Last Man Standing

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Best known for making movies about men and violence, director Walter Hill scored a misfire with this ambitious but ultimately dreary remake of Akira Kurosawa's samurai classic Yojimbo. The story's essentially the same but the setting has been switched to a dusty, almost ghostly Texas town in the 1930s, where two rival Chicago gangs are locked in an uneasy truce. Bruce Willis plays the lone drifter who allies himself with both gangs to his own advantage, working both sides against each other according to his own hidden agenda. The violence escalates to a bloody climax, of course, with Christopher Walken, David Patrick Kelly, and Michael Imperioli as trigger-happy lieutenants in a lonely, desolate war. Fans of gangster movies will want to see this, and, if nothing else, Hill has brought his polished style to a vaguely mythic story. It's far from being a classic, however, and although its action is at times masterfully choreographed, the movie's humorless attitude is unexpectedly oppressive. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Remake of a remake.......2007-08-09

First done by Akira Kurosawa (Yojimbo), then Sergio Leone (starring Clint Eastwood - A Fistfull of Dollars) it stands the test of time and the remake with Bruce Willis set in the Depression/Gangster Era. Same story but still a crowd pleaser with plenty of action and gun play.

A Fistfull of Dollars for the Chicago Mob..........2007-08-08

1996's "Last Man Standing" is a remake of the Clint Eastwood classic "A Fistfull of Dollars", itself derivative of an earlier Japanese samurai classic. In this version, Bruce Willis is the mysterious drifter who wanders into a dusty 1930's town in the American Southwest, where two rival gangs from Chicago, one Irish, one Italian, duel over prohibition liquor smuggling from Mexico. As in earlier films, the stranger who calls himself "John Smith" sells his very lethal services to the highest bidder, while the rivalry between the gangs literally becomes a war to the death.

Director Walter Hill is only partially successful in laying down an atmospheric thriller over several gunfight sequences. The respective Irish and Italian gangs seem more like stereotypes than the real thing. Fortunately, the gunfights are nicely staged and excellently choreographed.

Willis is entirely credible as a gunman on the run and down on his luck, injecting his everyman vulnerability into a role more easily played as a heartless killer. A sequence in which "Smith" clears a house of armed gang members, shooting and reloading twin .45 caliber automatic pistols with almost balletic grace, is a highpoint of the movie.

Christopher Walken, pitch-perfect as a psychotic killer for the Irish mob, is "Smith's" most dangerous opponent. The movie implies the two men have a history from Chicago, and their final confrontation will determine the "last man standing." Bruce Dern has a nice supporting role as a corrupt sheriff who waits out the violence to take back an almost deserted town.

This movie is highly recommended as a serviceable action movie. It is too much a copy to become a classic in its own right, but it is certainly entertaining.

Last Man Standing.......2007-07-27

Walter Hill's nod to the gangster and western genres. Bruce Willis rocks, but if you're not into semi cheesy action, steer clear. However, there is Christopher Walken, and who can resist!

Bruce at his best.......2007-07-13

I really enjoyed this movie and don't know how I missed it the first time around. The plot is typical, but the cast always live up to their potential. Fun. I'll watch it again about every six months.

Red Harvest retold through Gun Poetry.......2007-06-29

As far as I know, this makes the second movie produced that's based on Dashiell Hammett's 'Red Harvest' (same guy who wrote The Thin Man and The Maltese Falcon). The first was Kurosawa's 'Yojimbo', which is undoubtedly a classic of Japanese cinema, itself spawning a revolution in American movie making when Sergio Leone began making all of Kurosawa's Samurai flicks into what we now know as Spaghetti Westerns.

If you've seen Yojimbo, or its western rendition `A Fistful of Dollars', and enjoyed either one, then you should get quite a kick out of this Bruce Willis Powered send up to Hammett's first foray into grunge fiction. We already know the story (lonely town, gangs, double crossing, woman, money, gunfights, no good guy just bad guys and indifferent guys), so the delivery is what's going to make the movie.

So how's the delivery? Absolutely Gun-alicious!

The whole movie is quite visceral; the gun fights are reminiscent of John Woo (slightly unrealistic, but convincing) and the dialogue is retailored to match the characters delivery, whether it be quiet and whispered, loud and obnoxious, or just mumbles. Bruce Willis was the perfect choice for the lead, menacing and believable as always. My favorite casting choice was Christopher Walken, the great character actor of our generation. The humor and insanity he brought to `Last Man Standing' is what really tied the whole movie together, and earned it 5 solid stars.

The Bottom Line: Know the history of this movie, and you'll enjoy it all the more.

Average customer rating:

This was a fun new look into the old-style martial-arts movie.
Do the Hustle.
Kung Fu Hustle Review
Great
This is hilarious!

Kung Fu Hustle (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Kwok Kuen Chan , Chi Ling Chiu , Xiao Lung Ding , Zhi Hua Dong , and Xiaogang Feng
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: B0009S4IHY
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Description

Stephen Chow (director and star of Shaolin Soccer) is at it again with his newest action-packed and comedic martial-arts adventure, KUNG FU HUSTLE. From wildly imaginative kung fu showdowns to dance sequences featuring tuxedoed mobsters, you've never seen action this outrageous and characters this zany! With jaw-dropping fight sequences by Yuen Wo Ping (famed action choreographer of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Matrix), KUNG FU HUSTLE will blow you away! In a town ruled by the Axe Gang, Sing (Stephen Chow) desperately wants to become a member. He stumbles into a slum ruled by eccentric landlords who turn out to be kung fu masters in disguise. Sing's actions eventually cause the Axe Gang and the slumlords to engage in an explosive kung fu battle. Only one side will win and only one hero will emerge as the greatest kung fu master of all.

Customer Reviews:

This was a fun new look into the old-style martial-arts movie........2007-09-12

The Axe Gang goes where it wants, does what it wants, and harrasses and oppresses whoever it wants. One day the gang shows up in a small town -- a town which tried to stay out of trouble -- to see about a small disturbance. Instead of imposing its will, the Axe Gang discovers the town's secret: Three Kung Fu masters have taken refuge there, unbeknownst even to each other. With damaged pride and reckless determination, the Axe Gang sets out to eliminate the three masters and take over the town. While the war wages, one enterprising young man tries to gain membership with the Axe Gang.

The movie was made in an entertaining style that is satirical of decades of martial-arts movies. Consider it Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with a sense of humor (I hate to use CTHD as an example, but it seems to be the most well-known movie to use the exagerated fight scenes).

This was so close to being a great movie to me. I really liked it and only have one complaint, and it is minor. One of my favorite elements to the movie was the dancing. It was a perfect element to a martial arts movie. Here was another choregraphed scene, dancing not fighting. And can't we get philosophical and say that in many ways fighting could be viewed as a crude form of dance? (Maybe I'm reaching a little bit there.) But the dancing occurs only when the Axe Gang has its confidence and as soon as it sees there is a legitimate challenger to its power, the dancing stops. And that disappointed me, but like I said before, it is only minor.

The plot is completely outrageous. If you do not like live-action movies with ridiculous story lines, Kung Fu Hustle is not a movie for you. If you want an atypical martial-arts movie that might make you laugh, check it out. I really liked Kung Fu Hustle.

Do the Hustle........2007-06-06

Inventive. Action-packed. Absurd. Hilarious. Touching. Violent. Lively. Smart. And above all else- Superb.

You don't need all of those adjectives to describe a great movie, but you do when describing Stephen Chow's masterpiece Kung Fu Hustle. Taking place in 1940s China, our story involves the hundreds-strong Axe Gang, their efforts to take over the impoverished and dilapidated Pig Sty Alley, and the effects on Pig Sty's tenants. The gang believes taking or Pig Sty will be a cakewalk, but a few of the residents aren't about to let that happen.

Perhaps the most unique thing about the film is how our attention is shifted from one protagonist to another. The first part focuses on three Kung Fu experts (a baker who carries a wooden staff that can shatter metal guns, a hardworking laborer, and a sensitive homosexual tailor). The second part is about Pig Sty's tyrannical chain-smoking landlady and her philandering landlord husband. And the third part concerns a loser (played by Chow) who tries to take up life of crime because of a traumatic childhood incident when he tried to do good deed. I've read critics pan KFH because it lacks one true central character, but I just call it doing something different. Oh well, whatever gets those critics through those long and lonely nights.

Unconventional narrative style aside, there are plenty of other reasons to watch such as the eye popping effects and the humor. Ordinarily, I can't stand CGI, but I really love the way it was used here. Chow succeeds in using it in ways that most American filmmakers can't even dream about. A gut-busting Looney Toons inspred foot chase and a fight with two evil street musicians both have to be seen to be believed. Who needs people like Michael Bay who timidly believes he is pushing the envelope, while Chow demolishes the whole stationery store?

Kung Fu Hustle Review.......2007-06-02

This was a great movie, containing a segment from almost every genre known to man. I loved it. The best parts for me were the fighting scenes, where the action is choreographed to be almost a dance. Most prominent in theis movie is the comedy...after the first 5 or ten minutes...that had me laughing all the way through. Though there was a lot of fighting, it was light on violence. I would recommend this movie to viewers at least ten and up. Totally.

Great.......2007-04-18

As a high level martial artist I have to say this is the greatest martial arts movie since the Seven Samurai.

This is hilarious!.......2007-03-24

I rented this movie from Blockbuster, and after I watched it, I had to have it! This is a well written (of you like spoofs) hilarious movie! I'm also a huge fan of "Shaun of the Dead"! So if you like that type of "off beat" humor, you'll love this movie!

Average customer rating:

Laugh A Minute
Hollywoodized Chop-Socky Send-up
Awesome!
Great entertainment!
A true sleeper of kung fu satire

Kung Fu Hustle (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Kwok Kuen Chan , Chi Ling Chiu , Xiao Lung Ding , Zhi Hua Dong , and Xiaogang Feng
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: B0009UVBQI
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Description

Customer Reviews:

Laugh A Minute.......2007-07-23

Wow! For a movie that is in Cantonese, it is absolutley hilarious. Two misfits, dress up and pretend they are part of the Axe Gang thast run the town. Unknown to them, they walk into a village called Pig Sty Alley, where there are three Kung Fu masters and Two Higher Kung Fu masters who live there. They try to act tough and think they can bully the people. Then the real Axe gang show up and mayhem starts from there. But one of the misfits does not realize that he is also a Kung Fu master and by the end of the movie he has to fight the ultimate evil, and he uses and becomes the Kung Fu Master that he was destined to become. A very funny movie, that has a sweet ending. Subtitles are available in most languages. Watch out for the chase scene, that ends with a big billboard.

Hollywoodized Chop-Socky Send-up.......2007-02-07

There is a local cable station where I live that, late at night, often shows these tedious kung fu films that I can only assume are or were the mainstay for Hong Kong, Taiwan and some main land China film goers. Most of the action is between one or two young assailants and one older defender made up to appear older with white hair, puffy eyebrows and beard.) Foley artists I expect were exhausted after adding loud snaps and bangs to every contact between the fighters who, except for an occasional flip or ricochet off a tree, are fairly earthbound. And it is impossible to deduce from their barely subtitled dialogue what they are fighting about. Also, these battles almost always take place in a forest or rocky glen.
Recent kung fu epics like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Hero; and House of Flying Daggers, to name only a few, have raised the bar both stylistically and in terms of production values. Stephen Chow, director and co-writer of Kung Fu Hustle, has taken the genre one step further: while keeping the high standards in fight choreography, special and trapeze effects, camera work and editing found in the aforementioned films, Chow produces an at first glance comedic kung fu movie that also incorporates American film genres, not only to inject this latter iconography into his story but also to expand the viewer's consciousness of the toll and meaning (or meaninglessness of) violence. It is obvious that Chow is an avid devotee of Hollywood: he appropriates 1930s musicals a la Fred Astaire in the dance Axe Gang leader Brother Sum and his mob do in their stronghold. Pig Sty Alley is a Chinese version a Bowery Boys back alley. Music, both traditional Chinese string orchestra and snippets from Western classical violin concerts, is used as a continuous underscore. And the physical comedy employed in the first half of the film - among them falls from buildings that do not injure, fist distorted features that snap back like rubber, running legs reduced to a cyclonic blur, people moved dozen of yards in less than a blink of an eye - all draw on Hollywood prototypes, especially the cartoons produced by Warner Brothers in the middle of the last century.
While the callous execution of a rival gang in the middle of the street has the expected comic twist and is nonetheless tolerated despite the carnage, the early death of the coolie, tailor and Donut the baker - the three initial defenders of the Pig Sty Alley - come, on reflection, as something of a shock. Who now is going to step up and defend Pig Sty Alley? The landlord and his wife come forward, revealing their mastery of the martial arts that is almost enough to conquer the Beast - almost, but not quite. Their salvation, and Shanghai's deliverance from the murderous tyranny of the Axe Gang is the transformation from street thug and gang wannabe (and secretly noble) Sing (played by director Chow) into a superfighter who finally vanquishes the Beast.
Throughout, the most vicious and powerful kung fu attacks barely graze the combatants, which maintains the sense of comedy even while the good guys are dying. Chow plays with this violent-comic, good-evil dichotomy with a master's touch. And yet on reflection we realize that more than good entertainment is at stake here. The violence is neutralized by the comedy, and yet the characters, who are so well drawn by this talented cast and its director, are taken from us too soon. Kung Fu Hustle plays this crafty game with us: amazing us with special effects-enhanced fight scenes, making us laugh with well timed and conceived comic bits and pratfalls, but in the end leaving us with an odd dissatisfaction, as much with the film as with the genre. Hollywood inspired images transcend the nominal crudeness of run-of-the-mill chop-socky far, but also raise the stakes in that the characters gain dimension, and in doing so leave the view bereft by their passing. While being more cartoonish, Kung Fu Hustle becomes more real.
Hung Fu Hustle comes highly recommended, and we can only hope that its sequel, due out in 2008, lives up to the standards set by this imaginative and unsettling film.

Awesome!.......2007-02-05

Kung Fu Hustle is a brilliant parody of western themes and mindblowing Kung Fu action from start to finish. Several viewings are required to digest all the action and symbolism. The ambiance made me feel like i was in China again, as the tenement house is realistic and authentic (designed by Stephen Chow) plus the music score is of traditional Chinese opera orchestra. Choreography, sets, costumes and colors are magnificent! An unforgettable comedy. The special features are fun and Ric Meyers did a great one on one interview with Stephen Chow, (this is his Masterpiece). You will not believe this (i didn't at first), but this a spiritual movie at a high level. Chow played the bad guy, but later in the movie, found enlightenment. Enjoy!

Great entertainment!.......2006-12-27

Just a blast! You'll never view martial arts the same way.

A true sleeper of kung fu satire.......2006-11-04

I first saw this movie as a rental, and my daughter and I couldn't stop laughing. Having a week on the rental, and a dull week, I watched it again a few days later- something I religiously avoid- and surprising to me, I was laughing as hard as the first time around. As that has never happened before, I heartily recommend this movie for anyone who has seen a Bruce Lee, Jet Li, Jackie Chan, or the more "sophisticated" Crouching Tiger or Flying Dagger movies. This movie has subtle and slapstick humor (e.g., the unremovable cigarette in the matriarch's mouth), but is quite intelligent, and encompasses good cinematography with subtle effects (such as the visually vibrating heat waves as the bad guys first approach the slum village). Yes, it is cartoonish in parts, but is an intelligent cartoon, if that makes sense. I plan to buy a copy now for many future viewings.

Average customer rating:

Miike in decent form here.
what a crazy and violent yakuza story
I reviewed, watched it again, edited it, and for some reason, amazon likes to delete my reviews when I edit them. I got time.
"He walks the savage path alone..."
Another dose of Miike's cinematic medicine

Deadly Outlaw: Rekka
Director: Takashi Miike
Manufacturer: Tokyo Shock
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ASIN: B0002JELR2
Release Date: 2004-09-14

Description

Following the death of his boss, Kunisada embarks upon a journey of revenge against the rival gang who ordered the hit. However, all is not how it seems as Kunisada uncovers the truth behind the shady deals that exist within his own clan. Pursued by two hit men Kunisada finds himself both hunter and the hunted as cross and double cross leads to murder, mayhem and a bazooka!

Customer Reviews:

Miike in decent form here........2007-05-27

Deadly Outlaw Rekka (Takashi Miike, 2002)

Miike returns to his preferred genre, the yakuza flick, with Deadly Outlaw Rekka. (Whether there's a colon in the title seems to be a point of contention depending on who's writing about the film; I chose to leave it out, as it's not in evidence anywhere eon the DVD case.) Riki Takeuchi (The Story of Ricky) plays Kunisada, a gangster out to avenge the death of his boss. The problem is that no one seems to want him to exact that revenge, including the members of his own gang. Things are complicated when Kunisada and his best friend pick up a pair of girls who end up turning into sidekicks, which doesn't make anyone too happy, especially their manager.

It's a Miike movie, and therefore it's good, but it's something of a letdown after the brilliant Black Society trilogy. I should probably stop comparing Miike's yakuza movies to Black Society; they're simply too good. It'd be like comparing all of Clint Eastwood's westerns to Unforgiven. The others are good, and some of them are great, but there's just no comparison. Deadly Outlaw Rekka is to Ley Lines as Pale Rider is to Unforgiven; you'll like both, but if you've seen the latter, you'll recognize that there's something missing in the former. In Rekka, the missing piece is Miike's sense of the absurd; it shows up in places, but it's not integral to the setting and theme. He went for a straight (well, almost straight) action film here, and while Miike is very, very good at action films, we've come to expect something more with our action--comedy (Ichi the Killer), tender father-son relationships (Rainy Dog), grotesque mythical-creature violence (Gozu), or just plain outright off-the-map weirdness (The Bird People in China). When it's just action, well... it's just action, you know? *** ½

what a crazy and violent yakuza story.......2007-05-15

the yakuza families were killing each other by manipulations, distortions and endless betrayals. all the movies that takashi miike directed were ultra violent and extremely deadly. senseless killings were the trademark and the brand name of his products. sometimes when the brutality, insanity, craziness, headstrong boldness, the bloody gory killings in japanese style would also achieve some aethetic beauty that american hollywood only wish to reach by some rough 'natural born killer', 'reservoir dogs', 'scarface(?)', 'good fellas' imitations, or a more sensitive on like 'heat'.
the yakuza, the japanese mafia in the movie is always like american mafia, they can't do anything better and right except by killing each other in endless betrayals. never understand why youngsters are still crazily dreaming become one of them.

I reviewed, watched it again, edited it, and for some reason, amazon likes to delete my reviews when I edit them. I got time........2006-03-26

So I watched this th efirsat time and was dissapointed by how slow it was, so I actually paid attention to the dialog this time and this movie has a decent story. The parts it shines in are those supernatural moments and the funny and then the absoltely hilarious moments. And it is like norm to treat your daughter like that in japan, or is this making fun of trailer trash americans, I was a little bit confused there.

The shootouts kick some serious ass in this and my only real problem was I wish they were just a little longer, because that is exitement.

But now I am gonna say screw reviewing this movie and tell you that THE MUSIC IS OUSTSTANDING IN THIS. Some of the words I heard were in English but the sound definitely sounds american, but they could be a japanese band for all I know. The music was a little underused but REALLY amped up the action scenes.

So all in all an average gangster movie with weeird things happening that you will be very pleased with if you are a fan of great cinema.

Also if you people who have seen this and seem to have an understanding over this movie than please tell me what the hell happens at the end of this not when the dude says rock on and the cridts roll, but what the hell happened it that scene, I just got the sense that it was unplanned, but still not too bad of an ending.

Also, was this made before or after the movie collateral?
BUT GIVE ME MORE OF JAPAN'S BLACK SABBATH AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

"He walks the savage path alone...".......2005-08-09

When Kunisada's mob boss/father figure is murdered Kunisada wants revenge but his gang wants to call a truce to prevent an all out war. Kunisada is angered by their cowardly actions and back stabbings so he just goes ballistic and kills the hell out of everybody.

Very cool movie and one of Takashi Miike's best overall efforts especially the action scenes...absolute perfection. The garage fight scene alone is worth watching the movie, but fortunately you get more action scenes including the last 15 minutes of the movie.

And don't forget the performances, Riki Takeuchi is cool, but my favorite is Renji Ishibashi! I love that guy he always steals the show. Check out his facial expressions, especially when he sees Rekka in the hospital! Man I laughed so hard I had to rewind the movie.

Thank you Mr. Miike for making such entertaining movies.

Another dose of Miike's cinematic medicine.......2004-12-07

Takashi Miike is known for making a plethora of Yakuza movies, and DEADLY OUTLAW REKKA proves this is a subject he has finely tuned and honed. It's not as balls-out surreal as some of his other movies, favoring a slightly more accessible approach to the gangster genre. But DEADLY OUTLAW does contain some of the dirty grittiness, violence, story exposition, fascinating characters, and cynical humor he's famous for--just not in large doses.

One of the things DEADLY OUTLAW establishes from the beginning, like in most of Miike's films, is suspension of disbelief--a hard thing to accomplish under any circumstances. But that's one of the things that makes this movie so fun since he's so darn good at it. You know after the first 10 minutes you're in for a wild ride, one that'll defy logic, but unpredictable and entertaining nonetheless--something most Hollywood directors/producers could use a lesson in.

The only unaccessible things in this movie are scenes that might seem a bit superfluous at times, but really they're just Miike's sense of humor barely shining through--it's much more cynical and less in your face this time around, and really requires someone accustomed to his brand of film making to catch. But when you do, it's brilliant and totally worth the price of admission.

The structure is similar to DEAD OR ALIVE for those of you familiar with his other Yakuza cult hit: a high-adrenaline opener, followed by a toned-down middle for character exposition, and finished with an unflinchingly insane finale that'll confuse as much as pump you up.

Overall, I'd recommend this to both fans of Miike and those who just like a good, interesting, fun action film.

Average customer rating:

Una pelicula que refleja una triste realidad
The True New Generation Life in Venezuela!
Sicario
Strong Latin American crime film
brilliant

Sicario: Assassin for Hire
Starring: Laureano Olivares , Herman Gil , Néstor Terán , Melissa Ponce , and Gledys Ibarra
Director: José Ramón Novoa
Manufacturer: Urban Vision
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00009MGG9
Release Date: 2003-07-29

Description

On the streets of Colombia, a young boy named Jairo takes on a job as a hired assassin - a "sicario." When Jairo decides he's had enough, he soon learns that there is no such thing as an easy way out

Customer Reviews:

Una pelicula que refleja una triste realidad .......2006-01-02

No dejo de sorprenderme con los cambios que han surguido con el cine venezolano. La pelicula cuenta con una buena historia, buena trama, excelentes actores que plasman en la pantalla la cruda realidad de la juventud en sur america. Pobres de todo, el hambre, la miseria, el sistema le dan a esta pelicula una historia de muchas historias terribles de jovenes que no sobreviven los 24 años de edad. Excelente produccion se quedan cortos los elojios y por eso los tantos premios. No dejen de verla. El personaje de Jairo y su madre son expectaculares sumamente reales. Hay que apoyar producciones como esta.

The True New Generation Life in Venezuela!.......2004-09-29

Is is the true life of the young generation in Venuzuela.
The director Jose Ramon Novoa's SICARIO (Il Maestro in Venezuela)show to all of us how the poverty (Barrio's Family) react against the rich. And the corruption of the Police, fitting in all dirty life of the city.
Novoa's put toghere older and youngers as sicarios to kill politicos friend, just for a cause to be on top of the power.
Jairo (Laureano Olivarez) young actor, seem director like is talent, also in the movie "Oro Diablo", for is young age, he give us, exellent job when he linked the contact he made with the head of guerrillas, who they traffic army,cocaine and well trained young sicarios.
Tipic life out Caracas City. In the barrio's where the poverty strangoled all young and desperately with no guide they find wrong world to survive.
Spectacular Movie.
Beautiful and rich in some part of the movie where the Director Novoa's teach the all young actors, life is not easy.
Young should be strong, decisive, men's characters to understain that will be the only one way you can survive.
The decision is also to belive the potential of the new generation and they should thing kill is not the write thing to project the future!
One of the best films I've ever seen since "The Lady of The Assasin" ( Colombian Movie).
For same young in Venezuela life is "Gold Gift of the God", but for the youngers in the Barrio's "The survive is the firs issue of the sunshine".
Enjoy the Movie!

Francesco V Pistorio
Washington DC
Sept 28/2004

Sicario.......2004-09-26

Sicario is a Venezuelan film and not Colombian. Moreover, the entire film was done in diferent Venezuelan cities. Critic experts should do more research before posting reviews.
The movie is spectacular.

Strong Latin American crime film.......2004-05-28

Another strong entry in the Latin American crime film sub-genre, Jose Ramon Novoa's Sicario, set in Bogota, is a riveting thriller which, though somewhat formulaic, makes the most of its emphasis on how poverty drives people to acts of desperation.

As is true of several crime films set in Latin America (City of God, Johnny One Hundred Pesos, and others), Sicario centers on street youths who resort to crime to bring in the money they have so little of. Here, Jairo, 13 or 14, lives with his mother, younger brother, and an even younger sister. He quickly falls in with an older youth who eventually brings him to a contact linked to the guerillas (one suspects FARC, although it could be another group) who are heavy traffickers in cocaine, one of Colombia's premier cash crops, unfortunately.

Eventually conscripted to the inner sanctum of a top drug lord, Jairo is assigned to assassinate a key political figure. This occurs after he's dispatched two or three lower level politicos and the drug lord is sure he can do the job. In the midst of his violent activity and occasional visits to whorehouses, he finds time to be with his girlfriend for whom, as is true of his mother, he gives most of his ill-gotten gains.

Every act of violence seen in the film is critical to the plot, and the actors do an excellent job conveying the characters they portray. The director has some cinematic tricks up his sleeve but does not overuse them; the viewer senses Novoa is a smart filmmaker who knows his craft well.

Colombia's film output is relatively low, but this is certainly one of the best films from that country.

Recommended.

brilliant.......2003-10-25

One of the best films I've ever seen. I couldn't even move, it got me from begining to end.

Man Against the Mob: The Chinatown Murders

Average customer rating:

A different look
WARNING: do not pay more than $1.00 for this film
Very Good TV Movie - A Modern 1940's Film
Man with the Movie

Man Against the Mob: The Chinatown Murders
Starring: Norman Alden , Ursula Andress , Jason Beghe , Richard Bradford , and Tom Everett
Director: Michael Pressman
Manufacturer: Trinity Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0002S64XM
Release Date: 2004-08-03

Customer Reviews:

A different look .......2007-01-04

I loved the movie. Definately a B movie, but funny and reminds me a lot of the A-team- though people do get hurt. I just watched it because I wanted to see Peppard in another role other than Hannible and I laughed all the way through the movie.

WARNING: do not pay more than $1.00 for this film.......2006-11-03

This is a fun, lame-brain, B-grade 1940's gumshoe thriller--perfect for vegging out, or for a lazy weekend afternoon. If you found it in the bargain barrel at the Dollar Store (as I did), then you have a pretty good idea of what you are getting.

Called "Man Against the Mob: The Chinatown Murders," it seem to have been a pilot either for a series or a serial Movie of the Week. I was impressed with the costuming, and the vintage autos. It would have been helpful to have period slang (you got to read the pulps to replicate this), and I could not help but laugh at the modern cranes in the background of the wharf scenes.

Although a European edit, you can see the AHEM scenes coming, and fast forward. By the way, why don't we have an equivalent of "mute" for the picture?

The strangest aspect of this is seeing George Peppard's hair and eyebrows dyed black. Being filmed in 1988, the year after the A-Team was cancelled, Peppard was looking for work. So I have these images of an almost "snow white" Hannibal Smith, then he changes to a dapper "tall, dark, and, handsome" cop, with an older face. It seems like he wanted to go back to the "Breakfast At Tiffany's."

So if you are a fan of Filme Noir Lite, Sam Spade, George Peppard, or Fu Manchu--and you find it in the Bargain Barrel, then go for it.

Very Good TV Movie - A Modern 1940's Film.......2006-01-22

Man Against the Mob: The Chinatown Murders is a surprisingly good movie that anticipates the upcoming neo-noir/crime films like L.A. Confidential and Mulholland Falls (both of which came out 6 or 7 years after this one). While it may not be up to the level of those two films (it was a TV movie, after all), it isn't all that far off, either.

The script is actually fairly tight with some snappy dialogue, and the plot is also first rate for a TV movie. George Peppard is perfectly cast as the tough as nails cop heading the anti-organized crime squad in L.A. His performance is just right for the movie, and the supporting actors all do a fine job as well.

The sets, cars, and wardrobe all come across as authentic 1940's L.A. - except some high tension wire riggings across the docks in one shot. Other than that one flaw the movie really captures the atmosphere of the late 40's really well. The score is noteworthy as well - some really good Jazz written by Artie Kane.

Overall, Man Against the Mob: The Chinatown Murders is a great buy at under $10. If you like 40's film noir or crime movies, definitely check this one out. It may not be great, but it is good - and it is very entertaining.

Man with the Movie.......2005-10-29

This was a good TV movie that I suspect was expanded a little for theatre reliece. Some nudity was added in the 'Club' scene. George Peppard plays an old clean cop in a late 1940s LA. The costuming and cars were very good and all the acting was interesting. For a cheep movie, I would get it again. By todays standards, everyone smoked too much.

Average customer rating:

A Treasure For Fans
Terrible . . .
Great Sammo Hung film
Sammo at his usual best
Beyond The Dragon

Enter the Fat Dragon
Starring: Wah Cheung , Ngai Hung Chik , Fat Chung , Feng Feng , and Ging Man Fung
Manufacturer: Crash Cinema Media
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 6305511675
Release Date: 2000-02-08

Amazon.com

Fans of Sammo Hung's TV series, Martial Law, will enjoy Enter the Fat Dragon, the second film Hung himself directed. He plays a young pig farmer who idolizes Bruce Lee and comes to Hong Kong to work in a food stall with his uncle. In no time at all he finds himself brawling with a crew of street toughs, whom he dispatches with dazzling skill--but unfortunately wrecking his uncle's stall at the same time. From there, the plot involves a millionaire art expert with three powerful bodyguards and a long-lost girlfriend, who just happens to be a waitress at the restaurant where Hung starts working as a dishwasher. But it doesn't matter if the story is nonsense--the point is the spectacular fight scenes and broad jokes. It's amazing to watch cheerful, roly-poly Hung whirl and kick with devastating speed; somehow his girth makes his skill all the more impressive. In one scene, Hung gets hired as an extra for a kung fu movie with a Bruce Lee imitator. Unsurprisingly, Hung is disappointed in the fake's abilities and teaches him--and the rest of the stunt crew--how it's done. The scene is not only a tremendous display of fighting prowess, it's also a charming depiction of a young man who clings with childlike wonder to his idols, and yearns to achieve the same glory. Perhaps it's a bit of a self-portrait. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

A Treasure For Fans.......2006-05-22

I never thought it would work but Sammo Hung does a fantastic Bruce Lee imitation in this film. But not of the lame parody kind. He really does move fast and performs many of the techniques and mannerisms of the man himself. Not only that, he does a lot of other fighting styles as well. The goofy comedy is great too. This is one of the few unique kind of movies that is fun to watch and not take too seriously.

Terrible . . . .......2005-11-08

Terribly charming, that is. Sammo Hung portrays a starstruck Bruce Lee fan, imitating him down to the haircut and monkey-like shrieks. Otherwise a simple-minded man, he displays throughout the movie Bruce Lee-like fighting prowess which, coming from a man his size, is hilarious to behold. The storyline is crap, there's no two ways about it, but the content is what makes it great. The various stupid moments (Sammo trying to buy sunglasses that look like a Bruce Lee picture, the millionaire's "revenge" daydreams, any time Sammo goes into Bruce Lee mode, the terrible english, the Black-faced Asian) are incredibly corny and fun to watch.

Not only that, but the action scenes are actually decent. Normally I hate watching Bruce Lee's fight scenes, finding them FAR too contrived and silly, but Sammo manages to pull it off quite well. Maybe it's his funny and intense charisma, I don't know. Not only that, but Sammo even chooses to integrate some traditional Kung Fu fight scenes in the movie, bringing its worth in my eyes way up.

The movie harkens back to the days when heros were idealized and worshipped, something severely lacking in today's society, with the dirt sheets and Hollywood scandals appearing everywhere. Chuck Norris did a similar theme with Sidekicks, and ideal heros, unfortunately, has become a dying breed of people. Something that endears the movie to me is that there's little swearing and the violence is surprisingly non-violent. Sure there are kung fu punches and kicks and the like, but the reactions are always almost Loony Toon-ish in their reaction, the victims having huge and goofy-looking sores where they were hit. And other than a single sex joke at the beginning of the movie, it's surprisingly clean, resorting to slapstick and farce for it's humor.

So why am I giving it only three stars? Firstly, the movie quality is terrible in every aspect. It's easily seen that there was no budget for the movie (blackfaced Asian? What the hell?), although that definitely added to the campy silliness. Secondly, the video quality is horrible. The DVD claims to have it remastered, but it's incredibly grainy and looks antiquated, with even some marker markings showing up in some stills. The subtitles, as well, are pale and fuzzy white, making them really hard to see a lot of the time. Thank god the movie's plot is unimportant.

Great Sammo Hung film.......2004-12-14

a classic film that makes fun of all the Brucexploitation in Chinese Cinema in the 70's and early 80's. The movie is very funny and is a well done spoof. The plot is very similar to Bruces Return of the Dragon - a young country boy traveling to the city to help out a restaurant and running into trouble with local gangster types. Sammos hero in the movie is Bruce Lee and he does a great job copying all of the moves(occasionally throwing in some of his own)and can pretty much whip everybody until he runs into three bodyguards - one white dude(an expert in boxing), one chinese dude(an expert in kung fu), and one black/chinese dude(an expert in karate) this is when the movie
steps up the martial arts - the final fight scenes are very well
done as well. A great addition to any kung fu movie collection and a must for any Sammo Hung fan.

Sammo at his usual best.......2002-07-30

Sammo may not look like Bruce Lee, but he sure does the best impression I've ever seen. Sammo holds his own with a few of Bruce Lee's famous moves mixed in with his own style of martial arts. At first this movie seems aged and low budget, but you soon forget that as the story develops and you see Sammo's skills come to life. It's a martial arts classic, a homage to Bruce and a must have for any fan of the genre.

Beyond The Dragon.......2002-04-29

I purchased this DVD because I love the richness and exemplary performance of Sammo Hung. My previous experience with Sammo includes Millionaire's Express and The Magnificent Butcher.

Enter the Fat Dragon is a befitting tribute to Master Bruce Lee by his friend Sammo Hung.

Sammo plays a loveable, eager, and starstruck fan. Bruce Lee is everything to him. Believably Bruce Lee-obsessed and fixated to do the right thing by the people he loves, Sammo's character more or less causes more problems than good.

While the movie was a blast to watch, the people who released this DVD are falsely advertising its quality. This is the only reason I didn't give this a 5-star rating. The DVD states this is a "remaster" but the film has an annoying graininess. The English subtitles also included several misspellings and at times were not always in plain view.

I may not be an expert on the technology of film, but the image quality should have turned out way better than it did.

Customer Reviews:

A good sonny chiba movie, but pretty boring for a while.......2006-07-22

But I made it through it. It starts off with Masutatsu Oyama coming to compete in the first martial arts tournament after World war II. Though a fictional account, the movie is overall very dark and tries to hit on some key points in Oyama's life. KArate Bullfighter is the other name of this movie and if you know about the life of Masutatsu Oyama, then you will be familiar with that name. Though very cheesy and a bit boring, their is a badly done, but good story in here. The very end is short and sweet but overall the final fight is pretty dam good.

DVD quality offered by Good times Entertainment is acceptable and sound quality is fine and dubbing is pretty funny.

Champion of Death.......2003-05-25

Champion of Death is one of the best action films you will ever see.It's true.Period.Story is based not only on life of Oyama Masutatsu,few episodes taken from tales about Miyamoto Musashi.
Cinematography is good.Stylish and expressive.Fights not to modern taste,but great!You can't go wrong with this movie.Watch it.It's has real kyokushinkai masters after all,do you need something more??!!

Mas Oyama's life story.......2003-04-08

Sonny Chiba is both an accomplished actor and martial artist. He holds dan rank in both Kyokushin karate and Nippon Shorinji Kempo.

Back in the 70's Chiba made two biographical films about the life of the founder's of each of those arts. The film about So Doshin, founder of Shorinji Kempo, was released in the U.S. with the idiotic title "The Killing Machine." A terrible misnomer about the life of a truly great man who was anything but a killer or a machine.

Chiba's film about Sosai Mas Oyama, founder of Kyokushin karate, is equally mistitled here as "Champion of Death." I believe I read somewhere that the film was also released in English under a different, and equally silly, title called "The God Hand."

Of the two films, the one about Master So Doshin is the better of the lot, but fans of Karate generally and of Oyama karate in particular will not want to be without "Champion of Death."
There is actual footage at the beginning of the film of a Japanese Kyokushin training class on a beach, and there is even a 10-15 second close up of Sosai himself executing Seiken tsuki!

Chiba does a reasonably good job with portraying Oyama's life, though I suspect some of this is embellished (the rape scene, I hope!) for cinematic purposes.

My one complaint is that although the DVD is dubbed into English, there are several places where Japanese signs or texts are shown that are crucial to scenes in the film but they are left untranslated and unspoken in English.

Not his best.......2001-10-30

Not a very good movie. I've seen a lot of martial arts movies, so I'm used to the crazy story lines, but this one was pretty bad. The action was okay, but I got a headache watching the scene where Sonny fights the bull. They tried to make it so you were right there in the action, but the result is just a long segment of very jerky shots, which got annoying after awhile. The transfer was pretty poor, so the picture isn't really that good. If you really want to see Sonny Chiba in action, doing what he does best, get the Streetfighter series. With a title like Champions of Death, I expected to see more action.

Sonny Chiba, master of Karate, or master of livestock?.......2000-07-06

"Champion of Death" chronicles the life of a hero by the same name. Sonny Chiba brings an inspiring performance of a lifetime in a movie that keeps audiences coming back asking, "What just happenned?". The depth of his character pulling beyond the cliche roles of karate masters that Sonny is often cast. He now portrays teacher, serogate father, farmer, and evil rapist. The film climaxes as Sonny, in a drunken stupor kills a man only to find that his "fists of fury" carry consequences and that some people you maliciously kill have families. Families who become quite hungry when there is no father to bring home food. The film answers the questions other martial arts films have neglected. It also helped Sonny Chiba to finally be recognized by the Hollywood Walk of Fame, that is the walk of fame in our hearts.

Karate Bullfighter - Kenka Karate Kyokushin Ken

Average customer rating:

ridiculous~!!!!!
The Legendary Mas. Oyama Life Story Movie

Karate Bullfighter - Kenka Karate Kyokushin Ken
Starring: Sonny Chiba
Director: Kazuhiko Yamaguchi
Manufacturer: Adness
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0002YLDS2
Release Date: 2004-12-28

Description

Oyama arrives in tatter rags to compete in a karate tournament. When an entrepreneur wants to groom the young fighter for the big leagues, Oyama rejects his offer. Oyama denounces martial arts after killing a gang leader in a bar fight and goes to work on a farm. But deep down, Oyama knows he can't turn his back on martial arts so he returns to the city. When an assassin is hired to stop Oyama from re-entering the world of martial arts, Oyama must take revenge on those who try to stop him.

Customer Reviews:

ridiculous~!!!!!.......2005-01-27

I was so dissapointed with these ridiculous films (series) made by a Japanese large famous movie studio TOEI. I am a Japanese, and I have black belt in Kyokushin. I was a Oyama's student. So, I bought these movie series, and watched them. What a cheap crap movies~! if you really want to see Mas Oyama's Karate, buy one from Media 8. Do not wast time and money on these movies. OSU~!

The Legendary Mas. Oyama Life Story Movie.......2005-01-18

This is a great movie on the life of the greatest Karate master who ever lived, Mas. Oyama. Oyama created the powerful "Kyokushin" style of Karate in the 1950's and it is popular around the world today as a real fighting Karate style. Sonny Chiba(who was a real life student of Oyama) really did a great job portraying his mentor in this entire triology series. The other two films are "Karate Bearfighter" and "Karate For Life", also available here at Amazon. Highly recommended!

Average customer rating:

Man Against the Mob: Chinatown Murders
Starring: Norman Alden , Ursula Andress , Jason Beghe , Richard Bradford , and Tom Everett
Director: Michael Pressman
Manufacturer: Trinity Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000JMKJXW
Release Date: 2007-01-01

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