The Hand of Death (1976)

Hey everybody! I recently had the privilege of contributing to City On Fire, an action movie news and reviews site that mainly focuses on Asian cinema and martil arts. For my first review, I tackled one of John Woo's earliest films, The Hand of Death, featuring two of Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung's earliest performances. Check out the review here!

Heart of Dragon (1985)

Director: Sammo Hung

Cast: Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan, Emily Chu, Mang Hoi, Lam Ching-ying

Country: Hong Kong

Rating: R

Run Time: 90 minutes

Heart of Dragon is one of the most bizarre and ridiculous Jackie Chan films I have ever seen. And not bizarre or ridiculous in that the film contains oodles of silly humor like Chan's City Hunter. No, I'm talking ridiculous in the sense that the film is both a balls to the wall action film and an emotional drama about a cop and his autistic brother. I don't know what Chan and director/co-star/bad ass legend Sammo Hung (Eastern Condors, SPL: Sha Po Lang, Ip Man 2) were thinking when they made this movie because I couldn't take a minute of their brotherly drama seriously. 

I laughed out loud numerous times while watching this. That should give you a sense of how well I responded to the film's "sad" and "heart wrenching" drama. However, Heart of Dragon is one of those rare films that blows it in the drama department but excels above and beyond in the action department. Deep within this flawed and accidental comedy is quite honestly one of the best action movies ever made. If this film had been stripped of its autism plot and turned into a more focused police story like...well, Chan's own Police Story, than this easily would rank as one of the best martial arts films ever made. But alas, Heart of Dragon wouldn't be such a crazy and special discovery of mine if it didn't contain scenes of Hung's autistic character getting the crap repeatedly beat out of him by people who clearly have no sympathy for an autistic person. One part I Am Sam autism drama and one part Hard Boiled action fest, Heart of Dragon is truly one of the most unique martial arts films I have ever seen. For better and for worse.

Oh yeah, this image definitely conveys "emotional autism drama."

Heart of Dragon was clearly an attempt by both Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan to take the comedic martial arts genre that they made so popular in the 80s into a more serious direction. While I typically commend any actor for trying something different than what they are typically known for (i.e. Seagal in On Deadly Ground or Stallone in Cop Land), Heart of Dragon's biggest flaw is its tug of war between autism drama and bad ass action fest. There is no exaggeration when I say that the first 45 minutes of this film is devoted entirely to the autism drama between Jackie and Sammo's characters and the final 45 minutes are devoted entirely to a cops and criminals plot in which Sammo's character is kidnapped by ruthless thieves. In my opinion, this is the film's absolute biggest flaw. Sammo Hung should have either committed to making an entire autism drama or a balls to the wall action film, not one and the other mixed together. They simply don't blend.

I truly cannot decide if Sammo Hung's portrayal of a mentally challenged man is awful or genuine. It's evident that Hung and Chan had the noblest of intentions with the autism portions of the film. However, I just can't take any of it seriously. The film made for a better "so bad, it's good" kind of drama than a truly riveting one. I believe the reason for this is because many Hong Kong filmmakers and actors tend to amplify their characters' emotions and actions to extreme heights. When Chow Yun Fat screams at his blood brothers in A Better Tomorrow, it makes for great drama. However, autism is the last subject that should be treated with such extremes. Even though the film showcases the kind of brothery love that I love so much in H.K. cinema (i.e. The Corruptor, City on Fire, Rich and Famous), it doesn't work nearly as well as Hung and Chan probably intended.

Here is an example of the awkward extremes that the film reaches. In one scene, a group of kids take advantage of Hung and use him to dine and dash at a restaurant. When the waiter asks for Hung to pay the bill, he replies that he can't because he doesn't have any money. When Hung tries to run away, the waiters slam him onto a table and beat the crap out of him! I kid you not! It is absolutely hilarious and depressing to see. Scenes like this pepper the entire film and make one wonder if they are to laugh at the ridiculousness on screen, feel bad for the characters, or question why no one else is stepping in to help such an autistic person. I don't know, maybe this movie is a masterpiece and I am just realizing it right now. Than again, I am used to the excess of H.K. cinema and probably shouldn't be as surprised or shocked as I am.

Yes!

Depending on how you respond to the material, the first 45 minutes of Heart of Dragon are either going to be riveting drama or accidental hilarity. However, anyone who watches the final 45 minutes of the film is going to agree that it contains some of the best action scenes in movie history. The first epic set piece of the final 45 minutes is an insane car chase between Jackie and a squad of police officers on motorcycles and in cars. This chase is absolutely nuts as Jackie launches off of numerous ramps and drives off of hills with no hesitation. And you know what, neither do the police! These cops are willing to jump their bikes and cars off of ramps and hills without a moment's hesitation either. That is what you call dedication.

The big set piece of the film is an amazing construction site fight sequence that finds a way to use every possible element of a construction site imaginable. In this scene, Jackie and his crew of fellow detectives storm a construction site filled with criminals who have kidnapped Sammo Hung. Jackie and his buddies engage in an epic shootout that leads into plenty of melee fights with machetes, pipes, and wooden blocks. This sequence is jam packed with "Oh!" moments that will get every action fan up out of their seat in excitement. Jackie's fight with villain James Tien's right hand man is one of the swiftest and hardest hitting fist fights I have ever seen in an action movie. All of Heart of Dragon's ridiculous autism drama is worth sitting through just to get to this magic at the tail end of the film. I cannot praise Jackie Chan's choreography and stuntwork enough. The man is the God of fast paced action.

Brothers for life!

Heart of Dragon is one heck of a unique action film. Odd balls like this don't come along very often. Therefore, I pride myself on discovering bizarre and insane action films like this when I do discover them. From an action stand point, this film is a masterpiece. The fight sequences are so damn good that they will blow any viewer's mind. However, all of the emotional drama simply falls flat and ends up being more funny than moving. I guess my final question is, why is this film called Heart of Dragon? Recommended to Hung and Chan fans who are willing to excuse some ridiculous drama in order to get to the amazing action that the two are so well known for.

Rating: 6/10 - If anything, it is those final action scenes that hold this film up.

Eastern Condors (1987)

Alternate Chinese Title: Dung fong tuk ying
Director: Sammo Hung
Starring: Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Yuen Woo-Ping, Joyce Godenzi, Haing S. Nor
Country: Hong Kong

I love good dramatic-action-war films like Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down. However, there is a soft spot in my heart for entertaining and awesome war films like The Inglorious Bastards and Windtalkers. These are war films where the drama and story take a back seat to incredible action sequences and more slow motion than you thought your mind could take. I have heard that Eastern Condors is one of the most action packed and entertaining war films ever made. Well, I am happy to say that is totally correct. While the characters and drama are weak and underdeveloped, the action scenes are great and masterfully choreographed by a trio of true badasses: Sammo Hung (SPL), Yuen Biao (Dragons Forever), and Cory Yuen (The Transporter).

A photograph to be proud of.

My mouth must have dropped at least 10 times during this film. I shouted, "Ohhhh!" more times than I would like to count. The kills, slow motion explosions, and kicks in this film are just gorgeous. Eastern Condors reminded me why Hong Kong Cinema has the greatest action scenes in all of the world.

On to the plot. Eastern Condors is essentially a Chinese Dirty Dozen set in Vietnam. It's as plain and simple as that. The Americans apparently left a huge stock pile of weapons in Vietnam. Therefore, a rag tag group of Chinese prisoners are enlisted to go destroy the stockpile before any Vietnamese soldiers get their hands on them. If they succeed and live, they will be granted full pardons and $200,000. Not a bad deal.

I love the heck out of a basic plot summary like that. Why can't every action film be this basic? Too many modern American action films are so concerned with exposition and plot that they forget that action and technical mastery is what the audience has come to see as well.

"You put your gun down first!"

The lead performances are all great. Sammo Hung plays a strict and serious leader of the group. He also racks up a massive kill count. This film has a huge body count by the way. I know I'm estimating, but there must be nearly 200 onscreen kills in this movie. Yuen Biao is probably the best actor in the film. He plays a silly traveler who sells goods to villagers. He also happens to be a master martial artist and gets wrapped up in the mission on accident. Action choreographer god Yuen Woo Ping even has a small but memorable supporting role as one of the Chinese prisoners on the mission. I would love to see him in more films because he's really entertaining as well. The other lead performance worth mentioning is Joyce Godenzi as the leader of the Cambodian rebels. She kicks just as much butt as everyone else and holds her own as one of the most awesome female action characters I have ever seen. She even flips a guy over and stabs him in the butt hole! Best kill ever?

You will never look at a leave of grass the same.

As I said before, the choreography, framing, sound design, and editing of this film is flawless. All of the action scenes are incredible. I couldn't ask for more. There are several instances where one of the film's musical themes plays as a character runs in slow motion and prepares to either throw a knife or do something awesome. I immediately recognized it as the music that plays during the scene in Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds when Omar Doom runs across a room in slow motion and gun punches a Nazi soldier. By accident, I found yet another one of the many things that Tarantino lifts from other films. It also works because Inglourious Basterds is an homage to "Men on a Mission" War films (i.e. Eastern Condors).

Bridge on the River Condor

However, my biggest complaint with this film is that it thinks all of its supporting characters are incredibly interesting and memorable. Whenever anyone dies, the music swells and becomes very heavy and dramatic. Everybody starts crying or holds that character in their arms and watches them die. I'm sorry, but I know nothing about many of these characters. Why am I supposed to care when they die? I was invested in the deaths of some of the major characters and a member who turns out to be a traitor, but that was about it. I couldn't forgive this because Sammo Hung really thought each member was their own unique character and they simply weren't. They were either a cookie cutter soldier or a goofy piece of comedic relief.

But, this is still a great action film. A lot of what I have to say is just praising individual moments during the action scenes. You could have a whole hour long conversation just about the action scenes! There is so much variety and madness going on here. I can't remember the last time I saw an action film that contained these images:

- 8 people on a motorcycle ride through a field and shoot up an entire army of soldiers.
- A girl flips a guy over and stabs him right in his butt hole.
- Sammo Hung shoots leaves of grass as deadly darts.
- A man has a grenade shoved in his mouth and than explodes.
- A character has their hand sliced off and than continues to fight.
- And so much more!

Eastern Condors is purely a visual feast for the eyes. It begs repeat screenings because the action scenes are so damn impressive! I recommend gathering up a group of action junkies and putting this on. You will definitely have a good time.

Skinny Slow Motion Sammo Hung

Rating: 8/10 - I think that the weak character development prevents me from giving this a perfect score. For that alone I knocked my rating down two notches. However, the lead characters and action scenes propel this film into the top tier of entertaining war films. Highly recommended and essential viewing for anyone who considers themselves an action fan!

Best Kill / Beatdown: There are truly too many to count! If I had to pick just one though, it would be when Sammo Hung leaps out of the exploding truck on the bridge with a machete and in one fell swipe takes a Vietnamese soldiers head clean off!
Best Action Scene: I think the siege of the bridge was my favorite action scene. I know the longest action scene was the defense of the weapons base, but the bridge scene was just flat out fantastic. There was so much going on visually that I had never seen before. Sammo Hung bouncing on metal plates, Yuen Biao hanging onto the bottom of a truck, and even Yuen Woo Ping running in slow motion across a bridge. This scene was so great, it even has the balls to end on a freeze frame shot! How many movies end a scene on a freeze frame?
Best Performance: Yuen Biao is fantastic as the hilarious but bad ass traveler who joins the group halfway through the film. I love his personal style: his long bang of hair, his trench coat, and the fact that he has a giant motorcycle with freakin balloons on it!

SPL: Sha Po Lang (Kill Zone) (2005)

Director: Wilson Yip

Cast: Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, Simon Yam, Wu Jing

Country: Hong Kong

Rating: R

Run Time: 93 Minutes

If you are reading this review, than you don't even have to contemplate your decision on whether or not to see this film. SPL is one of the finest martial arts action films ever made. It features powerful drama, great performances, and some of the greatest action scenes in cinema history. The sound design and film editing makes for some of the most adrenaline pumping fight sequences I have ever seen. Watching this film will make your jaw drop more than once. More than likely, your jaw won't come back up until the action scenes have finished. Few action films can achieve such an accomplishment, and SPL is one of them.

SPL is the first of four collaborations between director Wilson Yip and action star Donnie Yen. They would follow up this film with a lesser but still enjoyable contemporary police drama, Flash Point, in 2007. A year later, the two would craft what is essentially one of the greatest action films ever made, Ip Man. A solid sequel, Ip Man 2, followed two years after that. Since than, the two have not reunited for another film. I hope they reunite soon because Yen and Yip go together like Chow Yun Fat and John Woo. They are easily the best actor/director duo working in the action genre today.

Heavyweight vs. Lightweight

SPL is a crime epic that tells the story of several cops and gangsters. The three leads are played by action gods Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, and Simon Yam. Inspector Chan (Yam) continually loses his chance at legally convicting ruthless crime lord Wong Po (Hung). During one attempt to transfer a witness to court, Chan and his witnesses are ran into by another car. A shard of glass from the crash penetrates Chan's skull. The damage leaves him with a tumor that will eventually kill him. The crash also leaves a poor little girl without her parents as well. Feeling guilty and responsible, Chan adopts the lonely girl and makes it his life goal to take down Po however necessary. The rest of Chan's team, played by Liu Kai Chi, Danny Summer, and Ken Chang, all vow to help Chan at all costs; even if it means they must break the law in the process. Things are further complicated once Inspector Kwun (Yen), a by the books cop, joins the team.

One of SPL's strongest aspects is its own title. SPL, or Sha Po Lang, refers to words in Chinese astrology. These words reflect stars that have the capability to do good and evil depending on their place in the heavens. As the film progresses, we are shown scenes that show both the good and the bad of each character. Essentially, no one character is completely in the right in their actions and morals. A cop can have good intentions but achieve it in an illegal way. A gangster may want to love and feed his family but commit murders to do it. I applaud SPL for leaving it up to the audience to consider how they feel about each character.  However, each character's actions have consequences. Therefore, no character escapes the film unscathed.

Star Yen fights in some of the best action scenes in cinema history.

The U.S. retitle, Kill Zone, is just a lame retitle. Yeah, people get killed. But did we really need to remove such a great title and replace it with such a generic action title? I like a title like Kill Zone. I think it would better fit a Jean Claude Van Damme or Steven Seagal vehicle from the early 90's. It would totally work than. However, Kill Zone is a dumbed down title for a film that is nowhere close to being dumb. Blame it on Harvey Scissorhands of the Weinstein Company for that one folks.

SPL's three leads are all played wonderfully. Each character gets their backstory and motives fleshed out so that we as an audience understand each one. All three of the lead characters also kick major ass too. Simon Yam even gets to rack up a killcount during a small but sweet shootout in the film's finale. It should also be mentioned that even the three members of Chan's team are fleshed out too. Each has a small backstory and are very memorable. In any other American film, these three supporting teammates would just be cops who do nothing but kick butt. In this film however, we really care for them. 

The standout supporting performance goes to Wu Jing as Jack. Where has this guy been? His action sequences are incredible! With his bleach blonde hair and silent performance, Jack is one of the most vile and unforgettable right hand men in action cinema. If you don't believe me, just check out my Top 10 Right Hand Men List. Wu Jing is nearly numero uno.

Hung's hangout is lit for a fight for goodness sakes.

SPL's fight sequences are all choreographed by star Donnie Yen. Yen's dedication to showcase first rate action boggles the mind. Yen's one on one fights with Wu Jing and Sammo Hung are two of the best fight sequences in cinema history, especially the one with Wu Jing. These scenes are scored so well too! The music is incredibly dramatic and blends well with the film's flawless editing and graceful photography. Every punch and kick is easy to visualize and the grounds for each fight are clearly visible too. I also love director Yip's artistic choice to have loads of dust fly off of the actors whenever they are punched. It resembles the dust blood that Steven Spielberg uses in Saving Private Ryan and the mist blood that Johnnie To uses in Exiled.

Not much more can be said about SPL. You should simply check it out. I should warn all viewers though that his is a very dark and bleak film. The violence is quite graphic and the conclusions to each character's arc is quite dramatic. Watching this film with a load of martial arts loving friends might help make the viewing experience more uplifting and enjoyable though.

Rating: 9/10 - SPL is a fabulous martial arts drama. The characters are memorable, the drama is compelling, and the action sequences are visually mind blowing. I highly recommend this film to any one who considers themselves an action fan, is a devotee to any of the action icons in this film, and has a slight interest in martial arts films.