Yeung, Charlie

Seven Swords

As the title indicates, Seven Swords is in the epic spirit of The Seven Samurai and its American cousin, The Magnificent Seven. A grittier enterprise, it may not surpass Tsui Hark's 1990s classics like Once Upon a Time in China, but offers its own unique pleasures--like non-stop action (for which it received a coveted Golden Horse Award). Based on the book Seven Swordsmen from Mountain Tian, the action begins in rural China in the 1600s. The Ching Dynasty has just banned martial arts, and in response seven dissidents band together to fight against Fire-Wind (Honglei Sun) and his minions. The septet includes Hong Kong superstars Charlie Young (Wu Yuan Yin), Leon Lai (Yang Yun Chong), and Hero's Donnie Yen (Chu Zhao Nan). One of the mountain villagers they save is pretty Korean refugee Green Pearl (So-yeon Kim), who falls for the moody Chu. Filmed on location in scenic Xinjiang, Seven Swords is a feast for the eyes. Though some critics have taken Hark to task for the army's anachronistic goth-punk garb, it sure looks menacing. Originally four and a half hours long, this version clocks in at 153 minutes. Hark's soft-spoken commentary, along with Hong Kong cinema expert Bey Logan, is on the first disc. Deleted scenes and other extras are on the second. Because of the cuts, the complex narrative isn't always easy to follow--and the film still feels long--but the gold-tinged visuals and fight choreography by Kar-Leung Lau (The Legend of Drunken Master) helps to compensate. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

China in the 17th Century. A new law decrees all martial arts illegal punishment of death. A group of soldiers travel the country seeking out those who would flout the law. A swordsman and his disciples decide to take the fight to the enemy following a plea from a group of villagers.DVD Features:Main Language: MandarinAvailable Audio Tracks: DTS Dolby Digital 5.1Sub Titles: EnglishShooting Diaries Interview With Tsui HarkMaking OfSystem Requirements:Run Time: 135 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: SPORTS/GAMES/MIXED MARTIAL ARTS UPC: 796019797580 Manufacturer No: 79758

New Police Story

Massive explosions and incredible stunts abound as Jackie Chan makes what many refer to as a comeback with this Chinese release. He plays the burned-out Inspector Wing whose motivation died when the rest of his police team was wiped out at the hands of a wily and brutal new gang. When against the odds a rookie cop rouses the weathered Inspector to go after the gang however there is no stopping him until justice has been served.System Requirements:Running Time 123 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: R UPC: 031398177722 Manufacturer No: 17772

Meltdown

When a military officer (Jet Li of Romeo Is Bleeding and Fist of Legend) miscalculates and causes the explosive death of dozens of children on a school bus--something you'll never see in an American movie!--he leaves his position to become a bodyguard for an egomaniacal movie star named Frankie (Jacky Cheung from Bullet in the Head and A Chinese Ghost Story 2, doing a satirical parody of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee). The star claims to do all his own stunts, but in fact Li has become his stunt double. An investigative reporter (Chingmy Yau, Naked Killer) catches them switching places and decides to do an exposé. From this point on, Meltdown (also known as High Risk) turns into a Hong Kong version of Die Hard, with terrorists taking over a skyscraper in order to steal valuable jewels, as well as a couple of young lovers, a villainous kung fu master who wants to challenge Frankie, and a hip-hop soundtrack. Meltdown is a delirious romp, crammed with as much low comedy and high-powered action as three Hollywood flicks. Despite (or partly because of) some clumsy special effects, logical absurdities, and cheesy plot developments, the movie is hugely entertaining, and Jet Li is in fine charismatic form. However, be warned: though the movie's tone is light, there's some extremely graphic violence. --Bret Fetzer

A man working as a movie stuntman comes up against the same gang who killed his wife.
Genre: Foreign Film - Chinese
Rating: R
Release Date: 5-MAR-2002
Media Type: DVD

Fallen Angels

Ashes of Time

Downtown Torpedoes

Fallen Angels

Fallen Angels was originally planned as one section of director Wong Kar-Wai's best-known film, Chungking Express, but eventually it grew into its own distinct and delirious shape. In many ways, Fallen Angels may be the better film, a dark, frantic fun-house ride through Hong Kong's nighttime world. Part of the film is a love story between two people who have barely met: a young, ultra-hip hit man (Leon Lai) and the dreamy operative (Michele Reis) who plans his jobs. Much of the movie is given over to a very strange subplot about a manic mute (Takeshi Kaneshiro) who goes on bizarre nocturnal prowls through a closed food market--like almost everything else in Wong's films, this is antic, stylish, and oddly touching, all at the same time. It must be said that, also like Wong's other films, Fallen Angels is fragmented and oblique to the point of occasional incomprehensibility…but then suddenly something wild or wonderful happens, such as the moment when the killer leaves the scene of a spectacular shooting and is promptly waylaid by a cheerful old school chum on a public bus. These coups--whether lyrical, violent, or simply "how on earth did they get that shot?"--are tossed off by Wong and cinematographer Christopher Doyle with all the cool of the hired killer, as though the movie were a cigarette dangling from a pair of oh-so-casual lips. This is exactly why so many otherwise calm critics fell all over themselves in hailing Wong Kar-Wai as one of the most exciting filmmakers of his generation. --Robert Horton

After This Our Exile

High Risk

When a military officer (Jet Li of Romeo Is Bleeding and Fist of Legend) miscalculates and causes the explosive death of dozens of children on a school bus--something you'll never see in an American movie!--he leaves his position to become a bodyguard for an egomaniacal movie star named Frankie (Jacky Cheung from Bullet in the Head and A Chinese Ghost Story 2, doing a satirical parody of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee). The star claims to do all his own stunts, but in fact Li has become his stunt double. An investigative reporter (Chingmy Yau, Naked Killer) catches them switching places and decides to do an exposé. From this point on, Meltdown (also known as High Risk) turns into a Hong Kong version of Die Hard, with terrorists taking over a skyscraper in order to steal valuable jewels, as well as a couple of young lovers, a villainous kung fu master who wants to challenge Frankie, and a hip-hop soundtrack. Meltdown is a delirious romp, crammed with as much low comedy and high-powered action as three Hollywood flicks. Despite (or partly because of) some clumsy special effects, logical absurdities, and cheesy plot developments, the movie is hugely entertaining, and Jet Li is in fine charismatic form. However, be warned: though the movie's tone is light, there's some extremely graphic violence. --Bret Fetzer

A Chinese Ghost Story (The Tsui Hark Animation)

Ten years after the live-action A Chinese Ghost Story was a hit on the international art-house circuit in 1987, producer Tsui Hark creates an animated version of his tale. The wildly imaginative film of a human who falls for an enchanting ghost contains many of the ingredients of most anime films: an odd, sometimes incomprehensible story, bizarre creatures, and great action sequences. Giant monsters follow our pair of lovers from hell to earth to heaven, with assorted samurai warriors helping along the way. While the content demands the comprehension of those at least 8 and up, this film fills an important section of anime for kids who have outgrown Pokémon but are still too young for the sometimes brutal world of adult anime. A film this creative deserves an audience. --Doug Thomas

Based on the well-known, live-action films of the same name, A Chinese Ghost Story: The Tsui Hark Animation is the fantastic tale of strange demons, hungry ghosts, and timeless love. Tsui Hark is internationally well-known for his iconoclastic style, solid storytelling, and tightly maintained pace. Among his many famous Hong Kong films are A Better Tomorrow, A Chinese Ghost Story, as well as Once Upon a Time in China.