Martial Arts > V Martial Arts > DVD > O

Good Japanese Karate Film

Advantages: Plenty Of Brutal Action, Good Photography and Great Music
Disadvantages: Cut Version Has Nonsensical Plot & Is Too Short!

'Return Of The Street Fighter' - Japan- 1974 Fun sequel to Sonny Chiba's groundbreaking 'Streetfighter' film. Takuma Tsurgi returns (as you would expect) to punch kick and stamp his way through his enemies in this 70s brutalist karate film. Chiba for the uninitiated was an Olympic standard karate master who starred in loads of films in Japan over the seventies and eighties. Chiba is awesome as usual, in the 'Streetfighter' films he plays Takuma ...
...Although not a patch on the original, it's full on and gory (although toned down slightly from the first film), it features tonnes of action, funky music, stylish cinematography and some great 70s kitsch. It has a lighter tone than the original with a plot about the mafia blackmailing karate schools to justify the relentless and brutal fight scenes. However most people won't be watching this for it's great plot, instead they'll be watching to witness ...

fraz1511 21.03.2007 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of The Return Of The Streetfighter (DVD)

Game 2 film

Advantages: Kylie Minogue, fun, action packed, fast
Disadvantages: Dated now, Jean-Claude Van Damme's acting ability

...Minogue(not bad) fight against the tyranny of Dictator M. Bison (Raul Julia) and his cohorts. The film includes characters from the video games up to and including Super Street Fighter II. I believe Street Fighter is one of the most underated and unfairly roasted films from the '90's. If anything, this is a lively, vibrant, highly entertaining and ever so well made fun filled film. The effects are not bad but more importantly its packed with excitement ...
...the era. Colonel Guile (Jean Claude Van Damme) heads a team of United Nations commandoes on a rescue mission to retreive kidnapped relief workers from the clutches of power mad General M.Bison (Raul Julia) whose a total war lord. He's assisted by his crooked arms supplier Sagat whilst Guile's helped by Cammy (the suprisingly good Kylie Minogue). It may all look slightly over the top and perhaps it doesn't have the most coherent plot in the world, ...

dogard 10.01.2005 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of The Streetfighter (DVD)

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Confuses Audience

Advantages: See what life might have been like during the Qing Dynasty
Disadvantages: it left the viewer confused with unanswered questions

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon takes place during the Qing Dynasty and tells the story of woman and men warriers and a sword known as the Green Destiny. I was utterly confused when watching this movie and had a hard time grasping my head around the plot. This story line was very difficult to follow and was needed to be searched on the Internet to discover the plot. In my opinion, the movie didn't answer any questions that were set up in the beginning ...
...plot and the characters of the story were to confusing that it was distracting from the effects included. Personally, I beleive that Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was a pointless movie in which there was no plot but just a series of random events that made transitions through the movie. ...

secret23 19.11.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (DVD)

Must See - Brilliant & Ingeneous martial arts!

Advantages: Culturally accurate (As I can tell), Comical, Excellent martial arts & Choreography.
Disadvantages: Not too deep, more for action than story.

I watched this movie as a recommendation from a friend. - And I'm glad I did. This is one of Jackie Chans' first films and helped hurtle him into stardom. Don't be put off by my special effects rating, a good martial arts film doesn't need them! The choreography is outstanding and carries the film from start to finish. The story is of a young unruly martial arts student (Jackie) who is forced by his father to leave town to train with a legendary ...
...of all, feared by new apprentices'. The young Jackie later discovers the legend is all but an old drunk. He dismisses him, until later through a funny and riveting series of events their paths meet again. As the film continues, Jackie's character, Wong Fei-Hung, is taught 'drunken Kung Fu'. In the mean time it is revealed an assassin has been sent after Wongs' father. I think it is plain to see that this is soley a martial arts movie; the story there ...

Infinite7 27.10.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Drunken Master (DVD)

Kick It To The Man!

Advantages: Great karate action and cute love story!
Disadvantages: None to say.

I have loved the Karate Kid movie since it first came out when I was young. I was not a karate enthusiast or anything like that but I found the movie to be entertaining and enjoyable to watch over and over again. Ralph was a young teen idol when this movie came out and Elizabeth was a great counterpart for the show. She adds a little romance to the show! No one will ever forget Pat and his unique karate teaching. "Wax on, wax off" will forever be ...
...would capture anyones eye. The championship is obviously the most climactic moment but I found it to be suspenseful even though you knew that Ralph was going to try the "crane technique". Now that the DVD is out with special features, well...I won't be missing out on this. And if you enjoy this one, I suggest getting Karate Kid II as well - another inspiring story of courage and strength. And if you like Elizabeth Shue in the Karate Kid, I suggest ...

Mom4more 22.09.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of The Karate Kid (Special Edition) (DVD)