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An Empress and the Warriors

Jun 022012
 

An Empress and the Warriors (2008) Chinese Movie Information

Title in Chinese –江山美人
Title in Pinyin – Jiang Shan Mei Ren

Genre – War and Romance

Subject/theme – The Kingdom of Yan fights for survival against the Zhao kingdom and traitors who seek to usurp the throne

Language – Mandarin

Region – China

Release date
Hong Kong – 19th March 2008
Singapore – 27th March 2008
Canada – 15th July 2008

Movie runtime – 99 minutes

Director – Ching Siu-tung

Cast & Role Played
Donnie Yen – Muyong Xuehu, Yan general
Kelly Chen – Yan Fei’er, Yan princess
Leon Lai – Duan Lanquan, doctor and sole survivor of the elite New Moon warriors
Guo Xiaodong – Yan Huba, Yan king’s nephew and usurper of the throne

Story
The movie is set in ancient China during the warring states period when a number of small kingdoms are fighting for dominance and is about the Yan and Zhao kingdoms that have been locked in a war generations. The Yan king is seriously injured while fighting the Zhao and secretly killed while in convalescence by his nephew Yan Huba who covets the throne for himself. With the help her general Murong, princess Fei’er takes over the throne and prepares herself to lead Yan in battle.

Huba sends assassins against Fei’er who is seriously injured and rescued by a hermit doctor Duan who nurses her to recovery. Fei’er and Duan develop feelings for each other but Fei’er must return to help and lead her people.  Fei’er reunites with Murong and her armies only to find that Huba has taken his men and deserted her, leaving her to face a Zhao attack with a numerically inferior army. Fei’er and Murong defeat the Zhao and create peace between their two kingdoms by letting the Zhao king and his son live.

After transferring power of Yan to Murong and her trusted advisor, Fei’er abdicates the throne and returns to Duan to be his lover and live with him. Their peace is short lived when Huba sends more assassins against Duan and Fei’er and takes over the throne by force.

Editor’s Review of An Empress and the Warriors – Score 6/10
An Empress and the Warriors has an excellent cast, is set during a key part of China’s and has a good theme/plot. The problem is that movie is confused with fight scenes that wander from masked assassins that fly through the air and run faster than a horse to large battle scenes between opposing armies and a love relationship that does not fit the main plot. The result is fragmented and disjointed story that is hard to believe and borders on surreal at several points. The final battle where Donnie Yen is surrounded by a ring of hundreds of enemy soldiers and survives is pure fantasy and would have been ridiculous if it was not so entertaining. The scenes where soldiers where dismounted by chopping the feet of the horses out from under them but leaving the horses with out a scratch comes across as very cheap.

Overall An Empress and the Warriors is an enjoyable movie to watch with riveting battle scenes that make the movies defects forgivable. The well done cinematography and superb scenery are a delightful bonus.

An Empress and the Warriors Links

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IMDb Movie Database for An Empress and the Warriors

Seven Swords

May 222012
 

 

Seven Swords (2005) Chinese Movie Information

Title in Chinese –  七剑
Title in Pinyin – Qi Jian

Genre – History and martial arts

Subject/theme – Seven swordsmen protect a village from a cruel bounty hunting army

Language – Mandarin

Region – China

Release date
China – 29th July 2005
Hong Kong – 29th July 2005
Singapore – 4th August 2005
France – 7th November 2005

Movie runtime – 153 minutes

Director – Tsui Hark

Cast & Role Played
Donnie Yen – Chu Zhaonan, wielder of the Dragon sword
Sun Honglei – Fire wind, general of the army
Leon Lai – Yang Yuncong, wielder of the Transience sword
Lau Kar-leung – Fu Qingzhu, wielder of unlearnt
Charlie Yueng – Wu Yuanying, wielder of Heaven’s Fall
Lu Yi – Han ZHibang, wielder of Deity
Duncan Chow – Mulang, wielder of Celestial Beam
Tai Li-wu – Xin Longzi, wielder of Star Chasers
Kim So-yeon – Green Pearl, rescued Korean slave woman
Zhang Jingchu – Liu Yufang, village leader’s daughter and Han’s lover

Story
After the Manchu’s take over Chin a and establish the Qing Dynasty, the declare an edict forbidding the practice of martial arts as a way of controlling the population and preventing revolts. Part of the edict is a bounty for anyone caught practicing martial arts. Firebrand is a general of a small army of bounty hunters and sees the bounty and an opportunity to make a lot of money so they scour north west China killing all the marital artists he comes across and many innocent bystanders.

Firebrand is running out of victims to claim bounty on and sets of for Martial village, the last surviving strong hold of marital artist to claim their heads for bounty. Unbeknown to Firebrand, Fu, an ex executioner and swordsman for the Ming Dynasty is sick of his depravity and warns Martial Village of Firebrands impending arrival. The residents of Martial Village distrust Fu and capture him, planning to question then execute him. Two of the villagers Han and Wu rescue him and head of to Mount Heaven for help.

The legendary swordsman and weapons maker Shadow Glow allows his four disciples to return to Martial Village with Fu, Han and Wu and gives all seven of them a special sword that he created.

The seven swordsmen return to Martial Village just as a detachment from Firebrand’s army is about to over run the village and saves the day. The story then continues with the seven swords men evacuating the villagers before the main body of the army arrives and directly confronting Firebrand.

Editor’s Review of Seven Swords– Score 6/10
Seven Swords is an enjoyable movie to watch with reasonable acting, a reasonable plot and reasonable fighting but is not outstanding in any way. Donnie Yen is normally very good in action/martial arts movies but is very ordinary in Seven Swords. The only highlight of the movie is Sun Honglei who is excellent as the depraved and slightly crazy general.

In general, Seven Swords is a good run of the mill martial arts movie with plenty of entertaining action.

Seven Swords Links

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IMDb Movie Database for Seven Swords

 

Ip Man

May 132012
 

Ip Man (2008) Chinese Movie Information

Title in Chinese – 叶问
Title in Pinyin – Ye Wen

Genre – martial arts and history

Subject/theme – a semi biographical movie of a Chinese martials master in the 1930’s

Language – Cantonese

Region – Hong Kong

Release date
China – 12th December 2008
Singapore 18th December 2008
Hong Kong – 19th December 2008
USA – 1st December 2010

Movie runtime – 108 minutes

Director – Wilson Yip

Cast & Role Played
Donnie Yen – Ip Man, Wing Chun kung fu master
Lynn Hung – Ip Man’s wife
Fan Siu-wong – Jin Shanzhao, skilled and aggressive northern master
Simon Yam – Chow Ching-chuen, policeman and Ip Man’s acquaintance
Calvin Cheung – Ip Man’s friend and cotton mill owner
Hiroyuki Ikeuchi – Mura, Japanese general and karate master

Story
Ip Man lives in the Chinese southern city of Foshan and is a master of the Chinese Kung Fu Wing Chun. Despite his astounding martial arts mastery, Ip Man is a wealthy man and lives a quiet secluded life with his family, does not have any students and only takes part in the occasional private fight at his wife’s displeasure. Foshan was the martial arts center of 19th century China with many masters opening schools and competing with each other.

The movie starts with Jin Shanzhao from northern China challenging and beating all of Foshan’s masters. He hears that Ip Man is the best and goes to his home to challenge him. Ip Man refuses the challenge until his wife, offended by Jin’s rude behaviour, allows Ip Man to fight Jin. Ip Man promptly annihilates Jin and restores the honour of Foshan’s kung fu masters.

After the Japanese invade China in 1937, live in Foshan is in turmoil. Ip Man’s house is taken over by the Japanese and his wealth lost so he works as a labourer to support his family. After the invasion, a Japanese general Mura who is a karate master sets up an arena where Chinese kung fu masters are invited to compete with Japanese fighters and are rewarded with bags of rice. Chinese competitors start to disappear so Ip Man investigates the arena. He encounters brutalities by the Japanese which places him in direct confrontation with Mura and sets the scene for the rest of the movie.

Editor’s Review of Ip Man – Score 8/10
Ip Man is easily one of China’s best modern Kung Fu movies with outstanding acting from Donnie Yen, an enthralling and touching story, excellent choreography and an out standing cast. Ip Man manages to include a blend of subtle humour that makes the characters more real and human and the movie itself more enjoyable. A classic scene is the fight that takes place in Ip Man’s house between Ip Man and Jin where Ip Man’s son tells him to be more careful after Jin breaks a vase.

Though some what one sided, Ip Man also provides a fascinating insight into the Japanese occupation of China and the life of Chinese during this period. The Japanese occupation of China theme provides ample opportunity for Chinese kung fu masters in martial arts movies to brutally and artfully show their superiority. Ip Man is no exception and the final fight between Ip Man and Mura is a classic with Ip Man treating Mura as a wooden dummy, a Wing Chun training aid.

Ip Mane Links

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IMDb Movie Database for Ip Man

Legend of the Fist: Return of Chen Zhen

May 062012
 

Legend of the Fist: Return of Chen Zhen (2010) Chinese Movie Information

Title in Chinese –精武风云－陈真
Title in Pinyin – Jing Wu Feng Yun – Chen Zhen

Genre – Martial Arts and action

Subject/theme – A masked hero battles the Japanese in Shanghai before World War II

Language – Cantonese

Region – Hong Kong

Release date
China – 21st September 2010
Hong Kong – 22nd September 2010
Singapore – 23rd September 2010

Movie runtime – 106 minutes

Director – Andrew Lau

Cast & Role Played
Donnie Yen – Chen Zhen, martial arts master and resistance fighter
Shu Qi – Kiki, singer and undercover Japanese agent
Anthony Wong – Liu Yutian, night club owner
Huang Bo – Huang Haolong, police inspector
Kohahta Ryu – Colonel Chikaraishi

Story
Legends of the Fist is a continuation of the Jet Li movie Fists of Legends and is set in Shanghai before world war II. Chen Zhen bands together with fellow survivors of world War I to resist the Japanese tyranny in Shanghai just before world war II. In order to gain influence with the powerful business man Liu Yutian, Chen befriends Liu and becomes his business partner in a very popular night club frequented by the Japanese, Americans and British.

While working at the night club and secretly working for the resistant, Chen meets a singer at the night club and starts to fall for her. At the same time Chen starts to wear a masked disguise and openly fight the Japanese on the street. The Japanese in Shanghai received a list of names from Japan of people they are required to kill. The resistance receive a copy of this list and race against time to save people on the list.

During battles between the Japanese and the resistance, Chen starts to suspect Kiki of being a Japanese agent. Chen learns the truth of Kiki and is drawn into a climatic confrontation with the Japanese general Chikaraishi.

Editor’s Review of Legend of the Fist: The return of Chen Zhen – Score 7/10
The movie starts on a battlefield in France with Donnie Yen carving up a squad of Germans. This scene sets the pace for the rest of the movie that is full of Donnie Yen’s trade mark fights with a big free for all finale in a Japanese dojo. Much of the action is set on Chen who becomes the masked defender of Shanghai like Batman in Gotham City only with much better Kung Fu.

The main character in the movie, Chen Zhen, is from the 1972 movie Fist of Fury with Bruce Lee.  This film is both a tribute and dedication to Bruce Lee and Donnie Yen often adopts poses and fighting styles reminiscent of Bruce Lee.

Shu Qi is compelling as the night club singer and Japanese agent and Anthony Wong is charismatic as the owner of the night club caught up in a war between the Japanese and the Chinese resistance. Over all, Legends of the fist is a typical Donnie Yen movie in an interesting historical context that is enjoyable and well worth watching.

Legends of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen Links

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IMDb Movie Database for Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen

Bodyguards and Assassins

Apr 252012
 

Bodyguards and Assassins (2009) Chinese Movie Information

Title in Chinese – 十月围城
Title in Pinyin – Shi Yue Wei

Genre – History and action

Subject/theme – Local commoner act as bodyguards for Sun Yat-sen after government assassins are sent to kill him

Language – Mandarin

Region – China

Release date
China – 18th December 2009
Hong Kong – 18th December 2009
Taiwan – 24th December 2009
USA – 2nd May 2010

Movie runtime – 139  minutes

Director – Teddy Chan

Cast & Role Played
Donnie Yen – Shen, CHongyang, a policeman addicted to gambling
Leon Lai – Liu Yubai, a beggar skilled in martial arts who fights the assassins
Tony Leung Ka-fai – Chen Shaobai, an editor and supporter of Sun Yat-sen
Wang Xueqi – Li Yutang, financial supporter of the revolutionaries
Nicholas Tse – Deng Sidi, a rickshaw driver who joins the bodyguards
Jacky Cheung – Professor Yang Quyun
Li Yuchun – Fang Hong, daughter of Fang Tian who joins the bodyguards
Simon Yam – Fang Hong, former general and victim of the assassins
Fan Bingbing – Yueru, Li Yutang’s fourth mistress
Zhang Hanyu – Sun Yat-sen, leader of the revolutionaries

Story
The year is 1905 and revolutionaries led by Sun Yat-sen are fighting to overthrow the corrupt Qing Dynasty and the depraved Empress Dowager Cixi. Sun is planning to leave China to Hong Kong to meet with fellow Tongmenghui secret society members to discuss and plan the revolution. Cixi hears of his plans and sends a group of assassins to kill him.

As the assassins begin their pursuit of Sun and start murdering revolutionaries and innocent bystanders alike, revolutionaries and members of the community rally to Sun’s cause and act as his bodyguards. When Sun arrives in Hong Kong, his bodyguards put their lives on the line to act as decoys and lead the assassins away and allow him to complete his critical meeting.

Bodyguards and Assassins Links

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IMDb Movie Database for Bodyguards and Assassins

 

14 Blades

Mar 232012
 

 

14 Blades (2010) Chinese Movie Information

Title in Chinese – 锦衣卫
Title in Pinyin – Jin Yi Wei

Genre – Historical and Kung Fu

Subject/theme – The struggle of a loyal secret agent of the Emperor during the Ming Dynasty

Language – Mandarin

Region – China

Release date
China – 4th February 2010
Hong Kong – 11 February 2010

Movie runtime – 114 minutes

Director – Daniel Lee

Cast & Role Played
Donnie Yen – Qinglong, the head of the Jinyi, the empire’s secret police
Zhao Wei – Qiao Hua, daughter of the head of the Justice Escort Agency
Chun Wu – Judge, the head of a bandit group Eagles Gang
Kate Tsui – Tuo Tuo, god daughter of Prince Qing and a skilled fighter
Law Kar-ying – Chief eunuch
Sammo Hung – Prince Qing, exiled noble and traitor
Damian Lau – Zhao Shenyan, imperial councillor

Story
The Jinyi Wei were the secret police for ancient China’s rulers with enormous power, phenomenal Kung Fu skills and answerable only to the emperor. During the corruption of the later Ming Dynasty, a eunuch attempts to use the Jinyi Wei to plot against the emperor. The head of the Jinyi Wei Qinglong learns of the plot and is forced to flee the capital for his safety after he is framed as a traitor.

Determined to save the emperor, Qinglong joins the Justice Escort Agency and a band of called the Heaven’s Eagles to search for proof of the plot against the emperor and save him.

Editor's Review of 14 Blades – Score 6/10
Solid performances by Donnie Yen, Wei Zhao and (to an extent) Chun WU together with spectacular desert scenery helped make 14 Blades an enjoyable movie to watch.The story though is confusing and lacks proper direction which prevents 14 Blades from being more than just watchable. The story 14 Blades is based on has a lot of potential but the scenes in the movie look like they have been put together without much thought.

14 Blades Links

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IMDb Movie Database for 14 Blades

 

Ip Man 2

Mar 192012
 

Ip Man 2 (2010) Chinese Movie Information

Title in Chinese – 叶问2
Title in Pinyin – Ip Man (Cantonese) Ye Wen (Mandarin

Genre – Kung Fu

Subject/theme –  A loose biography of the life of Kung Fu master Ip Man in Hong Kong

Language – Cantonese

Region – China

Release date – 29th April 2010

Movie runtime – 109 minutes

Director – Wilson Yip

Cast & Role Played
Donne Yen – Ip Man, the founder and master of Wingchun Kung  Fu
Huang Yi – Cheung WIng-shing
Sammo Hung – Hung Chun-nam, a rival Hong Kong Kung Fu master
Huang Xiaoming – Wong Shun Leung
Simon Yam – Chow Ching-chuen, a friend of Ip Man’s from the first movie who has become insane and lives as a beggar on the streets
Fan Siu-wong – Jin Shanzhao, a robber and enemy of Ip Man in the first movie and a friend in this movie
Lynn Hung – Cheng Wing-sing, Ip Man’s wife
Ashton Chen – Tsui Sai-cheung, Ip Man’s student
Daren Shahlavia – Taylor Milos, a British boxing champion and Ip Man’s opponent

Story

Ip Man 1 finishes with Ip Man escaping to Hong Kong with his family. The story starts with Ip Man adjusting to life in Hong Kong, establishing a Kung Fu school and gaining acceptance by Hong Kong’s other Kung Fu masters. Part of this acceptance involved proving his Kung Fu by fighting their best masters. After some incredible table top fighting, Ip Man is accepted and begins a friendship with Chow.

At the time the movie was set, Hong Kong was under British rule and the British boxing competition and introduce their main fighter, the racist psychotic Taylor Milos. Both Hung and Ip Man are drawn into the competition.

Ip Man 2 Links

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IMDb Movie Database for Ip Man 2

Wuxia

Mar 172012
 

Wuxia (2011) Chinese Movie Information

Title in Chinese – 武侠
Title in Pinyin – Wu Xia

Genre – Kung fu

Subject/theme – A kung fu master and bandit leader tries to capture his son

Language – Mandarin

Region – China

Release date
– Hong Kong 28th July 2011
-Internationally 13th May 2011

Movie runtime – 116 minutes

Director – Peter Chan

Cast & Role Played
Donnie Yen – Liu Jinxi, paper worker and secret son of the Master
Takeshi Kaneshiro – Xu Baijiu, a detective skilled in medicine
Tang Wei – Liu Yu, Jinxi’s wife
Jimmy Wang – Master, the leader of the 72 Demons and Jinxi’s father
Kara Hui – 13th Madam, wife fo the Master
Li Xiaoran – Cu’s wife, separated
Jiang Wu – Xu’s investigator

Story
Liu appears to be just a paper worker living in a small village until he kills two bandits that were robbing a local shop. Investigator Xu find that Liu is actually the son of the Master, the leader of a group of dangerous and blood thirsty bandits called the 72 Demons. Hearing of his son’s presence in the village, Master sends some of his men to capture Liu and the story develops from there.

Wuxia Links

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IMDb Movie Database for Wuxia

The Lost Bladesman

Mar 132012
 

The Lost Bladesman (2011) Chinese Movie Information

Title in Chinese – 关云长

Title in Pinyin – guan yun chang

Genre – Historical, action

Subject/theme – Is set in China’s Three Kingdom’s period and follows the life and death of a king’s sworn brother

Language – Mandarin / Putonghua

Region – Mainland China

Release dates
-Mainland China 28th April 2011

Movie runtime – 109 minutes

Director – Alan Mak

Cast & Role Played
Donnie Yen – General Guan Yu
Jiang Wen – Cao Cao, Chancellor and Warlord
Alex Fong – Liu Bei, Warlord and sworn brother of Guan Yu
Betty Sun – Qilin, Concubine of Liu Bei and love interest of Guan Yu
Chin Siu-ho – A general under Warlord Yuan Shao
Andy On – Kong Xiu, a notable general
Calvin Li – Qin Qi, an archer who runs afoul of Guan Yu

Story
China’s ancient Three Kingdoms period was a time of heroes and legendary deeds. One of the greatest heroes of that time was Guan Yu, the sworn brother of warlord Liu Bei. The movie follows the capture of Guan Yu by a rival warlord and Chancellor Cao Cao. Cao Cao wants Guan Yu to join his cause but Guan Yu is loyal to his sworn brother and focuses on protecting Liu Bei’s concubine Qilan and returning to Liu Bei’s side with her.

Lost Bladesman (2011) Links 

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IMDb Database for A lost bladesman