It takes a good half-hour before we begin to comprehend who’s who and who’s aligned with whom. Even then, the story — based on a presumably popular novel — is plotted with spying and more than one alliance switcheroo. Everyone seems concerned about locating a stolen coin cast, yet the object is almost a MacGuffin; […]
China
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The Great Magician
A co-production of China and Hong Kong, the film centers around Chang Hsien (Tony Leung, Infernal Affairs, Red Cliff and roughly half of Wong Kar Wai’s output), a stranger who swoops into a little village in the early 1900s and wows its residents with his amazing tricks. But don’t call him a trickster — he […]
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Painted Skin: The Resurrection
Five hundred years ago, a fox demon (Xun Zhou, Cloud Atlas) was imprisoned in the ice. Five hundred years later, she is freed, is nursed back to health, and wants to be human, yet has a heart hot enough to melt ice. This being an Asian epic fantasy, that doesn’t strike the other characters as […]
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The Outlaw Brothers
Yes, it comes from the Dragon Dynasty line — release No. 57, to be precise — but it’s sillier than the bulk of Dragon Dynasty product, which largely skips this period in favor of old-school Shaw Brothers. But Frankie Chan’s The Outlaw Brothers? It’s as of-the-times as a 1990 flick can be, right down to […]
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Flying Swords of Dragon Gate
Lately — and all too quietly — the Indomina label has been releasing some excellent packages of Asian action films I’m afraid otherwise would go unseen by North American audiences: True Legend, Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame and now, Flying Swords of Dragon Gate. Apparently a sequel and/or semi-remake of 1992’s […]
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The Viral Factor
Best known on our shores as Kato to The Green Hornet — and on others, in the likes of Kung Fu Dunk — Jay Chou stars as Jon, the International Security Affairs agent in charge of preventing disaster. In the exciting, extended prologue fueled by plenty of firepower, he takes a bullet to the head. […]
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Let the Bullets Fly
Unfortunately, it’s all downhill from there, as Bullets reveals itself not so much an action epic as it is a slapstick comedy in a story of political poseurs, full of elements that encounter difficulty in translation. I do, however, appreciate its odd sense of humor, which could be classified as gallows at times. Example: When […]
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Surfing stalk-arazzi
The Oklahoma City native and former University of Oklahoma star revealed as much during an interview from his car in the Sooner State, according to ESPN.com. The NBA’s Rookie of the Year revealed that he’s not opposed to playing in China or Europe, and the dunking maestro also disclosed that California has some choice waves. […]
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His cups runneth over
The horny-cups are the most expensive find in the history of the show, according to the Washington Post, beating out an 18th century Qianlong Jade collection. The cups’ owner, who understandably wished to remain anonymous, said, “I guess I won’t have to rely on Social Security anymore,” the Post reported. Well, at least somebody now […]
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Dragon riders
In protest to the Chu Dynasty, Chinese poet and scholar Qu Yuan threw himself into the Mi Lo River. But so beloved was he by the local population, fishermen piled into boats and rowed furiously in tandem to try to save him. They did not succeed, but the sport of dragon boating was born. Centuries […]