Now we live in an age where Direct-to-DVD isn’t necessarily the kiss of death. Movies like Fight Night and Smokin’ Aces 2: Assassin’s Ball prove that you can produce great movies without having a huge budget and still get them out to an audience that will appreciate them. Unfortunately, not every movie can be a masterpiece. And the Direct-to-DVD market still has some stinkers.
Ninja stars Scott Adkins as Casey and Tsuyoshi Ihara as Masazuka – two martial arts students learning the ways of the ninja in a remote dojo in Japan. When Masazuka breaks the rules and attacks Casey with a real sword (not a wooden one) during a demonstration, he is kicked out of the school to find his own way. Like any bad seed, he finds his way back again to take his revenge and take the ancient ninja treasures locked in an ancient box. Casey must stop his old school mate from taking what isn’t his.
The plot isn’t anything we haven’t seen before, going back to the Ninja and American Ninja movies of the 1980s, which I have to admit I watched as I was growing up. Back then the good guys even wore white ninja apparel sometimes to set them apart from the bad ninjas, who always wore black. No such luck in this film.
I think that the lack of any originality was my biggest problem with this incarnation of Ninja. There just wasn’t much to hold on to. The plot could come from any bad martial arts movie of the 1980s. The fight choreography was ok, but not spectacular. The gratuitous blood spraying everywhere as limbs and heads were sliced off was pushing it a bit too far. One bright spot was the use of a crutch as a staff during a fight on a subway where Namiko (Mika Hijii) broke a guy’s arm. Pretty sad when that was the high point.
Adkins isn’t the best actor, but he was certainly in amazing physical shape for this movie. He did his level best during all the fight scenes to make them exciting. And it was difficult to fault all the Japanese-speaking characters for their performances as the typical staid, strong, silent warriors they portrayed. But as I sat through this movie, the lack of emotion from everyone involved almost put me to sleep.
There were no extras, just a few trailers for other First Look Studios films on DVD such as Lost City Raiders and Triangle.
If you’re in the market for a ninja movie, I’d look for 2009′s Ninja Assassin on DVD (March 16, 2010) from the Wachowski brothers and director James McTeigue. The fights were even more bloody, but much more original in their choreography.
–Fitz
p.s. Pick up this and other Ninja movies at Amazon below!
I thought this was interesting. Saw the new Karate Kid trailer from Sony Pictures starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan. It doesn’t look as bad as I expected. As a child of the 80′s, I remember the first one and it’s tough to forget “wax on, wax off” even after all these years.
Have to admit I like the chopsticks, fly, flyswatter scene.
Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon is the one I will always remember as my first glimpse into the realm of martial arts movies. Since then, we’ve seen many others take the formula and attempt to change it to make it seem fresh and new. Most American attempts to do so have failed miserably (except for maybe Bloodsport with Jean-Claude Van Damme, which is a guilty pleasure) over the last 35 years for me.
Back in 1997, Todd McFarlane’s anti-hero Spawn came to the big screen. Though Spawn was not a great film, for me it always stood out as having some great things about it. John Leguizamo played the demented clown with some great one-liners, and relative unknown Michael Jai White starred as Al Simmons, the soldier who becomes Spawn. I always thought White did a great job with the role (as did Leguizamo), but I can’t say I remember him in anything since then.
Blood and Bone takes care of that situation nicely, and I hope signals the beginning of a resurgence in martial arts movies about more than wire work and fight choreography. White plays a character simply known as “Bone,” who has recently been released from prison and finds himself quickly drawn into the underground world of street fighting in Los Angeles. These street fights are not boxing matches – this is mixed martial arts at its most raw. Bone must fight to survive and work his way up the ladder to the top.
The biggest thing that impressed me about this direct-to-DVD offering from Sony Pictures was the slow reveal of the story. Yes, there are plenty of short, violent fights to tide over most fans of martial arts films. But as you learn more about Bone and why he’s doing what he’s doing, it made me think back to the era of John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. Lone heroes coming out of nowhere, wading into a fight simply because it would be wrong to do otherwise.
Bone is a mystery. At the beginning of the film, you don’t know what to think of him more than “dang, that guy can fight!” But by the end, you have a better appreciation of what he’s had planned all along. White portrayed the solid, yet mysterious Bone extremely well. He was amazing in the fight sequences, but also has some nice emotional moments and even a couple of funny ones.
Starring alongside White are Julian Sands as underworld arms merchant and fight promoter Franklin McVeigh and Eamonn Walker as James, a mob boss with higher career goals. Sands has made a career out of playing great bad guys throughout the years and Walker has played great roles in films such as Cadillac Records and the TV-series Oz. Sands may have been a bit of overkill for his part, but I thought Walker did a great job in his role. James is a bad man who believed he was doing what needed to be done, and that made him much more believable.
Blood and Bone isn’t anything like the martial arts films of Jackie Chan or Chow Yun Fat, which tend to focus more on humor or the grace and magic of the ancient Chinese world. White shows a Hollywood approximation of street fighting. And with the popularity of mixed martial arts on the rise, his movie seems well timed to ride that swell of interest.
White has been around martial arts for most of his life and holds multiple black belts in Shotokan, Tae Kwon Do, Kobudo, and other styles. His overall style merges qualities of his combined experience, making him a very dangerous opponent. But it’s his appreciation for martial arts and how they’re portrayed in mass media that really sets him apart. He didn’t just want to make a martial arts movie. He wanted to make a good movie that just also happened to have martial arts in it.
But White isn’t the only skilled martial artist in the cast. Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson, Bob “The Beast” Sapp, Tanoai Reed, Gina Carano, and Ernest “The Cat” Miller are among the fiercest fighters in MMA today. Seeing these folks fight during the film is like watching a “who’s who” of some of the popular figures in the sport. Gina Carano is a serious contender in the women’s mixed martial arts fighting circuit was the Gladiator “Crush” in the most recent incarnation of American Gladiators. And she’s attracted the attention of Steven Soderbergh in the lead role of his upcoming film Knockout.
You could tell even the crew was behind this film 100% when you watch the feature “Breaking the Mold: Behind the Scenes of Blood and Bone.” This was a labor of love for everyone from the actors to the screenwriter and even the cameramen. Everyone involved wanted this movie done right.
Other features include a sneak peek at Black Dynamite, an upcoming comedy starring White, and commentary from director Ben Ramsey, White, Dante Basco (played “Pinball” in the film, a loud-mouthed sarcastic fight promoter), Michelle Belegrin (the troubled girl Angela), and cinematographer Roy Wagner.
Blood and Bone most likely won’t win many awards, but it’s a solid movie that provides some great fight choreography and a backstory that gives the violence a reason. Definitely not for the kids due to the violence and language, but worth seeing in my book. If you like MMA or martial arts movies, be sure to check it out at your favorite online or brick-and-mortar retailer when it’s released on September 15, 2009.
–Fitz
p.s. Check out this and other great martial arts flicks below:
It’s no secret that I’m just a big kid masquerading as an adult. And I’ve quite often told my family that if I ever get to the point where I can’t enjoy cartoons, that they might as well put me out of my misery. So I’ve been looking forward to Scooby-Doo and the Samurai Sword since it was announced a few months ago.
If you’ve missed the Scooby Doo phenomenon for the last 40 years or so, it boils down to a core set of characters:
Scooby Doo is a goofy dog who can talk (sort of) and has a few personality quirks (overeating, scaredy-cat, and so on)
Scooby hangs out with Shaggy, a free spirit who shares Scooby’s personality quirks
and Fred, a clueless ex-jock who pretends to be the brains of the outfit
Scooby and the gang call themselves “Mystery, Inc.” and travel the world solving or debunking various mysteries. Whenever possible, they drive around in Fred’s van (aka “The Mystery Machine”) that has survived since the ’60s.
Rating:
Occasionally, the gang gets a chance to take a vacation. In this case, Daphne was invited to take part in a martial arts competition in Japan and her friends tagged along for moral support. And, as always, they find themselves smack dab in the middle of a mystery.
The ghost of the Black Samurai has evidently risen to return to the land of the living. If he finds the Doom Sword, he can regain his body and begin to conquer the world again. Of course, Scooby and gang have to find the sword before the bad guy does.
Unfortunately, in some ways Scooby and the gang probably should have stayed home rather than head to Japan…
If there’s a cliche’ about Japan, I think they managed to fit it into this movie. If you’ve ever seen Bruce Lee‘s Enter the Dragon, the secluded island for the martial arts tournament seems all too familiar. If you like fortune cookies, you’ve probably heard “The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.” And obviously if you’re in Japan, you must do some origami…
Now, that doesn’t mean that this movie is a complete waste. I found myself laughing out loud when Shaggy & Scooby managed to pull a Bugs Bunny-style routine with a group of cannibals and a big soup pot. With some quick thinking, the buddies managed to convince the chief to get into the pot.
And in another scene, the Indiana Jones fan in me felt appeased as the gang found themselves rushing through ancient booby traps. As the darts flew from the walls and the giant pillars rose and fell, the homage fit in with the traditional Scooby chase scene.
But even if you look past the cliches, there are other little things. There’s an animated fight sequence between Daphne and Miyumi after the gang arrives at the tournament island that’s just filled with sloppy animation. Little things like a leg bending or stretching the wrong way really take me out of the moment.
The kicker for me was reading the text on the back of the DVD box… “Scooby and Shaggy are indoctrinated by an unlikely sword master who teaches them Boshido, the Way of the Samurai.” If you’re going to talk about Bushido, you should probably spell it correctly.
In addition to the movie on the DVD, there’s also a feature called “Scooby-Doo Dojo” that walks kids through a bit of background on martial arts, stretching, and some safe, simple, and defensive martial arts moves. All too often I think kids have the wrong idea about martial arts and this is a great way to show them some basic blocks without having them trying to chop their way through every fight.
This isn’t a bad story, but I was disappointed by the little things I noted earlier and will only give it 2 out of 4 stars. I know my girls (ages 4 and enjoyed it, though my youngest was a bit scared by the Black Samurai and his use of theatrics (smoke, lightning, thunder). So though the movie is unrated and meant for kids, I’d watch with the younger ones if they get scared easily.
If you missed Scooby-Doo and the Samurai Sword, be sure to check it out on DVD at a rental or video store near you if you (or your kids) are fans of Scooby Doo cartoons!
–Fitz
p.s. Pick up Scooby-Doo and the Samurai Sword at your local video store or at Amazon:
Why did this film not make it to the theater anywhere I could see it?
Redbelt, about a martial arts instructor Mike Terry (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor), was released in May 2008 and was out on DVD not too long after that. Though it received some critical acclaim, it has been panned by many reviewers all over the net.
Rating:
I honestly didn’t think it was bad at all. I enjoyed the philosophical aspect of this David Mamet production. Mamet both wrote and directed this movie, about a martial arts instructor drawn into a movie production and suffers the consequences of bad people making bad decisions.
Jiu-jitsu is the art of grappling with a bit of wrestling throwin in for good measure. Terry has a small school where he teaches mostly cops the art of close combat. Occasionally he gets other students (such as the lawyer in the movie) and teaches them not only the martial art, but how to have more control over their own lives.
This was a movie that dealt with poor choices in the face of holding true to your life philosophy. Terry’s philosophy was “There’s always a way out. You just have to find it.”
Was this a great movie? Not really. Was it as horrible as many people seem to think? I don’t think so.
What did I like? The martial arts were real. The relationships that Mike Terry had with his students were real. Where it started to fall apart was in the relationships with the movie people. Somehow Tim Allen managed to play a slimy movie actor trying to hold on to a failing career. But Cyril Takayama as the magician was amazing. He kept things interesting in a few places where the action slowed to a crawl.
What didn’t I like? It seemed to drag a bit (did I already mention that? ). The battle at the end, though well choreographed, dragged long enough that it lost some of its effectiveness. All of the mixed martial arts bits were more than a little boring as well. And the stories seemed to be a little bit of a hodge podge.
Ultimately it boiled down to Ejiofor’s performance, which I thought was excellent if a little subdued at times. But I could identify with trying desperately to live your life by your rules.
I’m giving this a solid 2.5/4. If you enjoy more philosophical martial arts movies than actual combat footage, this movie is for you. If not, it’s not the best Mamet film I’ve seen. It’s nice to see Ejiofor in a lead role after his role in Serenity. He’s a great actor with a powerful presence on screen.
–Fitz
p.s. If you want to check out this movie on DVD, check the following Amazon links:
It was my pleasure recently to watch Fist of Legend in its Two-Disc Ultimate Edition from Dragon Dynasty. This 1994 film starring Jet Li and Chin Siu-Ho teams them with a brilliant fight choreographer, Yuen Wo-ping (who also choreographed Tai Chi Master and The Matrix), for a brilliant combination of story and martial arts prowess. As if that weren’t enough, this movie is also a tribute to Bruce Lee‘s classic movie The Chinese Connection.
Rating:
Before I get into the plot of this great story, I would be remiss if I didn’t talk a bit about the history that sets the stage. In 1937, the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) invaded and attacked China. They started with Beiping and Tianjin, then reinforced and attacked Shanghai, eventually taking it after a hard fought battle with the Chinese. Over the next few years, fighting continued and horrible losses were suffered on all sides.
Fist of Fury begins with Chen Zhen (Jet Li), a Chinese student in Japan, discovering that his Master Huo back in Shanghai had been defeated by the Japanese in a challenge. Chen Zhen headed back to Shanghai to investigate his master’s death.
Over the course of the story, we see Li always trying to do what’s best for his Master’s school and for China. This puts him squarely in the sights of the Japanese, who do their best to make his and his friends’ lives very difficult. Eventually, Chen Zhen sacrifices himself to avoid further bloodshed.
As a martial artist, Jet Li is among those at the top of my list. Bruce Lee will always be #1. Jet Li is #2. And Jackie Chan is #3. All three are amazing to watch. And this movie solidifies Jet Li’s position as the greatest living martial artist of our time for me.
Where else can you see Jet Li fight blindfolded during one battle, fight with a belt against an opponent with a katana, and hardly break a sweat until the final battle of the movie? He was at the top of his form for this film (not that he isn’t now, but he’s not doing this type of movie any longer).
And unlike Tai Chi Master, there is no obvious wire work done. Most of the amazing fight choreography is simply that — amazing choreography with a cast of unbelievable martial artists.
This two-DVD set will be available on Tuesday, September 9. The discs include:
An interview with Japanese Action Legend Kurata Yasuaki
A screen fighting seminar from the Kurata Action School
Commentary from director Brett Ratner and critic Elvis Mitchell
A set of five deleted scenes
It’s jam-packed with martial arts movie goodies. And, this is the unrated version at 103 minutes. If you are a martial arts movie fan or a fan of Jet Li’s, this movie is a must have for your collection!
I was recently given a rare treat to review – a martial arts movie made in the early 1990s starring Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh. Tai Chi Master, also known as Tai ji: Zhan San Feng, was directed by Yuen Wo-ping, widely acclaimed as one of the greatest martial arts directors of all time. (Brett Ratner of Rush Hour fame talks about Wo-ping in one of the special features on the DVD.)
Rating:
Watching Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh in a martial arts movie together is just amazing. Both are fun to watch as martial artists and can act. What a concept!
A pair of lifelong friends are expelled from their Shaolin temple after being accused of cheating. Tienbao (Chin Siu Ho) becomes a powerful and oppressive military leader while the other, Junbao, (Jet Li) joins the rebels. Only the discipline of Tai Chi can help Junbao defeat his former friend.
There are a number of great fight scenes, but what got me with this film is that it has a heart. Junbao does everything he can to avoid having to fight his friend Tienbao. But in the end, he must defeat him.
The story propels the movie forward (unlike some martial arts movies) and the acting and action are fun and frenetic. What’s not to like?
The only thing I’ll say is that there are little things about the movie that detract from it. Though the wire work is great, there are times where you can tell it’s wire work – not as smooth as something like Crouching Tiger or Hero. But other than that, this is a great martial arts movie faithfully reproduced on DVD.
So I’ll give this 3/4. Be sure to check it out if you like martial arts movies, Jet Li, or Michelle Yeoh!
Tai Chi Master will be released on July 29th! Be sure to look for it at Amazon or other retailers!
Curse of the Golden Flower was another film I had a chance to see a few weeks ago but haven’t had time to write about… Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li played the leads in this colorful martial arts drama (heavier on drama than martial arts) about the unraveling of a Tang Emperor’s household.
If there ever was a Chinese Shakespeare, I think he would have written something like this film. There was enough back-stabbing and underhanded dealing going on to keep even the most insane theater goer wondering what was going on. Dark, depraved, incestuous, and dramatic, this film had it all.
Rating:
And it didn’t skimp on the martial arts either… It wasn’t as laden with them as something like the House of Flying Daggers or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but I was impressed that the martial arts sequences worked as a part of the story, not just as a long series of action sequences thrown together. Each “fight” scene covered a pivotal part of the plot.
Even though we watched the subtitled version, I have to say I thought the acting was great. I believed Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li as the long-time feuding married couple who brought down their own house with their secretive ways.
But what left the biggest impression was the huge, lavish, colorful sets. Where House of Flying Daggers took place outside for the most part, this film was inside for the most part and the garish reds and golds were everywhere.
Was this film my favorite martial arts film in recent memory? No, probably not. But it’s probably in the top 10. I’ll give it a solid 3 out of 4 stars and suggest renting it if you like your martial arts wire-fu movies a little more dramatic than usual.
DVD Review: Metamorphosis (2007) - Image via Wikipedia Hi all… Sometimes even the combination of an amazing story from Hungary in the 16th century, a beautiful actress, and Connor MacLeod can’t quite get a movie on track. Filmed in... […]
Book Review: The Season of Risks by Susan Hubbard - Hi there! What is the difference between seeing the world at fifteen and seeing it at twenty-two? As a teenager, you may wish to be perceived as an adult, but once you are an adult you no longer have... […]
Music Review: Eight Moons – Omnimi - Hi again! Have you ever seen a movie where music composer John Williams did a movie score? His film scores for movies such as Star Wars, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Harry Potter and the... […]
There used to be an Amazon ad here, but since Amazon and the state of Colorado can't agree on how to handle taxes, they've blocked my affiliate account. From now on or until this is resolved, links to products will be through Barnes and Noble.
Now we live in an age where Direct-to-DVD isn’t necessarily the kiss of death. Movies like Fight Night and Smokin’ Aces 2: Assassin’s Ball prove that you can produce great movies without having a huge budget and still get them out to an audience that will appreciate them. Unfortunately, not every movie can be a masterpiece. And the Direct-to-DVD market still has some stinkers.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_c.png?x-id=8afce6e0-056e-4a48-b257-119a782536ee)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_c.png?x-id=f42b8af1-0cd9-48a6-8d31-eedb2f63d0ef)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_c.png?x-id=1e4aabbe-0691-473f-9e31-f0387b866cf2)
enjoyed it, though my youngest was a bit scared by the Black Samurai and his use of theatrics (smoke, lightning, thunder). So though the movie is unrated and meant for kids, I’d watch with the younger ones if they get scared easily. 
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_c.png?x-id=0bd8c46c-c4a3-4d2e-9555-89d6d96c5be3)
). The battle at the end, though well choreographed, dragged long enough that it lost some of its effectiveness. All of the 
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=d0a2e670-1da7-4562-bc1f-3e34373ac07d)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_b.png?x-id=6389c76b-d79e-4773-a809-6f335890e5a8)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_b.png?x-id=d69138ea-b613-4664-b84b-7046578c460a)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_b.png?x-id=edab9488-bd44-422a-af69-1a63b2f4542c)
