Kung Fu

“Seven Swords (2005)” movie review.

Posted by MartialHorror
/ July 28, 2014

Personally, I felt "Seven Swords" came from Tsui Hark's bowels rather than his brain and I have no idea what the appeal is supposed to be. Yes, it's passable- and sometimes even exceptional- on a technical level but it suffers from every problem which usually accompanies films that were intended to be four hours long.
Read more
“Forbidden City Cop (1996)” movie review.

Posted by MartialHorror
/ July 13, 2014

But those who understand my tastes know that I'm tired of the ordinary, conventional flicks that take no risks, so "Forbidden City Cop" immediately got into my pants with its strangeness. But the unique fight scenes and hilarious comedic antics seduced me into a satisfying relationship.
Read more
“The Iron-Fisted Monk (1977)” movie review.

Posted by MartialHorror
/ June 16, 2014

If you can accept the occasional tone whiplash (graphic rape), or at least endure it, then you will find “The Iron Fisted Monk” to be kung fu gold. It has a cast of colorful characters, lots of superb action and a sophisticated prowess which you don’t see accompany these kinds of movies very often.
Read more
“The Grandmaster (2013)” movie review.

Posted by MartialHorror
/ June 10, 2014

"The Grandmaster" contains enough brilliance to be worth watching, but It's not brilliant itself. Kar Wai Wong delivered more than enough when it came to creative visual ideas, which were magnificently realized by Philippe Le Sourd (the cinematographer) and those who were in charge of costuming, sets, music composition, etc. The problem is that the sloppy narrative cannot sustain Kar Wai Wong's ambitions.
Read more
“Chinese Zodiac (2012)” movie review.

Posted by MartialHorror
/ May 22, 2014

"Chinese Zodiac" was condemned by the critics for feeling like your conventional Jackie Chan movie, albeit with watered down stunts, gimmicks and fight scenes. I technically do agree with the majority of their points, so why did I have so much fun with it?
Read more
“Life Gamble (1979)” movie review.

Posted by MartialHorror
/ March 2, 2014

“Life Gamble” holds a special place in my heart because even though it provides a handful of cool fight scenes, I was more interested in everything else. It has an intriguing story, filled with suspense, intrigue and daring unpredictability. It boasted stunning production values when compared to its contemporaries, with sharper cinematography and experimental filming techniques.
Read more
“Man of Tai Chi (2013)” movie review.

Posted by MartialHorror
/ January 29, 2014

“Man of Tai Chi” is not a great film, as the story is pretty convoluted, but it is a great martial arts flick. Besides boasting some AWESOME fight scenes, it also finds interesting ways to work around the stale clichés which usually plague this kind of story.
Read more
“General Stone (1977)” movie review.

Posted by MartialHorror
/ January 23, 2014

When it comes to determining what makes a great film, I have two standards of quality. The movie must contain either fire breathing, mutant, killer zombie sushi OR statues impregnating women the old fashioned way. Since “General Stone” contains the latter, that automatically makes it one of the finest kung fu films of all time.
Read more
“Tai Chi Hero (2012)” movie review.

Posted by MartialHorror
/ January 15, 2014

"Tai Chi Hero" is significantly less hyperactive when it comes to its visual style, toning down much of the flash and glamor of its predecessor (Tai Chi Zero). But it seems to have become even more scatterbrained when it comes to telling the story. Yet even if it was only in pieces, the movie could be very moving and I made a connection to the characters.
Read more
“Tai Chi Zero (2012)” movie review.

Posted by MartialHorror
/ December 24, 2013

"Tai Chi Zero" is at its core, a very normal kung fu movie that somehow seems more unique than it really is with its random steampunk additions and bizarre stylistic touches. Yet I am not criticizing this, because it's these attributes which give "Tai Chi Zero" its identity. Without them, the flick would immediately dissipate from my memory, even if I did enjoy myself the majority of the time.
Read more

Sign in to your account