tinchimp

Maybe im a little bias, due to having also watched the totally rocking "One armed boxer vs master of the flying guillotine" in a 24hr period, but ive got to say how appalled i am at the fact that this movie actually made it past a screenplay (that is if there was one! Im sorry, but people making silly noises for minutes at a time constitutes neither script, nor comedy)!

The feature is culled from the Jimmy Wang Yu movie "Tiger and Crane fists", spliced with new footage, overdubbed with new dialogue and shaped into a new "plot"

This "movie" would have been more appropriately placed as a 2minute sketch on a comedy show. The "joke" prevelant here, its safe to say, is that the formulaic cliche ridden HK martial arts movies, when distributed stateside, were treated poorly and dubbed by people who seemingly had no idea as to the original language thus baring no relevance sometimes to the onscreen action... Ha ha... okay, good joke - so lets see the movie? Oh, there isnt one?

Get the picture?

I gave it a 2 for the cow scene, otherwise it would have had a 1, no questions...

Aside from the Bruce Lee Classics and Story of Ricky, i wouldnt consider myself to be a bigtime Kung-Fu flick fan, but One armed boxer vs Master of Flying Guillotine has just made a believer out of me!

It seems, that 2 assassins O A B defeated in a previous adventure were the students of the Master of the Flying Guillotine. Fully enraged, he heads off to settle the OABs hash, killing any one armed fighters he encounters along the way, including mr "Killed 7 with one hand" (a personal favourite moment)... While this is happening, The school of eagle claw style are holding an open tournament, in which different schools of martial art disciplines are competing - resulting in a number of classic encounters - SEE Capcoms inspiration for Dhalsim, as the Yoga discipline is used to lethal effect against Tornado Knives... MARVEL at how braided long hair can be put to use against Mongolian Wrestling! (The fights contained here-in totally rule!!!)

Anyhows, its not before too long, that at the appearance of another One armed fighter, MotFG appears on the scene, bringing an abrupt end to the tournament. Upon his intentions becoming evident, the remaining mobile fighters try to aid MotFG in his quest to bring an end to the OABs legacy. However, our hero hasnt gotten his rep from flower arranging, and sticks it to em!

This movie totally rules! Kick azz fight scenes, a mad soundtrack (MotFG theme was freaky as hell!!), brilliant characters (lets play find the generic kung fu fodder) and some totally memorable set pieces (was it me or was the OAB/Thai Boxer fight a little sadistic?!?!?) make this one well worth the money! If you can, the HK DVD is cheap as chips, original lang w/eng. subs and has a rockin trailer too!

Hell, i want the original OAB now!!

If you like Martial arts flicks and havent seen this, do so now!

If you like films that rule, consider this a mighty big recco! If you like Oscar winning films, why are you reading reviews for a movie like this!? Go watch a Rob Reiner film or something...

Oh yeah, it seems i wasnt the only one to notice how it could make a totally rock n roll video game! Namco could clean up with this one, Braided long hair all the way baby!!!

Having just checked out a few comments based in its UK release - I've got to go on record and say that I think that rather than Rickys UK release being promoted as a dark sinister movie, it should have been advertised as the outrageous splatter-toon a la Bad Taste that it is. Upon reading the blurb on the DVD it seems the movie is being promoted as up there with Untold Story and Dr Lamb in the hardcore, severe CAT III material.

Ricky is not like that.

What Ricky is, however, is the ultimate kick @ss party movie. If you, or your friends appreciate slapstick, gore, kung fu, action or comedy, you really cant go wrong with this! Pop it on in front of a bunch of semi intoxicated friends and you have the makings of a great evening!

Ricky is a bit of a superhero, blessed with superhuman strength, type who has been incarcerated for murdering the sleazy pimp who in turn murdered his girlfriend. Ricky just wants to go about his time peacefully it seems, but is unable to turn a blind eye to the evil regime of brutality of the Warden and his "Gang of Four" - a group of semi super powered badguys. So Ricky does what any super strengthed kung-fu baaadass would do - Kick mucho @ss!!! Ricky takes on the Gang of four and the warden in a maelstrom of Blood, guts and other interpersonal mayhem!

If taken seriously, this film will more than likely disappoint, but taken as a 90 minute piece of entertainment, if the idea of a Kung Fu Splatter-toon takes your fancy, you wont find it done better elsewhere! (or anywhere! If you know different, let me know!)

If you know what you're getting into 10/10 If you're a proper movie critic and want crouching tiger... go see crouching tiger!