JET LI: HERO (2002)
Rating:
Country : China
Year: 2002
Genre: Kung Fu
Format: Theater
Running Time: 96min
Producer: William Kong, Zhang Yimou
Director: Zhang Yimou
Cast: Jet Li, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Donnie Yen, Daoming Chen, Zhang Ziyi

Story: At the height of China's Warring States period, the country was divided into seven kingdoms: Qin, Zhao, Han Wei, Yan, Chu and Qi. For years, the separate kingdoms fought ruthlessly for supremacy. As a result, the populace endured decades of death and suffering. The Kingdom of Qin was the most determined of all. The Qin King was obsessed with conquering all of China and becoming her first Emperor. He had long been the target of assassins throughout the other six states. Of all the would-be killers, none inspired as much fear as the three legendary assassins, Broken Sword, Flying Snow and Sky. To anyone who defeated the three assassins, the King of Qin promised great power, mountains of gold and a private audience with the King himself. But defeating the killers is a near impossible task. For ten years no one came close to claiming the prize. So when the enigmatic county sheriff, Nameless, came to the palace bearing the legendary weapons of the slain assassins, the King was impatient to hear his story. Sitting in the palace, only ten paces from the King, Nameless told his extraordinary tale: For ten years, Nameless studied the way of the sword and resolved to challenge the three assassins. Using the secrets of swordsmanship; Nameless defeated the mighty Sky in a furious showdown. Following this initial victory, he destroyed the famed duo of Flying Snow and Broken Sword. This time using a weapon far more devastating than his sword - their extraordinary love for each other. The King hung on every detail of this curious story. But then something most unexpected happened - the King has a different story to tell of how Nameless really came to sit there, face to face with the King! It appears that everything was not so simple. In the centre of the intrigue sits Nameless -a solitary ranger and the King of Qin - the ruler of the Kingdom, with only ten steps between them. Within those ten steps holds an earth-shattering tale of love, honour and duty, a story that moves beyond the reaches of history. A story about what it means to be a HERO.

MY PERSONAL OPINION: Coming soon....

MUSA
Rating:
Country : South Korea
Year: 2001
Genre: Swordplay
Running Time: 2H38
Producer: Cha Seung-Jae
Director: Kim Sung-su
Cast: Jung Woo-sung, Ahn Sung-kee, Ju Jin-mo, Zhang Ziyi, Park Yong-woo, Park Jeong-hak, Yu Hye-Jin, Jeong Seok-yong

Story: It is the year of 1375, a large group of diplomats sent from Korea are traveling to China in order to make peace with the new government in the times of the warring Ming and Yuan Dynasties. Because of misunderstandings and complications, they are charged as spies and exiled. On what seemed like a road to perdition, through and endless sea of sand, they are soon attacked by the Yuan. Smaller in numbers now and almost surviving their travels, they come upon a Ming Princess in the possession of the Yuan and attempt to flee her in order to be blessed and favored by the Ming for their heroic deeds, thus in turn, restoring the relationship between the Ming and Korea.

MY PERSONAL OPINION: Coming soon....

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AVENGING FIST
Rating:
Country : Hong Kong
Year: 2001
Genre: Kung Fu / Sci-Fi
Running Time: 1H36
Producer: Andrew Lau
Director: Andrew Lau, Corey Yuen
Cast: Lee-Hom Wang, Stephen Fung, Kristy Yang, Gigi Leung, Yuen Biao, Sammo Hung, Kar Lok Chin, Roy Cheung, Cecilia Yip

Story: Nova was just another kid with extremely spiky hair with super human powers and awesome martial arts ability. His sister, Belle, and cousin, Jazz, were also insanely strong and had ninja skills to boot. Together, all three were a force to be reckon with, especially Nova since he inherited the Avenging Fist fighting techniques from his now defunct father. But there are some secrets and mysteries surrounding his father's murder and the man who killed him which will always leave Nova ignorant to the truths about his origins. On another day of cyber bike racing with Jazz, Nova fights and befriends Iron Surfer, a rock and jock, goggle wearing, red haired punk kid who ends up being a key figure in finding the man who killed Nova's father and becomes the love interest to Belle. Dark, an enigmatic figure and detective emerges and all it set loose on the table as an explosive special effects extravaganza hits the screen and becomes an all out martial arts fest driven by Corey Yuen's fight choreography and Andrew Lau's direction.

MY PERSONAL OPINION: Coming soon...

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BATTLE ROYALE
Rating:
Country : Japan
Year: 2000
Genre: Action / Horror
Running Time: 1H54
Producer: Kinji Fukasaku
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Cast: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Taro Yamamoto, asanobu Ando, Kou Shibasaki, Chiaki Kuriyama, Takeshi Kitano, Yûko Miyamura

Story: Some time in the new millennium Japan falls into economical decay, mass unemployment reigns in the country. With no clear future available, the student no longer respect school, violence increases due to riots and many students drop out of school. With the chaotic situation the government enacts the Battle Royale act, which consists of selected one of the poorest performing classes and sending off to an island where they must fight for survival and only one student can leave alive. The students have 3 days to complete the game or everyone dies due to explosive devices on their necks, they are given random weapons and the only rules to follow is avoid the danger zone and don't cause any trouble or the army will kill them. Mistrust, fear and hate run rampant and chaos spread among the students and they soon give in to the fight for survival.

MY PERSONAL OPINION: Coming soon...

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ASOKA
Rating:
Country : India
Year: 2001
Genre: Swordplay
Running Time: 2H49
Producer: Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla
Director: Santosh Sivan
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Rahul Dev, Danny Denzongpa, Hrishitaa Bhatt

Story: Asoka traces the life of Emperor Asoka, the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya who ascended the throne of Magadha in the 3rd century B.C. To extend the borders of his empire and to avenge the death of his lover Princess Kaurwaki, Asoka waged one of the bloodiest battles in history with the neighboring kingdom of Kalinga, leaving it ravaged and devastated. Confronted with the aftermath of his conquest in which hundreds of thousands lost their lives, Asoka is overcome with remorse and renounces the path of war to dedicate his life to spreading the teachings of Buddhism across the world. (Source: Kung fu cult cinema)

MY PERSONAL OPINION: Coming soon....

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BICHUNMOO
Rating:
Country : South Korea
Year: 2000
Genre: Swordplay / Drama
Running Time: 1H58
Producer: Jeong Tae-won
Director: Kim Young-jun
Cast: Shin Hyeon-jun, Kim Hi-seon, Jeong Jin-young, Jang Dong-jik, Choi Jin-hee, Seo Tae-hwa, Kim Hak-cheol

Story: In 14th century China when the country was under the rule of the Mongols, two lovers are separated by an unexpected event. Jinha is an orphan studying a powerful martial arts form from his uncle. Sullie is the daughter of a respected Mongol general. Jinha and Sullie have known each other since their childhood. Sullie now has to leave the region and marry an aristocrat, but Jinha doesn't agree with this decision and wants to do something in order to prevent this from happening. But his uncle will try to reason him and explain to him that he has to continue his training, until a more dramatic event happens. His uncle will now have to reveal to him the truth about his past and who were his real parents who really have been killed by a group of people who were looking for the secrets of Bichun, the powerful secret martial art form that Jinha just so happens to be learning. With his personal small army composed of 10 masterful swordsmen, Jinha will do everything he can to punish those who murdered his family. But at the same time, Jinha will also have to fight with those who seek the secret of Bichun and try to deal with his profound love for Sullie.

MY PERSONAL OPINION: Coming soon....

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CRYING FREEMAN
Rating:
Country : France/Canada/Japan
Year: 1995
Genre: Action
Running Time: 1H40
Producer: Samuel Hadida, Brian Yuzna
Director: Christophe Gans
Cast: Mark Dacascos, Julie Condra, Rae Dawn Chong, Byron Mann, Masaya Kato, Yôko Shimada, Mako, Tchéky Karyo, Kevan Ohsji, Debbie Podowski

Story: Yo is one of the world's greatest hitmen, and not only that, but he works for a mysterious Chinese mafia organization called Sons of the Dragons. He has been given the honor of being called Freeman, a title only given to a special type of assassin. Though Yo doesn't want the honor, there is little he can do. His obligation is more important than personal want. After each killing, Yo must cry silently for the victims. One day he bumps into Emu O'Hara, a beautiful woman who witnesses Yo killing three Yakuza on a rugged stretch of California coastline. Though Yo's natural assassin instincts cannot let any witness alive, his heart helps him resist the urge and instead he falls in love with Emu. Hunted by his own people for not doing what he was ordered to along with the police, Yo and Emu try to get away and begin a new life.

MY PERSONAL OPINION: Coming soon....

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