Review: "The Buddhist Fist" (1980)

“The Buddhist Fist” is an entertaining mix of stunning kung fu fighting and wacky comedy that is rooted in a solid story involving murder, intrigue and a heist.

Shang and Si-Ming are two orphans who grow up together in a small Chinese village. Raised by Shaolin monks and trained in the art of kung fu, Shang is destined for life as a barber in a nearby city while Si-Ming is inducted into the temple as a Buddhist monk. After a customer, unhappy that his mustache was mistakenly cut off, triggers a barbershop brawl, Shang is fired and returns to his childhood village where he learns that his godfather has disappeared and a masked villain who tried to steal the temple’s Jade Buddha is on the loose. While searching for his godfather, he finds himself the target of a series of increasingly bold assassination attempts and becomes caught up in untangling a complicated web of crime.

The highlight of “The Buddhist Fist” is definitely the stunning kung fu fight scenes, which combine astonishing creativity and graceful athleticism. One of the trademarks of a Yuen Woo Ping flick is the way he inserts everyday objects as either weapons or things to be protected. In addition to the “usual suspects” of bamboo pole, sword and chain we are treated to fights involving a pair of chopsticks, a teacup, a checkerboard, fortune telling sticks, a birdcage and a jade Buddha statue to name but a few.

What’s also amazing is how each of the fight scenes fits sensibly into the plot, without resorting to silly justifications for each encounter. And the pacing of the action is well-done: the energy escalates with each fight and culminates in a frenetic finale where the true power of the titular Buddhist fist is revealed.

While some of the comedy is a bit cheesy, there are a couple of fight scenes that are quite funny. Not to be missed is the “Last Supper” fight featuring the Holy Ghost claw technique. Who knew that zombie kung fu could be such fun??!!

Review: "The 36th Chamber of Shaolin" (1978)

For martial arts movie enthusiasts, “The 36^th Chamber of Shaolin” is one of the best. Gordon Liu plays San De, a university student rebelling against Manchu rule during the early Ching Dynasty. When his family, teacher and fellow students are massacred, he escapes and makes his way to the Shaolin Temple. Determined to learn kung fu in order to seek revenge against the Manchu oppressors, he submits to the rigorous training of the Shaolin monks.

One of the film's highlights is watching San De progress through the 36 chambers. The training sequences are impressive, combining solid action with a bit of whimsy as San De discovers that mastering the various fighting techniques and weapons is not as easy as he initially thought.

What raises “The 36^th Chamber of Shaolin” above the typical martial-arts revenge flick is its depiction of the spiritual essence of kung fu. We come to admire San De not because he becomes a master fighter but because, by developing his inner discipline, he becomes a better and more enlightened person.

Review: "Hard Boiled" (1992)

“Hard Boiled” is a gritty, powerful Hong Kong crime thriller in the vein of “Dirty Harry” that combines exciting, visceral action with characters that you care about.

Featuring strong performances by Chow Yun-Fat and Tony Leung Chiu Wai, “Hard Boiled” tells the story of Tequila (Chow), a tough-as-nails detective who loses his partner in a teahouse shootout with gun smugglers. Seeking revenge against the ruthless gangster kingpin responsible for his partner’s death, he teams up with Tony (Leung), a disillusioned undercover cop who has infiltrated the gangster’s lair, to bring down the smugglers and stop them from killing.

While the story is solid, the main reason to watch this flick is for the action sequences. Across three unique locations (teahouse, warehouse and hospital) , director John Woo manages to orchestrate a stylish and energetic ballet of gunfights, explosions and bare knuckle brawling that is truly eye-popping. Both Mr. Chow and Mr. Leung are believable as action heroes and very capable actors, imbuing their characters with compassion and bringing emotional resonance to the dramatic scenes.

It is to Mr. Woo’s credit that he allows some breathing room amidst all the fighting and chaos in order to flesh out the dramatic arc of the characters and inject a bit of humor. We can relate to Tequila and Tony -- both are inherently good guys trying to do the right thing against a morally corrupt villain who kills innocent people without remorse – and come to appreciate the bond of friendship that develops between them. Overall, this is a fine blending of action and drama.

Review: "Painted Skin" (2008)

“Painted Skin” is a satisfying if melodramatic thriller that tells a tale of unrequited love and revenge involving demons and humans. Combining romance with comedy and kung-fu antics in the vein of old-school Hong-Kong supernatural action flicks like the “The Bride with White Hair”, “Painted Skin” is an enjoyable guilty pleasure.

Adapted from a short story by novelist Pu Song Ling, “Painted Skin” is about a fox spirit, disguised as a beautiful woman (Xiao Wei), who falls in love with a handsome warrior (Wang Sheng) and schemes to lure him away from his loyal wife (Pei Rong). Donnie Yen is a former army general and martial artist extraordinaire who teams up with a local demon buster to thwart the fox spirit's plans.

Those expecting visceral horror and fast-paced martial arts may be disappointed. The movie is fairly light on action and the fight scenes are mediocre at best. The romantic drama is compelling as it explores themes of fidelity, loyalty and true love. The showdown between Xiao Wei and Pei Rong is one of the film’s highlights. Cinematography, music and set design are also impressive.

Review: "Ashes of Time Redux" (2008)

“Ashes of Time Redux” is Wong Kar Wai’s venture into the martial arts genre. However, energetic action and narrative clarity take a backseat to the visual poetry that contemplates wounded hearts, loneliness and the memories of lost love that cut deeper than any sword. Best appreciated as a sensory experience, “Ashes of Time Redux” unfolds as a series of beautiful yet melancholic images like the soft brush strokes of a Chinese landscape painting. Even the swordfights are shot as swirling, hallucinatory dreamscapes. The haunting desert landscape gorgeously captured in saturated colors by cinematographer Christopher Doyle, a brooding cello score by Yo-Yo Ma and the beauty of the actors (an all-star Hong Kong cast) contribute to a movie experience that both pleases the senses and engages the heart.

Review: "Iron Monkey" (1993)

“Iron Monkey”, directed by noted martial arts choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping, is a Hong-Kong action-adventure that combines compelling drama, cheeky comedy and energetic action.

The story is inspired by the 19th century Chinese folk hero, Wang Fei Hong, a martial artist of great skill and a traditional Chinese herbalist who fought against government corruption. There have been many Chinese films about Wang Fei Hong but this is one of the few that takes a perspective from his early youth.

We are introduced to the Iron Monkey -- whose moniker is derived from the famous Monkey King -- in the dead of night as a masked, ninja-quick stealth fighter who battles a posse of evil Shaolin-trained guards, gains access to the corrupt Governor’s mansion and steals a treasure chest of gold which he proceeds to give away to the poor. We learn that the Iron Monkey, beholden in the community as a defender of the poor and weak, is a wanted man whom the Governor and his henchmen have not been able to capture. Frustrated and at wit’s end, the Governor kidnaps and holds hostage the young Wang Fei Hong, son of Wang Kei Ying (Donnie Yen), a traveling physician reknowned for his superb kung fu skills, forcing him to track down the Iron Monkey in exchange for his son’s freedom. What ensues is a classic story of good guys teaming up to fight bad guys with lots of eye-popping, adrenaline fueling action.

“Iron Monkey” is distinguished by its stellar fight choreography which combines traditional kung fu fighting with graceful “flying” acrobatics. One particularly exquisite scene occurs early in the story when we learn that the Iron Monkey is a compassionate local herbalist. Upon returning to his clinic after a night of battling evildoers, he greets his assistant Orchid and prepares to close up shop just as a strong wind scatters a pile of papers about the room. The floating ballet between the doctor and Orchid as they gather up the papers is not only a beautiful demonstration of kung fu but also underscores the emotional bond between the two.

Another notable aspect of the fight choreography is the creative use of simple props and background objects as weapons. Wang Kei Ying’s first fight with a group of local hooligans is masterful as he uses his umbrella in ingenious ways to defeat the gang. This umbrella fighting technique is subsequently used by his son Wang Fei Hong to defeat another bunch of rascals.

Overall, “Iron Monkey” offers high-energy action that will appeal to hard-core kung fu fans and mixes in enough comedy (including a real cheeky monkey!) and drama to interest those who are looking for a fun and interesting story. The relationship between the physician and his son is the most touching. The fight scenes progress at a rapid clip, each one raising the stakes as the villains become more heinous and harder to defeat. The final showdown between the team of Iron Monkey and Wang Fei Ying versus the Royal Minister as they maneuver amidst bamboo poles perched precariously over a raging fire is spectacular.

Review: "Chunking Express" (1994)

Two tales of love and loss unfold in Wong Kar Wai’s whimsical, romantic drama, “Chunking Express”. Each vignette features a lonely Hong Kong policeman dealing with the break-up of a relationship.

Taking its cue from classic film noir, the first story stars the handsome Takeshi Kaneshiro as a young detective who’s given himself 30 days to reunite with his ex-girlfriend. He marks each night alone by consuming a can of pineapple with a specific expiration date. Eventually he encounters Brigitte Lin’s femme fatale, a player trying to survive in the drug underworld after a smuggling deal goes wrong.

The second story stars Tony Leung as a patrol cop recovering from a break-up with a flight attendant. His coping ritual involves conversations with inanimate objects in his apartment, such as an old towel, a bar of soap and a stuffed bear to whom he pours out his sadness. Every day, he goes for coffee at the same snack bar where he meets up with the new counter girl, played by Hong Kong pop singer Faye Wong,

While in the vein of simple boy-loses-girl-meets-new-girl stories, the unique visual style in which the stories are told is anything but ordinary. Wong uses his trademark impressionistic style to create a restless energy and evoke strong emotions while painting a realistic portrait of people coping with loneliness, despair and boredom. His hand-held camera is frenetic, always moving. The action sequences feature unusual angles and stop-motion jumps.

The Hong Kong setting stands out as its own character, contributing a bustling energy that contrasts sharply with the solitude of the two cops as they muddle through their days.

All the lead actors are compelling to watch onscreen and manage to make their idiosyncracies believable. Faye Wong is a revelation here: she imbues her character with an appealing quirkiness and optimism. And it's that hopeful spirit that lingers on after the closing credits.