Tag Archives: Foreign Film

Heroes of the East (DVD)

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I have always been a fanboy of martial arts films, yet my knowledge on the genre is still pretty limited. Although I own what most would call the “classics”, this particular film had seemed to go undetected until I acquired a copy recently. Dragon Dynasty’s remastered release of this 1978 kung fu flick starring Gordon Liu is truly one of the most under appreciated martial arts films out there today. Its a true gem in the rough.

In brief, the story begins when an outstanding kung fu student is upset about a prearranged marriage to a Japanese woman. Although he resists initially, he finds her beauty to be irresistible and with very little coaxing agrees to get hitched. However, with the limited knowledge of his bride to be, he soon discovers his wife to be this kick ass martial artist who can break walls with her feet and wield weapons like a pro. It doesn’t take long until the newly wed couple begin to argue about who’s martial art is the superior form. After several weeks of bickering, glass breaking, and fighting, the bride flees back to Japan to her sensei (martial arts teacher) for some advice.

What follows is one of the most terrific displays of martial arts from both Japanese and Chinese cultures. Typically, you would see one or two really good action sequences choreographed in a feature, but I truly can’t recall a scene being any better than the next. Every scene was just as good as the other.

Obviously this film was not free from its faults or I would have given it a five star rating. Although humorous at times, the storyline was pretty void of anything worth mentioning and the English dub for this film was just terrible (whats new right?). However with that being said, this film is definitely for anyone who appreciates the old school, and is perhaps one of the greatest depictions of Chinese martial arts I’ve seen in quite awhile.

Oldboy (DVD)

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I’ve had this film sitting on my shelf for several months now, and for some odd reason I only got around to watching it this past weekend. Oldboy director Chanwook Park takes the term “vengeance” to a entirely new level with his unique blend of dark thought provoking storytelling mixed with gritty scenes and extreme violence.

The strength of Oldboy was definitely its execution and film editing. The storyline was extremely complex yet found a way to weave itself into a coherent and surprising conclusion by the film’s end. There were also several excellent fight scenes with the most notable involving our lead protagonist taking on a gang of thugs in a single corridor with nothing more than a conventional hammer.

I also thought the acting and character development in the film was top notch. Particularly the performance of Min-sik Choi. Choi plays lead character Dae-su Oh, a Korean businessman, husband and father who is kidnapped and locked up in a cell without explanation for fifteen years. As the film progresses we see his character turn anguish into anger, and vengeance into his life’s mission.

I thought Oldboy had an extremely intelligent and edgy script, which many people simply dismissed due to its graphic nature and references to situations many deem immoral. However, from the standpoint of an avid movie fan like myself, it definitely a film worth watching. If your very sensitive with issues involving rape, torture, and gore I suggest you skip this film. If your a huge fan of director Quentin Tarantino’s films, I’m almost certain you’ll enjoy this flick.

Synopsis:

A man is inexplicably kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years and his wife is brutally murdered. On his release, he is given a wallet full of money and a mobile phone. A stranger calls and asks him to try and figure out why he was imprisoned. A girl appears and promises to help him solve the enigma and seek vengeance for his cruel fate.

As the search progresses, the man finally comes face to face with his kidnapper, who proposes a game: if the man discovers the reason for his imprisonment, his kidnapper will kill himself. If not, then the girl will be killed. He has only five days to unravel the mystery.

Legend of the Black Scorpion “The Banquet” (DVD)

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Inspired by the Shakespearean tragedy Hamlet, Legend of the Black Scorpion (USA) aka The Banquet (International) definitely lived up to reputation as being one of the most aesthetically pleasing films to come out of China/Hong Kong in quite some time.

The cinematography and musical score for this film were its obvious selling points. Everything from the outdoor locations to the indoor sets were exquisitely well crafted, as were the intricate costume designs and makeup artistry. The overall visual experience you get from this film is just outstanding. Composer Tan Dun also puts together quite an impressive score which helped to set the mood for its audience and intensified the beauty of this film tenfold.

This is where this film’s strengths end however. Its failure begins with its weak storyline and character development. The characters never seem to connect to its viewers and their performances felt more rehearsed than realistic. The film also dragged at the most inopportune times. There were several moments which actually started off strong only to end up being followed by some tiresome dialogue which would make the best of us nod off.

From a purely aesthetic level, it is easy to be swept away by this film. It is perfect in almost every way. Yet from an emotional standpoint, this film leaves its audience yearning for more and leaves you with more questions than answers. Legend of the Black Scorpion should only be watched if your a die hard fan Shakespearean type plots. I can’t really recommend this film to anyone else. After the first hour or so, it became quite a chore to finish.

Synopsis: In 907 AD, the Tang Dynasty is in tatters; infighting snarls the imperial family. Crown Prince Wu Luan loves Little Wan, but his father takes her as his Empress. Wu Luan goes into exile, studying dance and music. His uncle murders his father, taking throne and Empress; uncle sends assassins to kill Wu Luan. The Crown Prince eludes death and comes to court. The Emperor arranges for Little Wan’s coronation and dispatches Wu Luan to a distant land; he then calls for a midnight banquet on the 100th day of his rule. Poison, treachery, Wu Luan’s return, and the love of the innocent Qing for Wu Luan set up the final entanglements. No Fortinbras or Horatio lay the dead to rest. Written by {jhailey@hotmail.com}