Reviews

This Film RUINED the Manga... Watch the Anime!!

The anime was so much better!!!!

This film doesn't even do the manga justice.
It's a plot hole festival!
It makes the manga look bad. Go watch the anime!

~~~ STORY ~~~

This is what happens when you try to fit a full manga series into 90 minute film. You get a crappy film that is rushed, full of so many plot holes, and isn't true to the original story. In fact, this film makes you so confused and irritated!

I just finished watching the anime, and watched this film the day after finishing the anime. I have never read the manga, but the anime was very suspenseful and kept be on my toes. It wasn't the best suspense, horror, mystery anime out there, but it was enough to get me invested. The anime was interesting enough to make me curious about the film. This film did a terrible job at telling the story of The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window, that I regret watching it... Which sucks because Shison Jun and Okada Masaki are some of my favorite actors.

~~~ WHAT THE STORY SHOULD HAVE BEEN ~~~

Kosuke Mikado has always been terrified of ghosts. Why? Because he has the ability to see them. When he was 4 years old his father went missing, only leaving behind a jewelry box.. Strangely, no one, even his mother, remembers his fathers name or face. One day an exorcist named Rihito Hiyakawa arrives at his workplace. Hiyakawa saves Mikado from a ghost before turning to him and saying "You're my Destiny."

After that incident, Mikado is forced to work for Hiyakawa solving bizarre cases related to the supernatural. However, they keep running into the name Erika Hiura. As the duo investigate, the secrets behind Hiyakawa keep piling up, and it all might have something to do with Erika Hiura and Mikado's missing father's jewelry box.

~~~ WHAT WE GOT ~~~

Mikado is terrified of ghosts and can see them. One day Hiyakawa comes in and forcefully makes Mikado work for him. They repeatedly come across the name Erika Hiura during their investigations, but Hiyakawa doesn't care. Even when her body guard kidnaps them to help save her, he doesn't care. Mikado chooses to ignore Hiyakawa's wishes and investigate Erika Hiura and the bizarre cases himself. He learns that Erika Hiura is just a pawn. She is being manipulated by "Sensei," who is a leader of a cult. Mikado somehow ends up working with Hiura only to discover that Hiyakawa mass murdered the cult in the past after they mistreated him. The End!

Are you confused? I am.

~~~ WHAT's MISSING ~~~

Aside from an actual storyline? Everything!

Plot - The film tried to condense the plot so much that everything great about the plot of the manga/anime was missing. (Remember, I am going off the anime since I haven't read the manga.) The plot revolves heavily around Hikawa and Mikado. Hikawa's motivation is to make Mikado never leave his side. Meanwhile Mikado just wants to help and stop people from dying. As they solve cases Hiyakawa's strange and mysterious backstory unravels. Everything is linked to Erika Hiura, the cult, and "Sensei." Even Hiyakawa and Mikado aren't safe from "Sensei's" grasp. Hell, even Mikado's mom isn't safe from "Sensei." Everyone is a pawn in "Sensei's" master plan.

That being said, the film tried to cram all of the cases related to Erika Hiura and "Sensei" into two very short cases. They even tried to cram Hiyakawa's elaborate and tragic backstory into a minute. They didn't even touch upon Mikado's special abilities and why he can see ghosts. They talked a but about the power of words, but they didn't do into detail about it, or why Erika Hiura used her name in the curse. The worst yet, was that they just had Mikado sign a contract to Hiyakawa, and showed that Hiyakawa was manipulating him without even explaining why Hiyakawa did that and even use the power of being connected to each other.

The whole point of The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window is the bond between Hiyakawa and Mikado, yet the film did nothing to show it. They are supposed to be spiritually bonded together which is why Hiyakawa is jealous of everyone that can "touch Mikado's spirit." Mikado also can't seem to leave Hiyakawa alone, despite finding him strange. They have a strong bond together which is why they exorcize ghosts together. Even when the Hiyakawa misunderstand Mikado's intensions and acts out on his own, Mikado get upset at Hiyakawa, but he still wants to save him. However, the film made Hiyakawa out to be the pseudo villian, and all Mikado had to do was talk to Hiyakawa for a bit and great film over. They didn't even attempt to solve who "Sensei" was, why Erika Hiura was working for him, and what in the world the cult was. They just introduced everything and "Hey, Hiyakawa mass murdered the cult in the past because they were abusing him, so the end. You don't need to know who 'Sensei' is and why he did it."

Characters - All of the characters are watered down and just plain messy versions of themselves in the film. Other important character are straight up missing.

Mikado Kousuke - The key to everyone's heart. He somehow has the power to help everyone heal and fix their issues. He is also deeply tethered to "Sensei" even if he doesn't know it yet.

Hiyakawa Rihito - A man who was abused and manipulated since birth. He has the power to forcefully punch away ghosts. He was born and raised by the cult as a god, to get rid of their impurities. He was never given or shown any type of kindness or love. He believes Mikado is his destiny. He will do anything to keep Mikado next to him, even if that means bonding and tying Mikado to him forcefully.

Hiura Erika - A teenage necromancer, who was sold to "Sensei" and the cult by her father. She is forced by "Sensei" to curse people to fuel his master plan. She hates "Sensei" and wants to run away and be free from his grasps and her own power.

Hiroki Hanzawa - A cop who helped Hiyakawa after he mass murdered the cult. Despite his rough demenor, Hanzawa has a soft spot for Hiyakawa. He doesn't believe in the supernatural, but constantly asks Hiyakawa for help solving unsolvable cases.

Kazuomi Sakaki - Erika's yakuza bodyguard, who was only in the film for 1 minute. He looks cold and scary, but he's actually a really caring guy... at least for Erika. He hates everyone that tries to hurt Erika, even her father and "Sensei." He would save Erika from her hellish fate if it weren't for the fact that he would be killed if he tried to help her escape. He becomes an important character in the later half of the manga/anime. He tells Erika, "If you're going to escape. Take me with you."

Keita Mukae - An exorcist who was cut from the film!!! Like Hiyakawa, he can exorcize ghostss, however his tactic is to talk to them to ease their minds before exorcizing them. He's very good with establishing bonds with people and ghosts.

"Sensei" - A selfish man who manipulates people and ghosts for his own selfish gain. He has Hiura Erika do the dirty work, so nothing can be traced back to him. He has a fear that if people find out his name and face they will destroy him. He has pure hatred for Mikado.

~~~ IS THIS BL? ~~~

The film is not, but it's supposed to be. The film version of Hiyakawa is too stoic and doesn't get jealous of Mikado at all. In fact, he doesn't even bother to force his way into Mikado's spirit. Even Mikado doesn't care enough about Hiyakawa to prioritize his safety. They don't even touch on the fact that Hiyakawa called Mikado his "destiny" in the first scene. Also the exorcism isn't as sexual at it is in the anime/manga.

The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window is published by a BL magazine and is classified as such, but the anime was more Shounen Ai than BL. However, I'm not sure if the manga explicitly makes that distinction. In the anime, it's clear that Hiyakawa is in love with Mikado to the point of obsession. Mikado clearly has feelings for Hiyakawa, but it's unclear if it's romantic or not. Either way, they do have a spiritual bond that is stronger than everyone else. Also, they both occasionally do and say things that make other people question whether the two are dating or not.

Also, the exorcizing that Mikado and Hiyakawa do together is very intimate. Then exorcizing ghosts, Hiyakawa explains that isn't supposed to feel good because it's cleansing the air. The more of their spiritual power they use the better it's supposed to feel. When Mikado compares it to sex, Hiyakawa agrees that it's similar. In the anime, when they do exorcizing together, they are both exhausted and disheveled after... Like they had gone a few rounds together. Usually Mikado is slumped over Hiyakawa. Also Hiyakawa bites Mikado occasionally because he "get's too into it." That being said, when Mukae and Mikado exorcised together, Mukae was respectful and held Mikado's hand. He didn't force his way into Mikado's soul.

~~~ OVERALL ~~~

I really liked the anime, but the film was terrible. While I wasn't really expecting the film to incorporate the BL aspects of it, I was expecting a decent horror/suspense film. I got none of that.

This film was full of plot holes and didn't even manage to tell a decent story. There was no plot at all! This film was created by a big name company with big name actors, yet how did the film not manage to have a decent plot? They really tried to rush through the whole plot in 90 minutes and failed spectacularly. They didn't even solve the mystery that they were setting up to be the big climax.

Do I want a sequel? No.
Do I want a TV series? Maybe... Actually no. While I think the plot of the manga is more suited for a TV series, rather than movie. I think that since the exorcism and spiritual bond aspects of this story are very abstract and sexual in nature, it would be very difficult to show it in live action. The anime was great since we could see the different planes and the abstract nature of the bonds, everything was unrealistic. It would be hard to show different realms and bonds to each other's hearts without lots of CGI.

I personally think The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window should have been left as a manga/anime and never turned into a Live Action Film.

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A Worthwhile Adaptation…

Adapting a popular manga and anime series to a live-action movie can be a case of trial and error with attempting to appease newcomers and fans alike rarely ending in overall success. Nevertheless Tsutomu Hanabusa and Izumi Takahashi decided to take on the challenge of mangaka Ken Wakui’s popular series ‘ Tokyo Revengers’ to the big-screen with an adrenal-infused movie that delivered all of the franchise’s punches and blows.

Akin to its original source material the movie focused upon deadbeat " loser" Takemichi Hanagaki ( Takumi Kitamura). At twenty -six years old and stuck in a job that he absolutely loathes with the passion , Hanagaki soon comes to the conclusion that he’s reached a stalemate with life-given opportunities . However fate has other plan for the unlikely hero.

Hanagaki stumbles upon the revealed truth that his ex-girlfriend Tachibana Hinata ( Mio Imada) perished at the hand of the notorious Tokyo Manji Gang. When Hanagaki is given a golden-opportunity to travel back in time to save his former-girlfriend from her violent death, Hanagaki becomes determined to do whatever it takes to save Hinata. The " crybaby hero" is forced to befriend the Manji group’s unlikely leader Mikey"( Yoshizawa Rio), and his right-hand man " Draken" ( Yamada Yuki) as he attempts to infiltrate the gang and prevent domino- effect -events from occurring through his timeline. However as Takemichi works together with Hinata’s younger brother and detective Tachibana Naoto ( Sugino Yosuke),Takemichi’s life begins to diverge in new directions as he dives deeper into the underworld of delinquents…

Tokyo Revengers’ has always had a “ love-hate” relationship with fans and enthusiasts alike. Whilst many have praised mangaka Ken Wakui’s popular series for its intriguing setup and characters, the series has always hit a rut with audiences over two notable flaws : the believability of its ensemble of teen characters actually acting and being their age, as well as the plot holes and loops which remain greatly prominent in the manga writer’s well-known work. In many ways Takahashi and Hanabusa are subtly decisive within the included elements in their adapted live-action movie.

Of course the director and screenwriter are careful not to stray too far away from the source material. On the other hand subtle changes can become prominent to audiences through certain directions of the storyline and especially with consideration to the age of the characters. Takahashi presented the characters as slightly older than their original counterparts; arguably resonating with audiences by the complex journey of adolescence reflected through the allegorical harshness of reality and experiences onscreen.

Paired together with Takahashi’s kaleidoscope of eclectic genres from mystery to action and then romance, there’ s a gritty-edge to Hanabusa’s focus upon fight scenes which add a notable focus upon violence throughout the movie.

Although silly and lighthearted gags transcended onto the big-screen from Wakui’s manga in order to lighten up heavy-angst and fist fights, Hanabusa downplayed comic relief a lot in his adaptation. Instead the movie’s pacing could feel heavily impacted by the blows and fists of its onscreen characters. The elements of comedy which heavily dominated Wakui’s work against darker panels were sparingly dispersed throughout the film; necessary padding at times but gradually beginning to unravel the storyline’s loose-ends.

As the film’s narrative progressed it became evident to audiences that there was an evident disparity in fight scenes. Arguably Hanabusa’s defence against main lead Takemichi Hanagaki being a visible weakling who is often beat up is excusable to a certain extent as he’d rarely escape from a fight or brawl scene unmarked. Nevertheless there was an unintentional farcical element as the storyline progressed with the contrast between realistic physical strength amongst those engaged in the action soon growing clearly visible for audiences.

Of course Hanabusa wasn’t entirely devoid of coherency when attempting to film the fight scenes of the movie. Together with the help of Tomo Ezaki , there was something surprisingly pacy about stunning visuals coinciding against emotional punches especially as the climax began to arise. However the movie’s climax did help to mark drawing up the fight for audiences, the delivered result of aesthetic and visual brawl sequences could often feel like a coated exterior to draw attention away from the anticlimactic buildup of initial events and the delivered result.

Another element of the movie which arguably suffered under the restraints of pacing was the romantic relationship between Hinata and Takemichi. It is arguable that Hanabusa did not entirely abandon the onscreen relationship between the main lead and his former-girlfriend as this did arguably remain one of the greatest-driving forces for the storyline and Takemichi’s personal goals. On the other hand it could often feel as though Hanabusa used the romantic element of ‘ Tokyo Revengers’ as merely padding once again again the violence of the series; necessary for framing the storyline and plot-drive but rarely shaping out the relationship and complexities for Hinata and Takemichi with more definitive edges.

Then of course there’s the discussion surrounding the casting choices of our main leads. Whilst there were admittedly a few scenes where audiences had to power through certain wooden line deliverances, it’s undeniable that Kitamura is brilliant as Takemichi. The actor managed to bring out the awkward charm of Hanagaki’s adult-self navigating his past against his rekindled courage and determinism which gradually awakens through Kitamura’s subtle yet profound micro-expressions and intonations. Costarring with Kitamura are Ryo Yoshizawa as Mikey and Yuki Yamada as Draken are astounding in their roles by adding an idiosyncratic ambience to their onscreen personas that is both heartwarming and threatening.

Then there’s Mio Imada as Takemichi’s former-lover. Whilst Imada’s screen time is restricted due to her character’s limited scream appears des , her performance did offer a level of sweet and dynamic charm to her embodied role as Hinata and carried through with natural chemistry towards her costar Kitamura.

The vision of Hanabusa’s work was aesthetic for audiences but admittedly without a few flaws. Exploration into Takemichi’s reasons for time-travelling and the handshake being the ultimatum are left hanging the air in the movie’s tight-paced storyline. Additionally there were often few transgressions ( aside from haircuts and technology) made between the past and present eras for the audience. Whilst it would’ve been ridiculous for the series to have nuanced each time-leap in depth there were certainly a multitude of missed-out opportunities to explore a manipulation of cinematography. This could’ve easily been done in order to highlight a greater sense of pathos and nostalgia by Takemichi as an adult experiencing his youth once more. Despite this the ending delivered audiences with a fairly satisfying and outcome to the events of the movie.

Hanabusa and Takahashi’s adapted live-action movie was an evident challenge from the outset. Whilst the movie is evidently limited to a certain extent carried on by noted flaws from Wakui’s work as well as the director and screenwriter’s own directions having their strengths and limits. Nevertheless ‘ Tokyo Revengers’ was a fairly satisfying and adrenal-ride; pacy at times and slightly tedious in other parts, but engaging and intriguing through its cast and setup tone by Hanabusa and Takahashi.

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An unpredictable sort of cliche

They say hindsight is 20/20, and in hindsight I really don’t think this movie offers any new plots or characters. But for once, that didn’t affect my viewing experience at all and I actually didn’t see the story coming, despite a lot being revealed in the first five minutes of the movie.

This movie was a tearjerker for sure; I was really surprised at how many emotions I felt even though I wasn’t a huge fan of the female lead in particular and probably wouldn’t agree with some of the decision-making.

There was some explorable opportunities for the second leads, both of which I felt were left behind and kind of just served as plot devices, but other than that, this was a really beautiful friends-to-lovers story and it really tugged at the heartstrings.

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WOW, I really liked this it's a lot! :)
This is such a great film, very hallmark.
I love the combo of the Philippines and South Korea.
I also love how they played songs in both countries, it makes it authentic between them.
The cinematography is great, shots were on point.
The main actors have strong chemistry that you'll fall in love with them instantly.
Whoever cast Kim and Jayson, well done.
Kim is beautiful and Jayson is super handsome.
I think I was impressed by how great their English was.
It's a very cinderella story.
It's one of those films that make you say aww in so many moments.
Also, I'm a sucker for romantic movies that makes me smile the whole way thru.
It's cute, sweet, and not cheesy.
Trust me you won't be disappointed. Why not watch it?!!

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Cute story

Do you like feel good stories? High school slice of life? Stories about k-pop?
Then this movie is for you. The basic plot, without giving too much detail away, is a girl from the fictional K-pop group is in the midst of conflict with one of her fellow group members. She decides to move out of the dorm to start attending school again. She sees ML in front of her apartment and upon finding out he likes the girl in her group, who she is in the middle of conflict with, and thinks he might know why she is getting bullied by fans. She befriends him with that ulterior motive, but will she become true friends with him or will she use him and leave him in the dust? You'll have to watch and find out.

I think this is a good story that depicts some of the struggles a deaf person has fitting into the hearing society. Friendships and school aren't easy for any teenager, but being deaf makes them much more difficult. Will he be able to accomplish his goals and figure out his future?

It also depicts some of the struggles k-pop idols may have, since the female lead dealt with crazy fans, rumors, and pressure from her company. How does she navigate all of this and try to figure out what the best path for her career is?

I thought this was a cute slice of life that combined both the struggles of a disabled person and the struggles of a k-pop idol as they navigate high school, friendships, and their futures. Is the story fairly predictable, yes, but it was well done and an enjoyable.

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Compared to the other remakes, the storyline were pretty much the same. However I found myself interested more in Zhou Quan's character and the way he adapt to his new life.
I feel like this version have the best choice for music. I really like the song that played on the credits scene.
Comedy flows naturally and wasn't exaggerated
The romance were subtle and heartwarming
Cinematography were eye pleasing

Overall it's a good watch
The only problem i have were the fighting part. I'm really sensitive with blood. And there were a lot of scenes with blood in it. So if you're uncomfortable with blood, you probably just want to skip this.

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Feel Good :)

- Sorry I Don't Have Time To Write...:



What A Movie!!
A Perfect Dish For 'New Year And Xmas'
It's A Feel Good Movie With Fun, Emotions And Easy To Watch...


What A Movie!!
A Perfect Dish For 'New Year And Xmas'
It's A Feel Good Movie With Fun, Emotions And Easy To Watch...


What A Movie!!
A Perfect Dish For 'New Year And Xmas'
It's A Feel Good Movie With Fun, Emotions And Easy To Watch...



What A Movie!!
A Perfect Dish For 'New Year And Xmas'
It's A Feel Good Movie With Fun, Emotions And Easy To Watch...

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The most beautiful story I've ever watched

• Story? Honestly I watch because there is one actor that I like. And I didn't expect the story to be so incredibly cool. Their friendship is very cool, I was made to smile and laugh watching this film. You will feel a very beautiful and happy life, and then sad when watching this. I'm crying.
• Acting/Cast? GOOD VERY GOOD! All the roles were well acted, I was able to get into the story and feel they weren't acting, it was like real.
• Music? Idk but its good, i get into the movie. So its good.
• Rewatch? To be honest, I'm not interested in rewatching it, but it's cool I just don't want.

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One of the best movies! Must watch ♡

No one's rating this or reviewing so I'll do it. I guess maybe because it's also hard to find this movie.

This exceeded my expectations, for real. I was looking everywhere for me to watch this, and finally I found one T^T it was so hard.

I even watched it without any subtitles and had to translate it everytime using a translator. It was all worth it though. So many plot twist, I cannot even guess what would really happen next. It was so so good, the actors and actresses impressed me so much !! They are really good! Must watch their other movies and series too! I was a bit confused with the plot and the story because it has no subtitles. Nonetheless, because of the acting, I still felt the emotions and understand the flow.

Not gonna tell the story because that's for y'all to see. And, the only thing I'm frustrated about is the ending T^T I'm a sucker for happy endings y'all, I mean it did end good. I just hope 014 didn't die T^T I cried so much aasddffghhjk

But overall, it was a really good movie!! Worth it to watch!!

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Kung fu and aliens not a winning formula for Tiger Chen

Stuntman turned actor has had an interesting career of late his friendship with Keanu Reeves had helped him in securing a leading role in Reeves’ directional debut Man of Tai Chi. It was a promising start and we all know that Chinese cinema is in need of some fresh martial arts actor, sadly Tiger Chen does not quite deliver the goods. Tiger Chen’s latest feature Kungfu Traveler is produced by iQiyi. iQiyi’s web based site champions original features and series, churning countless projects that may sound good in theory but its not quite so, often quantity is satisfied rather than quality.

It’s 2147 the world has been invade by aliens and humans are losing the war. During the humans last stand in protecting there command base Chen Hu (Tiger Chen), his team mate Zi Yin (Wang Zhi) and his team of robots fights a losing battle. Chen Hu uses his martial arts, Nan Quen to successfully take down one of the alien foes. Retreating to there command centre the high commanders make a decision that the only way to defeat the aliens is to program all there robots with Chen Hu’s martial arts but Hu thinks that his skills is not good enough and they need to learn from the very best. So they formulate a plan to travel to the past and find the best Nan Quen master, Zhou Cheng Lin (Yang Zhe). Zi Yin creates a robot with the look of Chen Hu and they travel together to 1885. Masquerading as a foot soldier, Ah Jie, he immediately meets Zhou Cheng Lin who refuses to take disciples but agrees to have his brothers to teach him because Zhou’s daughter, Xiao Hua (Ye Yun Fei) has a thing for Ah Jie and he believes Ah Jie has a good heart. Soon each master is mysteriously killed off one by one resulting in Zhou taking Ah Jie as a student. Along the way Big Brother (Sheng Gang), Zhou Cheng Lin’s long lost disciple as well as Xiao Hua’s greatest love reappears after being presumed dead. Ah Jie soon finds out learning martial arts isn’t as easy as it seems for a robot, to fully learn the art he will need to be able to feel nature so Zi Yin programs Ah Jie with the ability to feel emotion. Having finally mastered all he can there assignment is near completion, there final task is to upload the data on to a memory stick and place the item in the designated location where the future can find it but Ah Jie with his new found emotions towards Xiao Hua and his comrades makes a decision to stay and fight besides them.

Tiger Chen never really had the presence to carry a full feature film, his leading debut in Man of Tai Chi was passable if a little mundane and the Kungfu Man was lack lustrous, Kungfu Traveler pretty much treads the same path. Chen’s performance is very one note and flat demonstrating little range in emotions. Future Chen also sports a horrible hairstyle. Wang Zhi’s emotions are highly exaggerated with most of her time spent looking at computer screens. Sheng Gang borders on comical as the villain most of time it involves him scouring at people and having half his hair covering his face to remind everyone how evil he is. His very appearance is transparently evil so any mystery is removed.

There are so many lapses in logic that one would struggle to begin with. Why send Chen Hu back to the past to learn one specific kung fu? Why not learn them all to give them an advantage in the war? Why bother learning kung fu if they have a time machine where they can travel in any point in time to turn the tide of war? Where are they getting their technology and electrical power in 1885? How does the alien race know they have travelled to the past to learn kung fu? How are the aliens able to travel back in time? Most of these are left unanswered. Things are very predictable and progresses in the way that one would expect. Everything is telegraphed very early on so they there is little emotional pay off.

The visual effects is serviceable though the creations have little personality matters made worse for how little screen time is given to them resulting in human races annihilation barely registering. Animation for the aliens and robots are not smooth sometimes coming across like a poor man’s computer game. For those expecting lots of kung fu versus alien fights will be disappoint as about 90 percent of the film is set in the past, aside from the opening shoot out/fight everything else is set in 1885. The fights themselves are uninspired borrowing a lot of moments that we have witnessed before in better films. There is a healthy quantity of fights through out the film but they rarely excite. Chen’s heightened abilities and photo memory should in all logic provide with an advantage but he just comes across as a regular fighter. Wang Zhi passes of as a capable fighter but has rarely any moments to demonstrate this. All the costars handle themselves in the action just fine but there is no stand out moment to make it register. Tiger Chen is an accomplished martial arts stuntman but he is not used to any great degree here. The final fight between Chen and Gang emulates the Wolverine/Sabretoth versus Deadpool fight from X-men Origins. Here our heroes stand back to back while the villain teleports back and forth exchanging punches and kicks. This moment last longer than necessary for it never impresses, with the camera lingering in a static position for a far too long. There is also a moment where its very reminiscent of the fight between Zhang Ziyi and Michelle Yeoh in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Sheng Gang attempts to flee up a wall while fending of Chen, Chen on numerous occasions drags Gang back down. It’s too similar and lacks the fluidity and excitement of CTHD. 87eleven stunt team (action team for countless Hollywood productions; The Matrix, 300, John Wick etc.) serves as choreography consultant but one has to wonder to what capacity they aided in for nothing really stands out and as to why they would need to bring in external help considering Asia’s abundance of capable action choreographers themselves is baffling.

Budget constraints are apparent as smoke is heavily used on the battlefield to hide draw distance and the lack of extras. The first opening segment set in the future is at odds with the rest of the film; filled with weird angles and transitions mixed with strange use of overlaying frames where as the past segments settles down a bit more as a more standard affair. The film sells on the gimmick of kung fu versus aliens that it never fully capitalise on, with very little of the alien appearance. China has failed on many occasions with incorporating martial arts with robot and aliens, Jeff Lau’s terrible Metallic Attraction: Kungfu Cyborg and Wong Jing’s Future X-Cops are prime examples and now we can add Kungfu Traveler to the list. Souring matters is the 2018 more successful release of Beyond Skyline that demonstrated it is possible to make a decent martial arts mixed with aliens film.

Tiger Chen serves as one of the many producers in Kungfu Traveler and can share some of its blame. Kungfu Traveler neither satisfies the sci fi fans nor the action junkies.

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Semblance of old school wuxia stylings with a very unambitious story.

Benny Chan is no stranger to action orientated affairs; Gen X Cops, New Police Story, Invisible Target and Heroic Duo all provide a great levels of action entertainment. Though his decline in quality output recently has become more apparent in recent times with shakier exploits such as the misguided City Under Siege, a disappointing Shaolin though Call of Heroes is not as bad as the two aforementioned films it a rather meek affair.

Following the dissolution of the Qing Dynasty, China has become ravaged in the military takeovers. A son of a military governor, Marshal Cho (Louis Koo) wonders the cities indiscriminately killing and robbing individuals and derives pleasures from his misdeeds. During one of his killing sprees a school teacher Pak (Jiang Shuying) manages to escape and flees to a small town called Pucheng which is under the temporary protection of Yeung (Lau Ching-Wan), leader of the local militia. Also present is wanderer Ma Fung (Eddie Peng) and Pak enlists in his help to protect the children but he refuses. Marshal Cho soon arrives at the town of Pucheng and murders the school teacher and a few others along the way. Cho is quickly apprehended and sentenced to death but not too long after, the presence of Cho’s loyalist arrives, led by Cheung Yik (Wu Jing) and demands his release giving them till the morning to make a decision or there town will be massacred. Fearing there safety the town pleads Yeung to release Cho to spare their own demise and Yeung eventually relents but Cho still attacks the town and at the end Yeung and his remaining followers have to band together to save the town.

There are a good few points in the film that harkens back to the old days of Hong Kong 80’s cinema, with a simple story of brotherhood, triumphing against unsurmountable forces with sprinkling of martial arts thrown in. The story is simple to a point and there’s little in the form of surprises which is not necessarily a bad thing. Holding the film back is Louis Koo’s performance which goes to extreme territories and it seriously derails the film to new levels of absurd. His performance is so over the top its hard fathom how this was passed as a good performance by the director. Eddie Peng and his odd facial hair makes a welcome turn in a rather pointless role, his carefree nature and heroic acts is something that has been done to death but Peng fits the bill just fine. Lau Ching-Wan is reliable as always as the ambivalent leader but it’s hard to buy that he’s a credible martial arts master, he exudes a great authority and as a fine father figure in guiding his towns people and his eventual downfall is wonderfully acted. Wu Jing is just a side character whose sole purpose is to fight and acts as a lackey to the villainess Koo. Jing’s is properly the most multi layered character in the film but his plight is rather cliched and his connection with Eddie Peng’s character is typical film convenience.

Handling the fights is the legendary Sammo Hung and though occasionally satisfying, it is highly hindered by some very obtrusive wire work that seriously pulls viewers away from the fights. Hung is no stranger to odd uses of wire work in his films but they are usually in small dosages but Call of Heroes goes overboard with the weirdness and physics are very jarring, (I know it’s weird talking about physics in a Wuxia film). It’s not the floaty or balletic type found in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon but there are some very strange body movements that just don’t work in context of things. Fights also tend to end pretty much as it gets going which is not a good sign for a film that sells itself on martial arts. Lau Ching-wan don’t quite look the martial artist but he is artfully doubled throughout and his style rarely requires him to perform the more flamboyant movements that is afford to Wu Jing or Eddie Peng. Lau Ching-wans weapon of choice is the whip which is, for most parts put to creative use but nothing to make it standout. The best fight is the night ambush where the henchmen gather to rescue there master, the fight allows each bit player to demonstrate the move set and it is possibly the most grounded fight scene in the film. The finale sees an all-out brawl in the Pucheng village and it is rather underwhelming with Lau Ching-wan not able to participate much in the action. The main draw is the fight between Eddie Peng and Wu Jing which is hindered by an over use of wire work, as the combatants stand on a pile of wine jugs to do battle.

Benny Chan does attempt to add layers of character but it fails to really elicit any excitement or emotional impact. The usage of a truly detestable villain is a very weak plot ploy to elicit triumph but Benny Chan is not known for his intricacy in dealing with plots and characters but usually the action and melodrama makes it for those shortcomings, Call of Heroes does become a bit tiresome for its lack of story ambition.

Call of Heroes is not a terrible film but it is definitely a step down from his more entertaining features such as Invisible Target, New Police Story and Gen X Cops days.

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Yuen Woo Ping once again demonstrates why he is the master

During the heyday of Hong Kong cinema Hong Kong released countless traditional kung fu films especially after the success of Jackie Chan’s Snake in the Eagle Shadow and Drunken Master. It is safe to say that many martial arts fans have seen these films as well as seeing the other better-known titles such as Prodigal Son, Warriors Two, Knockabout and countless others. Sometimes there are those that fall under the radar, unless you are a die-hard fan you will more than likely not heard of these gems. Buddhist Fist is such a film, rarely is it mentioned in the same light as the fore mentioned films but just as much deserving acclaim. Directed and choreographed by none other than Yuen Woo Ping with Tsui Siu Ming serving as co-director and one of the lead actors along with Woo Ping’s brother, Yuen Shun Yi. It’s one of the few opportunities to see Sui Ming in front of the camera and here he and Shun Yi are a joy to behold.

Young Ah Hsiang and young monk Siu Ming become childhood friends as a stolen potato by Sui Ming leads to the two fending of a bunch of kids. Ah Hsiang joins Siu Ming in studying kung fu. Fast forward some years and both adult Ah Hsiang (Yuen Shun Yi) and Sui Ming (Tsui Siu Ming) have become proficient in martial arts. With the blessing of his godfather (Cheung Hei) Ah Hsiang departs to the big city to earn money as a barber. Due to some misunderstanding and careless behaviour Ah Hsiang and his buddy Yu (Chan Lung) gets fired from their jobs resulting in his return back to his town. Meanwhile back at his hometown a mystery mastermind, who is after a priceless jade statute at the temple, is setting up a monk (no surprise who this is) with frolicking and the murder of a prostitute, with the plan to blackmail him into doing his bidding. Ah Hsiang returns to find that his godfather has gone missing and sets about in locating his whereabouts. His search leads him to an old friend working at an incense store owned by Mr Chen (Lee Hoi San) without any information he continues his search around town, which draws various assassination attempts. Eventually locating his godfather he finds out that it was his witnessing of the assailants attempts to steal the statute that lead to his predicament. The mastermind is unveiled and the audience is treated an epic showdown of great martial artists duking it out.

Yuen Woo Ping is a very competent action choreographer his films is widely recognised as some of the best in martial arts cinema but there are times where his films fall short of expectations such as The Miracle Fighters or Snuff Bottle Connection. Buddhist Fist is definitely one of his better films from his vast library of films, the kung fu on display here is phenomenal, with intricate choreography and complex movements. It is helped by Yuen Shun Yi who is in fine form and is capable of delivering some very complicated moves and shows off how nimble he is. It is such a shame that Shun Yi never got the recognition he deserves as he is on par with the likes of Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao. The surprise is Tsui Siu Ming (better known for being behind the camera as action coordinator) makes a rare on screen appearance, his movements and techniques are very crisp and clean, making it a shame that he did not subsequently star in more kung fu films. The film consists of many fights and each one progresses in imagination, Shun Yi shoulders much of the reasonability as the main protagonist and gets to go toe to toe with some fine stunt actors in the industry. Each situation presents a unique encounter; Shu Yi fights with a fortune-teller (Sung Gam Loi) with the aid of his sifu (Fan Mei Sheng), a confrontation with a hunchback (San Kuai), a weapons duel with Lee Hoi San and various exchanges with Tsui Siu Ming. Despite Hong Kong’s assorted mix of traditional kung fu films Buddhist Fist still feels refreshing to watch and that falls down to the creative choreography.

Yuen Shun Yi is a fine actor whether he is the villain or the lead he portrays each one convincingly, here he shows general likability. Tsui Siu Ming again deserves credit for his performance as the monk; possessing vulnerability and innocence. Chan Lung makes a welcome friend but a shame that he does not show off his martial arts skills. Also making welcome appearances are the other Yuen sibling’s Brandy Yuen Jan Yeung, Yuen Yat Choh and Yuen Cheung Yan as well as father, Simon Yuen Siu Tin.

Those seeking a coherent story will be disappointed as it meanders all over the place with weird and often pointless characters introduced throughout. Also a Yuen Woo Ping staple is wacky humour and it is a regular occurrence during this film though at times it can be at odds with some of the more serious or violent moments. Credit has to be given to Yuen and Tsui (who also serve as writer) in attempting a different storyline from the traditional revenge, learn new kung fu and avenge storyline, but sadly it’s not that engaging. Fortunately there is enough fight scenes to saturate the weak story line.

A big problem that I encountered with the film is that there are moments where the film is shot in darker environments or night-time and during these moments it is particularly hard to see what’s going on, though these scenarios are few and far between.

For kung fu fans this is major gem. It is the Yuen clan at their best with some of the most creative and intricate choreography. With fine martial arts performances from all on board with special mention going to Tsui Siu Ming. I strongly recommend those who love their traditional kung fu films to seek this out.

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Old school styled fight scenes makes up for the heavy-handed approach to patriotism

Tsui Siu Ming may not be the household name for western audiences but he is a highly accomplished action director and director. Though his library is not as extensive as the likes of Yuen Woo Ping, Sammo Hung, Tony Ching Siu Tung, Tung Wei etc. his body of work provides enough qualities. Just look at his directional films such as Buddhist Fist, The Gang Master and Bury Me High for some quality martial arts films.

Tsui Siu Ming still adheres to the old school formula of throwing everything together, 2007 saw his return to the silver screen serving as action director, writer and producer on Twins Mission starring Sammo Hung, Wu Jing, Yuen Wah, Charlene Choi and Gillian Chung. It was a mismatched product of old school and new school that did not quite successfully balance the two. 2008 sees Tsui Siu Ming return to the director’s chair in the propaganda film Champions to coincide with the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

In the 1930’s a group of athlete students wish to participate in the Olympic Games but there dreams are squandered by the fees required to send the participants abroad. In hopes to raising the amount they set about in various fund raising activities. Lead by martial arts student Cheung Fung (Dicky Cheung Wai Kin) they embark on street performances, side shows, menial jobs and sports participation. Along the proceedings fellow martial arts student Kwan Shue Po (Xie Miao), in a chance encounter rescues a baby boy of a wealthy businessman from his conniving nephew, So Sam Pei (Chi Long). While Cheung Fung and Shue Po’s master Cheung Chi Kong (Yu Rong Guang) becomes a representative of the Chinese martial arts community which enrages rival master On Yung (Xu Xiang Dong) who suggest that a martial arts competition of ‘winner of the fittest’ should be a fairer judgement of the best martial artist. The outcome is a martial arts tournament that means the winners gets to participate in the Olympics.

Champions can be a hard film to stomach filled with heavy dosages of melodrama and heavy-handed messages of the greatness of China. Subtly is clearly not Tsui Siu Ming’s intentions with things like if we work together we are greater, the unity of people are better and the power of the Chinese spirit are all messages that Tsui Siu Ming forces down the audiences throat. Brass comedy, nonsensical plot, over wrought emotions, undying love, self sacrificing heroism and martial arts fights creates a product that would not be out of place in the 80’s. Amidst the story is some very dull side plots that drags proceedings down but thankfully they don't linger too long before the fight scenes occur. The track race competition in particular is shot in a very mundane manner lacking tension or excitement. Though the film still somehow manages to entertain with its old school approach throwing everything on the table and shuffling it into an enjoyable end product.

Xie Miao is probably best remembered as the son of Jet Li in My Father is a Hero and The New Legend of Shaolin, here he shares costar status and does a fine job as the good intentioned Shue Po. Dicky Cheung performs adequately as the loud mouth cocky lead but can sometimes border on irritating with his constant barrage of jokes and antics. Priscilla Wong Chui Yu over acts as the track runner and love interest of Dicky Cheung. Her emotions don’t quite hit the mark and her pain and suffering is thrust in the faces of the audience opposed to slowly developed. Playing her rival track runner is Debbie Goh who leers and delivers lines of angst in a flat manner. Chi Long who plays the criminal boss gives a cartoon performance that is laughably bad. Yu Rong Guang most will recognise from Iron Monkey and the lead villain in My Father is a Hero opposite Jet Li and Shanghai Noon opposite Jackie Chan. Here he is a pleasant surprise as the master, he carries an air of authority with a sense of honorable pride. Rival martial arts master Xu Xiang Dong is probably best remembered in Tai Chi 2 fighting Wu Jing during the finale and a fellow comrade of Jackie Chan in Dragon Blade, here he is gives one of the better performances successfully capturing his arrogant pride and cocky attitude. Most of the problems of the actors can be attributed to the lousy script.

Being a product of Tsui Siu Ming there is a healthy amount of martial arts action that makes up for everything that precedes it. Collaborating once again with Benz Kong To Hoi (Director of Twins Mission), Tsui and Benz crafts some very creative old school fights where a lot of forms and shape are thrown in. Helped by some long takes and wider angles it’s definitely a welcome product of this day and age of choppy editing, tight framing and shaky cam. The use of actual martial arts talents is a great choice, as the martial art movements are smooth and convincing. Dicky Cheung one of the few non martial arts artist given prominent fight scenes delivers the fight moves convincingly and demonstrates a great grasp of the style he is made to use. The eagle claw and mantis fist are given a lot of screen time and everyone performs adequately. Xie Miao is a welcome talent on board and demonstrates some fluid body movements, it is help that he is an actual practitioner of the mantis fist. Yu Rong Guang makes a welcome return in a fighting role after appearing as bit roles in films like The Myth and New Police Story, though not as agile as witnessed in films such as Iron Monkey or Project S he delivers some great hand to hand combinations against fellow martial arts actor Xu Xiang Dong. Xu Xiang Dong performs the eagle claw with ease providing great power and threat with his smooth movements. Xu Xiang Dong and Yu Rong Guang’s fight is a great demonstration of the eagle claw and tai chi showing great use of locking and reversals. Making a brief appearance is real life tai chi practitioner Lee Fei best remembered in the Iron Monkey as the Witch, here she engages in some brief tightly choreographed scuffles that she gracefully demonstrates nice use of tai chi. A surprising turn is actor Xiao Ming Yue (The Legendary Amazons) who shows much grace in his kicking combinations. A slight drawback is the over abundance of wire enhanced moves that usually involves lifting the talents in the air to deliver an otherwise impossible amount of kicking combination. There is a health amount of fights scattered throughout and each one provides enough variety.

If you can stomach the melodrama and the heavy handed approach of patriotism then underneath is an old school film created in the modern generation that provides quality fight scenes.

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Jovovich’s first Chinese film is an overstuffed spy caper that fails to be above average.

After his foray as director in 2013’s Firestorm starring Andy Lau, scriptwriter Alan Yuen Kam Lun returns once again with his latest feature film The Rookies. From a script written by Yuen himself, The Rookies is a spy caper high on comedy with a sprinkling of action, aided by foreign locations and an extended guest appearance from Mila Jovovich. It all sounds good but the final outcome is a very standard affair. Released only in a select few cinemas The Rookies made little impact in the Chinese cinema box office.

Zhao Feng (Darren Wang Dalu) is an internet sensation whose fans adore him for his extreme stunt antics. His latest stunt involves a 2 man race up a high rise building all the while live streaming. Due to a mishap in his latest stunt he ends up in the middle of a black market exchange of a deadly weapon, fortunate for Zhao super spy Bruce (Mila Jovovich) crashes in to stop the transaction. Bruce decides to recruit Zhao in joining there espionage organization sending Zhao to Budapest with the hopes of stopping a terrorist group lead by Iron Fist (Dave Lee McInnis) who intends to release a deadly toxin upon the world. Miao Yan (Sandrine Pinna), a bipolar cop that now resides in the last department that is willing to accept her is sick of her inept department and chief (Lam Suet) so she ventures to pursue Zhao after witnessing his live stream. Miao Yan lands in Budapest and join forces with Zhao as well as lifelong friend Ding Shan (Xu Weizhou) and LV (Liu Meitong) in an attempt to stop the evil Iron Fist.

The name Alan Yuen may not be instantly recognizable but he is an accomplished script writer having penned the script for Jackie Chan’s New Police Story, Rob-B-Hood, Shaolin and the highly acclaimed Monster Hunt. His previous directional feature Firestorm was a commercial success that hinted at a bright future ahead for Yuen, surprisingly it took him this long to have his next directional film. Though The Rookies is not a complete mess of a film, it fails to successfully meld all its ingredients into a logical and cohesive product demonstrating Yuen’s scatter gun approach and inability to juggle multiple elements. Yet fun can be derived from the film as its spontaneous and randomness helps makes the proceeding easier to sit through. At 113 minutes the film moves at surprisingly brisk pace spending little time to settle down or in establishing relationships and characters, with a romantic love angle coming out of nowhere and never really convinces. The abundance of characters also harms proceedings as Yuen has little time to establish a clear motive for the lead villain whose plans is generic to a fault, not too dissimilar to any of the early Bond villains, in which clearly Yuen draws much of his inspiration from. The film is also tonally inconsistent and the abrupt changes can be quite jarring with moments of violence that heavily juxtaposes the comedy that played before; legs gets sliced, fingers chopped and people get shot. A huge problem that the film does suffer is the editing which is so erratic it can be disorientating, even the briefest of gestures are cut making movements feel choppy and this also transitions into the action scenes.

Handling the action is Stephen Tung Wei (Scooby Doo, Hitman) and what is displayed is fun and creative if a little over edited. The film has a heavy serving of action and there is enough variety to keep things interesting. The opening sees Bruce crashing an illicit transaction, the fight that proceeds is a fun introduction demonstrating creative use of the environment with Bruce effectively disarming her opponents, weaving from the chandelier, under the stairs and along the walls, though the action is often hidden in some rather erratic editing, it may be used to disguise the fact that Mila is doubled for most parts. Midway we are presented with a car chase which employs inventive camera movements and highlights some great driving skills from the Hungarian stunt drivers. A three wheeler motor car chase through a festival and onto the streets is an interesting moment with creative use of the vehicles hitting a briefcase around as our each party attempts to catch the case. The finale ends in a Bond-esque villain base, audience is treated to an extended action sequence mixing gun fire, parkour chases and fights. Those expecting long intricate choreography may be disappointed instead Tung utilizes a combination of quick strikes and throwdowns similar to what he employed in Heroic Duo or Mekong Operations. It can occasionally feel odd that our non-trained protagonist are able to evade and take out a whole base full of enemies but it is the type of film where you have to suspend your logic. Miao Yan serves most of the fist cuffs while Zhao is more evasive maneuverers.

If you approach the film with the expectation of it being a live action cartoon then it can satisfy to a certain extent, the heavy amount of screen animation such as floating on screen text to emulate live internet feeds and text messages all help to create the illusion. The costumes and sets are also highly exaggerated with flamboyant dress codes and lolita costumes lending itself not to be taken seriously. Sets often are highly larger-than-life and the toys provided for the protagonists are often silly.
It maintains a level of visual appeal and can be fun witnessing the quirkiness on display, sometimes pulling random moments that come out of nowhere. Surprisingly the visual effects are of a high standard and that is important considering the abundance of it on display. A large portion of the film was shot in Budapest and the beautiful locations help in creating visual appeal as well as leading an international feel.

Lead Taiwanese actor Darren Wang’s smug performance can irritate at times but this matches his onscreen persona effectively. Sandrine Pinna fares much better in her role fluctuating between nerdy to hot head with ease, her bipolar tendencies can often become over the top. Dave Lee McInnis best known for his role as Raiden in the web series Mortal Kombat does the best with what he can trying his hardest not to cross the line of cartoon villainy which is not helped that his character is written as such. He carries certain gravitas and charisma in his scenes and it’s a shame to see him in such a weak role. Xu Weizhou plays the odd ball inventor of the team with enough charm and fun but his role is not established enough to give any real meaning or purpose to the character. Then there is his onscreen love interest LV played by Liu Meitong who does the sweet and bubbly assistant bid well. Sadly Mila Jovovich fares the weakest out of the lot with an over exaggerated performance and coarse voice to emphasis her level of mystery and forced coolness. Weirdly she spends the latter half of the film sitting out in most of the action which becomes a little of a shame considering her impressive intro. Familiar faces pop up such as Lam Suet as the safe playing police chief, Lo Meng as the unfortunate colleague, Kathy Chow as the hip mum and Danny Chan as the cool triad boss, all bringing some weirdness and quirks to add to the fun of the film.

It does feel that Allan Yuen wanted to attempt to much but never really settling on comfortable genre. With so much rubbish that China and HK have been releasing of the late The Rookies don’t quite fall that low into that category but it does not reach the heights that it should have. Despite its many flaws there is fun to be deemed from the occasionally amusing comedy and the often satisfying action sequences.

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