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Jesse's Movie Reviews

	Drunken Master	Main Genre: kung-fu	Genres: kung-fu, comedy, Chinese, Wong Fei-Hung, Huang Fei-hong
	Director: Yuen Woo-ping	Writer: Lung Hsiao	Producer: See-Yuen Ng
Principle Cast: Jackie Chan, Yuen Siu Tien, Bolo Yeung, Hwang Jang Lee		Studio:	Distributor: Columbia/Tristar
Drunken Master aka Zui Quan aka Drunken Monkey In The Tiger's Eyes aka Eagle Claw, Snake Fist, Cat's Paw Part 2 stars Jackie Chan as a young Huang Fei-hong, undisciplined and always getting into trouble. His father calls on his uncle to whip young Fei-hong into shape, almost literally, with a brutal training regimen in his obscure Eight Drunken Gods form of Kung Fu. And if you haven't guessed by now, this is a comedy. Most of the comedy works on at least 3 levels: one that's obvious to anyone, basic slapstick comedy; one that may be lost on the general public, but will appeal to fans of the genre or of Jackie Chan; and one that's strictly for the Chinese audience. Fans of the genre will recognize many elements taken to new over-the-top heights, such as the intentionally over-dramatized humiliating defeat (a staple of kung fu flicks), and the gutteral grunts that make up for the shortcomings of translation (where the original language recording has been lost). This is a classic, the film where Chan really came into his own, and also a milestone for Director Yuen Woo-ping. The commentary feature is the most valuable aspect of this disc, very educational, although I have to disagree with them with respect to "Gorilla"...I'm very certain he's played by Bolo Yeung...that's his face for sure...although he's not listed in the credits (which are pretty limited anyway). According to the commentators, IMDb credits Bolo Yeung as Gorilla, but according to IMDb, they don't. Anyway, great flick, very funny, some of the comedy aspects may be a bit offensive to those not familiar with Hong Kong Cinema comedy, but you'll get over it.			Rating: **** 4/5
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Keywords: kung-fu, comedy, Chinese, Wong Fei-Hung, Huang Fei-hong
	Once Upon A Time In China	Main Genre: kung-fu	Genres: kung-fu, Chinese, historical, biography, action, Huang Fei-hong
	Director: Tsui Hark	Writer: Yiu Ming Leung Pik-yin Tang Hark Tsui Kai-Chi Yun	Producer: Tsui Hark
Principle Cast: Jet Li, Rosamund Kwan, Yuen Biao, Jacky Cheung		Studio: Film Workshop Ltd. [hk]	Distributor: Columbia Tristar
AKA Wong Fei-hung The first part of a great largely fictional portrayal of the legend of Huang Fei-hong (Wong Fei-hung), a turn-of-the-century Chinese folk hero, scholar, healer, and Hung-gar Kung Fu and Lion Dance master, and the subject of over 100 movies. Great high-flying kung-fu action, but a little excessive in the wirework at times. Fairly typical of Hong Kong Cinema, this film (and the subsequent chapters) are loaded with over-the-top gags that work on numerous levels, some playing on stereotypes, some universal, and some so subtle that, as non-Chinese watching the movies in translation, we will never really get. These films are always fun to watch, and the dvd is well worth picking up for the commentary feature, which, along with the one on Drunken Master, offer great insight into Hong Kong Cinema and film culture, the actors, directors, as well as Huang Fei-hong.			Rating: *** 3/5
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Keywords: kung-fu, Chinese, historical, biography, action, Huang Fei-hong, British colonialism
	Once Upon A Time In China II	Main Genre: kung-fu	Genres: Martial Arts, Kung Fu, Wong Fei-hung, Historical, Hong Kong, Chinese
	Director: Tsui Hark	Writer: Tin-suen Chan Cheung Tan	Producer: Tsui Hark
Principle Cast: Jet Li, Rosamund Kwan		Studio:	Distributor: Columbia TriStar
AKA Wong Fei-hung ji yi: Naam Yi Dong Ji Keung Please PLEASE PLEASE watch these films in the original language with subtitles, not dubbed. So much better. And usually, the DVDs give you that option, unlike VHS where you might have to choose one or the other. Subtitles are easy enough to get the hang of. Anyway, this one's definitely not as good as the previous one, but still promises a good time. There's more emphasis on the comedy in this one. The language gag is reversed from the previous film, and continues to be a running gag throughout this movie and the next. The final fight-scene gets a bit silly, although the end is actually not nearly as ridiculously unrealistic as it appears.			Rating: *** 3/5
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Keywords: Kung Fu, Huang Fei-hong, Wong Fei-hung, martial arts, colonialism, white slavery
	Once Upon A Time In China III	Main Genre: kung-fu	Genres: Martial Arts, Kung Fu, Wong Fei-hung, Historical, Hong Kong
	Director: Tsui Hark	Writer: Tsui Hark	Producer: Tsui Hark
Principle Cast: Jet Li, Rosamund Kwan		Studio:	Distributor: Columbia TriStar
AKA Wong Fei-hung tsi sam: Siwong Tsangba This one's a little better than part 2, but not as good as part one. Again, more focus on the comedy in this one. The language gag is taken to new heights. There's less focus on Huang Fei-hong's fighting in this one, although the fight scene in the restaurant is a great one. But with that sacrifice comes a much more developed plot (although things still get kinda confused in places). This one is the most specifically historic of the 3 I've seen, although I can't say how much of it is fact and how much is fiction. But it also features Huang Fei-hong getting uncharacteristically jealous and belligerent on many occasions. These three volumes are also available as a box set.			Rating: *** 3/5
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Keywords: Martial Arts, Kung Fu, Wong Fei-hung, Historical, Hong Kong, Huang Fei-hong, Chinese
	Shiri	Main Genre: Action	Genres: Action, Thriller, Spy, Romantic Comedy, Korean
	Director: Kang Je-gyu	Writer: Kang Je-gyu	Producer: Moo-Rim Byun Kwan-hak Lee
Principle Cast: Suk-kyu Han, Min-sik Choi, Yoon-jin Kim, Kang-ho Song, Johnny Kim		Studio: Kang Je-Kyu Film Co. Ltd.	Distributor: Samuel Goldwyn Films
It's a great action/spy thriller, but much more involved than the typical Hollywood blockbuster. It broke the Korean box office record, previously held by Titanic, by a huge margin, and with very good reason. Some of everything: action, intrigue, romance, comedy. Highly recommended.			Rating: **** 4/5
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Keywords: Espionage, North Korea, Terrorism, Intrigue, Assassin, South Korea