Really? All the movies I've reviewed and this is the first Jackie Chan movie? Huh, that’s odd. This is as good a place as any to start with Chan. As far as I’m able to tell, this is Chan’s first directorial effort, even though Kenneth Tsang helped out. The thing is, this is a really cheap movie. Really cheap. You know how Shaw Brothers movies tend to look like a poor man’s version of old Hollywood movies? No? Do we need a Shaw Brothers primer? Okay, note to self, review a Shaw Brothers classic sometime. Let me break it down quickly. A lot of the Shaw’s movies were studio bound in a way that soap operas would find embarrassing. I’ve seen Shaw films that have almost no exterior shots, despite the fact that much of the movie ostensibly takes place outside. One Armed Swordsman comes to mind. The Shaws did build a backlot, and used it to great effect, but many movies still have a great deal of indoor studio shooting. The reason I bring this up is that things like Fearless Hyena didn’t have as much money as a Shaw production. That’s my point. They’re not even as expensive as a poor man’s knock-off. However, along with more exterior shoots (the forest is CHEAP!) there is also a bit more soul here. Chan and company are working their butts off to produce a new kind of kung fu movie. It worked too, this movie even supplanted Chan’s break-out film Drunken Master as the highest grossing movie in Hong Kong.
Showing posts with label Kung-Fu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kung-Fu. Show all posts
Friday, May 13, 2011
Movie Review: The Fearless Hyena
Really? All the movies I've reviewed and this is the first Jackie Chan movie? Huh, that’s odd. This is as good a place as any to start with Chan. As far as I’m able to tell, this is Chan’s first directorial effort, even though Kenneth Tsang helped out. The thing is, this is a really cheap movie. Really cheap. You know how Shaw Brothers movies tend to look like a poor man’s version of old Hollywood movies? No? Do we need a Shaw Brothers primer? Okay, note to self, review a Shaw Brothers classic sometime. Let me break it down quickly. A lot of the Shaw’s movies were studio bound in a way that soap operas would find embarrassing. I’ve seen Shaw films that have almost no exterior shots, despite the fact that much of the movie ostensibly takes place outside. One Armed Swordsman comes to mind. The Shaws did build a backlot, and used it to great effect, but many movies still have a great deal of indoor studio shooting. The reason I bring this up is that things like Fearless Hyena didn’t have as much money as a Shaw production. That’s my point. They’re not even as expensive as a poor man’s knock-off. However, along with more exterior shoots (the forest is CHEAP!) there is also a bit more soul here. Chan and company are working their butts off to produce a new kind of kung fu movie. It worked too, this movie even supplanted Chan’s break-out film Drunken Master as the highest grossing movie in Hong Kong.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Movie review: Seven Swords
Seven Swords (2005 Mandarin Films & Eng Wah Dir. Tsui Hark)
This is a movie that should have been awesome, but fell short of that lofty goal. The reasons it should have been awesome are easy to see just from the people involved. Tsui Hark reinvigorated the Wuxia genre in the 90s, Donnie Yen is one of the biggest stars in HK cinema, the other actors are hardly unknowns, and it’s based on one of those books that I’m told is a favorite in Chinese culture. Of course, that’s maybe where things start to go wrong. The movie bears little resemblance to the book in question. Much of the story telling is put on the shoulders of characters that weren’t written to hold such weight, and the action is underwhelming. However, all that said, there are things to like in this movie as we’ll see. This isn’t a movie without merit, and some might look beyond the weaknesses and really fall in love with this thing.
Monday, November 29, 2010
The Greats: Westerns, Samurai & Kung-fu
For a long time, I’ve had the idea that Kung-Fu movies, Westerns and Samurai movies were all essentially the same thing just for different cultures. Each dated back to the beginning of filmmaking, each looked back to a Golden Age that might never have really existed, and each fell out of favor for a long time only to see a resurgence in recent years. As a result, I decided to cast a wide net and get one great from each of the areas that these movies exist in. Since this is the last day, we’re going to have three from each genre.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Movie Review: Black Belt Jones
I'd just like to point out there was no way for me not to get that look on his face, the screen freezes there for the entire time the title is up.
Black Belt Jones (1974 Warner Bros Dir. Robert Clouse)
Somehow this movie landed on spot #38 in something called The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made. We know how I feel about Worst Movie Ever lists though, right? The documentary must be pretty stupid, because this movie does not belong on a list of “Worst Movies Evar” at all. In fact, this is actually a really great movie. Who ever put it on the worst ever list for that movie was an idiot. I intend to tell you that this is actually a great movie, a hilarious movie, and I’m not convinced that the comedy is all completely unintentional. This is not “So bad it’s good”, but rather “This is just good.” Let’s dive on in and I’ll show you.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Movie Review: SPL: Sha Po Lang (Kill Zone)
SPL/Kill Zone (2005, ABBA Movie Company, Dir. Wilson Yip)
I don't have anything funny to say about this shot.
I don't have anything funny to say about this shot.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
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