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Bodyguard: A New Beginning (2008) |
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 A New Beginning' focuses around the story of Leung, the bodyguard of a Chinese Triad boss, Wong, to whom his loyalty is unrivaled. Living in Hong Kong, Wong requests that his bodyguard travel to the UK to protect a young British woman, whose true identity is known only by Wong himself. Even his own errant son, Yuen, is kept in the dark, which leads to a betrayal that threatens to destroy the family and all that his father has worked hard to protect.
 This energetic piece of low budget filmmaking highlights some of the best components of gritty British filmmaking with a heavy dose of Hong Kong style action and attitude. To top it off, the film features an all-star cast, incorporating the talents of both iconic veterans and rising stars – all working under the watchful eye of a bold and multi-talented young director!
Leung (Vincent Sze) is the loyal bodyguard of Wong (Richard Ng), the boss of a powerful Hong Kong Triad. Amidst growing tension between Wong and Kai (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), the vicious head of a rival family, Leung is sent to the UK to protect a British woman whose identity is known only to Wong. As the Triad war in Hong Kong spills out into the streets, Kai, working with Wong’s treacherous son Yuen (Carl Ng), sends enforcers to the UK to kidnap the mysterious woman Leung is protecting.
After Leung finds her, the pair struggle to evade Kai’s ever-growing army of thugs on the streets of London. Meanwhile in Hong Kong, Wong desperately tries to keep his organisation intact as the business’ foundations are weakened by his son’s disloyalty and Kai’s relentless pursuit for Wong’s territory. A final confrontation in Hong Kong will bring about an end to the carnage, but at a price none of them could have predicted.
Following his previous work in Underground, director Cheung Chee Keong proves once again he is one of the most skilled, technically capable young independent action-film directors working in the UK today. Capturing a dark, unsettling tone of drama and a fast paced, brutal and stylish flair for the action sequences, the film treads new ground and blends multi-genre conventions.
Shot neck-deep in the urban metropolis of both London and Hong Kong, the visual style benefits from the diverse range of settings and captures a unique, visceral energy that could never be achieved filming in a studio. Although the story doesn’t necessarily present anything new, there are enough innovative ingredients incorporated into the mix to deliver something fresh and exciting for both old-school and aspiring fans of Asian and action cinema.
In addition to the sights and sounds of the locations, the cities are captured in an honest, almost homely light, perhaps an indicator of the director’s sentiment towards London and Hong Kong (Cheung was born and bred in England while his folks are from Hong Kong) - despite the obvious inclusion of the criminal underworld who exists there. For residents of either city, many locations will be familiar and instantly recognizable, making the action appear all the more real and immersive.
With a variety of athletic, acrobatic movements and brutal, close-quarters fighting, the action offers plenty of variety, courtesy of action directors Anthony Carpio and Chan Man Ching. To top off the high calibre actors in the film, the physical stars are equally impressive and serve up a nice variety of loathsome villains and noble heroes. Mark Strange makes a particularly intimidating villain, and seamlessly embodies the image of a human wrecking ball, relentlessly pursuing Vincent Sze with monstrous attacks and thunderous force.
One of the strongest elements of the film can be seen in the wonderful range of actors, representing a crossover between different generations of Hong Kong stardom. Richard Ng is far removed from his comedy persona made famous in the Lucky Stars series and shows his range as a great character actor. Portraying Wong, he is both humble and, when he needs to be, incredibly ruthless and aggressive.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa reminds audiences why he is still considered one of the most enjoyable onscreen villains to watch, and dominates his scenes with quiet menace and calculated evil.
Carl Ng is perhaps the most surprising, having appeared in the likes of New Police Story and Legend of the Dragon, here he delivers a strong leading role playing Yuen, the conflicted and confused boss’ son. Yuen is brutal one minute, sympathetic the next, but always dangerous and very unpredictable. Carl captures the venom of this bitter character while still holding on to the underlying sense of remorse, ensuring the character is never dull to watch, adding layers of conflict to the impending gang war between Wong and Kai.
In the lead, Vincent Sze occupies the centre of the story with stylish appeal, playing the cool, silent hero who bursts into defensive action at the drop of a hat. The romance that brews between him and Chloe, the woman he is sent to protect, is predictable but shows the softer side of this tough-as-nails Triad bodyguard.
In all, the movie offers up a wide range of stars stepping into characters outside normal typecasting. This elevates the story beyond expectation and injects a new, character-driven quality of drama into the action and gangster themes.
Veteran actor, Shing Fui-On, even features in a cameo role, further evidence of the possible homage to good old fashioned Hong Kong gangster moviemaking. Certainly one of the most appealing points of the movie is the range of stars appearing together onscreen – a real achievement in casting this many talented, high profile actors in a single project.
Bodyguard is a great achievement as a low-budget piece of multi-national action cinema, breaking new boundaries while still managing to deliver traditional conventions for genre purists. It is seeing these traits; veteran actors and rising stars, or classical stories with fast-paced filmmaking, that gives the film its integral character and identity. Cheung Chee Keong is reinventing British action cinema as we speak and, trust me, you don’t want to miss out.
(Read our interview with director Cheung Chee Keong)
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Mike Fury 6/17/2009 - top |
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Shaolin Wooden Men (1976) |
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Jackie witnesses his father's death by the skilled hands of a martial arts master with an unknown killing technique. Jackie vows to become a Shaolin monk and avenge his death (not very Buddhist of him...), but soon finds that he's the chump of the class. After befriending a variety of shaolin masters, each of whom teach Jackie a particular style of kung fu (drunken, killing, slippery snake, etc.), Jackie suddenly finds himself good enough to go give the beats to the 100 "wooden men" whom all shaolin (in this flick anyways) have to beat to get the funky haircut. Jackie then proceeds to go around laying the beats on everyone, but shows his humility and compassion at the end. (amazon.com)
Anyone who follows the martial arts film genre would have already seen countless films set in or around Shaolin with an array of temples and monks. What could any film propose that was new in this setting? And what dramatic elements or eccentric plot devices could be imagined to breathe life into this over-crowded sub-genre, where the dynastic architecture has already been worn smooth by innumerable film crews?
Well, director Lo Wei’s answer to this is Shaolin Wooden Men - an early Jackie Chan film that is somewhat of a stand-out moment between Lo’s and Chan’s lengthy collaboration, (or contractual obligation!). So, with a reasonably routine back-story and setting, could Shaolin Wooden Men do anything progressive for the genre?
The film makes use of most conventions of the genre, but they are never painful and mostly enjoyable. Chan is used liberally, and his versatility is more than a vague suggestion, as if everyone on board were just beginning to wake up to just what he was capable of. Throughout the first reel, we see him, as Dumb Boy, take on teachings from any one who offers. His open-minded and dedicated characteristics are admirable; the silent, sensitive and respectful character he plays really does draw a note of empathy.
This is at odds to some of his more playful roles, yet it no less pleasurable to watch, and it’s certainly refreshing at times. Also, we see true rivals for Dumb Boy throughout the film in the shape of delinquent gangs and hardened criminals. Often, he is pitted against older and more experienced fighters, and the idea of Dumb Boy playing a victimised underdog is presented. Interestingly enough, real-life opera school colleague Yuen Biao is featured fleetingly in one of these clashes, and has the pleasure of delivering a single line of dialogue in a later scene!
Director Lo, (and presumably Chan Chi Hwa) may not be innovators of cinema, but his film is shot well, and edited with much tighter control and attention to the martial arts rhythm than most kung fu flicks from this era. The film is less susceptible to the common loss of momentum that occurs to so many of these films (typically around the second act), but we are asked to sit through some initially confusing moments regardless. Sudden costume changes and leaps in continuity do occur occasionally.
Nevertheless, there is a good distinction between the dialogue/plot-driven scenes and the action sequences in the film. And there are even some creatively framed scenes that showcase a natural symmetry: one in particular shows a nice pull-back shot of Dumb Boy practising on top of a waterfall. There are some syncopated and rushed-through moments however, and the common speed-of-light dramatic plot changes of this genre do occur – these may pass over your head if you blink!
Certainly, it has the cast, locales and at least the standard ingredients for a promising film, including a provocative title. Considering the mixed quality that Lo is renowned for, this turned out to be one of his more well-rounded and cohesive productions. Compare this film to say, Fearless Hyena 2 - a troubled production and study in maniacal editing; this film might be close to Lo’s Citizen Kane.
It could be said that yes, the action and choreography itself is fairly traditional, and Chan purists may be displeased with his action sequences; but you must admit that they are solid and fairly snappy, and more importantly they are framed and shot pretty well – nothing important is missed. Fighting in the film is typically two opponents exchanging techniques on fairly even ground sans weapons as Chan’s trademark action sequences were yet to be unearthed. Occasionally spears and poles are used is some of the sequences, but never by Chan and they are not that memorable anyway.
In this respect, Shaolin Wooden Men is no ground-breaker. However it has something else to offer. Instead of the routine plot of two rival factions competing for dominance of their respective styles/schools, we have a master and student, youth and age, humility and arrogance pitched against one another. In this sense, the film makes a comment to me about flexibility of mind and body. What will triumph, the old, tested and rigid, or the new, unknown and adaptable?
The Shaolin Wooden Men themselves represent rigidity in their movement, physicality and purpose, but their fate is sealed early on in the film. Interestingly, the films draw-card, its soulless, mechanised and brutal wooden men, turn out to be much less threatening than a human man. Could this be a comment on human nature itself?
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Ryan Gobbe 5/28/2009 - top |
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Way Of The Dragon (1972) |
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Tang Lung travels to Rome to assist family friends in running their restaurant. When he discovers they are being pressured by a local mafia gang to sell their property, he is the only one with the courage and physical ability to stand up to the aggressors.
This, Bruce’s most commercially appealing Golden Harvest title blends lighter elements into the bruising carnage for the very first time. Set in the highly impressive locations of Rome, Bruce demolishes the local mafia, sports a pair of nunchakus and takes on Chuck Norris in one of the most impressive finales of all time.
Tang Lung (Bruce) is sent to Rome to help family friends with their restaurant. A local gang is trying to force them to sell their property, and escalating threats of violence are putting them in a very difficult position. Only Tang Lung has the courage and physical ability to stop the gangsters, and so with this newly arrived problem obstructing his chances to acquire the restaurant, the gang boss hires two martial artists to come to Rome and eliminate Tang Lung.
Compared to the heavy-going theme of Fist Of Fury, Way of the Dragon takes a lighter approach to an otherwise grim story, utilising comedy and scenes of lighter content amidst stunning martial artistry that builds even further on his previous work. The opening scene in which Tang Lung unknowingly orders several bowls of soup, eats too much and later has many visits to the toilet seems to set a deliberately lighter feel for the whole film. Later, the naïve, boyish Tang Lung is unknowingly picked up by a prostitute and when this is realised ‘in the flesh’, bursts out of the room in a panic.
The ‘country bumpkin’ role Bruce would often occupy is used here to full entertaining effect. Some of the most enjoyable scenes come when Tang Lung shows his new friends at the restaurant his kung fu skills, and some of the men argue over which martial arts style is superior. The physical action is incredible and Bruce takes on an even greater number of opponents than ever before as attackers move in from every angle and don’t even come close to making contact. The severity of this predicament is cranked up even more in the legendary double nunchaku sequence when the gangsters learn a whole new lesson in pain as they are brutally dropped to the ground by a weapon of such elegant destruction.
Another comedy moment comes when, after a crowded fight, the final remaining villain obtains a nunchaku and attempts to use it himself but accidentally knocks himself on the head. A final hit of Bruce’s nunchaku puts him out cold and only the human debris of Bruce’s fighting force remains.
Even more so than in earlier work, Bruce is shown here to be a one man wrecking ball, but once again never using physical violence to cause trouble, but only in standing up for those that need help – and teaching the bullies a hard lesson! Without doubt the film’s most iconic scene comes in the awe-inspiring final showdown between Tang Lung and Colt (Chuck Norris). With the wonderful backdrop of the coliseum, this is a modern day gladiator battle of martial arts skill. As with Bruce’s many other fights, a great deal of philosophical commentary can be found in the way the fight is conducted, and this should be watched closely and appreciated in its own right. It is an extremely satisfying fight between two incredibly gifted martial artists, the only downside is that is doesn’t last longer.
The Young Master’s Wang In Sik also has a brief role as a Japanese fighter, the other martial artist hired by the gang boss along with Colt. His role is small but he does have the opportunity to show what he can do in those years before he would work with Jackie Chan more prominently. Way of the Dragon was to be Bruce’s last complete Hong Kong project, as his next work would consist of Robert Clouse’s Enter the Dragon and the unfinished Game of Death. Here Bruce demonstrated his talents as not just a martial artist or charismatic onscreen star, but as a director as well, and for the first time he took the wheel, guiding the ship himself, having had both his previous Golden Harvest projects directed by Lo Wei.
Way of the Dragon outdid both his previous films at the Box Office, making it his most financially successful release at that time. To this day, it remains one of the most popular martial arts films of all time, still showing in movie theatres all over the world.
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Mike Fury 1/30/2009 - top |
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Enter The Dragon (1973) |
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Lee, a martial arts expert, is recruited by a government agency to infiltrate a combat tournament which exists as a front for an illegal drugs operation.
‘The First American Produced Martial Arts Spectacular’ is a colourful, energetic multi-national production that finally acknowledged Hollywood’s acceptance of Bruce Lee.
A martial arts expert named Lee is hired by a government agency to infiltrate the operation of a criminal, organising a martial arts tournament to front his illegal drugs empire. Han, the leader of this operation, is a former member of Lee’s Shaolin Temple turned rogue and Lee is considered the best candidate to enter the tournament as a competitor, giving him the opportunity to investigate.
Robert Clouse’s martial arts blockbuster is a louder, colourful, more commercially appealing Bruce Lee film, a co-production between Golden Harvest and Warner Bros. For this reason it is undoubtedly Bruce’s most recognized film in the western market, but not of quite the same quality seen in his earlier Hong Kong work.
There are elements of Bruce’s philosophy in certain scenes, such as in a discussion when asked by his teacher “what is the highest technique you wish to achieve?” to which he answers; “to have no technique” (a nod to the Jeet Kune Do philosophy). Unfortunately, this takes a backseat compared to the ‘spy’ orientated story and typically Hollywood buddy movie style final partnership between Bruce and John Saxon.
That said, the visuals and production are arguably the most engaging aspects of the film, whereas the action generally looks good but doesn’t appear to offer anything radical for Bruce to handle. The best fight, by far, is Lee’s battle against Han’s bodyguards in his underground cave. A young Jackie Chan famously gets his neck broken in this scene, and Bruce upgrades weaponry from a staff, to a pair of short sticks, and finally acquiring a nunchaku. This sequence looks great and easily on par with his scenes dispatching multiple villains in Fist Of Fury and Way of the Dragon.
For the most part, the fights look visually ‘cool’ but don’t do anything to stretch the respective players. A prime example of this is Lee’s fight against O’Hara (Bob Wall), which has remained one of my Bruce favourites simply because it looks so good in slow-motion and Bruce’s moves, although minimal, look excellent – namely his powerful side kick! Yet it’s unfortunate the pair didn’t have the chance to do more (Bob Wall would later play a small role in Game of Death but that was for the 1978 version Bruce was sadly not around for).
Enter the Dragon is still a very good and highly entertaining film, but dilutes so many of Bruce’s trademarks evident in his earlier work that is certainly comes across as a compromised film for a foreign market. As a result, it did not do as well in Asia as his previous work, but has still acquired ‘classic’ status by most fans around the world that still enjoy it as a slightly differently flavoured Bruce Lee adventure. This shouldn’t deter fans from enjoying what was to be Bruce’s final finished project, as shortly after completing the film he passed away due to a cerebral edema. In such an incredible career cut tragically short, Bruce achieved more than most would hope to accomplish in a lifetime career.
Believing films were far more effective than books to communicate messages and ideas to an audiences, Bruce inserted ideas and innovations into his action-packed martial arts work, giving audiences entertainment and education decades after his death.
While Enter the Dragon may not rank alongside the likes of Fist Of Fury, it still carries its own merit, made a hugely successful Hollywood / Hong Kong crossover and importantly paved the way for eastern stars and filmmakers in the west today.
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Mike Fury 1/30/2009 - top |
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Game Of Death (1978) |
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Martial Arts actor, Billy Lo, fakes his own death after a crime syndicate makes an attempt on his life when he refuses to sign their contract. Disguising himself and planning revenge, he must come out and face his adversaries when his girlfriend is kidnapped.
Bruce Lee’s unfinished project was completed in his absence five years after his death, comprising of a new story, new actors, stock footage and finally Bruce’s own footage he shot shortly before filming Enter the Dragon. The results are as mixed as the reviews but ultimately equate two different films which should be judged on different grounds.
Game of Death was Bruce’s next film project after his hugely successful Way of the Dragon. He drafted early notes and ideas regarding the story and put together something totally different to anything he’d made before. Having shot footage of the films action-packed finale inside the famous pagoda tower, he had to abandon his planning on Game of Death to film the Hollywood / Hong Kong co-production, Enter the Dragon. Shortly after completing this film, he tragically passed away and all that remained of Game of Death was the footage he shot for the ending. The unfinished film remained in the vaults of Golden Harvest until Enter the Dragon director, Robert Clouse, picked up the project in 1978 and created an entirely new film to accommodate Lee’s unreleased work.
Some paint this as a tribute, others would argue it was a shameless cash-in scheme, but fans will really need to make their own decision. The story was re-written and given a crime caper feel as actor, Billy Lo (Bruce Lee), must take on a ruthless crime syndicate who will do whatever it takes to make him sign their contract. Billy Lo is played by a host of Bruce Lee doubles, including Kim Tai Jung and future star, Yuen Biao. Stock footage of Bruce in earlier projects is also incorporated and never quite fits with the 1978 film, appearing grainy, occasionally out of focus (due to editing), and altogether clumsy.
One redeeming feature of the 1978 portion of the film is the inclusion of Sammo Hung as action director who recalls he wanted to give the action scenes a suitably Bruce Lee style. For fans the most relevant part of Game of Death comes for the truly stunning finale in which Bruce battles through the pagoda tower, taking on a martial artist of a different style on each floor. This makes the whole film worth while, as Bruce goes head-to-head with excellent opponents in some of his best fights ever seen. He even employed some of his own students to play the roles, just as he had done for Robert Baker in Fist of FuryFist Of Fury
Among the most memorable is Dan Inosanto as Pasqual, a martial artist who fights with weapons. First he uses a pair of sticks but quickly switches to the nunchaku, which culminates in a truly jaw-dropping one-on-one nunchaku battle between him and Bruce. This is my all-time favourite of Bruce’s many fights as it demonstrates the incredible skill and technique of both men using the weapon. Also, it does not overstretch the realism of being hit by a nunchaku. Making contact with the weapon is not excessive but when it does hit, it counts.
Bruce’s Jeet Kune Do philosophy is highly important throughout his portion of the film. It is an invaluable approach of his character in fighting and ultimately defeating adversaries who are fixed to a rigid system. In contrast, Bruce is able to adapt and alter his technique to fit different circumstances. Kareem Abdul Jabbar, who is guardian to ‘the floor of the unknown’ embodies this and therefore makes the most superior opponent – fighting with no identifiable style. It is only through discovering and exploiting the weakness of this physically giant adversary that hero, Billy Lo, will stand a chance to win.
This is what is meant by two different films - The 1978 Robert Clouse crime adventure with body doubles and stock footage, and the 1972 Bruce Lee action-packed martial arts showcase which concludes the story. The end is undoubtedly the highlight but the complete package is worth seeing for Bruce fans and anyone interested in the film’s history.
Although far from being outstanding, some of the ‘so bad its good’ edits and attempts to insert Bruce into a new scene mean there is more to be enjoyed than many reviews would have you believe. Fans are advised to treat it as a bit of fun.
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Mike Fury 1/30/2009 - top |
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Big Boss (1971) |
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Cheng, a young Chinese man, travels to Thailand to work and stay out of trouble, but his new life is interrupted when fellow workers at the local ice factory, where he is based, begin disappearing under suspicious circumstances. With no law working on his side, he must find the truth himself.
Bruce Lee’s first film for Golden Harvest was a powerful, awe-inspiring demonstration of this new star’s incredible physical talents and undeniable charisma.
Cheng (Bruce) is a young Chinese man sent to work for family friends in Thailand; earning money and keeping out of trouble. Upon arriving, he soon begins working at a local ice factory and quietly adapts to his new surroundings, enjoying his host family’s company and working hard. Whenever confronted by trouble, Cheng steps aside and avoids getting involved, instead grasping his jade necklace which rests around his neck as a reminder not to fight. But when friends at work start disappearing mysteriously and the owner of the factory may be responsible, Cheng must take matters into his own hands and expose the truth.
After a pre-dominantly TV-based career in the US that didn’t prove as successful as he would have liked, Bruce returned to Hong Kong and signed a contract with Golden Harvest, which proved to be hugely successful for the new company spearheaded by former Shaw Brothers producers, Raymond Chow and Leonard Ho. The Big Boss redefined the conventional style of martial arts action at the time, and contrasted greatly with other popular forms of onscreen combat, such as swordplay and adventure films. In comparison, Bruce’s fighting style was quick, elegant and incredibly physical – lightning fast bursts of movement punctuated by animal howls.
Here the other characters in the story appear as shocked as a contemporary audience, in awe of the amazing talents of this man set to re-establish the martial arts film genre. We see him take on several opponents at once, demolishing them one by one with kicks so fast, the recipient wouldn’t register their arrival until it was too late. Cheng also disarms countless attackers, knocking knives and other weapons right out of their hands before dropping them to the ground with a pulverizing final punch. Importantly, Cheng is not shown to be the instigator of violence, but only steps up to defend his fellow Chinese, whose safety and security is threatened by local Thais who act as foremen for the factory, and may have involvement in his friend’s disappearance. It is only when Cheng’s symbolic jade necklace, a symbol of his restraint, is smashed in an escalating battle that his expression changes and he lets out a wild animal howl - bursting into action.
Interestingly, this comes almost half way through the film and demonstrates his real desire for an honest, trouble free existence that shows him comfortably living with his new host family and working hard in his job. When the calm is eventually interrupted, the previously restrained Cheng becomes like a caged animal being unleashed for the first time. This was the first appearance of this new generation of Chinese hero, a likeable, relatable young man who had respect and tolerance for others but would readily stand up for anyone being victimized.
While the film may not appear as complex as Bruce’s later work, both in terms of fight choreography and story, The Big Boss set the bar remarkably high for an energetic new style of action cinema never seen before. Director, Lo Wei captures the exotic location with peaceful elegance and sun-drenched scenery, contrasting greatly with the brute violence that follows. It is Lo Wei’s cinematic eye where the film looks the best, with the use of beautiful natural colour and landscape; while Bruce’s electrifying action embodies Cheng’s all-out pursuit for the truth.
A wonderful supporting cast gives Cheng the opportunity to show his gentle side prior to the action shifting into high gear. Maria Yi and James Tien shine through with particular charm, while Hon Ying Git / Han Ying Chieh makes a truly villainous adversary for Cheng’s highly memorable final showdown.
Every Bruce Lee film has its own style and The Big Boss is no exception. It remains a firm classic of the genre and set a high standard for Bruce’s subsequent work, which, amazingly, he effortlessly maintained.
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Mike Fury 1/28/2009 - top |
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Fist Of Fury (1972) |
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Chen, a student of legendary martial arts teacher, Fok Yuen-Gaap /Huo Yuan Jia, returns home upon hearing news that his master has died under mysterious circumstances. Before long, Chen vows retaliation against the local Imperialist Japanese school responsible for his master's death.
This electrifying piece of martial arts cinema stands as Bruce Lee’s greatest accomplishment in a tragically short filmmaking career. It redefined his reputation and remains one of the genre’s most influential films of all time.
Set in the 1930s Shanghai, Chen Zhen (Bruce) returns to the Jing Wu school, where he had studied martial arts for many years, upon hearing that his teacher Fok Yuen-Gaap / Huo Yuanjia has died. He arrives during the funeral and is devastated by the loss of his beloved master, as are his fellow students from the school. However, it is soon revealed that Master Fok died under mysterious circumstances, and may have even been poisoned by a rival martial arts academy. After it becomes apparent that a local Japanese school may be responsible, Chen vows to find out the truth behind is master’s death. Finally, having become frustrated with an ineffective police investigation and his fellow student’s reluctance to stand up and fight, Chen pursues a dangerous mission of vengeance against the Japanese who wish to subjugate the Chinese on their own land.
Fist of Fury remains not just one of Bruce’s most highly regarded films, but one of the most influential martial arts films ever made. The quality of the production, the fight choreography, the acting and relevance of themes still stand strong today. It raised the bar even higher compared to what Bruce had done previously and heightens the emotional stakes, making this a highly charged revenge-action film with obvious heartfelt social commentary.
The action scenes also up the ante after introducing his lightning quick movements and stunning physicality in his previous film, Big Boss. In the famous scene in which Chen sets foot in the Japanese dojo, he annihilates the Japanese students with brutal unarmed combat before switching to the nunchakus (his first time using them in film) and obliterating every standing opponent. In this scene he also makes two students eat the famous ‘Sick Men of Asia’ sign before walking out, leaving the Japanese scattered in agonizing pain.
Chen was a true hero, defending not only the Chinese, but in modern reflection representing all subjugated people – standing up and defending those who needed support and encouraging victims to rise up and remain united. Bruce also had the opportunity to participate in some of his most impressive fight work ever witnessed (he was co-action director on the film). The fight against the Japanese school is a prime example of this, and vastly increases the number and variety of his opponents after he took on a large group of Thais in Big Boss. Within this jaw-dropping display, he unleashes strings of chain kicks, knocking opponents to the ground, left right and centre, before raising the pain bar several notches with the nunchaku.
Later, he goes toe to toe with Robert Baker, one of his real-life students who is seen here as Petrov, a Russian fighter conducting business with the boss of the Japanese school. The Petrov fight is exceptionally tense and makes the viewer respect each fighter’s unique talents, such as Chen’s unrivalled speed and Petrov’s mighty strength and body locking ability, which Chen only escapes by biting his opponent.
The fight against Suzuki (Riki Hashimoto), the Japanese boss, is amazing to watch and appears to pay homage to the traditional Japanese swordplay genre, as Chen must take on Suzuki’s lethal katana. The influence and impact of Bruce Lee’s Fist Of Fury is undeniable, at the very least in the amount of tribute films and remakes that have been made. Fist of Fury II, starring Bruce Li (a fake Bruce Lee) is generally considered one of the better Bruce Lee ‘clone’ movies. Stephen Chow’s Fist of Fury 1991 takes a very different, comedy-orientated look at the title, while Donnie Yen’s Fist Of Fury TV series for ATV proved hugely popular in the mid 1990s, even spawning a prequel, Fist of Fury: Sworn Revenge.
The original 1972 film has earned generations of fans to this day and continues inspiring and influencing people from all walks of life in every corner of the world. Fist Of Fury is a timeless classic that will forever be remembered as Bruce Lee’s greatest work.
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Mike Fury 1/28/2009 - top |
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Heavenly Kings (2006) |
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Boy bands are everywhere. People’s reactions to boy band music range from amazement and awe to disgust and hatred, but it is an undeniable aspect of popular culture, doing its part to fulfill the dreams of teenage girls and line the pockets of music industry masterminds.
Yet how much do we really know about boy bands? What is it like to belong to such a group and what happens behind the scenes? Following Conroy Chan, Andrew Lin, Terence Yin, and Daniel Wu, The Heavenly Kings divulges everything that Hong Kong’s star-making machine is afraid to tell. Shot from a fly-on-the-wall perspective, this documentary details the rise, fall, and ultimate success of an unlikely modern-day Asian boy band comprised of established actors who cross over into the music industry as ALIVE. From learning how to sing and dance to developing their own marketing strategies, the entire process is laid out for all to see in this no-holds-barred film.
Yes, for those who have seen the movie and still wonder The Heavenly Kings is a real mock documentary, a surprising and rare film genre within the Hong Kong cinema industry, usually laden with silly comedies, tearjerkers and frenzied action flicks. Those who haven’t watched yet should be prepared for serious awe and mind games as the form of the film is a tad disturbing.
All started when (real life) actor Andrew Lin had an idea to create a fake HK boy band, called Alive, with his real life friends Daniel Wu, Terence Yin and Conroy Chan. The main objective was to infiltrate the music industry and shed light on its darkest secrets. The project dragged on and in a nutshell, after a few years, it became a kind of documentary on the inner workings of the music industry called The Heavenly Kings and directed by Wu. The film with a rough edge and a real-TV feel follows the six-month venture of Daniel Wu and his mates, Conroy, Terrence ad Andrew. They play themselves trying to become the next hot thing for real.
-- Might contain spoilers --
More than a Cantonese version of This Is Spinal Tap, The Heavenly Kings exposes local obnoxious practices or at least confirms some open secrets of the music circle. Supposedly, such secrets could be extrapolated to the film industry.
The first half of the movie follows the lads working on getting a record company deal, making an EP and globally creating buzz around their act. From what they encounter and what we see emerge a series of tactics devised over the years by the entertainment industry people. Read a series of guidelines to enable anyone to gain access to success. No talent required here as long as there is enough nerve and bluff involved.
First, one needs not to know how to sing to be a pop singer in HK. Nowadays, sound engineers have at their disposal a wonderful tool called Audio Tune, which makes granny’s expectorations sounds like Pavarotti’s vibratos.
Second, to finance their music video (MTV is the term employed in HK), the acts should make money first, by accepting endorsements for instance. So they fill their piggy box in with ad money so as to shoot their own MTV to promote their music. Not the other way round. It is counter-intuitive but it’s all about creating a buzz and selling an image before selling music.
Third, a singer in HK has to be able to dance or at least pretend he/she can.
Fourth, look is paramount and a display of ridiculous and so called tailor-made design costumes on stage leads the audience to believe they had good value for the expensive tickets they purchased.
Fifth, the media can be manipulated, used and abused, and lied to. It doesn’t matter, as “most media in HK don’t check their facts” (as Terence Yin said in our interview) and they just want a topic to write about. If a lie is repeated constantly it becomes a truth, we learn.
Sixth, it is common practice to hire the services of professional fans - for as little as HKD 500 per fan - for special events and live shows.
After the band exposes these strategies one after the other it becomes rather evident that record companies are in the game to make money. That we knew. But it’s clear too that they are no one’s friends and they will blatantly try to rip off artists. Usually the contract terms are ridiculous such as a 10-year binding deal with a 50 per cent commission fee. Companies claim they will invest a lot in the artist over the said 10 years, hence the 50 per cent, while actually sponsors will be paying for most of the expenses. The contract needs to be signed on the spot, of course, not time for reflection is allowed.
The above points constitute the first part of the film and provide some entertaining, shocking or even mortifying moments, such as when the Alive members try some so-called easy dance steps or when a stylist attempts to sell them his silly outfits for their show. Here the four artists genuinely try to step in the music industry and film the process to share their findings.
The second part of the film delves more into the psychology of each member and elaborates on the whys, adding an extra layer. This less descriptive and more emotional part helps the viewer to empathise with the four singer wannabes. Indeed, a whole documentary on the subject in its most usual form would have been tedious. It’s obvious at this stage that The Heavenly Kings is on the fence between a fiction feature and a documentary film.
To add more style to the enterprise, some stylish animated interludes made by an artist called Ko Fai appear every so often. They convey the mood and feelings of each member in specific situations. It is purely visual but reveals much more than any ‘real life’ situation shot or recorded dialogues. These intermissions are a stark contrast in style with the video-shot documentary sequences.
This part is a departure from a first half that had a more investigative/documentary approach. The Alive members then appear as more human and easy to relate to. That said, Wu, the director and not the actor, stressed off camera to his friends that they should come across as extreme versions of the images of themselves the local media feed members of the public. So Terence Yin is irresponsible and a party-goer who has a weakness for the weaker sex. Conroy Chan is just a fat untalented guy known for being ‘the husband of Josie Ho’ (heiress to the Ho empire of casinos in Macau). While Daniel Wu is a control freak. The four guys play themselves, but it’s not really themselves; they play a role adapted from their real live and that has been scripted.
Mixing the documentary with more drama and injecting themselves into the subject they investigate blur the boundaries between reality and fiction even more. This mixture can sometimes cast doubts on the genuine intentions of the film-makers and simply on the truth being told here. Yet, every so often, some fragments from serious, as in real and truthful, interviews with respected members of the entertainment industry are injected throughout (with singers Jacky Cheung, Miriam Yeung, Nicolas Tse and Karen Mo; and with producers/music writers Paul Wong and Jun Kung) and they legitimate the group discourse. These interviews root the film discourse into the reality, or a reality, of the industry. Phat Chan’s and Kim Chan’s smart editing fuses all these elements together to offer a film wherein any truth revealed seems to be THE truth.
Everybody felt for this. After watching the film journalists left the theatre angered and flabbergasted as they realised they’ve been had, tricked at their own game. They had been used to launch the short career of Alive. But the game of manipulation orchestrated by Wu and his friends - all overseas educated Chinese who undoubtedly learnt to think outside the box - is also a game of manipulating, double-guessing and outsmarting the audience. Wu’s film brings the audience face to face with their own gullibility. How much truth are we told and how come it all look so real and believable? After the first incredible revelations, can the film-goer, who now understands he was cheated by the entertainment organizations for years, believe what the film has to say?
Despite all his scheming, Wu also achieved self promotion and managed to cast all his co-stars and himself under a different light. They touch the audience who in turn relate with their persona --real or manufactured, we can’t really tell anyway.
So real documentary or fake fiction, which is it? With this film Wu deservedly pocketed the HK Film Award for Best New Director, because cinema is manipulation and Wu has achieved a coup. “Who is manipulating who?” becomes the question du jour.
More info on the film can be found in our Interview with Terence Yin.
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Thomas Podvin 1/26/2009 - top |
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Hong Kong Bronx (2008) |
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A talented cast cannot save this generic genre title from falling below even mediocre standards due to an under-developed script, muddled directing, bad special FX, and no worthwhile outcome. It’s unfortunate because if it had been fashioned from the right creative mould, this could have at least been an entertaining new chapter in the triad / gangster genre and, while not contributing anything new, would have provided a simple but stylish popcorn movie. Unfortunately, Hong Kong Bronx falls below even this standard, making it a disappointing outing from a team of people who are capable of far better.
The story follows Neil (Jordan Chan), an ex-gang boss who has recently been released from an eight-year prison sentence. Upon arriving home, he has vowed to take care of his two younger sisters and lead a clean and law-abiding life. Along with his best friend, Fai (Timmy Hung, Sammo Hung’s kid), a former brother in the triad who has also gone clean, they slowly develop a renovation company, dreaming of success through legitimate business and looking forward to the quiet life ahead. At the same time, Johnnie (Ricky Chan), an up-and-coming local gang boss, attempts to demonstrate his tough hand in order to sway the triad elders to vote for him as leader in the forthcoming election. One method he adopts is to intimidate, bully and generally make life miserable for Neil, who had previously been highly respected in the triad prior to his prison sentence. He‘s now passive and uninvolved and will not retaliate against Johnnie’s actions. A secondary plot follows Neil’s sisters becoming involved with the gang element in their new high school, which acts as an ironic reminder every time Neil attempts to discipline them, as they throw his criminal past right back in his face. A parallel story shows the dilemmas of a local working class man (Kenny Wong) whose girlfriend has a gambling addiction and is deeply in debt to Johnnie and his associates. He also has a son who is bullied at the same school that Neil’s daughters attend, and is subsequently bullied into becoming a low-level errand boy for the local gang. Eventually these stories collide, entirely as a result of Johnnie’s sadistic and evil ways and so a heap of category III content builds into a highly predictable revenge partnership between Jordan Chan and Kenny Wong.
As one could easily tell from the plot, this is hardly the most original or ground-breaking concept put together under this done-to-death genre. There are countless examples in other films that show even without deep content or innovative ideas, the simplest execution can still hit all the right buttons with fans of the genre. The main problem with Hong Kong Bronx is that it tries to be too many different things at once and doesn’t successfully engage with any of them at all. The opening credits and subsequent action scenes later in the film use anime-style action slides interspersed with the real action of the live actors. This appears a little too close to the introduction sequence in Young and Dangerous, but even in that example, was not over-done as it was here. The action scenes in Hong Kong Bronx are cartoonishly violent, with CGI blood spraying in every direction – some of the gratuitously over-the-top execution highlights include Jordan Chan cutting off a gangster’s head with a homemade sword, hacking off someone’s arm which flies at a group of screaming girls, and cutting someone in half, straight down from head to waist. What is unclear for the majority of these scenes is how seriously an audience is meant to take all this. For scenes such as these, which feature a pounding rock soundtrack playing over this comical blood-splattering retribution, a darker, more comedic tone would seem obvious. Yet there are other scenes involving rape and child violence that are treated with sentimental slow-motion camera work and sad, orchestral music. In short, the film switches between fast-paced pop promo, dark gangster thriller and category III exploitation picture. This lack of distinction in the style and target audience, more than anything else, seems to suggest an indecisive approach as to the type of film the creative minds were trying to put together.
Without doubt, Jordan Chan is the centrepiece for the film, but even he is far from being at his best. Then again, a better project would undoubtedly serve him better, and for those who have seen him in recent titles such as Escape From Hong Kong Island and Wo Hu, he is clearly one of the most versatile young actors today. This fact further emphasises how he is unfortunately let down here. The only other actor who demonstrates some degree of charisma in this film is Ricky Chan, who manages to turn in a loathsome performance as Johnnie, an exceptionally evil villain. He is a relatively new actor but seems to have the look and acting style to take him far. Despite other notable faces appearing elsewhere, including Kenny Wong and Wong Tin Lam as a triad elder, the lack of any real direction in the story and the underwritten script don’t allow a great deal of substance or development to take place. The best portions of dialogue are found in the light-hearted, humorous banter that takes place between the two ex-criminal friends, played by Jordan Chan and Timmy Hung. Unfortunately; this alone cannot save a title which feels like it was created by a team of first-time amateurs.
Arguably, director Billy Chung would do far better to strip an old-fashioned genre down to its bare-bones and expose the key elements of the formula, rather than blow it up into something as loud and over-the-top as to resemble a 90-minute music video rather than a feature film. Fans of both the triad genre and any individual herein are advised to avoid Hong Kong Bronx as it contributes nothing worthwhile in either innovation or entertainment. Substantially better work can be found elsewhere on the filmographies of anyone involved with this film.
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Mike Fury 10/22/2008 - top |
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Noble House (1988) |
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It's stereotypical, it's bombastic but it's also a lot of fun. And that's just the novel. Based on Clavell's seminal Noble House, this mini series/TV event manages to capture most of the shenanigans and drama of the source material, and has a heaping amount of Hong Kong thrown into the mix. The story of the premier HK trading house, aka Noble House, aka the famous real-life Jardines, is a cheesy yet quality-infused treat those with a fondness for the overpriced gem of Asia can't afford to miss.
They say you’ve never been to Hong Kong if you haven’t read James Clavell’s classic page turner Noble House, and this reviewer tends to agree.
Often derided for its bombastic plot and over the topness, Noble House remains none the less a gripping read and true statement of love for the city and culture comprising Hong Kong, even though ask most locals and they won’t know what you’re talking about. Indeed, Noble House is more for those transplanting to the city, but not for those reading from afar – most of the nuances and cool factor are lost on people who don’t actually live there.
Now, Noble House was made into a TV mini series twenty years ago, and that one has recently appeared on DVD, and at long last, we say. The short and quick of it is that if you have any feelings about Hong Kong and any degree of familiarity with the place, you’ll enjoy this version. However, if you’ve never been and don’t really care, it’ll probably be wasted on you.
Clavell’s work, which includes likewise grandiose Shogun and Tai Pan (all occur in the same universe), is always a joy to behold, whether in writing or on the screen, and Noble House is no exception. The main draw here is the sheer addictive nature of the man’s writing – it’s like Dynasty or Dallas only with a good dollop of mostly credible history thrown in. Well, at least credible in the sense that it fits in very well with the multitude of characters and story arcs.
This was more of a mean feat, of course, in the huge novel – Noble House came in at over 1000 pages and was action packed to the hilt. In that respect, the Gary Nelson-led TV production deserves respect, since they succeeded in cramming most of that into just six hours.
They also did something interesting with the setting. While Clavell’s original story was set in early 60’s HK, the show takes place in the late 80’s, and does a good job with the update. Characters frequently refer to the looming 1997 handover, ponder its consequences and make predictions. A complete subplot involving Soviet spies was taken out, I guess because they decided it was no longer relevant – although disappointing from a cold war nostalgia standpoint, it was a clever choice.
But above all else, anyone who’s read the book will be impressed at how the locales look like what you imagined before – no doubt helped by the fact that they shot almost everything on the ground in HK. And the effects are pretty impressive, this must have been a big deal on TV back then, but honestly I can’t remember! Just behold the floating restaurant scene – very well done!
What’s the story about? Got a few hours? Well, you get Pierce Brosnan back in his Remington Steel days as tai pan Ian Dunross of House Struan, or the titular Noble House (Jardines in real life). He’s struggling to keep the company ahead of the ravenous HK pack against the usual backdrop of intrigue, conniving and greed. Besetting him is rival Quinlan Gornt (John Rhys-Davies) of Rothwell-Gornt (aka Swire), who’s trying to depose the Noble House and take over. This character is infinitely nastier on TV than he was in the book, one alteration we don’t really understand. Two Americans also enter the fray, upstart tycoon Linc Bartlett (Ben Masters) and his VP Casey Tcholok (Deborah Raffin). Both are in town scouting for opportunity, but there’s a lot more than meets the eye.
A whole range of supporting characters are on hand, including police, triads, bankers and a couple of lovelies like a very young Tia Carrere and Suzie Wong - OK, Nancy Kwan. Most do an adequate job, but Pierce Brosnan is just too stiff and appears lacking in range. Additionally, for something so obviously set in Hong Kong, the production has a surprisingly small number of local talents on show – actually, I’d say none. Maybe they were trying to send a message?
They also toned down the very prominent theme of racism that was readily found in the novel, likely to appease primetime TV censors. There’s almost no swearing, several characters from the book didn’t make it or were drastically altered, and the back-story was indeed trimmed down.
But if you’ve read the novel, you must watch this and I guarantee you’ll at least like it. It’s one of those enjoyable romps you won’t easily put down, and being familiar makes it even easier since it doesn’t feel as goofy. Plus, anyone living in HK owes it to themselves to indulge in Noble House – Nelson and crew did good capturing both the feel of the place and the mood of the period. This really does feel and act like what I imagine Hong Kong to have been like in the 80’s.
Don’t listen to the doubter and haters – Clavell, who personally supervised the production’s screenwriting, was a scribbling machine and did the writing profession proud, outrageously cheesy names or not. It’s too bad he passed away young – I’m sure today’s Hong Kong would have provided him with ample inspiration.
If you can forgive the occasional soap opera super-tack assault and the awkward soundtrack, Noble House is a pretty enjoyable marathon, the main drawbacks being the DVD edition’s mediocre appearance and dearth of special features.
Rating: * * * ½
Tv Series Directed by Gary Nelson (1988, 355 minutes, English)
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Lee Alon 6/16/2008 - top |
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