5 comments about Modern Warriors [VHS].

1. On the surface, "Modern Warriors" seems to be a documentary
   celebrating the diversity, philosophy and techniques of the modern world of martial arts. However, about one third of the way through this film it becomes apparent that what you are really watching is really more propoganda in support of no-holds-barred fighting and glorification of the violent attitudes inherent in street-fighting.

   Although it features true legends of the martial arts such as
   Furio Demura, Jet Li, Tak Kubota, Benny "the Jet" Urquidez,
   Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Rorion Gracie, Bill "Superfoot" Wallace, Bong Soo Han,and Bas Rutten, it understates the importance of the philosophy of the martial arts and fails to provide the answer to the important question of what distinguishes martial arts from the simple bully mentality and sloppy tactics of street fighting. What's worse is that the video seems to cover traditional martial arts in the introduction only to later ridicule it when juxtaposed next to semi-realistic
   footage of street fights and no-holds-barred matches.

   I'm not exactly sure what the point of showing miscellaneous home video style street-fighting footage is either. In covering this phenomena, the film itself seems to drop down to the level of its subject matter and even some of the martial artists who should know better such as Richard Norton and actor Louis Mandylor get caught up in the bashing of formal martial arts training. These comments contribute to the overall negative feeling of this film.

   If the point of this film is to present the emergence and evolution of the sport known as no-holds-barred fighting,
   then it falls short here as well by neglecting to mention the fact that even in these so called "reality fighting" contests, good technique and disciplined training usually win out in the end.
   The filmmakers fail to point out that one of the primary goals of martial arts is the _striving_for_perfection_ of technique, whether it be a technique of striking, blocking, throwing or grappling.

   The only saving grace of this video are the interviews and footage of Benny "the Jet" Urquidez, Don the Dragon Wilson and Bill "Superfoot" Wallace: three exceptional martial artists who successfully applied their martial arts training in the world of full-contact fighting without forgetting about their roots in traditional martial arts.

   Do you know the difference between Martial Arts and fighting ?
   Unfortunately the filmmakers of "Modern Warriors" do not seem
   to know. Instead of using the tremendous amount of wisdom and talent they had before them to create an inspirational documentary about the true meaning of the martial arts and the spirit and dedication of its practitioners, they decided to
   edit the footage and interviews in such a way that ultimately
   glorifies macho street violence and no-holds-barred fighting.




2. This is a documentary of karate and kung fu fighters and instructors, who explain how to train yourself in martial artistry. The experienced instructors are: (Jet Li, David Carradine, Rorion Gracie, Bas Rutten, Don "The Dragon" Wilson, and Benny "The Jet" Urquidez.) All give and demonstrate with old films, the art of self control as well as self defense. You'll see some karate kickboxing action as well. So if you like to learn some karate moves, or just watch; then this is the film for you.



3. Im not going to list the martial artist since others have already done so. Instead, I'll describe the DVDs contents.

   It starts by tracing asian martial arts back to China from which it spread and changed as it entered different parts of asia. From their, it spread to America and Europe. As people became aware of the different styles of combat, a desire to find out which is the best naturally developed. Mixed martial arts events (MMA) were held and quickly techniques that worked and those that didn't revealed themselves. Today, do to contests like Pride FC and UFC, the modern martial artist is a mixture of styles using any technique from any style to win.

   Although I liked this DVD and recomend it, I disagree that tournaments are the testing grounds for real street fighting techniques. Even the "No holds barred" fights (NHB) have rules that prevent eye gouging, fish hooking, single-finger locks. Think about the above three, aren't they the most effective way to attack someone? Specially if his stronger than you?




4. This is a highly enjoyable and informative look at some exceptional martial artists and the martial arts they practice. The footage from fights featuring the likes of Bill Wallace and Benny Urquidez is great value for money.
   
   Some questions have to be asked though: Why on earth is there no mention of Bruce Lee? Even David Carradine gets to say his piece! Where is Dan Inosanto? They interview his daughter briefly, is all. Where is Joe Lewis? The complete absence of these three hurts the film. If it weren't for that I would give it 4 or even 5 stars, though those dodgy footage of real-life situations should have been left out.
   
   As for the "bashing" of formal martial arts, all this film does is point out what Bruce stressed long ago: forms and kata don't work on the street. When Richard Norton and Sammo Hung say that you can believe them. So if you want your style to look dojo-good, good for you, and if you want to be able to survive on the street, good for you. I don't think this film bashes anything; it just points out that there is a difference between good form and practicality.



5. After the first twenty minutes, which sets the scene and is indistinguishable from any other martial arts doco, the real tone of this film begins to emerge. The film makers have been wise enough to go to the fighters who have actually gotten results in the fighting/martial arts world, that is, those who have actually been a part of real life fighting action.
   
   And what a selection. The Gracies, Benny Urquidez, Richard Norton, Dan Inosanto and many, many others all speak candidly about what they believe the true essence of fighting/martial arts is. You feel like you are sitting on the gym floor with them as they share advice and anecdotes. They mostly say one thing: real fighting is damn ugly and if you can't hit hard, and take a hard hit, you have a lot of work to do before you can consider yourself ready for the world out there. That's not to say they don't expound good technique. Quite the contrary.
   
   What I find refreshing about this doco is that it focuses on the ugly, nitty gritty side of fighting/martial arts instead of showing the other-worldly, visually spectacular aspect of martial arts which has been done ad infinitum.
   
   I gave it four stars because in terms of classic cinema it does not stand out, but frankly, the content is so good I don't care personally. For me its a five star. Sports/motivation fans should get something out of this too. It is entertaining for non-martial artists but they may find it less absorbing.
   
   There is only one real extra on the DVD but it is worth the cost of another DVD, as it is over an hour of outtakes from the interviews, clipped together on various subjects. This is just what I liked as the film left me wanting more.
   
   I'm glad I bought this DVD and I will be watching it many times over. I recommend that any serious martial artist/security worker watch this doco. at least once. If you don't find it informative (and I'd be very surprised) you'll find it entertaining.

No comments about Martial Arts Extreme: Bruce Lee.

No comments about Bruce Lee Superdragon.

5 comments about Dungeons & Dragons.

1. It has been many years since I watched this travesty of a film, but even after thousands of competitors, I still find Dungeons & Dragons to be the worst film I have seen. As a big fan of the D&D game (I grew up playing it for years) I had high hopes for the movie. A budget of 35 Million dollars at the time was quite a lot of money, and Jeremy Irons is one of my favorite actors (for Irons at his best, try the original Brideshead Revisited miniseries). It gives me no pleasure to pan the film, or Irons' performance in it, but there is just no other way... they just were both *terrible*. With cheezy special effects, ridiculous dialogue and acting that is scary bad, you wind up with one big mess. My favorite line from Irons as Profion was "I'm looking for my stone... I want my stone!" You can imagine with dialogue like *that,* the actors did not have a chance. Avoid at all cost.



2. I saw this as a teenager and it made me sick. I tried to watch it again on cable TV as an adult and it STILL sucks!



3. I thought this movie based on the game wasn't satisfying and left much to be desired. Even the most grizzled D & D vet will have a hard time sitting throught the mediocrity of this picture. The animated Dragons of Autumn Twilight was considerably better.



4. The reason for 4 stars is because it is a good laugh.
   
   It is a BAD movie. A heck of a lot of the acting is awful (the empress mostly), the scenes are hokey, the plot is generally predictable, and sometimes it flows poorly.
   
   I enjoy watching it however. I own the movie, and it is perfect when I need comedy. It is still a pretty classic "oh no evil wizard, lets save the empire!" story, and it has humorous lines. The rogues are entertaining, and who doesn't like watching a drunken dwarf fail to ride a horse? The mage is fairly whiny, but that's expected of a spoiled brat.
   The dragon animation is decent (for the time) and I always enjoy the end with the dragon um... having a little snack... at the end.
   
   It is a cheap movie, but worth it for that price. Don't expect a lot, and you'll get plenty. Expect too much, and you'll be disappointed.



5. You are faced with an excess of very unrealistic-looking CGI. The whole of the Empress' castle, not to mention the entire city, all of the dragons, most of the weapons, the fantastic landscapes, all look somewhat less beautiful and less real than the average Larry Elmore Dragon cover. You have 10 weeks and $10 million to try to make them better. What do you do?
   
   You miss, sorry, the THACO on this attack was 6 and you rolled a 4.
   
   There is a screenplay before you, filled with gaping holes in the action (why are they suddenly in an empty forest at least twice? why is the female magician unable to use magic except when it's convenient? why is our callow hero, Ridley, so special and the only one who can complete this quest, ad infinitum) and some of the worst dialogue you've ever heard:
   
   Norda: How old are you? Snails: Twenty-three. Yeah, I know I'm a little young for you, but what if I get my hands on an aging potion, huh? I'll sacrifice a couple of years for you. Norda: I'm two hundred and thirty-four.
   
   Not to mention an ending that's beyond pathetic.
   
   This one doesn't look too hard to beat, go ahead and give it a shot...oh, a swing and a miss. Sorry you rolled a 1, you only needed a 2.
   
   The actors are as miserable as the screenplay, before you are Thora Birch, a petulant child spouting modern notions of equality; Justin Whalin, dull as dishwater and completely unconvincing as our "chosen hero"; Lee Arenberg having no more conviction than most hyper 12-year olds that choose to play dwarven fighters; etc etc. Only Jeremy Irons seems to know what he's doing, and that's taking the money and running with it and having a fine time playing totally over-the-top - and totally off from everybody else.
   
   Separate attacks please -- oh, miss miss miss miss miss...but you HIT on Irons; he's actually providing a good show! He chews the scenery, he knows it's not serious for an instant. Would that he could have imparted some of this to anyone else....
   
   How about the director? This all-seeing beholder-type monster has put his foot in almost every action sequence, directing in the most unimaginative ways possible, and paraphrasing (that's a kind word for "ripping off") Indiana Jones more than once, most notably in an awful fight in the thieve's guild. This one should almost be as easy as the script to knock out...
   
   Sorry. Another 1. Although if it makes you feel better, the THACO here was 4.
   
   A bonus for you, intrepid dungeoneer. As you've persevered despite your horrible losses, I give you a bonus. It is the Marlon Wayans monster, AKA Stepin Fetchit for the D&D crowd. Whether he's whining about doing the dirty work, wailing like a stuck pig, or spouting (PG) urbanisms even more out of place than most of the rest of the dialogue in this turkey, good ol' Marlon gives one of the most solid Uncle Tom performances seen in ages. Yassuh, give him a shot.
   
   Wow. Miss again. You really don't know how to play this game, do you? Please start rolling up a new character....

No comments about The Real Bruce Lee/ Image of Buce Lee.

1 comments about Bruce Lee's Fighting Method [VHS].

1. Richard Bustillo is one of the great Jeet Kune Do instructors available for instruction today. I have trained in martial arts for over 21 years. Whenever I have questions that need to be answered it's nice to know Mr. Bustillo will have the answers. I went to him about 3 months ago and he was quick to help out. It's only a 1 hour drive from where I live to visit him in Torrence, California. If you are not that close then I suggest you purchase his video. It's a small price to pay for a lifetime of knowledge.

   p.s. I rank his gym as one of the best in California for equipment, size, space, freedom, instruction and the ability to practice any art.

   Alan Ground

5 comments about Big Bullet.

1. After assaulting his superior officer, well decorated cop Bill gets reassigned to the less glamorous Emergency Unit. Circumstances put Bill on the trail of escaped international criminal Professor, and his accomplice Birdie. The mechanics of this film are truly mediocre - it's a standard plot with cookie cutter characters. But the enormously talented cast, subtly humourous script, and one very well choreographed action sequence make this film quite enjoyable. Lau Ching Wan is in top form, Jordan makes the best of his cliched character, Theresa shows the same energy she had in _What A Wonderful World_, and Spencer even gets to do some football play-by-play. Francis Ng Chun Yu doesn't ham it up, for once, and puts in a solid supporting role. If you enjoyed this film, you may enjoy _In The Heat Of Summer_ even more. -P



2. The characters are particularly memorable in this movie, which is saying quite a bit about the quality of this action flick. Lau Ching Wan plays a tough well-respected cop who gets demoted to the Emergency Unit (after he punched a superior) and joins with four other cops, each with very different personalities. The characters are excellent and the way they play off each other is quite endearing, dramatic, and funny. And then, there's the two evil druglord villains whom they must eventually tangle with. Action scenes are fast and furious (occasionally confusing), and story moves quite quickly. A highly entertaining movie.

   As for the DVD, I found it pretty okay, as there are some extra trailers of other movies which was kind of nice, although DVD didn't allow me to skip through the the studio/warning setences and stuff in the beginning.




3. In Benny Chan's Big Bullet, Lau Ching Wan is a hard-boiled cop demoted to the emergency unit after punching a jackass superior. Lau ends up being in charge of four cops who eventually realize that he's an outstanding policeman. The group becomes an excellent team by following Lau's leads and they go to war with two psychotic drug-lords. This action packed film sports an awesome supporting cast. You can't miss with Anthony Wong and Yu Wing Gong as the villains. Add Jordan Chan, Francis Ng, and Theresa Lee to the mix and it's almost an overkill. Director Benny Chan lets everyone shine and the results are fabulous. Big Bullet will add flavor to any action fan's collection.



4. Lau Ching Wan plays a cop that is being transferred from the special unit to the emergency unit. I don't know Hong Kong police stuff very well, but non-Chinese will just have to suppose that he is being demoted. Plus this is still when the Hong Kong was in the Brithish's hands so it may not even be applicable today. Well they may be able to demote him, but they can't change who he is. He is a damn good cop and even his superior knows he cannot fire him because he has made so many big arrests.
   
   Well right when he starts with the Emergeny Unit, big things start going down. Only he is not with the special unit anymore and has to do what he is told arresting street hooligans and such. So he can do nothing when a man who is called the Professor(Rongguang Yu) gets broken out of prison. He and his henchmen, one of which is played by Anthony Wong want to get their money back from the cops. They know where the money is because of certain people and they will do all in their power to get it. I love it how this guy goes to jail for stealing money and now he breaks out of prison so he can get it back. Rongguang Yu is very good as the villian.
   
   So the movie has awesome shootouts and even a little hand to hand. When you have the Iron Monkey in a movie, it is a crime not to use his skills. The choreography could have been a little more exciting, but this is some of the best I have seen in a movie that is this good. Also I was cracking up during the entire film. A very good mix of comedy, action and drama. I have to say that Lau Ching Wan is not quite as good as he is in say Johnny To's movies, but this role was not made just for him and he still proves to be possibly the best actor in Hong Kong again. Only my opinion but he is freaking cool!
   
   The Universal and Laser and Video Company version has pretty good picture quality. It is presented in a 16:9 format but all of the subtitles manage to stay in the black bars.



5. I picked up this HK action film in a for sale bin along with some other Hong Kong action films some years back, and finally got around to viewing it again tonight after many years. I must say, this is one film worth owning. I do not have as many films from HK compared to my Japanese film collection, but I have been trying to acquire more films from HK these past few years, as there are some real gems out there. Lately I have been trying to immerse myself in more films from South Korea, Thailand and China. And this film does not disappoint the viewer---especially if you are into action films.
   
   Several reviewers have already given excellent reviews of the film; and I would just like to add that this film also gives the viewer some really terrific humor to go along with the action. And Lau Ching-Wan also gives the viewer a wonderful role as Sergeant Bill Zhu. But then everyone in the film was a treat to watch. I am playing catch up to many films from HK that I missed out on over the years, and I would highly recommend this film to all viewers, and mainly those who like a good and not over the top action film. I have an old DVD of this film, and the transfer was not that great, still the film is worth owning.
   
   Moreover, this HK action film, "Big Bullet" is not only a very good action film, but it is also an extremely intelligent film. And kudos to director Benny Chan, who did a wonderful job with the action scenes in the film too! And once again, I really liked the humor of this particular film, as it is not over the top, and you will find yourself laughing in many parts of the film. I was not sure whether to give this film 4 stars or 5. That's how much I liked this film. Highly recommended [Stars: 4.5].

No comments about The Deadley Strike (Dubbed In English).

No comments about Tarzerix: La Historia De Los Dioses Chinos ~ Bruce Lee [Spanish ~ No Subtitles] (Digitally Remastered) {Platinum Edition}.

5 comments about Big Bullet [VHS].

1. After assaulting his superior officer, well decorated cop Bill gets reassigned to the less glamorous Emergency Unit. Circumstances put Bill on the trail of escaped international criminal Professor, and his accomplice Birdie. The mechanics of this film are truly mediocre - it's a standard plot with cookie cutter characters. But the enormously talented cast, subtly humourous script, and one very well choreographed action sequence make this film quite enjoyable. Lau Ching Wan is in top form, Jordan makes the best of his cliched character, Theresa shows the same energy she had in _What A Wonderful World_, and Spencer even gets to do some football play-by-play. Francis Ng Chun Yu doesn't ham it up, for once, and puts in a solid supporting role. If you enjoyed this film, you may enjoy _In The Heat Of Summer_ even more. -P



2. The characters are particularly memorable in this movie, which is saying quite a bit about the quality of this action flick. Lau Ching Wan plays a tough well-respected cop who gets demoted to the Emergency Unit (after he punched a superior) and joins with four other cops, each with very different personalities. The characters are excellent and the way they play off each other is quite endearing, dramatic, and funny. And then, there's the two evil druglord villains whom they must eventually tangle with. Action scenes are fast and furious (occasionally confusing), and story moves quite quickly. A highly entertaining movie.

   As for the DVD, I found it pretty okay, as there are some extra trailers of other movies which was kind of nice, although DVD didn't allow me to skip through the the studio/warning setences and stuff in the beginning.




3. In Benny Chan's Big Bullet, Lau Ching Wan is a hard-boiled cop demoted to the emergency unit after punching a jackass superior. Lau ends up being in charge of four cops who eventually realize that he's an outstanding policeman. The group becomes an excellent team by following Lau's leads and they go to war with two psychotic drug-lords. This action packed film sports an awesome supporting cast. You can't miss with Anthony Wong and Yu Wing Gong as the villains. Add Jordan Chan, Francis Ng, and Theresa Lee to the mix and it's almost an overkill. Director Benny Chan lets everyone shine and the results are fabulous. Big Bullet will add flavor to any action fan's collection.



4. Lau Ching Wan plays a cop that is being transferred from the special unit to the emergency unit. I don't know Hong Kong police stuff very well, but non-Chinese will just have to suppose that he is being demoted. Plus this is still when the Hong Kong was in the Brithish's hands so it may not even be applicable today. Well they may be able to demote him, but they can't change who he is. He is a damn good cop and even his superior knows he cannot fire him because he has made so many big arrests.
   
   Well right when he starts with the Emergeny Unit, big things start going down. Only he is not with the special unit anymore and has to do what he is told arresting street hooligans and such. So he can do nothing when a man who is called the Professor(Rongguang Yu) gets broken out of prison. He and his henchmen, one of which is played by Anthony Wong want to get their money back from the cops. They know where the money is because of certain people and they will do all in their power to get it. I love it how this guy goes to jail for stealing money and now he breaks out of prison so he can get it back. Rongguang Yu is very good as the villian.
   
   So the movie has awesome shootouts and even a little hand to hand. When you have the Iron Monkey in a movie, it is a crime not to use his skills. The choreography could have been a little more exciting, but this is some of the best I have seen in a movie that is this good. Also I was cracking up during the entire film. A very good mix of comedy, action and drama. I have to say that Lau Ching Wan is not quite as good as he is in say Johnny To's movies, but this role was not made just for him and he still proves to be possibly the best actor in Hong Kong again. Only my opinion but he is freaking cool!
   
   The Universal and Laser and Video Company version has pretty good picture quality. It is presented in a 16:9 format but all of the subtitles manage to stay in the black bars.



5. I picked up this HK action film in a for sale bin along with some other Hong Kong action films some years back, and finally got around to viewing it again tonight after many years. I must say, this is one film worth owning. I do not have as many films from HK compared to my Japanese film collection, but I have been trying to acquire more films from HK these past few years, as there are some real gems out there. Lately I have been trying to immerse myself in more films from South Korea, Thailand and China. And this film does not disappoint the viewer---especially if you are into action films.
   
   Several reviewers have already given excellent reviews of the film; and I would just like to add that this film also gives the viewer some really terrific humor to go along with the action. And Lau Ching-Wan also gives the viewer a wonderful role as Sergeant Bill Zhu. But then everyone in the film was a treat to watch. I am playing catch up to many films from HK that I missed out on over the years, and I would highly recommend this film to all viewers, and mainly those who like a good and not over the top action film. I have an old DVD of this film, and the transfer was not that great, still the film is worth owning.
   
   Moreover, this HK action film, "Big Bullet" is not only a very good action film, but it is also an extremely intelligent film. And kudos to director Benny Chan, who did a wonderful job with the action scenes in the film too! And once again, I really liked the humor of this particular film, as it is not over the top, and you will find yourself laughing in many parts of the film. I was not sure whether to give this film 4 stars or 5. That's how much I liked this film. Highly recommended [Stars: 4.5].