Ultimate NINJA HERO resource!!!

[Susano]

Originally posted by urbwar

The Duel is a cool flick. I loved Dragon 9 (A james bond type) who provided some funny moments. Man called Hero is good too, but can drag at times. Let me know how Story of Ricki is; I haven't seen it yet. Don't know Executioners though; who is in it?

 

I agree, MAN CALLED HERO was really slow in parts. I didn't get STORY OF RICKI, although I've heard about it. As for EXECUTIONERS, it has Michelle Yeoh, Anita Mui, and Maggie Chueng. It is a sequel to THE HEROIC TRIO, which is a cool and highly over-the-top wuxia film.

[urbwar]

Originally posted by Susano

I agree, MAN CALLED HERO was really slow in parts. I didn't get STORY OF RICKI, although I've heard about it. As for EXECUTIONERS, it has Michelle Yeoh, Anita Mui, and Maggie Chueng. It is a sequel to THE HEROIC TRIO, which is a cool and highly over-the-top wuxia film.

 

Ok, it's *that* Executioners. I normally know it as The Executioners: Heroic Trio II.

 

I've got Heroic Trio, and have seen Executioners. Didn't like it as much as the first one. Not a bad movie, and the bad guy was kind of cool (though not as cool as the Eunuch in HT 1).

 

Trivia Tidbit: Anthony Wong is in both Heroic Trio and Black Mask. His character in both films is the same. In HT, he's a cannibalistic kung fu zombie with a flying guillotine, in BM he's a paranoid drug dealer whose family has been wiped out by the super soldiers. I just thought it was cool that his character in both films had the same name...

 

Saw The Accidental Spy today. Nice film from Jackie Chan. I hope they do a sequel, cause it left it open for one.

[NuSoardGraphite]

I didn't think that The Executioners was nearly as good as The Heroic Trio was. Same thing with The Bride with White Hair 1 and 2 (2 not being nearly as good as 1)

 

I agree that A Man Called Hero (based on Jademan comic The Bloodsword/Bloodsword Dynasty!) is quite slow in parts, but the ending more than makes up for it Plus the ninjas are cool as hell, though not as cool as the ninjas from Duel to the Death.

 

Well, now that I'm aware that Hero is out on DVD, I'll be looking for it. Thanks for the 411!

[urbwar]

Originally posted by NuSoardGraphite

I Well, now that I'm aware that Hero is out on DVD, I'll be looking for it. Thanks for the 411!

 

Not a problem. Always glad to share info on good films!

[Susano]

THE DUEL -- okay, this was not exactly what I expected. I mean it starts like any number of such films -- swordsman A decides to challenge swordsman B to a duel to prove who is the better swordsman... then it makes a left turn into wackyville. By this, I mean it plays as a comedy for sometime, with a chararater named Dragon No. 9 running around acting like a total goof (a fu-powered goof, but still a goof). But this is okay, as the stunts he pulls are great fun and the patter is entertaning (Such as his OUR MAN FLINT trick umbrella).

 

There are some interesting fight scenes, but nothing all that great. The end duel (What? You expected things to be resolved peacefully?) is petty wild, and on par with THE STORM RIDERS in some ways (But not quite as good as the final fight in A MAN CALLED HERO). What happens after the fight is quite moving, BTW.

 

One of the best "bits" is the visual "shockwaves" coming from the two swordsmen as they duel. Not sure how you'd do this as a power in HERO. Personally, I'd actually would call this a GM's fiat power simply to illustrate how powerful the two swordsmen really are (And how powerful is that? One of the pair seriously considers taking on roughly 50,000 imperial soldiers for a few seconds... Well, not exactly, but he comes close...).

 

My one big beef is that the relationship between Sword Saint and the women he rescued seems to come togther too quickly -- I wish more time had been spent showthing them togehter. That and the emperor seems to have one expression for everything... making him look pretty wooden when compared many other characters.

 

Anyway, if you want some ideas for some really over-the-top martial arts powers, watch this (and the 128-minute version of THE STORM RIDERS).

[urbwar]

Originally posted by Susano

THE DUEL -- okay, this was not exactly what I expected. I mean it starts like any number of such films -- swordsman A decides to challenge swordsman B to a duel to prove who is the better swordsman... then it makes a left turn into wackyville. By this, I mean it plays as a comedy for sometime, with a chararater named Dragon No. 9 running around acting like a total goof (a fu-powered goof, but still a goof). But this is okay, as the stunts he pulls are great fun and the patter is entertaning (Such as his OUR MAN FLINT trick umbrella).

 

Personally,

 

I thought Dragon 9 was cool. He was like a chinese James Bond in olden times. A bit more comedic than the Roger Moore era bond, but I thought he was an interesting character.

 

I liked how Ekin Chang's character was a baker. Added an interesting twist to the sterotypical swordsmen. And yeah, the final fight scene was not as good as A Man called Hero. It was adequate though. I still think the other character's main technique had a cheesy name though (my friend has my dvd, so I can't check on it, but I know the word fairy was in it)

 

I watched Fist of Legend again yesterday. Damn, I love that movie! Why is it that Hollywood can't give these HK actors movies that play to their strengths? I mean, Jackie's US work is hit or miss, Jet Li's done some real crap work, and Chow Yun Fat got lucky with Anna and the King (which was a great casting move, considering his lengthy resume of dramatic roles), and I am keeping my fingers crossed for Bulletproof Monk.

[Susano]

Originally posted by urbwar

Personally, I thought Dragon 9 was cool. He was like a chinese James Bond in olden times. A bit more comedic than the Roger Moore era bond, but I thought he was an interesting character.

 

Actually, I should have mentioned that Dragon 9 was a really cool character. And yes, he does make for a great "mythic China" secret agent. And I loved the SFX for his Dispell Versus Poisons!

 

I liked how Ekin Chang's character was a baker. Added an interesting twist to the sterotypical swordsmen. And yeah, the final fight scene was not as good as A Man called Hero. It was adequate though. I still think the other character's main technique had a cheesy name though (my friend has my dvd, so I can't check on it, but I know the word fairy was in it)

 

Yes, I liked that as well. Made for a nice touch.

 

And yes, the final fight scene is quite nice, just not as... dramtic as some.

 

And the attack you are thinking of is the Heavenly Holy Fairy Stance. Reminded me of Jackie's Eight Drunken Fairy Stance from DRUNKEN MASTER II.

 

I watched Fist of Legend again yesterday. Damn, I love that movie! Why is it that Hollywood can't give these HK actors movies that play to their strengths? I mean, Jackie's US work is hit or miss, Jet Li's done some real crap work, and Chow Yun Fat got lucky with Anna and the King (which was a great casting move, considering his lengthy resume of dramatic roles), and I am keeping my fingers crossed for Bulletproof Monk.

 

I've heard MONK was pirated already and has been shown overseas. IMDB has people in some forums saying it's not very good. All talk, no action -- basically the trailer is all the action you get. Others are saying this is bunk. So... not sure as of yet.

 

One problem is that Hollywood won't do what guys like Jet Li is known for, which is period martial arts films. or,if they did, people would say "It's just THE MATRIX with sword." Maybe the success of LOTR will allow Hollywood to look into more fantasy films.

[urbwar]

Originally posted by Susano

Actually, I should have mentioned that Dragon 9 was a really cool character. And yes, he does make for a great "mythic China" secret agent. And I loved the SFX for his Dispell Versus Poisons!

 

Ahh, I thought you didn't like him, cause you referred to him as a "goof"

 

Originally posted by Susano

And the attack you are thinking of is the Heavenly Holy Fairy Stance. Reminded me of Jackie's Eight Drunken Fairy Stance from DRUNKEN MASTER II.

 

That's the stance! It just seemed...odd to me. Then again, I haven't viewed my copy of DMII in chinese (I've seen the US version), so I didn't know he had a move called Eight Drunken Fairy Stance

 

Originally posted by Susano

I've heard MONK was pirated already and has been shown overseas. IMDB has people in some forums saying it's not very good. All talk, no action -- basically the trailer is all the action you get. Others are saying this is bunk. So... not sure as of yet.

 

I have my fears about the movie, and this just adds to it. I will still go see it, to support CYF. At least he will hopefully do the CTHD prequel, so I know he will be doing at least one more good movie that Hollywood has some hand in (not much, which is why I think CTHD did so well)

 

Originally posted by Susano

One problem is that Hollywood won't do what guys like Jet Li is known for, which is period martial arts films. or,if they did, people would say "It's just THE MATRIX with sword." Maybe the success of LOTR will allow Hollywood to look into more fantasy films.

 

I dunno. My nephew watches alot of HK films with me (especially Jet Li and Jackie Chan films), and his friends have seen a few themselves. And these are kids 12-14.

 

I think that CTHD opened alot of eyes to the coolness of asian action films. Then Iron Monkey was released, and HERO will be coming out.

 

If some producer had any sense, they'd do a film showcasing the strength of a Jet Li and a Donnie Yen, wrapped around a decent story. Jet Li can do modern films; what he needs is a decent script. His US films haven been shoddy scripts. It's kind of sad in a way

[Susano]

Originally posted by urbwar

Ahh, I thought you didn't like him, cause you referred to him as a "goof"

 

Oh, I liked him because he was a "goof."

 

That's the stance! It just seemed...odd to me. Then again, I haven't viewed my copy of DMII in chinese (I've seen the US version), so I didn't know he had a move called Eight Drunken Fairy Stance

 

I'm fairly sure he says it in the English dub as well.

 

I have my fears about the movie, and this just adds to it. I will still go see it, to support CYF. At least he will hopefully do the CTHD prequel, so I know he will be doing at least one more good movie that Hollywood has some hand in (not much, which is why I think CTHD did so well)

 

I know Ang Lee talked about aa CTHD prequel. But I thought the age differences would make it pretty much impossible for CYF to play the same character.

 

I dunno. My nephew watches alot of HK films with me (especially Jet Li and Jackie Chan films), and his friends have seen a few themselves. And these are kids 12-14.

 

I think that CTHD opened alot of eyes to the coolness of asian action films. Then Iron Monkey was released, and HERO will be coming out.

 

But these are all nich genres. I mean, even THE MATRIX was monkied with to make it more palatable to the studios, so who knowns if they will do anything with this or not.

 

If some producer had any sense, they'd do a film showcasing the strength of a Jet Li and a Donnie Yen, wrapped around a decent story. Jet Li can do modern films; what he needs is a decent script. His US films haven been shoddy scripts. It's kind of sad in a way

 

Very true.

[NuSoardGraphite]

That 8 Drunken Fairies "stance" is a subset taught in a few Kung Fu styles. The character of Wong Fei Hong was famous for it (I believe). This is who Jackie Chan portrayed in Drunken Master I and II.

Its funny, because the Once Upon a Time in China Wong Fei Hong never uses 8 Drunken Fairies in any of the OUATIC movies (that I remember) yet, Jet Li played Wong Fei Hong in a non-OUATIC movie called Last Hero in China and he was doing Drunken Style all over the place.

 

Wierd.

 

Also, the translation of 8 Drunken Fairies is somewhat dubious. Its also often translater as 8 Drunken Immortals which is probably more correct. Then again, I don't speak Cantonese or Mandarin, so don't take my word for it.

 

The 8 Immortals are legendary characters who figure prominently in Chinese mythology. Most of them were Taoists who acheived Immortality through Taoist Alchemy or were granted immortality because of great deeds. The 8 Immortals will figure prominently in the Wuxia campaign I'm currently formulating.

[NuSoardGraphite]

Ah yes, forgot to mention.

 

Those 8 Immortals mentioned above are also the main characters in the Chinese comic Saint Legend released here by ComicsOne. I mentioned it in a post above.

[Susano]

Originally posted by NuSoardGraphite

That 8 Drunken Fairies "stance" is a subset taught in a few Kung Fu styles. The character of Wong Fei Hong was famous for it (I believe). This is who Jackie Chan portrayed in Drunken Master I and II.

Its funny, because the Once Upon a Time in China Wong Fei Hong never uses 8 Drunken Fairies in any of the OUATIC movies (that I remember) yet, Jet Li played Wong Fei Hong in a non-OUATIC movie called Last Hero in China and he was doing Drunken Style all over the place.

 

Wierd.

 

Well, tradition has it Wong Fei Hung would no longer use the Drunken Style because it required drinking, and he'd promised his father he wouldn't drink (He might end up hurting someone if he did).

 

[urbwar]

Originally posted by NuSoardGraphite

That 8 Drunken Fairies "stance" is a subset taught in a few Kung Fu styles. The character of Wong Fei Hong was famous for it (I believe). This is who Jackie Chan portrayed in Drunken Master I and II.

Its funny, because the Once Upon a Time in China Wong Fei Hong never uses 8 Drunken Fairies in any of the OUATIC movies (that I remember) yet, Jet Li played Wong Fei Hong in a non-OUATIC movie called Last Hero in China and he was doing Drunken Style all over the place.

 

Not really. As Mike pointed out, the OUATIC movies show Wong after he gave up using Drunken Style after he promised his father not to use it anymore.

 

Last Hero in China was made by a rival company, and Jet Li had a falling out with Tsui Hark, so the movie is a swipe at the OUATIC films. Using more Drunken Style was probably part of the swiping done in the script (imho). It's not really as good a film as the OUATIC films. Then again, I didn't like it as much as the Fong Sai Yuk movies either.

[urbwar]

Musa the Warrior

 

I saw this film the other night. Interesting Korean film. The basics are that a Korean Ambasadorial party is arrested by the Ming, and sent into Exile in the north. They get free after Mongols raid the Ming escorting them north, and they start to head home. Along the way, they find a Ming Princess held captive by the Yuan (A group of Mongols), rescue her, and attempt to bring her back to the Ming (and earn points with the Ming so that they can complete their mission as Ambassadors). Except for one character who is wicked nasty with a spear, and maybe one Korean warrior with a sword, the majority of the characters are not really over the top type fighters. The combats are fairly brutal and realistic, with limbs being hacked off, and lots of blood squirting from wounds. Zhang Zi Yi plays the princess, and the guy who played Iron Monkey is the Yuan general. It's a decent film, and a good inspiration for more realistic martial arts campaigns.

[Doug Limmer]

Re: Ultimate NINJA HERO resource!!!

 

Originally posted by Susano

I just watched SHAOLIN SOCCER.

 

Now I know what style the woman on page 76 uses.

 

If you can -- see this film. You might hurt yourself laughing, but it is worth every second.

For what it's worth, there's a trailer for a Miramax-produced English-dubbed Shaolin Soccer (presumably the same movie) on the Pokémon 4 Ever DVD.

 

And that can't be the style for the woman on page 76; she has the wrong hair-do.

[NuSoardGraphite]

Originally posted by urbwar

Not really. As Mike pointed out, the OUATIC movies show Wong after he gave up using Drunken Style after he promised his father not to use it anymore.

 

Last Hero in China was made by a rival company, and Jet Li had a falling out with Tsui Hark, so the movie is a swipe at the OUATIC films. Using more Drunken Style was probably part of the swiping done in the script (imho). It's not really as good a film as the OUATIC films. Then again, I didn't like it as much as the Fong Sai Yuk movies either.

 

I actually liked Last Hero in China. Not as much as the OUATIC movies, but I still liked it nonetheless. I'm not that big a fan of the Fong Sai Yuk movies, but they're pretty good overall. A movie which features the Fong Sai Yuk character (but not played by Jet Li) is a movie called Burning Paradise. That one I liked a lot. Good stuff. Check it out if you haven't already.

[urbwar]

Originally posted by NuSoardGraphite

I actually liked Last Hero in China. Not as much as the OUATIC movies, but I still liked it nonetheless. I'm not that big a fan of the Fong Sai Yuk movies, but they're pretty good overall. A movie which features the Fong Sai Yuk character (but not played by Jet Li) is a movie called Burning Paradise. That one I liked a lot. Good stuff. Check it out if you haven't already.

 

I liked Last Hero in China too. I just don't think it's as good as the OUATIC films, and I felt that Fong Sai Yuk was better too (I'd rate Last Hero a bit above FSY 2 though)

 

I have a dubbed version of Burning Paradise, but just scored a version in Cantonese off ebay. Have you seen New Legend of Shaolin? Nice Jet Li take on Lone Wolf and Cub, though I understand the character he plays was a real hero in China. Donnie Yen played the same character in an old tv series (part of which I saw on the International Channel).

 

Of course, my favorite Jet Li movie is still the first one I saw him in, Fist of Legend. That one always has a soft spot with me

[NuSoardGraphite]

Originally posted by urbwar

I liked Last Hero in China too. I just don't think it's as good as the OUATIC films, and I felt that Fong Sai Yuk was better too (I'd rate Last Hero a bit above FSY 2 though)

 

I have a dubbed version of Burning Paradise, but just scored a version in Cantonese off ebay. Have you seen New Legend of Shaolin? Nice Jet Li take on Lone Wolf and Cub, though I understand the character he plays was a real hero in China. Donnie Yen played the same character in an old tv series (part of which I saw on the International Channel).

 

Of course, my favorite Jet Li movie is still the first one I saw him in, Fist of Legend. That one always has a soft spot with me

 

Yes, I've had New Legend of Shaolin for some time now.

 

It was recently released by New Line Home Video under the tittle Legend of the Red Dragon and the cut about 15 minutes from the film...which sucks because the film is short enough in its original length (about 100min or so). The seemed to cut out most of the scenes with the mom and the kids interacting (when she was pretending to be dead)

 

I hate it when they do that damnit!

[DocSubtlety]

Cutting in with some recommendations...

 

If you liked Shaolin Soccer, I must recommend The Royal Tramp and The Royal Tramp 2, also by Stephen Chow. (My friends have been on a huge Stephen Chow kick lately - saw God of Cookery, Forbidden City Cop, and...hrm. The one where he's an insane ghostbuster. All of those are funny, but the Royal Tramp story is more coherent than anything I've seen him do besides Shaolin Soccer.)

 

Also, I caught Volcano High the other day, and have to say it's must see for anybody who wants to run a wacky anime high school scenario.

[urbwar]

Originally posted by NuSoardGraphite

Yes, I've had New Legend of Shaolin for some time now.

 

It was recently released by New Line Home Video under the tittle Legend of the Red Dragon and the cut about 15 minutes from the film...which sucks because the film is short enough in its original length (about 100min or so). The seemed to cut out most of the scenes with the mom and the kids interacting (when she was pretending to be dead)

 

I hate it when they do that damnit!

 

That's why I won't buy any of the New Line versions of Jet Li's films. I'd rather have the badly subtitled Hong Kong versions. They english may not be perfect, but I'd rather have to deal with that than missing footage. My friend got Twin Warriors, and then I got him the original (Tai Chi Master), and he said there is about 20 minutes cut from Twin Warriors, mainly fight scenes with bloodshed, and he was not too happy. He won't buy those anymore.

 

Of course, it helps that I live in NYC, because we have a big chinatwon, and the stores are real friendly when you want to buy movies (and they are cheap too)

 

I recently saw Musa the Warrior, which is Korean, but some of the action is pretty cool. More realistic than fantastic, one guy is a wicked warrior with a spear. It did have Zhang Zi Yi and the guy who played Iron Monkey (Yu Ron Gang?), which was pretty cool.

[Jester]

I haven't actually checked to see if he has either of these, but a buddy of mine has a website that sells movies from HK and other Asian countries. If you wanna see about getting a particular Asian movie and don't have a place to do it locally, check out his site:

 

http://www.ceemovies.com

 

Hope it helps...

 

Jester

[AnotherSkip]

Allright Seeing as how I have found the masters of weird martial arts

Anyone know what movie Cooking fu was in?

 

I rather liked the goof sidekick and his martial "power" of 'rolling my eyes' as a martial ability.

 

 

saw it many years ago on TV as part of a "Kung Fu Theater" weekly movie scheduling in dallas. And was wondering where the hack it came from.

[urbwar]

Was it "God of Cookery"?