Sonny Chiba is the consummate bad ass. The film kicks off with mafia terrorists hijacking a Japan Airlines flight to off our hero. Of course, Chiba thwarts their attempts, killing five mobsters with his bare hands with a lit cigarette hanging precariously from his mouth. After his midair heroics, Chiba holds a press conference announcing his intention to wipe out the nation’s narcotics industry. He also offers his services as a bodyguard to anyone who is willing to come forward and provide information about the drug lords activities.
He is soon approached by a mysterious woman claiming to have important information and asking for Chiba’s protection. She seems to be legitimate, but is she really what she appears to be?
In case you were wondering why the opening monologue sounded so familiar, it was quoted liberally by Samuel L Jackson’s character in Pulp Fiction.
“The path of the righteous man and defender is beset on all sides by the iniquity of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper, and the father of lost children. And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious anger, who poison and destroy my brothers; and they shall know that I am Chiba the Bodyguard when I shall lay my vengeance upon them!” Thomas DiSanto
Kung Fu Movies Also known as Chinese Super Ninjas, the great Cheh Chang writes and directs this amazing entry into his sublime cannon of Kung Fu Movies. This cult classic was produced by Shaw Brothers Studios and stars Tien-chi Cheng and Meng Lo along with Shaw Brother’s regulars Wai-Man Chan and Pei Hsi Chen. Five [...]
This film ranks as #9 on the Hong Kong Film Awards Best 100 Chinese motion pictures of all time and is one of two King Hu films to make the top ten. This Kung Fu classic is a very unusual entry into the cannon of Kung Fu movies and has often been imitated. Thematically, ‘A [...]
Produced by the Shaw Brothers, The One-Armed Swordsman would help define Chang Cheh as a premier director with his own eclectic blend of Japanese-style action, western rebelliousness and Chinese wuxia heroes. This film would not only be the first film to break the 1 million dollar box office barrier in Hong Kong, but it would [...]
This is arguably Jackie Chan’s best movie and truly exemplary of his unique ability to combine Bruce Lee martial acumen with three stooges-like humor. Director Yuen Woo-Ping really brings out the best in Chan and this film is one of his finest performances, setting the bar for all films to come. The plot centers on [...]
This is considered by most aficionados to be the first great Kung Fu genre film to come out of Hong Kong in the 1960′s and is most certainly a great film by any standard. Produced by the inimitable Shaw Brothers and written and directed by King Hu, this film is an absolute technical masterpiece that [...]
This is one seriously bad ass Shaw Brother’s classic that will totally blow you away. This film easily ranks as one of the top 10 Kung Fu Movie classics, and has influenced many of the films that came after. The venerable Chang Cheh directs this unintentional masterpiece and stars Kuan Tai Chen, Feng Lu and [...]
A sequel to the International smash hit “Ip Man”, Wilson Yip takes another turn in the directors chair and Donnie Yen reprises his role as the title character, Ip Man. Picking up right where the first film left off, the sequel centers on Ip’s life in Hong Kong, which is under British colonial rule. Newly [...]
This is Donnie Yen’s breakout performance and one incredible Kung Fu movie. The plot, fight choreography, setting, cinematography, overall production value and performances are superb. When Ip Man’s son, Ip Chun, saw the movie for the first time he was exuberant, and it’s no wonder. Donnie Yen inhabits this movie like he was possessed by [...]
This wonderful film serves as a loose sequel to 1977′s Executioners from Shaolin, but the film is technically more of a remake. I know what you’re thinking: How can they re-make a film 1 year after it’s release? Let me assure you: With Shaw Brothers Studios producing, Liu Chia Hiu (otherwise known as Gordon Liu [...]
This is one amazing Kung Fu classic, compliments of Shaw Brothers Studios circa 1977. Even more incredible is that this film is directed by none other than the venerable Lar Kar-Leung, the same director who brought you the “36th Chamber of Shaolin”. This is a very unusual entry into Shaw Brother’s Shaolin Temple series, introduced [...]
Here’s a little gem you may have overlooked, starring the venerable Bruce Li and the wonderful Angela Mao. Loosely classified as a Bruceploitation film and once promoted as the sequel to “Exit The Dragon, Enter the Tiger”, though it has absolutely nothing in common with the former film. Return of the Tiger centers around a [...]
This is the original Bruceploitation classic and arguably the grand daddy of them all. This film encapsulates all things good and bad about the post-Bruce Hong Kong cinematic era. Our story centers on a former disciple of Lee (the inimitable Bruce Li) who launches a private investigation in an attempt to determine the circumstance surrounding [...]
The Guy with the Secret Kung Fu stars Meng Fei and Li Chung Chien as two anti-Qing rebels and kung fu fighters who frequently rescue damsels in distress. The action kicks off when thugs try to board a boat carrying a pretty lady and the two heroes (who are fishing nearby) leap onto the boat [...]
Master of the Flying Guillotine’ is a sequel to the film the One Armed Boxer. It is very rare that a sequel exceeds it’s counterpart, but ‘Flying Guillotine’ is a clear exception as this is one of the greatest martial arts movies from the post-Bruce Lee era 1970′s Hong Kong. This is the story of [...]
The Five Deadly Venoms is a cult classic and one of the best Kung Fu Movies ever made. This film represents the absolute pinnacle of Shaw Brothers Studios film making with a unique and creative plot line, excellent production values and phenomenal martial arts technique. The story revolves around the aging martial arts master of [...]
This is Jet Li’s first film and one of his best! Treachery is afoot in the Tang dynasty. The emperor is soon betrayed by one of his ambitious generals, who installs himself as potentate of the East Capital. The General is a cruel and viscous man. When he murders an innocent slave worker, he creates [...]
As Brandon Lee once said, Game of Death has 40 minutes of footage and the rest is junk. Before Bruce Lee died he worked on scripts for Game of Death and shot some 40 odd minutes of footage including test screenings and actual fight sequences. The central theme of the film is an illustration of [...]
In this classic martial arts film, Lo (Hwang Jang Lee) is a Kung Fu fighter who kills for money schooled in the powerful Eagle’s Claws style of fighting. Lo is hired to kill a man named Tai (John Chang), and Tai prepares himself by seeking out a Kung Fu master to teach him the Eagle [...]
Tai Chi Master is the greatest wire-fu film from director and choreographer Yuen Woo-ping, best known as the martial-arts choreographer of the Matrix, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Kill Bill films. Wire-fu films were became popular during the martial arts film resurgence of the late 80s and early 90s, and in terms of fight choreography, [...]
This Brucesploitation classic was billed as starring the 3 Greatest Masters! Bruce Lee, Fred Williamson, Ron Van Clief. This is Brucesploitation at its finest (cheesiest) moment and unabashedly pure exploitation schlock. Oh, and yes, it is hysterically, unintentionally funny. Despite what many purists would consider a disgrace to the name of Bruce Lee, this film [...]
While the rest of the world was transfixed with Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Sonny Chiba and their countless clones, Jimmy Wang Yu was creating several minor masterpieces that have been overlooked by many hardcore fans, but still remains as an enormous and apparent influence upon today’s martial arts films. Along with Jimmy’s now classic “One [...]
The Emperor is under attack by marauders and he is so depressed with his failure to protect his people, that he sees no other option than to kill himself. In his grief, he also decides to maim his daughter by cutting off her arm – there is a long tradition of one armed fighters in [...]
The real Bruce Lee is back in this mash up of early footage found in the Chinese archives. This feature also stars the sensational DRAGON LEE, and of course that master of all things bruceploitation – BRUCE LI. This is really a half-hour documentary about Bruce, followed by a full-length Kung Fu feature called The [...]
Ninja Terminator is the King of Bad 80′s Ninja Movies! Its got it all Richard Harrison, Bad dubbing, bad dialogue, an insane and senseless plot line, gratuitous violence, and an endless array of black clad, sword wielding Ninjas! As with all the other ninja movies by Godfrey Ho, what we are witness too here is [...]
This is an absolutely wonderful lost interview with none other than the master himself, Sifu Bruce Lee. This interview was conducted live from Hong Kong by for the Pierre Berton show, which interestingly, was filmed in a different international location each week. Here Bruce talks about everything from his Martial Arts philosophy to his Hollywood [...]
As B-movies go, this movie is hilarious and absolutely entertaining. If renegade macho posturing, over-the-top costuming and sound effects and the genuinely comic manners of flawless kills can easily coalesce into something transcendent for you; this camp martial arts flick will not be a waste of time. After this movie, I got the sudden urge [...]
Yuen Biao plays the pampered son of a wealthy businessman who discovers his Kung Fu training has been a sham. He struggles to learn real Wing Chun Kung Fu from a Chinese opera performer (Lam Ching Ying) and his oddball brother (Sammo Hung). This film is simply one of the best and most accurate displays [...]
The Great Gordon Liu stars in this Shaw Brothers classic! Not as polished as later films by Chia-Liang Liu, Challenge of the Masters is still a pretty slick accomplishment when gauged against other contemporary Hong Kong films. Shot in 1976, 2 years before Mr. Liu would rise to seminal greatness in 36 Chambers, there’s little [...]
Countdown of the 10 deadliest weapons in the Kung Fu combat arsenal. This video is slightly off topic, but contains some absolutely amazing footage of Martial Arts weaponry and techniques. If you love Kung Fu, then you will really appreciate this documentary. I found the footage extremely interesting and very informative. It contains a wealth [...]
Bruce Lee Fights Back From The Grave is a very misleading title from legendary grind-house distributor Aquarius. Run by the late Australian-born exploitation genius Terry Levene, Aquarius, renowned for their lowest-of-low budget Martial Arts Movies and Sonny Chiba re-edits, hobbled together this low budget gem with an extremely mild Bruce Lee impersonation for as yet [...]
Japan is in serious turmoil: Demons have infested Edo, taking possession of earthly forms and bending them to their unholy will. On top of that, the rebirth of Ashura, Queen of the demons, is nigh. The only thing that stands against this grave threat are the Demon Wardens, a fearsome group of warriors, who might [...]
Season 1 Episode 2: Zatoichi befriends a young boy named Tarokichi, who is the son of a wealthy merchant. Zatoichi generously agrees to take the boy to his father after learning that that the boy’s mother has died. Zatoichi and the boy soon find themselves being pursued by greedy Yakuza who aim to steal the [...]
Season 1, Episode 1: While traveling, Zatoichi meets a kindly stranger named Tatsuso. They travel together to Ashido Village, home to a copper mine, where corrupt government officials and a ruthless Yakuza boss named Yasaburo terrorize the locals and slowly run them out of their businesses. Zatoichi learns that his traveling companion was once known [...]
Eighteen Claws of Shaolin may not be up to the same standards as a classic Shaw Bros epic, but there’s an interesting blend of murder mystery and Martial Arts action that makes the movie worth watching. A white-maned powerhouse Lord goes off to duel with a swordsman rival and ends up being murdered. The Lord’s [...]
This film is one of the great Samurai movies. Our story begins with two seemingly unconnected persons (a modern, western-style doctor and an aging samurai) who discover they are inexplicably linked to a third man: Kanichiro Yoshimura. The plot thickens when we gradually find out that one of the men (the doctor) only knows this [...]
Yet another fine entry into the genre that is Bruceploitation. Spirits of Bruce Lee is an early ’70s martial arts thriller filmed in Thailand with a mostly Chinese cast and crew. Michael Chan stars as a man who travels to Thailand to avenge the murder of his brother. Of course, Chan is more than suitably [...]
Sit back, relax and get prepared to be dumbfounded. Please…allow me to explain. What if I told you that Jackie Chan made a Kung Fu Movie that combined these stunning plot elements: Crazed Amazons. Ghosts who cheat at cards. Bouncing vampires. Japanese Nazis who attack riding atop 1970s clunker cars. Burlesque musical numbers. Abraham Lincoln [...]
Usually there are those who enjoy bad horror movies and those that enjoy bad kung-fu movies and few movies can be enjoyed by both, but Mafia vs. Ninja is immensely watchable and laughable, even if you are amongst those that believe America has enough trash without foolish video distributors importing more. The movie is great [...]
Naruto Uzumaki is the protagonist of the Naruto series. He was the first character created by Kishimoto during his initial conception of the series and was designed with many traits from other shnen characters, including Son Goku of the Dragon Ball series. In the series, Naruto is a ninja affiliated with the village of Konohagakure, [...]
This movie ranks as one of the best Kung Fu action films of Chuck Norris career and was certainly the basis for his very successful series character Walker, Texas Ranger. With this movie we saw Chuck change from his old image of the blond, California boy to the dark haired, bearded, tough guy Chuck we [...]
Martial Arts Movies The Family honor must be avenged and the traitors must be ferreted out and destroyed. Chen Xing plays an aging fighter with traditional values who decides to train the son of a man he has shamed into committing suicide. The relationship between master and student thus becomes extremely complex and may surprise [...]
This just might be on of the greatest Kung Fu Movies you’ve never heard of. The fighting is fast paced and well choreographed and that’s the main thing I look for, but in the immortal parlance of Gomer Pyle surprise, surprise the story is great too! The immortal Judy Lee, one of the world’s best [...]
The plot for this Kung Fu Movie involves a Lei Tai competition held by the occupying World War II era Japanese Soldiers in order to cripple the local martial arts masters and thereby prevent them from joining the resistance. Fans of this genre will recognize the plot line as standard anti-Japanese fare that portrays the [...]
Jackie Chan had already established himself in Hong Kong as a major box office star with 1978′s Drunken Master and 1979′s Fearless Hyena, but he was not getting his fiscal due from Lo Wei Productions, so he opted out of his contract with Lo Wei and was hired by Golden Harvest. The Young Master was [...]
Filmed in beautiful Barcelona, Spain, the story centers around cousins Thomas (Jackie Chan) and David (Yuen Biao) who run a fast food van. The food is delivered by Thomas, who rushes around the busy downtown square on a skateboard. After a melee involving a biker gang, they meet the beautiful pickpocket Sylvia (Lola Forner), who [...]
The talented Don Wong Tao stars as a wagon driver who is in love with a prostitute. He needs $120 bucks to buy her out of the brothel, so he decides to accept an offer to rob some silver. Now he has the “Three Scars Gang” after him including Phillip Ko Fei and Angela Mao [...]
War of the Shaolin Temple is among the many Kung Fu Movies about the Shaolin temple made in Hong Kong and Taiwan during the golden age of Kung Fu Cinema. It seems that after Lau Kar-Leung’s fantastic 36th Chamber of Shaolin everybody just threw up their hands and decided that the concept couldn’t be done [...]
Denver Pyle and Harrison Ford guest star! Caine finds himself in a fight being waged against the railroad. The railroad wants to settle and give amnesty to the Youngblood gang. Unfortunately, the Pinkertons, originally hired to wipe out the group, want to finish what they were hired to do. “One cannot always keep a friend [...]
Jodie Foster guest stars! Caine gets caught up in a stage hold-up and an honest young girl thinks she sees him shoot a man. On her eyewitness testimony, he is sentenced to hang. In flashbacks the young Caine, who is sent on a mission with a 400 year old scroll, is tricked by a magician. [...]