HUNDRA (1983) Movie Review

HUNDRA (1983)

When a clan of female nomadic warriors, made up of women who were once slaves and escaped to find personal freedom, are attacked and killed by a roving tribe of barbarians, only one remains alive. Her name is Hundra (Laurene Landon), the finest warrior of her people. Hundra seeks out her elder, who in turn prophesies that Hundra must go into the belly of the beast - the home of the barbarians that slaughtered her tribe - and find a man to plant a seed within her so that her bloodline will go on.

After Hundra arrives in the walled city, she finds its citizens living in fear and oppression of the local temple. It is there the young women of the city are taken to be made over as slaves for the pleasure of the chieftains. Hundra, under the pretense of being captured, infiltrates the temple. There she meets another young woman who does as she is told in order to survive. While Hundra allows her to make her over as one of the slaves, she also teaches her how to fight, so that she may break free of the shackles of domination. While in the city, Hundra also meets the local healer, and it is he that Hundra deems worthy to plant his seed. Once with child, Hundra faces the first difficult choice of her life, whether to stay in the company of her child's father, or set off back to the hideout of her people's elder.

In the wake of CONAN THE BARBARIAN and the resurgence in interest in the sword and sorcery sub-genre, production companies were scrambling to put their own epic adventure on the screen. Director and writer Matt Cimber was approached to literally make a "female Conan" movie. After setting out the basic story line, co-writer John Goff reworked some of the plot points and HUNDRA went into production in Spain. Actress Laurene Landon, who had previously worked with Larry Cohen and a small role in AIRPLANE II, was entrusted to take up the lead role. Landon, who performs almost all of her own stunts here, looks the part of the warrior woman, and though her swordplay lacks some finesse, she is quite believable in the role and is able to carry the slightly corny dialogue with dignified decorum. Ennio Morricone is also brought in to emulate Basil Poledouris' CONAN score, and creates several triumphant and invigorating theme tunes.

Over the years, there has been quite the discussion over the subtexts within HUNDRA. Is there an underlying feminist message decrying the vicious domination that men have had over women throughout the centuries? A critical eye would certainly take it that way. Hundra, who would rather be riding with a horse between her legs than a man, is quick to dismiss men as needless, and has had no previous interaction with them not dealing with a sword. Matt Cimber, whose previous film THE WITCH WHO CAME FROM THE SEA dealt with a woman who subdued sexual predators and then castrated them, continues that theme here. Almost all of the men in HUNDRA are portrayed as sexual predators, beasts, and oafish soldiers who of course are always armed with a long spear. Hundra's way of dealing them usually involves some form of crotch attack before killing them. Hundra also makes some powerful speeches to any woman who will listen throughout the picture.

However, Cimber does stray a bit too far into epic-style exploitation that diminishes the feminist tones found within and would have the casual viewer take this as nothing more than rousing adventure entertainment. There is more than enough swordplay, spear-impaling, blood-spraying, disembowelment and decapitation to please any action enthusiast. The first twenty-minutes of the film alone is comprised of two spectacular fight sequences. Cimber also interjects eroticism as his camera lingers lustfully on the female slaves, clothes many of the extras in see-through garments, and shows off a titillating scene of the slaves bathing nude which is there just to ogle the women. Additionally, there are several scenes of implied rape and forced sex. Though non-explicit, and necessary to set-up the danger Hundra faces, these scenes do set a rather uncomfortable tone that is hard to shake.

Due to a distribution fiasco with Universal that was of Cimber's own creation, HUNDRA was hardly seen in the theatre and fell into the void of VHS and never found its domestic audience. A DVD release in 2007 finally allowed this film to be seen by the masses, but with the likes of XENA, who has truly given the sword-carrying feminists of the world a champion, whatever rallying call HUNDRA may have been shouting initially has been drowned out. What remains is the best CONAN rip-off flick you'll ever find, and should easily find a place in the libraries of those that already own RED SONJA.

SIX-STRING SAMURAI (1998) Movie Review

SIX-STRING SAMURAI (1998)

It has been forty years since the Russians dropped the bomb on America and Lost Vegas, lorded over by Elvis himself, became the last beacon of freedom in a desolate wasteland. Now, the King is dead, and the call has gone out over the airwaves that Lost Vegas needs a new leader. Guitarists across the land are making their journey, including Buddy - a sword-wielding, hollow-body electric guitar player, with a penchant for black suits, skinny ties and two-tone shoes. This "lone wolf" picks up a "cub" on his journey, when he saves a young boy from being attacked by mutants. This kid, who Buddy tries to get rid of at every possible turn, becomes both a helping sidekick and infuriating nuisance.

As Buddy and the kid continue their journey across hundreds of miles of desert and abandoned roadways, they come across rival would-be kings, bowling-themed assassins, an all-American family of cannibals, a communist surf band, and even the Red Army! Buddy's mastery of his sword, and quick kung-fu keeps him safe from harm, unaware that Death himself, is also making his way toward Lost Vegas, killing any guitarist that he finds and keeping their picks as trophies around his neck. Buddy may be quick on his feet and quicker on a fret board, but is he fast enough to outrun death?

In this comical and highly-stylish post-apocalyptic adventure, co-writers Jeffrey Falcon and Lance Mungia, who respectively star and direct, blend a hyperkinetic cocktail of samurai motifs, road movies, ROAD WARRIOR inspired landscapes, colorful comic book-esque characters, and a surf soundtrack (courtesy of The Red Elvises) that hasn't been this good since THE ENDLESS SUMMER. Mungia, in his directorial debut, takes his cues from the dubbed kung-fu VHS releases of his youth. His action scenes are quick cut to the tempo of the music and the film speed is played with to enunciate Buddy's finishing moves or when he needs to pose. Jeffrey Falcon, who performs his own stunts, obviously has some martial arts training, and Mungia keeps his camera back enough to show that Falcon knows what he is doing. And even though the film's original language is in English, most of dialogue appears to be dubbed in post-production. This should be the western/samurai/action/exploitation homage that everyone name drops, rather than KILL BILL VOL. 1, so where did it go wrong?

The film's fatal flaw is the choice of half-pint Justin McQuire, who makes his first only film appearance playing The Kid. A even better question is the choice of why The Kid exists at all. If Mungia and Falcon were aiming to give a nod to the LONE WOLF AND CUB series, they sorely missed their mark. The Kid, who basically communicates in high-pitched shrieks is enough to drop the enjoyment of any scene he is in to zero. Even in the coolest of sword fights, a quick cut to this brat wailing is enough to make one just want to stop the movie. It really is that annoying. During Buddy's many failed attempts to ditch The Kid, we feel his frustrating pain when he has to save him or when the tyke wanders back to the roadside bar Buddy has holed up in for the night. While the storyline would turn out much different without this ragged tot in tow, the alternate result would have been a flashier, hipper, and cooler version of what we get.

There is plenty to be excited about here, and The Kid fortunately doesn't do enough damage to completely make the film a no-go. There is Death for instance, who looks like Slash right off the cover of Appetite For Destruction, who is more of a nuisance to Buddy than an actual adversary. His mission is to take over Lost Vegas with heavy metal, and thus becomes a contrasting force against Buddy's rockabilly stylings. Their final battle, which is equal parts "Devil Went Down To Georgia" and SANJURO, is a duel that the film takes eighty minutes to build up and final product does not disappoint. Buddy also takes on an entire division of the Red Army, who still carry guns despite not having any bullets for them. The bloodless slaughter is certainly a highpoint of the film. And of course there is the radio DJ Werewolf, who is a blissful tribute to Wolfman Jack, and acts as narrator and sage-like voice-over who pipes in in-between scenes, a requirement for any action-fantasy worth its weight in steel.

Released at the tail-end of the indie film explosion of the nineties, SIX-STRING SAMURAI got its fifteen minutes, but never got the cult status is does deserve. You won't find people dressed as Buddy at comic conventions, you're not going to find a ten-year anniversary re-release or a re-make of it this any time soon, and oddly, you won't find much of the cast or crew connected to any other films after this. The true potential for the film may never have been realized, but still it is a wacky example of the fringe cinema that was popping up in the care-free last decade of the twentieth century. And for better or worse, you'll never see another film quite like this ever made again.

City Of Violence Review

CITY OF VIOLENCE (2007)

When retired gang leader Wang-Jae is murdered, detective Tae-Soo returns to his hometown for the first time in ten years after leaving to become a detective in Seoul. Tae-Soo reunites with his old high school friends to say farewell to Wang-Jae, but feels that something is not right about his death. With his fists and temper at his side, Tae-Soo uses the power of the law to stir up a few hornet nests trying to figure out just what happened. For his troubles, Tae-Soo is beset by multiple gangs, all trying to keep Tae-Soo from finding out too much. But with his friend Seok-Hwan at his side, whose fists are just as merciless, Tae-Soo starts tearing through the lies, deceptions, and criminal activity setting up shop in the tourist district. And when he finally gets someone to talk, he learns that it may just be their mutual friend Pil-Ho behind the murder.

Ryoo Seung-Wan, who both directs and stars as Seok-Hwan, may not be pushing any boundaries with this 2006 action-drama from South Korea, but his style and enthusiasm more than make up for treading in safe waters. Ryoo, who has previously brought fan favorites NO BLOOD NO TEARS, ARAHAN and CRYING FIST to the screen, once again dives head first into a world of brotherhood, betrayal, and sacrifice, which are themes that should be more than familiar to those who have swam in the waters of South East Asian cinema. Using a series of flashbacks and storytelling, Ryoo gets all of the characters and their relationships set up quite quickly, but by no means skimps on their depth. Even given the film’s short time devoted to the character build-up, Ryoo shows his strength at giving the audience all the information they need to understand what is going on.

Beyond the characters, Ryoo shows once again his talent at bringing brutal street fighting to the screen with finesse and style. Though Ryoo and Jung Doo-Hong, who stars as Tae-Soo, are able to show off their tae kwon-do training, a majority of the fights are pure and simple brawls, with just enough choreography so the stunt team doesn’t kill each other. Ryoo explains in the audio commentary that they would just set up multiple cameras, have everyone fight in one huge take, and then edit the sequence later. This style allows for Ryoo’s nigh-trademark film speed adjustments and quick editing, while keeping all the characters and their actions easy to follow, and the tone of the fight consistent.

The two major fight sequences are simply jaw-dropping, and even if you may be slightly turned off by melodramatic friendships and betrayal, they are worth a rental at the very least to see. The first features Tae-Soo, in a possible homage to THE WARRIORS, as he fights solo against five gangs — including a breakdancing gang, a BMX gang, a gang of schoolgirls, a gang of schoolboys, and a baseball team with face paint — that each have their own unique uniform and fight style. The second sequence takes up the final twenty minutes of the ninety minute running time, which features Tae-Soo and Seok-Hwan fighting their way through stage after stage of fighters a la GAME OF DEAT or a martial arts video game in order to get to the “final boss.” Each stage features different fighting styles, different weapons and different enemies, with Ryoo changing up the accompanying music and camera work to keep your interest for every minute!

DOOMSDAY Movie and DVD Review

DOOMSDAY (2008)

In 2008, an unstoppable virus rips through Scotland causing panic and chaos. In a desperate move to contain what has become known as the Reaper Virus, England quarantines the entire country. Those caught inside the quarantine zone are left to die, hopefully along with the virus. Now almost thirty years later, a cramped and poverty-stricken London becomes the perfect breeding ground for the Reaper Virus to return, and so it does in a major way. With the secret knowledge that there are still survivors in Scotland, a plan is concocted to send a team of soldiers in and find what must be the cure.

Tapped to lead this suicide mission is Major Eden Sinclair, a tough-as-nails member of the Department of Domestic Security who is one of the few survivors lucky enough to get out of Scotland. Sinclair, along with a motley crew of soldiers and scientists, make their way into the quarantine zone and soon discover that the survivors have gone absolutely mad. Their first obstacle is to overcome a rogue army of rampaging and cannibalistic punks lorded over by the berserk Sol, before dealing with their main target, Dr Kane. Kane, who was working on a cure to virus before being trapped in the country, has holed his followers up in a castle and anointed himself King! Sinclair has only forty-eight hours to find the cure and make it to the rendezvous point, and the clock is ticking!

Read my full review at Geeks Of Doom!

INVISIBLE TARGET Movie & DVD Review

INVISIBLE TARGET (2007)

With a huge explosion, a bold heist in the middle of the day gets underway as a notorious criminal gang robs an armored truck in Hong Kong carrying millions. The bomb’s explosion and the ensuing firefight in the street leave scores wounded and several dead, including the fiancee of Detective Chan. After disappearing without a trace for six months, the gang returns just as mysteriously and begins killing those that were associated with the robbery. Chan, who has been patiently biding his time to get his revenge against the men responsible for his fiancee’s death, begins relentlessly pursuing the criminals through the underworld.

Meanwihle, a young rookie cop, Officer Wai, becomes caught up in the mess when it is discovered that his brother is now part of the murderous gang of thieves, and Inspector Carson lets the case get personal when the gang attacks his police division. Chan, Carson, and Wai create an unlikely and unbalanced alliance as they pursue the criminals, who they discover were double crossed after the robbery by the mastermind of the heist. The identity of the mastermind, who may just be a dirty cop, is unknown to even the gang’s leader, Tien, but he is going to discover who it is even if he has to destroy the entire police station to find out!

Read my full review on Geeks of Doom!

BATMAN: MASK OF THE PHANTASM Movie Review

BATMAN: MASK OF THE PHANTASM (1993)

When Miss Andrea Beaumont returns to Gotham City after a ten-year absence, it throws Bruce Wayne’s world into upheaval. Bruce and Andrea were romantically involved just as Bruce was beginning his trial runs as a vigilante, and her presence brings back a flood of memories — both about the love that he lost and his earliest crime fighting adventures before he became the caped crusader. Bruce’s troubles become twofold, when a new masked entity in the city begins knocking off gangsters, and Batman takes the wrap.

Things go from bad to worse when an elderly crime boss turns to desperate measures and hires the Joker to kill Batman before he is murdered. Now, Batman must try to solve the mystery of the ghostly Phantasm while preventing anymore deaths, and at the same time subdue the psychotic antics of the Joker, who has taken up residence in the abandoned Worlds Fair exhibit. Meanwhile, as boy billionaire, Bruce must reconcile his feelings for Andrea.

Read my full review at Geeks of Doom!

THE TIGER BLADE Movie & DVD Review

THE TIGER BLADE (2005)

When a highly synchronized jailbreak plan puts the heads of a powerful crime organization, as well as the rogue military leader of a neighboring nation, back on the streets of Bangkok, it is up to Yos, one of Thailand’s best police officers, to put them back behind bars. Together with his team of dedicated but not necessarily professional teammates, Yos begins tracking down the criminals, but soon discovers that the black magic they control makes them nigh-invincible and that only the mystical Tiger Blade is strong enough to strike them down.

Yos travels to a remote Buddhist temple, where the legendary sword is said to be hidden, and proves himself worthy of possessing the blade. With the weapon now in hand, Yos begins to make quick work of the wanted convicts and cuts them down in the streets. But as he works his way toward the psychotic leader Five Bullet Bandit, things take a personal turn when Yos’ family is attacked and he suspects there may be a traitor on the police force. The final straw comes when Yos’ teammate is taken captive and assaulted! Yos knows that the Five Bullet Bandit must be stopped no matter the cost, and draws his blade for one final confrontation to avenge those that have been wronged!

Read my full review at The DVD Lounge!

THE MAGIC BLADE Movie Review

THE MAGIC BLADE (1976)

Master swordsmen Fu and Yen must put aside their rivalry when the mysterious underworld figure Lord Yu begins sending a never-ending barrage of assassins and henchmen to kill the pair. Fu and Yen discover that Yu wants to have complete control over the swordplay world, and in order to do so must dispatch of the pair and then obtain the mythical and deadly Peacock Dart. Without a moment to lose, Fu and Yen team up and ride off into the night to get to the Peacock Dart first.

Their travels lead them through the lawless villages and roads of China, with assassination attempts coming at them left and right from a host of colorful killers. When Fu becomes separated from Yen, he must travel the final legs of the perilous journey to the Tien Wai Mansion alone. There, Fu is tempted with the most decadent of foods and women as a gift to enjoy on his last night on Earth, before facing off against five perfect killers and Yu himself!

Read my full review on Geeks Of Doom!

DRAGON WARS (aka D-WAR) Movie Review

DRAGON WARS(2007)

According to Korean legend, every five hundred years a woman is born with the mark of the dragon and inside her a spirit energy that can create a celestial dragon. In the heavens, two sects of dragons and their worshippers wait patiently for this woman to be born. And every time she is born, a war breaks out on Earth to take her soul.

In Los Angeles, a young woman by the name of Sarah is the latest reincarnation of the Yoo Yi Joo, and the evil dragon wyrm Buraki wants her spirit! But Sarah is not alone, for she has a lone protector, Ethan, the last reincarnate of the Yoo Yi Joo's defender. As the Buraki, as well as his followers and their army of lesser dragons, tear through the city, Sarah and Ethan are able to stay one step ahead of them. But as Los Angeles begins to crumble, Sarah becomes more and more convinced that she will have to meet her destiny head on.

Read my full review at Geeks Of Doom!

SURF'S UP Movie Review

SURF'S UP (2007)

Penguin Cody Maverick spends his days surfing whatever waves he can in his small Antarctica town of Shiverpool, hoping to one day be as good as the legendary surfer Big Z. When a surfing scout picks up Cody to surf in the Big Z Memorial Surfing Contest, Cody thinks this is his big chance to finally get out of his small town. Along with a film crew following Cody and his new surfing friend, the spaced-out Chicken Joe, they head to the competition. But on his first attempt to even surf one of the big waves, Cody is completely wiped out. He is brought to the jungle hut of The Geek, an older recluse who seems to know a lot more about surfing then he is letting on. It is The Geek who shows Cody just what it means to be a surfer as he begins to train him, but will Cody be ready for the main event just three days away?

Coming in on the tail end of the penguin craze, Ash Brannon (co-director of TOY STORY 2) and Chris Buck (co-director of Disney's TARZAN) along with writer Don Rhymer (whose other writing credits will not be given space here) send up the sports movie genre in this animated "family movie" that uses pseudo-documentary and reality style to bring this oddly satisfying tale to the screen.

The overall story deals with all the standards of your underdog sports movie that have been done hundreds of times before, as the hero learns that winning isn't everything and the most important thing is just to have fun, the big burly bully is defeated, the hero meets his romantic interest, loses his romantic interest, and wins her back via sacrifice, etcetera etcetera. But hey, maybe some of the younger crowd watching this haven't been pummeled to death already with the whole "winners aren't the ones that always come in first" mentality yet, and trying to get more people to understand that is very, very important. Plus, for the kids watching, they're probably just happy watching animated hi-jinx and hearing a few poop jokes.

The true joy of this animated film lies, as has become standard with the better animated features from the past ten years or so, in the subtle winks and nudges to the adults in the audience, as Brannon is acutely aware from his work on TOY STORY 2. Jokes are hurled out at rapid speed and characters are designed specifically for the adults. The main promoter is complete riff on Don King, while Chicken Joe is a burnt-out stoner that is the animated equivalent to FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH's Jeff Spicoli. Hell, even the entire way the film is presented, via breakaway interview segments and archive film footage, won't even be fully appreciated by anyone save for the older viewers.

Unlike the latest animated features, SURF'S UP doesn't go for broke trying to bring in big names to sell it. Sure, there are a few recognizable voices and a few names in the credits will ring a bell, but it is not a blatantly in your face as that green ogre movie. Jeff Bridges smokes a bowl and brings back his super smooth and lazy voice from THE BIG LEBOWSKI and is probably the only voice you'll instantly pick up. Jon "Napoleon Dynamite" Heder gets passed the dutchie to bring get Chicken Joe's voice just right as well. Upcoming Shia LaBeouf lends his voice to Cody and does the peppy teenager thing just right. Diedrich Bader, who is best known as one of Drew Carey's sitcom sidekicks, gives a gravely voice to Tank, the bully surfer. Ironically it took an animated penguin movie to make little Diedrich the least bit intimidating.

As a surfer, I was quite impressed with how the animator got the technicalities of surfing correct. The paddling, maneuvers, and surfboard physics are all pretty accurate, and the surfing penguins catch the waves at just the right crest in the wave. Pro surfers Kelly Slater and Rob Machado also pop in for cameo roles as commentators, and a brief montage of surfing spots at the beginning of the movie showcases some of the best spots in the world. Sadly, the one thing that is completely missing is the surf music! How do you have a surfing movie without plenty of reverb-drenched instrumentals?! There is one surf song, a revamped version of Wipe Out, while the rest of the soundtrack is filled with tired alternative nonsense like Green Day, The New Radicals, and Sugar Ray. This would have been the perfect time to breathe new life into some great classic songs for a new generation to learn, and it was poorly squandered.

Now, aside from the soundtrack, the multitude of fine attention to details that are spread throughout the movie, which the kids watching aren't going to care about, make this much better than it has any right to be. I rented this almost as a joke, but honestly got caught up in the story (predictable as it was) and the characters. You want some happy feet? Get yourself standing on an nine foot longboard and drift along a curling wave at the break of dawn. Then go watch this movie. Then, for the love of the Poseidon, watch THE ENDLESS SUMMER. Please?

THE WIZARD Movie Review

THE WIZARD (1989)

Jimmy, a young traumatized boy, and his older half-brother Corey (Fred Savage) head on a road trip together when Corey takes Jimmy out of the home he has just been placed in. Their destination is California, but with no money and no real plans how to get there, they may just be stuck in Utah. Fortunately, they cross paths with Haley, a hard-edged twelve-year old, who agrees to help them get to California when she sees that Jimmy is a video game prodigy and thinks he can win Video Armageddon.

Meanwhile, a seedy private investigator has been hired to find and return Jimmy, but Corey and Jimmys father (Beau Bridges) and Nick (Christian Slater) also head out on the road to find him first. Through a series of clues left behind, both follow the trail of Jimmy and Corey all the way to Los Angeles, where the video game championship is being held. There, Jimmy must face off against Lucas, a rival gamer he has met on the road, who will stoop to the lowest level a thirteen year old can to win.

Lets face it. This is essentially a 100-minute promotional tool for Nintendo and Universal Studios Theme Park, and to bring the first footage of Super Mario Brothers 3 to a nation of ravenous preteen video gamers shortly before its release in 1989. There is more than enough footage of Super Mario Brothers games, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ninja Gaiden and Double Dragon, plus a host more games that are name dropped, which probably lead to every kid in the theatre turning around and buying the games right after they watched the movie. For viewers that have spent way to many hours playing games, it is amusing to see just how many times audio, visual and factual errors are made on the games being played. And just how did Haley and Corey know what to do in SMB 3 just moments after Jimmy started playing it?

Beyond the blatant advertising though, lies two parallel road trip journeys which serves as a not so subtle metaphor for family bonding. On Corey's adventure, he begins to see a larger world and thoughts turns from simply thinking that Jimmy will automatically get better if he is just given time to realizing that he does need to work through his pain. On Nick and his father's trip, the distant relationship between the two as set up in the beginning of the movie begins to heal through tragedy. There is also some role reversal, as the father becomes more exited and immature, and Nick starts to take on responsibilities for the first time.

As this is a movie geared towards kids, there are elements of children versus adults, and that anyone over the age of sixteen is the enemy. This theme is repeated several times throughout the film. Also, the kids are a lot more hip and witty than any real thirteen-year-old would ever be. This film is a lot of fun to watch though, and certainly instills an adventurous wanderlust in the viewer, who will probably long for the days of sunny Saturdays spent tromping through the woods or across town on some exotic journey.

In conclusion, if you have a Nintendo emulator on your computer, this movie is worth picking up. If you remember having a crush in the eighties on Savage or Slater, this movie is worth picking up. If you enjoy highly-improbable kids quest movies, this is worth renting. If you dont know what a Power Glove is, stay as far away from this movie as you can.

SHADOWLESS SWORD Review

SHADOWLESS SWORD (2005)

In the 10th century, in what is today Korea, the kingdom of Palhae is under attack and is in danger of being taken over by a neighboring kingdom. An elite military team, known as the Killer-Blade Army, have been sent in to slaughter the royal bloodline of Palhae in an attempt to crush the people's spirit. Now, only one prince is left, and his whereabouts are unknown. A lone female soldier, Soha, has taken up the responsibility of finding him. Indeed she does find him, under the name assumed Sosam, and leading the life of a swindling merchant. Hot on her heels are the Killer-Blade Army, whose sole mission now is to kill Sosam.

Although Soha does not convince Sosam that he must return to the capital to become king, he unwillingly travels by her side so as not to be killed. After several sword-crossing encounters with the Killer-Blade Army, the pair make their way to the rendezvous point, where Soha is to meet her contact that will take them to the Palhae capital under the protection of an army. However, the Killer-Blade Army once again catches up to them, and Sosam must finally make the choice he has been avoiding all of his adult life.

Five years after his debut with the tragic swordplay-romance BICHUNMOO, director Kim Young-Jun returns to the directors chair a more experienced and coordinated director. He once again returns to Korea's past, where he blends action, romance, politics and patriotism into a bubbling stew that tastes delicious. The storyline is fairly simplistic, and once all of the main characters and their motivations are laid out, it becomes an invigorating repetition of fast moving fight scene followed by either a scene of the heroes' bonding through admiration or the enemies' plot to take over Palhae. It is a surprisingly effective rhythm that allows for just a bit of character development and a few surprising revelations. The core characters are quickly pigeon-holed so that the audience has no doubt who to route for and who to hiss at. Both Sosam and Soha are established as charismatic and honorable warriors, while the leaders of the Killer-Blade Army are immediately defined as the revenge-seeking, back-stabbing and ego-driven villains that are necessary to make a film such as this work.

The action sequences here are in top form, and borrow liberally (if not flat out steal) from recent films like CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON, HERO and HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS, as well as the style of earlier Hong Kong fare such as SWORDSMAN 2, DRAGON INN and some Shaw Brothers productions. Aside from a more rapid-fire editing, there is nothing on tap in this film that has not been done before, but it is still fun and exciting to watch. Here, both heroes and villains are able to float weightless through the air, bounce off of sword blades, run across flying arrows and maneuver their weapons through the air with the greatest of ease. There is also plenty of fabrics swooshing through the air, concrete cracking under feet and energy attacks which literally blow up both bodies and backgrounds. Kim Young-Jun is also not afraid to borrow from epic films of the west, as he builds up a scene that could be pulled directly from BRAVEHEART, sets up Sosam as a vagabond reluctant to take the throne a la LORD OF THE RINGS' Aragorn and cakes the lead assassins sword in blood so that it is a dark crimson red before the climactic final duel. Think about it a moment and you'll figure out the influence.

New Line Cinema is taking its first stab at distributing a non-English speaking film, and has all international rights to this film. Although there is currently no release date for SHADOWLESS SWORD in the states, it is inevitable that at least a DVD release is in the works here. In the meantime, import versions are readily available for those that know where to look, and if any of the Chinese films previously mentioned got your heart racing when you saw them, well then start figuring out how to get your hands on a copy of this movie now!

THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE Review

THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (1972)

The Poseidon, a luxury cruise liner, is crossing the Atlantic for the last time. Among her passengers include a retired police officer (Ernest Borgnine) and his wife, grandparents (including Shelly Winters), two children traveling to see their parents, an angry reverend by the name of Frank Scott (Gene Hackman) who is being transferred to Africa and a band that has been picked up to play during the New Years' Eve party.

On New Years' Eve, while the passengers are partying in the main ballroom, the captain (Leslie Neilson) is alerted to an underwater earthquake. Minutes later, a ninty-plus foot wall of water comes hurtling toward the Poseidon. Every effort is made by the crew to keep the ship upright, but the sheer power of the wave capsizes the mighty vessel. With everything upside down, panic sets in among the passengers. Reverend Scott is able to convince a few of the passengers (those that are introduced at the beginning of the film) that the only way to live is to make it to the top of the ship. As the ship beginnings to sink, and floor after floor becomes flooded, it becomes a race against time before the air and emergency lights run out!

The seventies marked a time of uncertainty for America, as war and politics took a heavy hit on the general populous. This uncertainty crept into pop culture, and made way for the massively successful disaster film. Among the first, and the best, is THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE. Hidden beneath the breathtaking special effects, were several underlying messages. The first being that disaster and tragedy do not judge nor discriminate, and that sacrifices will need to be made in order to persevere. The second comes via Reverend Scott's sermons early in the film and his rallying cry once the waves hit, as he commands that only by being strong and actively participating will anything be accomplished. God will not help those that just idly sit by and pray.

Almost thirty-five years later, the special effects and sets are still impressive, and can stand proudly next to (and in many cases over) anything that has been produced since. The attention to detail, which started with the creation of the Queen Mary based Poseidon, is extraordinary. The sets are so huge, and the journey that the heroes take is so long, that it is almost impossible to imagine that they are in a studio and not inside an actual ship. The highlight of the movie, is the jaw-dropping sequence in which the ship flips over. This primarily takes place in the ship's ballroom, and every technique available is used. The entire set turned 45 degrees, so that the actors really would fall, and camera tricks were used to make the angle even more acute. The finale features a man falling from the top of the room a good thirty feet into a car-sized chandelier. Once the ship is capsized, each compartment and room becomes an alien world that the survivors must cross through.

The film is not without its faults, however. The acting becomes more over the top as the film, and the characters, though simply-defined, are two-dimensional. The men are gruff and argue over which decision to make, while the women are merely there to shriek and be dragged along to safety. Only the grandmother and the reverend make any sort of character arc, which make them the stand-out characters to watch. Due to budget restraints and the technological limits of the time, there are but a few exterior shots of the boat once it capsizes and begins to sink. This does work in the fact that you do not know where the water level is at any given time, though a few exterior sinking shots would have been a solid addition. No where is this more sorely missed than the conclusion, where only a fraction of the hull can be seen.

In the wake of THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE came THE TOWERING INFERNO, EARTHQUAKE, AFTERSHOCK and twenty-five years later TITANIC. Made for TV movies would also come about, including the recent 10.5. However, this film is still the one to judge them all by, and makes for a great rainy day movie.

MUSA Review

MUSA (aka THE WARRIOR) (2001)

In China, 1375, the country has been torn in two by the warring Ming and Yuan Dynasties. A large group of diplomats are sent from Korea to China to make peace with the new government. But when the diplomats are charged as spies by the Ming, they are sentenced to exile on a remote island. When the Yuan attacks their group during their guarded transfer to the island, they barely survive, and learn in the process that the Yuan have kidnapped a Ming princess (Zhang Ziyi). The diplomats decide to rescue her in hopes of winning favor with the Ming and safe passage home.

When the princess is finally taken into the care of the diplomats, young general Choi instantly falls in love with her, and never lets her out of his protective sight. Meanwhile, the elderly yet still powerful Yesol keeps guard over his fallen master's body, and plans on bringing it back to Korea for proper burial. As they continue their journey, they are repeated attacked by the enemy. Only through superior military skill do they prevail to the fortress where the princess will be safe, however, one final stage of their journey is still ahead of them, and tragedy will accompany their every step.

At the time of release, this was one of Koreas most epic and costly productions, and it certainly shows with every scene. From sets to costumes, and from location shooting in China to the cast and crew, every dollar is on the screen. The tale of a band of soldiers from Korea is lavishly detailed, beautifully filmed, and politically insightful, all while being brutally violent in the same vein as BRAVEHEART. The stoyline is well thought out (though authenticity to 600 year old history could be questioned), and the characters are given time to flesh out in between battles.

Director Kim Seong-Su, who had previously released several character driven dramas in Korea, lets loose a saga full of stylistic sound a fury, with kinetic camerawork that is hard to deny. Kim's attention to detail and research into the time period this film takes place is a double edged sword here though. During the action sequences, the highly realistic weaponplay brings about several wince-inducing deaths, but during the dialog sequences this gets drawn out a bit too long. Kim's attempt to make every single character into a living and breathing person, a la Akira Kurosawa's epics, can be a bit trying at times. There is more than one sequence here that involve a look into class systems and political motivations which would fit nicely into a History Channel documentary on China, but here only slows the pace for those that are not totally dedicated to period pieces offer.

Jeong Woo-Sung, who plays Choi, returns for the third time to be directed by Kim Seong-Su. He pulls off an well-balanced between emotional acting that really pulls at your heart and amazing ability to use a sword that will have you holding your breath as he charges into battle. Zhang Ziyi, fresh off the set of 2000's CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON, essentially plays the same bratty and brazen young woman here.

Clocking in at over two and a half hours, MUSA will drag a bit for those expecting nonstop balls-to-the-wall action. There is an international version available though, which cuts the film down to just over two hours, and should be a reasonable alternative to those that do not wish to deal with the full spectrum that MUSA has to offer. Modern Korean cinema has a way of blending several genre styles without effort, and here just about everything is on tap - action, drama, romance and tragedy - and setting aside the nitpicking previously mentioned, this film will find its way to a growing list of swordplay epics that are perfect to fill a Saturday afternoon.

MIRRORMASK Review

MIRRORMASK (2005)

Helena is a young teen, whose parents run a traveling circus that is just barely staying in the black. The circus is her father's dream, and although she is a performer in the troupe, all Helena wants is a real life. When she is not performing, she stays in her trailer drawing picture after picture. her entire wall is covered in pictures, half white paper with black ink, the other half black paper with white ink. Real life catches up very quickly with Helena, when her mother becomes ill and is laid up in a hospital bed.

On the night that Helena's mother is go into surgery, Helena falls asleep anxious to hear the news. When she wakes up though, she finds herself in a dream fantasyland of her own creation. It seems that she has becomes trapped in her own drawings! In her first few minutes in this strange world, she meets and befriends Valentine, and also learns of a terrible disaster that is befalling this land, which is made up of half Light World and half Shadow World. The Shadow World has been creeping into the Light World and is destroying anything it touches. Helena learns that the balance between the two worlds has been put off kilter, and only by finding a magic charm can the balance be corrected. The only problem is no body know what this charm looks like. Helena vows to find the charm, and sets out with Valentine. Together the meet an easily duped Sphinx, a floating giant, the Queen of Darkness and the Queen of Light, before finally discovering that the charm they are looking for is the MirrorMask, and must find its hiding place before it is too late.

This wonderful fantasy adventure will appeal to just about everyone that doesnt have a permanently scowl on their face. It wears its influences clearly on its sleeve - from recent works such as LABYRINTH and THE NEVERENDING STORY (using the main plotline of a before-time-runs-out quest) all the way back to THE WIZARD OF OZ (including Helena trying to get home and the use of actors playing several parts). Neil Gaiman is the master writer of fantasy and mystery that is behind this film, and is the creator many comics books and novels including Sandman and Books Of Magic. His experience with as a visual writer is on display here in fine form. Each character is uniquely imagined and brought to the screen. His narrative focuses the on main character, Helena, so that she becomes relatable to instantly. As she travels on her journey, her dedication to the task at hand becomes commendable, and her self-discovery about herself and the importance of family is inspirational.

British director Dave McKean makes his feature-length debut here, and what a debut it is. MIRRORMASK is certainly one of the more unique films ever to be realized, as it blends computer animation with human counterparts. There are only a few human actors in the film and most of the play multiple roles. All the other characters and creatures are created via the spectrum of all available effects. Most are created via computer animation, but there are also puppets, stop motion and traditional animation used. Once Helena steps into her dream world, each shot becomes filled with a barrage of colorful backgrounds, strange inhabitants and wild cinematography. It is truly an awe-inspiring sight, and will leave a wide smile on your face.

With enough exposure to what should be considered the films core audience of young teens (give or take a few years), this can easily become the nostalgic fantasy of this generation. It is girl-positive, while still being boy-friendly, and the universal story will allow all-ages to enjoy it.

MAD MAX Review

MAD MAX (1979)

In the not-too-distant future, all Hell has broken out across Australia. Society is breaking down, the criminals and outlaws are getting more vicious, and the police in turn, must become even tougher. Of these officers, "Mad" Max (Mel Gibson in his leading actor debut) is the toughest. Dressed from head to toe in leather and padded armor, and driving a tricked out police car, no one can outrun him. Least of all is Nightrider, an outlaw who is part of The Toecutter's gang. When Max kills Nightrider on the road, Max and his friends becomes the target of the Toecutter's vengeance. After one of Max's friends is murdered, Max heads into the outback for some much needed vacation time, with his wife and baby. But close behind is the Toecutter, and if they push too far, they'll find out just how Max got his moniker.

In the late 70's, exploitation films that pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in film were being churned out one after another. Although many of them became fodder for filling double-feature bills, a precious few were marked as something more, something powerful and raw. MAD MAX is amongst those films, and it is mostly in thanks to debut director and writer George Miller, for his anarchic vision of the future, and his DIY spirit that brought the film to life. Through death-defying camerawork (more on this in a moment), movie magic, pure adrenaline attitude, a few well used clichés, and the bleak wasteland backdrop of rural Australia, a terrible post-apocalyptic future is beautifully woven that is still just cool enough and habitable enough that you almost want to live there. And this is half of the makes this style of film memorable and successful.

The other half is having a character that you can route for and whose reinforced boots you want to be in. Stepping up to this challenge is a very young and still baby-faced Mel Gibson, who takes up the title role. The film follows Max as his last bits of humanity are slowly stripped away as he deals with balancing being in the most dangerous legal profession where ever second can mean life and death and raising a baby with his young wife, where every time they kiss goodbye could be the last time they see one another. Gibson handles what is notably some heavy emotions in an otherwise nitro-fueled action film. Gibson, with his limited acting experience at the time, does well enough, and perhaps a stronger actor could have handled the romantic scenes better. But when the film turns to the dark revenge sequences in the last reel, which are the most justified killings this side of the Punisher, Gibson's young features act as a stark contrast to the character's actions as Max's humanity is completely lost.

Mel Gibson aside, what this film delivers in spades is speed, speed, speed! George Miller sets up some incredible action sequences that will have any jaded chase sequence fan on the edge of their seats. You can almost feel the wind ripping across your face as the cars and motorcycle rip across the screen at 100+ kilometers per hour. Equal credit for this must go to cinematographer David Eggby, who put his life on the line multiple times during production to get as close to the vehicles and the asphalt as he could, and uses an almost documentary-style approach to bring the chases to life. What makes his work here the most appealing is that you do not see this kind of dangerous camerawork anymore, at least not without the aid of computers and digitized effects.

MAD MAX has gone on to collect a well-deserved following around the world, has helped to launch the career of Mel Gibson, and its low-cost production contains hints for upcoming directors short on cash, like if you don't have the money to buy a car to smash just use your own, pay your extras in beer, use nigh-abandoned factories for settings, use vinyl instead of leather for costumes, and if you want to give a lasting impression of gruesomeness don't show anything at all. Gibson, Miller and the rest of his crew would reteam for two sequel, THE ROAD WARRIOR and MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME. The three films create a long character arch for Max, as he loses, rediscovers and redeems his soul, and creates a much grander impression of the character than he was probably ever supposed to get. Here though, you'll just see him mad and burning to get even, so grab an oil can of Fosters, rev that engine into the red, and get ready to burn some rubber!

FANTASTIC FOUR (1994) Movie Review

THE FANTASTIC FOUR (1994)

Early in the last decade of the second millennium, Roger Corman created a movie version of The Fantastic Four comic book that was nigh-unwatchable, never meant to be released and was only made so the rights' holders could keep it longer (unbeknownst to most of the cast and crew).

Here, Reed Richards and Victor Von Doom are working on collecting cosmic radiation during their college years. When the experiment fails, Victor is presumed dead in the accident, and Richards commits his life to completing the project. Ten years later, he succeeds in creating a spaceship, and enlists college chum Ben Grimm to fly the shuttle and brings along Sue and Johnny Storm to help navigate. Meanwhile, Doom is still very much alive and bent on destroying Richards. When the Reed..s mission fails, the four are bombarded with the rays, and soon discover they have been given their famous super powers. When Doom learns that the four are still alive, he kidnaps the four to conduct experiments on them, and then sets out on a plan to recreate the experiment and hopefully to acquire all four powers in himself. Oh, and the underground-dwelling thief The Jeweler works himself into a subplot too. Pretty good for a film that clocks in at just under ninety minutes.

Let's get down to the bad and hokey shall we? If there was any proof needed that superhero costumes on paper do not directly translate to costumes on celluloid, this is it. Doom almost gets away with it, but the classic blue costumes of the four look ridiculous. Richard's trademark white temples look painted on with whiteout. The fully transformed Thing is obviously a heavy foam and latex suit (ever see rock ripple like fabric?). And the special effects here are just laughable. From Richard's stretching (how do normal clothes stretch when he does?) to Storm's invisibility (how do you get invisibility wrong?) to Johnny's climactic full-body flame-on (video games look more realistic) this is student-filmmaking at its best. Seriously, some of the fanfilms coming out nowadays look more professional than this.

What this film does have though, is heart, and a true desire to literally translate a comic book into the film world, which does give it a little wiggle room and forgiveness can easily be given. Remember, this was made in the age of Dolph Lundgren's THE PUNISHER, the direct-to-video CAPTAIN AMERICA and the X-Men TV spin-off GENERATION X among others, and filmmakers and producers had yet to learn and capitalize off of Bryan Singer's X-MEN and Sam Raimi's groundbreaking SPIDER-MAN. Highlights to watch for include the Fantastic Four moniker being clumsily bestowed, the out-of-nowhere catch-phrase "it's clobbering time" being uttered at least three times, and a zero-to-sixty in five seconds romance between Grimm and the blind Alicia Masters.

If you enjoyed PIRANHA over JAWS, MUNCHIES over GREMLINS, and CARNOSAUR over JURASSIC PARK, you could very well be in for a treat. So make this a double feature with the recent big-budget release, and decide for yourself which is more fantastic-er. Sadly, and however you may feel about Roger Corman, it is probably this one.

ENTER THE DRAGON (1973) Movie Review

ENTER THE DRAGON (1973)

A modern Shaolin monk, Lee (Bruce Lee) is recruited by British Intelligence to go undercover in a martial arts tournament hosted by Han on his private island to find the proof they need to destroy his international drug operation. Among the other contestants is a bankrupt businessman Roper (John Saxon) running from a sizable debt in America and Williams (Jim Kelly), a bad-ass African-American kung-fu expert with an unorthodox fighting method. Once on the island, the contestants are treated to luxurious foods, exotic women, and the toughest competitors they've ever faced. At night, Lee explores the island hoping to find the evidence he needs. But when Lee's true motives are discovered, he will have to face down against Han's entire martial arts trained army with fists of fury, feet of strength and any weapons he can get a hold of!


It has been over thirty years since Bruce Lee died, with this being his final film role, and his popularity has never budged an inch. After one viewing of ENTER THE DRAGON, you'll understand why. Lee had a screen presence, charisma and physical stature that is still yet to be challenged in the world of martial arts films. Few have come close, including Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and the new kid on the block Tony Jaa, but there is something about Lee that is unique. Perhaps it is that he is one of a select handful of humans that have been able to reach the true apex of both human physical form and balanced spirituality that strikes a chord. He was and is still an inspiration to those that were lucky enough to meet him, and for any those who watch his movies.


ENTER THE DRAGON provided a glimpse into both Lee's philosophical mind, through his monologues eluding to the fighting style Jeet Kune Do he developed over his years of training, and the skilled action filmmaker that was forming within his head. All of the fight choreography was designed by Lee, and performed by his stunt team (which included a very young Chan and Sammo Hung) with deadly precision. Each fight sequence brought something new and exciting to the screen, from hand-to-hand combat to weaponplay, and tournament style fighting to all out brawls. The final showdown, which takes place in a room covered in mirrors and features Lee's now iconic claw-scratched body, is still used today to compare against films.


Lee and his stunt team can not be held solely responsible for the pure enjoyment of this film. His co-stars play an crucial part in bringing this together. On the hero side, both John Saxon (perhaps best known as Nancy's father in A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET) and Jim Kelly (a titan in the 70's blaxploitation market) show off their real life martial arts training and acting chops and provide some great oneliners throughout the picture. On the villain's side, Shih Kien, who was a Hong Kong character actor that reveled in the roles of evildoers, and Bolo Yeung (a former Mr. Hong Kong and an all around Chinese brute to be reckoned with) ham it up just a bit. It is clear that everyone really enjoyed being a part of this movie, and had a sense that this was going to be a movie that went down in history. The city of Hong Kong itself plays an important role within the film, adding an exotic spice to the scenery. From the neon-filled downtown streets, to the outskirt villages and Kowloon Harbor, it is almost impossible to find a bad angle to shoot.


This film marked the first American/Chinese co-production, and was the debut of Bruce Lee to a mainstream US audience. It must have been something for those audiences, seeing for the first time Bruce Lee fighting across the screen like a madman, and witnessing action scenarios that they may have never seen before. For modern martial arts fans who have "seen it all", it is incredibly difficult to try and grasp the thought of what was going through their heads seeing Lee. The story itself is rather slim, and created in a blender using b-movie spy movie clichés, martial arts themes and violence, and a dash exploitation, but fills in the spaces between the action nicely.


In the wake of Bruce Lee's death, a micro sub-genre emerged, which was dubbed "Bruceploitation". This genre was filled with actors who tried to looked liked Bruce Lee and had names such as Bruce Le and Bruce Li, with filmmakers hoping to cash in on the fame of the true Lee. All it takes though is one look at this movie and the rest of the short but impressive filmography of Lee to know that these imposters simply can't match the energy and speed that Lee brought to his fans. Lee's accidental death is a tragedy that robbed the world a unique visionary. Had he gone on past ENTER THE DRAGON, which no doubt would have made him the first Chinese mainstream movie star, there is no telling what he would have brought not only to the silver screen, but those the minds and ears of any who would listen to his philosophy.