The Karate Kid (2010)
This will not be a popular review for 2 reasons, the first being that most people are not martial artists, and the second being that little Jaden Smith already has a ton of haters for whatever reason. Foreword – My Feelings on The Karate Kid series (lengthy) Before getting into the review I must explain a bit about myself. I am a martial artist, have been all my life and will continue... [Read more]
Shaolin Temple Strikes Back (1972)
If there’s any movie to exemplify the honor and selflessness of the Shaolin monks it would be Shaolin Temple Strikes Back. In this epic, monk Ce Ling starts off as a humble warrior whose job it is to protect an 11 yr old princess from the Manchu horde. When the Manchus kill her father and slaughter his kingdom, they attempt to kidnap her in order to force her hand into marriage... [Read more]
Chinese Super Ninja (1982)
“Loss of a fight means death to a Samurai” In concept Chinese Super Ninja is a martial arts enthusiast’s dream come true. Here you have Kung Fu, the mother of all fighting forms going up against Ninjitsu, the most exotic of the fighting forms. Well concept is great but the execution… not so much. Ninjas representing the five elements holding down various turf that... [Read more]
Ip Man (2008)
Everyone knows who Bruce Lee is, as arguably the most famous of all movie martial artists dead or alive, Bruce’s legacy transcends time and will not be fading anytime soon. So the opportunity to hear… well better yet, see the life of the man who taught Bruce Lee is an appealing one to put things simply. Ip Man was a master of Wing Chun who lived a life of privilege that was interrupted... [Read more]
Thundering Mantis (1980)
If you’ve ever watched a movie that has a tragedy and find yourself saying “man if that happened to me I would lose my friggin mind”. Well Thundering Mantis presents such a scenario as we watch a local street gang turn a good fish seller into a raving lunatic. Ah Chi (Leung Kar Yan) is a practitioner of Kung Fu, he loves fighting but is a good citizen who does well by the... [Read more]
Snake and Crane Secret
The film starts out with a kata being performed by a Kung-Fu expert. The narrator explains to us, the animal techniques that make up the different styles. He explains that there are a number of forms, two of the hardest being the Crane with it’s deadly beak strikes and the Snake with it’s stealthy maneuvers. What he wants us to understand is that out of all the animals, the mastery... [Read more]
3 Evil Masters
Easily one of my favorite Kung Fu films, 3 Evil Masters delivers in both dynamic choreography and excellent quotes. The dubbing is phenomenal in this Shaw Brothers gem as you will finish the movie repeating the jokes or threats by the characters “‘I despise your killing, and raping… your… despicable!” (quotes such as this). The only down part in the film is the... [Read more]
Eagle vs. Silver Fox
There’s usually a pre-requisite to being dubbed the “Silver Fox” in Kung Fu theater. Not only must you be evil… or naughty, but you must master your Kung Fu to the point where one opponent isn’t enough to take you on. Then if one man is dumb enough to go at you solo, you toy with him endlessly before dangling his life before your eyes and then taking it. Hwang... [Read more]
Seven Steps of Kung Fu
Before I go into the review of this film I must preface by saying that this movie has hands-down some of the best kung fu sequences I have ever seen. The choreography is ridiculous and the fights, especially the ones later on in the movie are intense. Chang Shan is a master but Chang Tin Chee is equally impressive as the two protagonists drop knees on the opposition utilizing the devastating... [Read more]
The Forbidden Kingdom
Finally the much anticipated movie pitting the two kings of kung fu popularity against once another was released. Quite eager to see the face-off occur with a bit of reluctance due to the American kid being written into the film, I sat down amongst my fellow movie-goers and watched it unfold. The Forbidden Kingdom is a fantasy tale of a weak young man’s journey into a magical world of Kung... [Read more]
