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Filmed back-to-back with Hsu Hsia's “Crystal Hunt” (1991) with most of the cast returning except Sibelle Hu, right down to the similar thin plot and the Hong Kong and Thai locations. This time around, director Yip has everyone hunting for a computer chip instead of a golden crystal which starts off in Hong Kong and ends up in the tropical jungle of Thailand.

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In Hong Kong, arms dealer Tong Yeung (Shing Fui On) has a computer chip that contains the country's most advanced missile system. After his arrest, three American CIA agents, John (Mark Houghton), Peggy (Sharla Cheung Man) and Ann (Takajo Fujimi) arrive to take him back to the States. On their way to the airport, with the tag along of local Inspectors Sonny Ng (Carrie Ng) and Kwan (Eddie Kwan), Long Hair (Gordon Liu) and his ruthless gang ambush them.

Martial arts movies incorporate real stunts to enhance action, showcasing actors' genuine physical skills. Iconic actors like Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen perform gravity-defying moves without special effects. Tony Jaa popularizes Muay Thai with impressive flying knee strikes in The Protector, showcasing raw skill.

Being the star of a martial arts movie requires more physicality than most other genres, with many actors presenting some truly impressive moves on-screen over the years with no special effects to speak of. Many martial arts films have incorporated special effects to enhance the action to some degree or another, from the high-flying wire work of films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to the CGI-laden fight scenes of franchises like The Matrix movie series. Whatever the case, practical stunts always added a new layer of appreciation to fight scenes for audiences to enjoy.

Many famous names in the martial arts movie space began as fighters first and actors second,...

The mid-nineties were a period of transition for Jet Li. Having made his name in period martial arts pieces during the aftermath of the new wave, the saturation point had been reached and stepping into the modern action movie was inevitable. Initial forays had been limited in their success (Dragon Fight & The Master) and it wasn't until the shameless “The Bodyguard” rip-off “Bodyguard from Beijing” in 1994 that he began to get accepted in this genre. “The Enforcer” to give “My Father is a Hero” its generic western release title was a reunion of star and director, only this time with added familial drama with a script co-written by Wong Jing. As Eureka Entertainment releases its “Heroes and Villain's” box set, it's time to revisit this transitional period of the star and see how it holds up today.

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Undercover cop...

Drunken Master II is the most defining movie of Jackie Chan's career. 1978's Drunken Master was one of Chan's break-out movies in his early career, with Chan playing a comedic take on the Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung and showcasing the martial art Zui Quan, or Drunken Fist. 16 years later, Chan returned to the role of Wong in the sequel Drunken Master II, which was later released in the U.S. in 2000 under the title of The Legend of Drunken Master.

While Chan has been a part of many highly acclaimed action-comedies, Drunken Master II is often regarded as one of, if not, the best Jackie Chan movie ever made. Indeed, Drunken Master II has some of Chan's most unbelievable action scenes, but the key to its popularity is the combination of numerous elements that elevate it to the upper echelon of all Jackie Chan movies. Here are the...

Action cinema back in the golden era of Hong Kong cinema was encapsulated with an anything goes ethos. You would get almost guerilla style film-making techniques with a complete aversion to safety and what you subsequently got on screen was the result. “Devil Hunters” concludes with one such stunt that will leave the mind boggling at how nobody got sued! It’s also a classic example of B-movie filmmaking with it fitting comfortably into the female fighting flicks that followed the success of Michelle Yeoh and “Yes Madam”. With a lot of these poorly put togethe,r will this stand out from the crowd or just be remembered for the finale?

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A transaction between two sets of mobsters is interrupted by the police headed up by Superintendent Tsang (Alex Man) and Madam Tong (Sibelle Hu). Bing (Moon Lee) also interferes, and her interaction allows them to escape.

The second “Drunken Master” may share a title, a protagonist in Jackie Chan, a main character in Wong Fei-hung, and the concept of Drunken Boxing, but in reality, is a completely different animal than the original, on a number of levels, with Lau Kar-leung aiming intensely in a number of sociopolitical comments, in contrast to Yuen Woo-ping’s work, which focused mostly on entertainment. This approach has led the former to be named one of the top 100 best films of all time by Time magazine in 2005, while the British Film Institute (BFI) selected it as one among the ten best action movies of all time.

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The story is set in early 20th century China, when Wong Fei-hung, along with his father Wong Kei-ying and servant Tso, return to Canton after a trip to the Northeast. The troubles start from the train already, as Fei-hung ends...

Jackie Chan is thanking his fans for all of the support with thousands of tribute posts and well wishes pouring in on social media in honor of his 67th birthday. From his popular martial arts movies in Hong Kong to the Rush Hour and Kung Fu Panda franchises, Jackie Chan has fans of all ages in both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Needless to say, well wishes have been coming in all day from all across the world.

"Happy Birthday Jackie Chan. Huge fan forever," one fan writes, posting an image of Jackie striking a pose. "Happy birthday to the greatest stunt person the world has ever known: #JackieChan!" reads another tweet, attaching a Gif of some of Chan's stunts.

Happy Birthday Jackie Chan. Huge fan forever. ❤ pic.twitter.com/uQSWP4MilB

— Nepali Pulisic...

Veteran executive Brett Hogg has been promoted to head of Sony Pictures film and television operations across Asia. He will remain at his current base in Singapore.

He has been senior VP of international distribution for Sony Pictures Releasing International in the Asia region, supervising the Sony Pictures Releasing operations across Southeast Asia, China and India for theatrical distribution. These comprise a mixture of subsidiary and agent licensee operations.

Hogg is now additionally is taking over the Sony Pictures Television responsibilities previously held by Ken Lo, who will be leaving at the end of the year. That means he will report to Steven O’Dell, president of international distribution for Spe’s motion picture group, and to Mike Wald, EVP of Spe’s international distribution and networks.

This is the third high-profile reshuffle of Asia personnel to be announced by Hollywood studios in the past month, and reflects their restructuring in...

The 1990’s found Hong Kong cinema exploding into the minds and hearts of cinema lovers across the world. “Heroic Bloodshed” had become a genre in itself, The “Girls with Guns” wave lead by Michelle Yeoh was proving popular and category III with an increase in sexually explicit content was also finding a profitable market. So naturally, in the commercial mindset of the industry, someone was meant to combine the three. That man was Godfrey Ho and the film was “Lethal Panther”

Betty Lee (Sibelle Hui) is an agent trying to bring down a counterfeiting ring. After finding out the boss, she is caught in the crossfire, as two assassins take him out. She duels with Eileen (Maria Jo) as Amy (Miyamoto Yoko) finishes the job. It transpires his subordinate Bill Wong (Lawrence Ng) was the instigator and carnage erupts, as he seeks to clean up after himself.

Thirty two years old Lau Kin Ping is a “Fei Qing”, a term describing a youth with no job, no money and a total loser with no future. Still can’t afford to rent, he lives with his brother and parents who fight all the time over money, in a cramped apartment among the poor district of Hong Kong. One day on his way to work, a couple jumps off his building and splatter blood all over him. But his only concern is about his best clothes being ruined. Apart from that, he also gets himself fired from his job. However, he manages to get a job in a local 24-hour convenience shop that very night but with very little pay.

The store manager (Lam Suet) turns out to be a bastard who abuses and plays on his workers all the time. Nonetheless, Lau Kin Ping hits...

Hong Kong cinema has suddenly found a keen liking for the sport of boxing. The tail-end of last year saw the release of Johnnie To’s “Chasing Dream”, whereas this year already we have had “The Grand Grandmaster” and “Knockout” both represent the sport. First-time writers and directors Kwok Ka-hae and Ambrose Kwok also try their hand at the sub-genre with their Hong Kong-China co-production “Unleashed”.

“Unleashed” is screening at New York Asian Film Festival

Fok Kit is the reigning champion of the underground boxing scene in Hong Kong, but his mentor and trainer Dubble is struggling to make ends meet for his boxing gym. There’s also the story arc of wannabe actress Effy Lam, a victim of casting couch offers and workplace prejucides, who joins the gym to learn a tricky routine for an audition and ends up falling for Kit. Meanwhile, the gym landlord’s offer to...

“Paradox” is the newest entry on the famous Spl saga, which began in 2005 with the cult action film “Kill Zone” starring Sammo Hung, Simon Yam and Donnie Yen. “Paradox” is the third installment, again directed by Wilson Yip, who directed the first installment. “Paradox,” which plotwise has nothing to do with the others, stars Louis Koo, Wu Yue, Tony Jaa, Chris Collins, Gordon Lam, Michelle Saram, Ken Lo, Tang Stephy, Hanna Chan and Vithaya Pansringarm among others.

“Spl 3: Paradox” is screening at Five Flavours Festival

Louis Koo plays a Hong Kong policeman named Lee Chung Chi, who has a daughter of which he feels very protective. It goes to the point that he makes decisions for her and he does not let her live to his liking. Due to the little freedom she has at home, the daughter (played by Hanna Chan) makes a trip to Thailand to free herself and visit a friend.

Sony Pictures Television has revealed the senior international execs that will lead the business as it moves towards a territory management model.

The Hollywood studio has named the “first wave of leaders” to run many of its major territories, while it is still searching for an exec to run the UK. Monica Veiga and Nathascha Rengifo will lead the Latin American business, excluding Mexico and Brazil, Phil King is in charge of Canada, Dai Huang will lead China, Noemie Weisse will boss France and Zelda Stewart is in charge in Italy.

This comes after Sony Pictures TV chairman Mike Hopkins reorganized a number of areas of the company, mostly on the distribution side. After folding home video into worldwide distribution under Keith Le Goy in February, Hopkins now added global networks operations, which had been reporting directly to him, to Le Goy’s portfolio. The combined global networks/worldwide distribution...

Sony Pictures TV will undergo an unspecified number of layoffs as part of a divisional reorg, which will include the creation of a direct-to-consumer unit.

In a memo on the changes sent to staff on Wednesday morning, Sony Pictures TV Chairman Mike Hopkins (pictured above) outlined three areas to be reorganized. Hopkins said that the company will combine global networks operations and worldwide distribution/home etertainment into a single business unit that will then operate in a territory management model that “brings together, under a single local leader, businesses that have been historically separate.”

“With this approach, we gain a more efficient structure giving regional leaders, along with their direct reports in each country, the ability to make smart, strategic business decisions, while keeping local consumers at the core of what we do,” Hopkins said.

Also Read: 'House' Producer Liz Friedman Signs New Multi-Year Overall Deal With Sony TV

The...

Sony Pictures TV chairman Mike Hopkins is reorganizing a number of areas of the company, mostly on the distribution side.

After folding home video into worldwide distribution under Keith Le Goy in February, Hopkins now also is adding global networks operations, which had been reporting directly to him, to Le Goy’s portfolio. The combined global networks/worldwide distribution/home entertainment unit will operate in a territory management model; under which regional heads will have oversight of TV and home entertainment distribution, as well as Spt-owned networks in their respective territories.

Additionally, Hopkins, who was CEO of streaming platform Hulu before joining Sony TV last fall, is joining the other traditional studios like Disney, Warner Bros. CBS with a direct-to-consumer push. The company is creating a unit that combines all direct-to-consumer Sony properties, including Crackle, to be run by Eric Berger, Chief Digital Officer of Sony Pictures TV Networks.

Spt...

Sony Pictures Television is streamlining its international TV operations, consolidating the management of its worldwide channels, home entertainment, and program sales activities under the leadership of Sony Pictures Entertainment distribution president Keith Le Goy.

The restructuring unveiled Wednesday will cost an undetermined number of jobs as the integration of three previously distinct divisions is completed. A handful of senior executive posts in international distribution have already been eliminated. The move to slim down Sony TV’s international ranks was signaled in February when the studio pink-slipped the leader of its networks unit, Andy Kaplan, and home video arm, Man Jit Singh.

The changes come as part of a broader overhaul of studio operations that Sony Pictures TV chairman Mike Hopkins has been hammering out with his boss, Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciquerra. Both Fox alums joined the studio last year.

The goal is to eliminate redundancies and de-silo Sony TV.

“Paradox” is the newest entry on the famous Spl saga, which began in 2005 with the cult action film “Kill Zone” starring Sammo Hung, Simon Yam and Donnie Yen. “Paradox” is the third installment, again directed by Wilson Yip, who directed the first installment (Cheang Pou-Soi was in charge of the second one, here attached as producer). “Paradox,” which plotwise has nothing to do with the others, stars Louis Koo, Wu Yue, Tony Jaa, Chris Collins, Gordon Lam, Michelle Saram, Ken Lo, Tang Stephy, Hanna Chan and Vithaya Pansringarm among others.

Louis Koo plays a Hong Kong policeman named Lee Chung Chi, who has a daughter of which he feels very protective. It goes to the point that he makes decisions for her and he does not let her live to his liking. Due to the little freedom she has at home, the daughter (played by Hanna Chan) makes a trip...

From the awe-inspiring martial arts legend comes another pulse-pounding feature, Jackie Chan Presents: Amnesia, arriving on DVD and Digital HD on January 3, 2017 from Lionsgate. In a race against time and memory, Chan delivers an action-packed remake to his 1998 thriller Who Am I?. Starring Ken Lo, Xingtong Yao, and Rongguang Yu, the Jackie Chan Presents: Amnesia DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $19.98.

Check out this exciting trailer:

Martial-arts legend Jackie Chan presents this pulse-pounding update to his own classic thriller. Finding himself at a murder scene, bike courier Li Ziwei tries to escape, but the culprits force him off a bridge. The amnesia from his head injuries means he can’t recognize the faces of his enemies, who have framed him for the crime. Now, carrying the parcel that’s his only clue, and with the help of sassy hitchhiker Tong Xin, Li Ziwei must outrun killers...

The White Storm is the latest action movie from director Benny Chan (New Police Story, Shaolin), which stars Sean Lau, Louis Koo, and Nick Cheung.

The movie is based on a group of cops who must track down a drug lord, from the trailer it looks set to deliver some great action, Ken Lo also stars in the movie.

Synopsis:

The Hong Kong Narcotics Bureau’s Team A, led by Wan (by Sean Lau Ching Wan, successfully arrests the most active international drug dealer, Hak Tsai, following two years of undercover work by detectives Koo (by Louis Koo) and Fai (by Nick Cheung). But Wan, with a desire to perform and a hunger for ambition, tricks and persuades the Thai Police to extradite Hak Tsai back to Thailand in order to set a trap for the legendary drug lord, also known as the last warlord in the Golden Triangle area,...

The White Storm is the latest action movie from director Benny Chan (New Police Story, Shaolin), which stars Sean Lau, Louis Koo, and Nick Cheung.

The movie is based on a group of cops who must track down a drug lord, from the trailer it looks set to deliver some great action, Ken Lo also stars in the movie.

Synopsis:

The Hong Kong Narcotics Bureau’s Team A, led by Wan (by Sean Lau Ching Wan, successfully arrests the most active international drug dealer, Hak Tsai, following two years of undercover work by detectives Koo (by Louis Koo) and Fai (by Nick Cheung). But Wan, with a desire to perform and a hunger for ambition, tricks and persuades the Thai Police to extradite Hak Tsai back to Thailand in order to set a trap for the legendary drug lord, also known as the last warlord in the Golden Triangle area,...

Screening at the New York Asian Film Festival on June 30th, director Herman Yau's Ip Man: The Final Fight puts a cap on Yau's string of Ip Man films with Anthony Wong playing the character this time out as the story moves into the later parts of the grand master's life.Director Herman Yau teams up with his favorite actor, Anthony Wong (Untold Story, Ebola Syndrome), to deliver a slyly subversive send-up of the current craze for Ip Man movies. Packed with some of Hong Kong's best stars of the 80's and 90's including Eric Tsang, Ken Lo (Drunken Master), and Xiong Xin-xin (The Blade, Once Upon A Time In China 3), this Ip Man movie is not just an action flick but a love letter...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Sneak Peek "Chinese Zodiac", the new Hong Kong action film produced, written, directed by, and starring Jackie Chan, as a sequel to the 1991 feature "Armour of God II: Operation Condor":

"...treasure hunter 'Asian Hawk' tries to repatriate twelve bronze heads of the animals of the Chinese zodiac that were looted from the 'Old Summer Palace' during the 'Second Opium War'..."

Cast also includes Cary Woodworth, Vincent Sze, Pierre Bourdaud, Kenny G, Emmanuel Lanzi, Kwon Sang-woo, Liao Fan, Laura Weissbecker, Rosario Amadeo, Pierre-Benoist Varoclier, Ken Lo, Yao Xing Tong, Zhang Lan Xin, Oliver Platt, Caitlin Dechelle, Zheng Wei, Bo-Yee Poon, Christian Bachini and Steve Yoo Seung Jun.

Locations included  the 'Aerodium Latvia' vertical wind tunnel in Jelgava, Latvia, France, China and Taiwan , with Chan handling (as ususal) most of the stunts and fight scenes himself .

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Chinese Zodiac"...

2013 promises to be filled with lots of Martial Art movies and i have to say 2012 wasn’t the best year for it. The list that we have here include some great movies and we have high expectations to see some great choreography. There might be more movies which we will add to this list, so if you know of any more, please leave a comment in the box at the bottom of the page.

Tom Yum Goong 2

Cast:Tony Jaa, Jeeja Yanin, Petchtai Wongkamlao, Marrese Crump

Kham is the last of a family line of guards who once watched over the King of Thailand’s war elephants. Traditionally, only the most perfect elephants could successfully defend the throne, and very great care was taken in raising them. After his harrowing quest to retrieve the elephants and his calf, Korn, Kham returns to his village to live in peace. But for...

Chinese Zodiac is the latest offering from the legend that is Jackie Chan. Here we have a few videos showing Jackie behind the scenes of the movie, we hope you enjoy them. There is also a video from someone’s phone catching Jackie greeting the fans.

It is the sequel to the 1991 film Armour of God II: Operation Condor, in which Jackie will reprise his role as Asian Hawk. The movie tells about Asian Hawk bringing back the bronze head statues of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals, which were sacked by the French and British armies from the imperial Summer Palace in Beijing in 1860.

A major fight scene of the action movie cost 70 million yuan, or more than 10 million U.S. dollars.

From April 18 to May 2, Jackie Chan has visited Jelgava, Latvia to make some acrobatic scenes for movie at the “Aerodium” vertical wind tunnel.Filming also took place in France,...

Danny Pan, one half of directing duo The Pang Brothers ('The Eye', 'Bangkok Dangerous'), will hopefully return to horror form with his new thriller 'Fairy Tale Killer'. Currently in post-production the Hong Kong helmer's new story, penned by Kam-Yuen Szeto, is based around a serial murderer who appears to using a collection of old fairy tale books as his influence. Ching Wan Lau, Ken Lo, Elanne Kwong, Baoqiang Wang, Yee-Man Man and Kelly Fu all star and you can check out a new poster and trailer from the production below!...

Some of you guys might think I’m skeptical about every movie that comes out, and I can’t really disprove that. However, I am very excited for Chinese Zodiac. So much, in fact, that I’ve decided to make a wish list of what I would want for the film.

1. Old School Choreography

I’ve seen little glimpses of this over the past few films, but I want to see Jackie do his elaborate trademark choreography again. The type where he dances from opponent to opponent, utilizing the environment and random objects to obtain the upper hand. Jackie is the master of creativity, and the various locations that he will go to for Chinese Zodiac just beg to be his new playground. I want to see the long intricate cuts that Jackie used to do until he got right. Those were some of the best sequences that were captured on film.

Johnnie To’s movies are usually hit and miss, but he does have a huge following, so I felt many of our readers would appreciate the first trailer for his latest film. The Hong Kong film director and producer has made films in a variety of genres, though in the West he is best known for his action and crime movies, which have earned him critical respect and a cult following.

The first look at his latest endeavour Life Without Principle has finally come down the cinematic pipeline, and it does show some promise. The bank heist thriller stars Lau Ching-Wan (Black Mask), Ken Lo (Little Big Soldier), and Denise Ho (Merry Go Round). The film doesn’t appear to have a release date yet but here is the brief but official synopsis:

On a faithful day, three ordinary people suddenly find their destinies entwined when a loan shark gets...

Johnnie To's latest finally gets a (postcard-sized) trailer on its Facebook page. The bank heist thriller Life Without Principle (see what they did there) appears to be going at the Great Recession. The movie stars Lau Ching-Wan (Black Mask, Written By), Ken Lo (Little Big Soldier, The Shinjuku Incident), and Denise Ho (Merry Go Round), and doesn't appear to have a release date yet. Still, we'll keep you up-to-date as we learn more. Here's the official synopsis: On a faithful day, three ordinary people suddenly find their destinies entwined when a loan shark gets assaulted after having withdrawn $10 million from the bank. Check out the trailer below....

Director: Ding Sheng. Review: Adam Wing. It’s the news that every self respecting Jackie Chan fan has been waiting for, because our favourite pint sized action superstar has returned to form in his latest Lunar New Year blockbuster. Before you get too excited though, bare this thought in mind, Little Big Soldier is the not the kind of Jackie Chan picture we have dared to loved in the past. After several misfires in Hollywood, Jackie returned to his roots and dare I say it, grew up just a little on the way. After his scattershot approach to method acting in gang thriller Shinjuku Incident, he seems to have found the right balance between trademark action shtick and growing old gracefully. So he crosses swords with Mando-pop king Leehom Wang (Lust, Caution) in the anti-war historical fable by Mainland writer-director Ding Sheng (The Underdog Knight). It would appear that Jackie...

Property developer turned film maker Dennis Law continues his onslaught on Hong Kong cinemas with another genre outing in “Bad Blood”. As with his former outing “Fatal Move”, the triad thriller sees him working with acclaimed cinematographer Herman Yau and action choreographer Li Chung Chi, and reunites him with cast members and industry veterans Simon Yam, Eddie Cheung, Pinky Cheung, and Lam Suet. Law also manages to attract a few more action stars in the form of Andy On (recently in “True Legend”), Xiong Xinxin (“Once upon a time in China”), Ken Lo (also in the Jackie Chan films “Police Story 2” and “The Myth”) and rising martial arts talent Jiang Luxia (another “True Legend” alumnus), along with Tvb’s Bernice Liu and Chris Lai. The film kicks off in fine, action packed style with Tung Luen Shun gang boss Lok Cheung On (Eddie Cheung) being caught during a botched...

A trailer for Dennis Law's triad actioner Bad Blood has been added to the official site.  The main cast include Simon Yam, Bernice Liu (The King of Fighters), Andy On and raising action heroine Lu Xia Jiang (Coweb).  Nicky Li who has collaborated with Law previously as the fight choreographer in Fatal Move and Fatal Contact returns again.  Unlike Fatal Move, this film is rated Category Iib so the graphic violence may have been toned down.

When the boss of a ruling Hong Kong triad is arrested and executed in China for counterfeiting money, mayhem ensues as the mob's leading contenders circle the throne.

Will it be tough guy Funky (Simon Yam)? The boss' daughter Audrey (Bernice Liu)? The strange mute Dumby (Lu Xia Jiang)? The quiet achiever Calf (Andy On)? Or the power hungry senior officers Hung (Kenneth Low), Kong (Xin Xin Xiong) and Zen (Wai Man Chan...

When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes. -- Erasmus

One afternoon in Cape Town I sat in my little room at University House and took inventory. This must have been in June, winter in the southern hemisphere, and it had been raining steadily for most of a week. I was virtually alone in the student residence; the others had packed off for vacation. With an umbrella and plastic slicker I'd ventured out once or twice to the Pig and Whistle, where I favored the Ploughman's Lunch, but to sustain life I'd laid in a supply of tinned sardines, cheddar and swiss cheese, Hob Nobs, apples, Carr's Water Biscuits, ginger cookies, Hershey bars, biltong, sausage and a pot of jam. I had a little electric coil that would bring a cup of water to a boil, a jar of Nescafe,...