蕩宼風雲 - God of War

蕩宼風雲 (God of War) is an 2017 movie out of Zhong Guo. The film stars Vincent Zhao, Sammo Hung, Yasuaki Kurata, Regina Wan, and Timmy Hung. The movie is based on the historical events of General Qi Jiguang and General Yu Dayou of the mid 1500s.



The coast of Zhong Guo is being plundered by wokou pirates. The pirates are a combination of ronins and samurai from Japan who enlist the help of locals to help gain a foothold. General Yu Dayou has been unable to make headway against the pirates position. General Qi Jiguang is sent to help from the north. Qi uses a variety of trickery to defeat the pirates, including observations of their tactics and weapons. With that knowledge, Qi researches ways to gain the upper and trains a new army on how to defeat the pirates.



I liked the film a lot. It was a simple premise. Defeat the pirates. With that in mind, the General has to navigate politics, the enemy's slightly more advance weapons, and the loyalty of the army. The addition of Regina Wan's added a softness to the movie in retrospect. I caught this film via Netflix.

The Last Tycoon - 大上海

The Last Tycoon (大上海) is an 2012 film out of Hong Kong. The movie stars Chow Yun-Fat, Sammo Hung, Francis Ng, and Huang Xiaoming. The gals in the film include Yuan Quan, Monica Mok, Tong Fei, Yuan Li, and Feng Wenjuan. The movie is based on the high life of Shanghai-ers from the fall of the Qing Dynasty to its occupation by the Japanese.



Chow is the man in charge in Shanghai, outside of the military, no one else has more influence. We flashback to his country bumpkin days played by Huang Xiaoming. We also see that he has a crush on his neighbor sweetheart who will end up as one of the most famous opera performers in Zhong Guo. We see the tycoon, how he earned his strips and how he maintains his power. Along the way, there are women that enter their lives and it comes to a hedge on the heels of the Japanese's war into the Shanghai area.



This movie was long and sort of boring. It's like a drama of how Chow's character of Cheng Daqi rise to power from country bumpkin to the most powerful man in Shanghai. A Godfather take if you will. However, the women in the movie take up a lot of time, but you need the eye candy is my guess. Or its the presentation that the men are there due to their influence. Why try to be the most powerful man in Shanghai? Because you want to become so powerful that you can protect your woman?

Movie wise, it was well made. But the story lacked the heart that made me care for the individuals.

Wushu - 武術

Wushu (武術) is a 2008 film out of China. The film is made completely in China but financed by HK companies. The film stars Sammo Hung, Liu Fengchao, and Wang Wenjie.

Summo Hung plays Li Hui, a teacher at t wushu school. Li's two sons aptly named Li Yi (Li number one) and Li Er (Li number two) join the school. On the first day, the two sons make friends with 3 other students and they form a new clan for Gold medal wushu winners. 10 years laters, they are the tops students in their school and have the medals to prove it. During a competition, a former student comes to visit and presents to them what life is like after school. In his case, its being a stunt double or goon in wuxia related films. But there is evil in the midst in the form of a former student of the school. They go on a mission to save the day and to win the competition while they're at it.

The movie has very low budget value. It seemed like a college student's senior project or something like that. The storyline was extra cheezy and there are just too many guys in the film to do any significant character development. Never able to dig deep, you jumped from one guy to the next. Its also unfortunate that they didn't dress the guys more distinctly. I was getting confused with who was who out there.

If you're expecting class A through C filmmaking. Pass on this. Its very low grade and expectation should be quite low.

Ip Man: The Legend Is Born - 葉問前傳

Ip Man: The Legend Is Born (葉問前傳) is 2010 film out of Hong Kong. The movie stars Dennis To, Fan Siu-wong, Huang Yi, Yuen Biao, and Rose Chan. The supporting casts includes Sammo Hung, Lam Suet, and Bernice Liu.

The movie starts with Ip Man, played by Dennis To, joining a Wing Chun association. The association is headed by Sammo Hung as Chan Wah-shun. Ip Man joins with his god brother Ip Tin Chi, played by Fan Siu-wong. Ip Man goes off to school in Hong Kong, where he learns English and a separate style of Wing Chun. After he graduates, he heads back to Foshan to rejoin the Wing Chun association. But the Japanese want to take over the association and even plant a spy. Ip Man finds out who this spy is and saves the association. But not before they do lots and lots of fighting.



The movie was a brisk watch over a period of 3 days. On and off I watched and it wasn't a film that made me want to finish it in one sitting. The fighting was ok. Nothing spectacular. If anything, Dennis To's Ip Man seemed slow.

Ip Man 2 - 葉問2

Ip Man 2 (葉問2) is a 2010 film out of Hong Kong. The film stars Donnie Yen. Supporting cast include Sammo Hung, Lynn Hung, Simon Yam, and Huang Xiao Ming.

Ip Man escapes to Hong Kong after the communist take over and starts his new life with wife and son. To makes ends meat, Ip Man starts up a school and is given free use of an abandon roof top location. At first, no students show up. Wong Leung decides to give it a try and eventually recruits his friends. However, in order to have a martial arts school in Hong Kong, you need to join and pay association fees. Given this ultimatum, Ip Man is forced to compete with the masters of the schools in the association and the head of the schools. Ip Man is not defeated and refuses to give in. However, a British boxing stars rolls into town and challenges Chinese kung fu. Hung Chun-nam is killed in a fight and offers a rematch, to which Ip Man agrees. Ip Man than trains to fight the British boxer.

The movie was very fast paced and didn't really take anytime to slow. Even the slow parts were brief such as the Simon Yam cameo. The fighting between Ip Man on the British bloke was quite dull and boring. I kept wondering when it was going to end. You just knew Ip Man would come out alive.

Epic failure in my opinion due to the lofty expectations. Donnie's movies have become hype themselves. Its hard to be Donnie these days. Its hard to please us all! You're our last hope Donnie (wink wink, Star Wars reference).

Kung Fu Chefs - 功夫廚神

Kung Fu Chefs (功夫廚神) is a 2009 film out of Hong Kong. The movie stars Sammo Hung, Vanness Wu, Cherrie Ying, and Kago Ai.

The movie is about the kung fu art of making Chinese food. Sammo Hung, as Bing Yi, is the master chef of his village. During a banquet, he's frame and subsequently kicked out. Vanness Wu is Kin, a recent graduate of a culinary school. Kin wants to increase his skills and seeks another master chef. When he seeks this master at Four Seas restaurant. But the master chef he seeks has just been defeated. Kin now joins Bing Yi's team. Learning the skills from the master, Kin's skills increase and is a force to be dealt with in the culinary world.

With Kung Fu, you have to have a competition and revenge. Queue the reason for the action and fight scenes.

A fun watch, but it has a lot of cheezy low grade effects. This reminds of 80s style HK movies.

SPL (Sha Po Lang) - Kill Zone - 殺破狼

SPL (Sha Po Lang)/Kill Zone (殺破狼) is a 2005 film out of Hong Kong. The movie stars Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, Simon Yam, and Wu Jing (Jacky Wu).

The movie is about the cops versus a well oiled organized crime syndicate. On the cops side stands, Donnie Yen as Ma and Simon Yam as Chan. Sammo Hung as Po is the head of the syndicate and Jacky Wu as Jack is an assassin.

The movie does some background on the day and life of the people involved, but for the most part, its heavy on the action. The police are trying to break the grip of Po's syndicate. A certian saying that law and order is only valid until midnight. At midnight, the night belongs to the syndicate.

The action was a turn into more of a gritty and reality based fighting. Grappling was introduced. The knife and baton fight between Donnie and Jacky was excellent.

A must see for you Donnie Yen fans. A must see for you HK action freaks.