Chan, Gordon

Fist of Legend

Like compatriot Jackie Chan, martial arts champion Jet Li has long been revered in his native country and enjoys a cult following in the States among aficionados of Hong Kong cinema. After two decades, it took his villainous turn in Lethal Weapon 4 to put him on the Hollywood map, paving the way for the release of his earlier films. Fist of Legend is a 1994 production and a remake of The Chinese Connection (also known as Fists of Fury, which starred the greatest martial arts legend of them all, Bruce Lee). This film is set in 1937, when Shanghai was occupied by the Japanese and racial tensions were high. Li stars as Chen Zhen, who returns to Shanghai to avenge the death of his master, whom he learns was poisoned. His popular freestyle fighting technique and Japanese girlfriend do not endear him to his former friend, now his master's successor at the martial arts school. If Jackie Chan is inspired by Buster Keaton, Li seems to be channeling Steve McQueen. He speaks softly and carries a big kick. And like Steven Seagal, even when he is under siege by a horde of attackers, no one can lay a finger on this guy. The dialogue and dubbing are atrocious, but the fight sequences are incredible (they were choreographed by Yuen Woo-ping, who lent his expertise to The Matrix). Perhaps most memorable is a bout between Chen and his girlfriend's uncle during which the combatants wear blindfolds. This is essential viewing for martial arts buffs and Li's growing legion of fans. --Donald Liebenson

International superstar Jet Li (LETHAL WEAPON 4, BLACK MASK) explodes on the screen in this thrilling martial arts action story about courage, honor ... and revenge! When Chen (Li) discovers that his beloved teacher and mentor has been murdered, he swears to avenge his death! Then, with an unwavering commitment to vengeance, Chen puts everything on the line to settle the score! The must-see modern remake of a Bruce Lee classic, FIST OF LEGEND packs hard-hitting excitement and incredible hand-to-hand combat into one unstoppable adrenaline rush!

The Medallion

The inspired pairing of Jackie Chan and British comedian Lee Evans (Funny Bones) gives The Medallion some extra oomph. Hong Kong agent Eddie Yang (Chan) flies to Ireland to track down a very bad guy named Snakehead (Julian Sands, Warlock, exuding his dependable oily menace) who has kidnapped a young boy with the power of life and death. When Eddie dies protecting the boy, the boy resurrects him with a magical medallion--and when Eddie comes back, he's got supernatural powers, much to the befuddlement of his former partner, Arthur (Evans). Along for the ride is Eddie's old flame, Nicole (Claire Forlani, Mystery Men), wearing tight outfits and delivering high kicks. Chan has lost the astonishing elasticity of his youth, but he's still spry enough pull some dazzling moves, and Evans is just amazingly funny. Between the two, The Medallion is far more entertaining than you might expect. --Bret Fetzer

Action superstar Jackie Chan (Rush Hour 2 Shanghai Knights) combines his high-flying style with state-of-the-art special effects as he unleashes the power of THE MEDALLION the film Roger Ebert gives a big Thumbs up! Chan plays Hong Kong detective Eddie Yang who works with the beautiful Interpol agent Nicole (Claire Forlani from Meet Joe Black and The Rock) and the bumbling agent Watson (Lee Evans of Mouse Hunt) to try to rescue a boy from the clutches of the villainous Snakehead (Warlock s Julian Sands). But when a fatal accident ends his life Eddie is brought back to this world with the help of THE MEDALLION and is supercharged! Now empowered with superhuman strength Eddie sets out to thwart Snakehead s plan for world domination. Filmed on location in Hong Kong Thailand and Ireland. Jackie Chan has got the power and kicks THE MEDALLION into high gear.System Requirements:Running Time: 88 Min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: PG-13 UPC: 043396005020 Manufacturer No: 0502

Thunderbolt (1995)

The always entertaining Jackie Chan, perhaps the biggest movie star in the world, stars as a humble tow-truck driver named Foh who identifies a blond Aryan gangster named Cougar--only to be targeted for revenge. Cougar kidnaps Foh's sisters and threatens to kill them unless Foh races against him in a Japanese rally. Thunderbolt's story is incoherent at times, but after a slow start the movie propels itself forward with dazzling fights (including a stunning brawl in a pachinko parlor), shootouts (a little bloodier than typical Jackie Chan fare), and amazing stunts, to say nothing of the nerve-wracking climactic race itself, speckled with jaw-dropping car crashes. Chan's American movies, for all their polish, never capture the hyperkinetic thrill of the true Jackie Chan. Thunderbolt is far from Chan's best--the Police Story series, Dragons Forever, Drunken Master II, and several others are easily superior in terms of story, stunts, and just sheer fun--yet it easily brushes aside Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon (as well as demolishing stateside racing movies like Days of Thunder and Gone in 60 Seconds). If you've only seen Jackie in Hollywood product, you owe it to yourself to see his Hong Kong movies, and Thunderbolt is a perfectly good place to start. --Bret Fetzer

When his sister is kidnapped, sports car mechanic Chan Foh To must race a criminal drag racer in order to get her back.
Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: R
Release Date: 24-JAN-2006
Media Type: DVD

The Kung Fu Master (Special Edition)

Cat and Mouse

The world of Pokémon has expanded. Pokémon technology makes its next quantum leap. We've seen the future, and it's all about Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen (sold separately). This package also includes a bonus Trainer's Guide filled with tips and other information. The new games are set in Kanto, the region where Pokémon first took root and exploded into a major phenomenon, and the latest titles stuff in tons of exciting new features. One thing's for certain: when Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen get into Trainers' hands, Pokémon fans stand to become the coolest, most connected gaming community in the world.

King of Beggars

Fight Back to School

Beast Cops

Director Gordon Chan, who launched his career in the 1980s with sharply observed social comedies such as The Yuppie Fantasia, moved on to documentary-inflected police procedurals, a gritty Hong Kong subgenre pioneered by Johnny Mak (The Long Arm of the Law) and Kirk Wong (Rock 'n' Roll Cop). Like many younger HK directors, Chan may also have been influenced by the icy-cool Japanese gangster films of Takeshi Kitano (Sonatine). This 1998 entry, Chan's best since The Final Option (1994), is about the redemption of a slobbish veteran cop, played by grizzled Anthony Wong, whose pasty face looks slept in. Knee-deep in corruption and taking bribes with both hands, Wong finds, to his dismay, that the straight-arrow morality of his new young boss (Michael Wong) may be contagious. The film is as much a romantic melodrama as an action film, leisurely and observational, full of eccentric slacker detectives and feral dimwitted gangsters with nicknames like Man-Dick and Pushy Pin. The fight sequences are shot close in, hand held, with vertiginous swoops and swerves, for a claustrophobic sense of terror. --David Chute

Fight Back to School 2

2000 A.D.