forgive my obsession with old school flicks and prepare for a glorification of the obvious talent and martial arts perfection, which was at the time I watch it - enlightening. Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao & Lam Ching Ying teaming up to create one of the most solid performances captured on celuloid ever... I told you about the bloody favouritism and glorification, didn't I? Please read along.

O.M.G. - impressions over The Raid...

My stomach is still turning and vibrating from the enourmous amount of raw power and sheer ingeniuty spread over 100 minutes in what appears to be one of the best martial arts movie in the last 10 years - a collaboration between realtively uknown players on the block, it delivers kicks and punches which was sending me through martial arts bliss, and this is not happening everyday. 

After rather interesting excercise in Merantau Iko/Gareth are teaming up to create brutal and adrenaline pumping feature named simple The Raid (The Raid: Redemption for the American market), and many of you may already seen trailers and part of movie in previous article, published not so long ago. 

Chinese Zodiacs 2012 - new trailer!!!

After the teaser (which was more like a behind the scenes) here it is the first official trailer of the new Jackie Chan movie - Chinese Zodiacs aka Armour of God 3.

 I hope that you'll enjoy it as much as I did (and I even shed a tear at the end) - the film is due for release on 12.12.2012:



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New kids in FoShan: Look! It's plane, it's a bird! Alas, it's a sword...

In history of flying and aviation many great people left their marks throughout the ages, from the uneasy start to the modern day experiements in improving mankind's transportation and bringing us closer to technological perfection.

 In history of martial arts movies a particular sub-genre is aiming towards new hights, presenting fantasy myths and legends (and powerful love element too) where good & bad are in constant clash and strive for air superiority - wu xia pian movies combine different segments wrapped in ethereal cloth, floating gracefully in thin air, thus defying gravity and laws of physics with such ease, that made it believable. It most certanly gives to "I believe I can fly" a new meaning... 

To me this genre was (and still is) full of unrealistic display and exagerrated human emotion, no matter how pure and clean they were supposed to be. And here it is the last seen effort in that direction, given to me by Tsui Hark in collaboration with Jet Li & Fan Siu Wong - Flying Swords of Dragon Gate...

The Raid - a Gareth Evans/Iko Uwais experience

Maybe I should've put this here a long time ago, due to the nature of it, however after its American premiere this movie is heading to UK where it would have an exclusive screening date at May 18th.

 I would like to popularise this by spreading the word through my article - providing some trailers too, to make all the fans of martial arts movies a glimpse of what is coming next. 

After Merantau put Iko and Gareth on the world martial arts movies map, with The Raid I think they've made a solid statement that will be followed by many others. Good luck to all involved in filming this entertainment.

On to trailers - the original, the one for the american audience and a brief scene from the movie. Enjoy!

 

Happy Birthday Jackie Chan!

Today one of the most famous martial arts movies star is turning 58 - Chan The Man is getting older and wiser, as he point out some time ago that "Chinese Zodiac" will be his last action movie. 

Anyway, he proved to be quite versatile actor, starring in both drama and action movies with decent success (Shinjuku Incident & Little Big Soldier for example). 

I would like to wish him plenty of health, lots of happiness, discovering new talents for the martial arts scene and not to go off camera too soon. 

Happy Birthday!!! Kung hei!!!

 58 is just a number and not something which might worry Mr. Chan, however with a career so active and demanding, he would most certanly need lots of HP (health points), to achieve more accomplishments in the RPG called Life.

Don't worry, be happy and sing in the rain...

Martial arts Station reborn with a kick

Greetings to all my readers - after a brief consideration and serious thinking (my brain still hurts from the enormous activity) I decided to make some changes here. 

From now on I'll post not only reviews of new and old in martial arts cinema, but some interesting news and trailers of the most recent in martial arts world. Some different titles when a new and old review is coming up. 

For the new ones - New Kids in FoShan, for the old ones - Retro Fu, and for the news - Strike a news. 

Hope that these changes are for the better and my blog will become colourful and refreshing for all fans throughout the world. 

Peace. Over and out.

Fighter in the Wind

At the tail-end of World War II, Choi Bae-dal is a young Korean man who longs to be able to fly fighter planes. Stowing away to Japan in order to join their air force, Bae-dal's first experience of the country is when a con-man tries to steal his funds. Bae-dal discovers that the man is a fellow Korean called Chun-bae (Jung Tae Woo), who has survived the harsh treatment of Koreans in Japan by turning to petty crime. With their different motives: Bae-dal driven by desire for action & Chun-bae needing to escape from some gangsters, the Koreans stow away in a van to the air force training camp.

Masutatsu Oyama

Masutatsu Oyama

Masutatsu (Mas) Oyama was born Yong I-Choi on the 27th of July, 1923, in a village not far from Gunsan in Southern Korea. At a comparatively young age they was sent to Manchuria, in Southern China, to live on his sister's farm. At the age of nine, they started

Jackie Chan Filmography

Being an avid fan of Jackie since 1987 (when I saw "Armour of God"), I am surprised that i didn't put his fimography earlier on my blog. However, now I'm sharing this with you and all fans of martial arts movies, so we can discuss his appearances since the early years when jumping off clock tower was easy as pie. 

The East Resurgent: Why Karate, Taekwondo and Judo Are Making a Comeback in MMA

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If they were to examine the styles most often adopted by Mixed Martial Arts competitors it would be difficult not to conclude that Muay Thai, wrestling & Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu lie at the core of our sport.

Long Round: 3 in 1 package

Greetings to all my readers (anyone still left?), I was in lazy & busy mode for a long time, however today I just decide to stop blaming the keyboard and mouse for not being able to perform instead of me and while dusting off hands and fingers I start this new article here. It might be a bit longer than my previous entries, but that is due to the fact that I'm going make 3 reviews  instead of traditionally only one. Big applause for me being so generously lazy. 
  Anyway, without any further chatter I'll unveil the three movies, decapitated before you - sort of like the public executions in ancient China, during the Tang dynasty - The lost Bladesman, My Kingdom & The Sorcerer and White snake aka It's Love.