Operação Águia

Hi, this is probably slightly off-message, and I had the luck to see this movie theatrically (good fun, appalling CGI airship, dumb dialogue, very well shot). I actually like Michael Wong but it seems he is not particularly liked by the HK movie community as a whole, but to them I say see 'Beast Cops', which is a superb HK movie but which doesn't seem to be particularly well regarded. What I have to ask is am I the only one who thought that Shannon Lee was quite unbelievably sexy? Turned me on like a light-switch! OK, she's not exactly classically beautiful or sylph-like but Hell's Teeth! She was / is one truly sexy woman. And the tight, black togs.....

Mind you, I once had a girlfriend who looked a bit like her so that might be colouring my feelings but - lordie! - she pushes my buttons! MC.

It seems Hong Kong movies and John Woo/ Ringo Lam films have influenced everybody these days and now it seems even Hong Kong movies have become influenced by the heddy days of heroic bloodshed for which Woo is credited for.

Shannon Lee and her gang are major jewel theives out to rob a diamond (think The Pink Pather but with Kung Fu), but they are also in contention with street pickpockets wanting to hit the big time.

With lots of action underscoring and a lack of characterisation on any of the main characters, its action all the way. Shannon has no personality except when she smiles with her eyebrows. She looks like a Xena meets Trinity.

The main good guy is over the top and sometimes saves the films with his outlandish remarks. The action never lets up, and although some of it is remarkably dull or very similar to Police Story III or other movies, there is a refreshing pace to the film.

Shannon and Benny Uriqudez have a good fight in the end die-hard-in-a-blimp sequence, but it pales in comparison with the Jackie Chan fights with Benny the Jet.

Shannon makes a good effort of being a gymnast-cum-diamond theif who can do quick kicks and quick side-on gags at her father (Bruce Lee) by doing the same things her father does (ie. rip off hair, do that thing with his nose or doing warcries), unfortuently it makes the film, and shannon very silly, she shouldn't be copying Mr Lee, she should do what she wants to do and leave history to Judge Bruce, not silly side on gags.

There are plot silliness to the film, and although a fun film to watch, it isn't the best of Hong Kong Cinema, give it a miss.

Overall: 3/10

I guess some of the naysayers about this movie have seen a different movie than I did, because this movie to me was filled to the brim with the hyperkinetic off the charts excitement that Hong Kong action movies have been famous for. Once the action starts it has a breathless place that never lets up for a minute and it has everything a Hong Kong moviephile could love some well choreographed and bloody shootouts, some dangerous eye popping stunts, and some manically hair raising mix ups. I have seen this movie in the Chinese movie store for some time and finally decided to rent it and did I get my money's worth. This is a great example of the action films Hong Kong used to make in its heydey. They had no artistic intentions other than to provide a mindblowing, hyberbolic opiate for the retinas. You can have your arty-farty plotless Wong Kar Wai films and sit there and be pretentious, but I would rather watch a film like Enter The Eagles and have an intoxicating good time much like I would rather have a sweet wine, over that dry flavorless crap anyday because when I drink wine I wanna get a buzz and enjoy getting there and not sit there sipping some expensive crappy tasting wine marvelling at how great the bouquet is. The Dragon's daughter is awesome and gets in a dust up with the Benny the Jet that is close to on par with the classic fisticuffs between Jacky and the Jet. She is just spectacular to watch in action whether she is firing a gun or unleashing her fists of fury and seems to have capture some of the charm and charisma of her father, she has a very likable screen persona and its a shame that she didnt make more movies like this.

The film isnt perfect though, I found some of the drama while adequate, just seem to be by the numbers and the sequence with the blimp was the only other complaint I had. The acting was from good to fair and Micheal Wong is compentent for a change. I find it interesting that this film didnt have a US release like Gen X Cops did, especially since most of the film is in English.

One more thing people, the glory days of John Woo's heroic bloodshed days are over, so you might as well get used to that fact and stop being so jaded because watching this film was a blast and to compare to a John Woo film isn't fair, it may not be art, but it's damn fine entertainment and better than a lot of the crap that Hollywood has been putting out lately. You can have your arty-farty plotless Wong Kar Wai films, but I take this

I give this film 7 out of 10 stars because it was highly entertaining and fun despite it faults and plus where else you gonna see Shannon Lee shoot people and kick some ass? That alone was worth the price of rental. If only Hong Kong would have a made a film with Brandon Lee and Shannon Lee together. Oh well, its nice to dream.

WOW! This movie is the best HK-movie I've ever seen (except for some Jackie Chan-movies). The acting is great, and Bruce Lee's daughter shows that she wants to keep the family-tradition, of great martial arts. And there's a lot of expensive action scenes. I gave it 8/10.

Straight of the bat, why the hell they decided to dub over a cast who's first language is English (all but Jordan Chan and Anita Yuen), is beyond me. It makes no sense at all...

From Golden Harvest and director Corey Yuen comes the Hong Kong action debut of Shannon Lee, daughter to Bruce of course. And just for fun, you get moments of her father shining through, such as certain moves she pulls off during fighting, and even the fact that her dead husband is called Bruce. Yes, it's as ridiculous as the overall film!

Set in Prague, the film opens with the ugliest bunch of gangsters ever committed to celluloid, with one team led by Michael Wong and the other by super-fighter, Benny 'The Jet' Urquidez. Director Yuen Kwai tries too hard to make the introductory scene of the film slick and stylish, resulting in dodgy edits that don't help kick things off well - although I did enjoy the chained, burning, jeep action...

Thankfully, it gets better!

It doesn't take long for the cinematography and edits to calm down somewhat and as we are introduced to Shannon Lee's character. Within seconds she gets her debut action scene against Brit-kicker Mike Lambert, which is a lot of fun and typically impressive of the Yuen's choreography making Lee look more like Jackie Chan than her fast striking father.

As much as I love them both, the introduction and terrible dubbing of Jordan Chan and Anita Yuen starts the downfall of the film for me. Brought in as the comedy element, which I'm sure may work in the Hong Kong version using their original language, they come across as idiots for the most of it (mostly due to the horrendous dub in this version)...

Wong is his usual cigar chomping, stone-faced, self hardly offering any excitement except for a few gunfights here and there. Of course, it's all about Shannon Lee's breakout role as an action star, and she certainly gets the higher percentage of it - impressing in her moves as well as stunt-work and gun-play. Yuen Kwai and Yuen Tak certainly did a good job in making her look like a genuine action star!

While the film may be paper thin on plot, and the comedy as weak as a kitten, And Now You're Dead has something about it that makes you want to keep watching. The action (both in martial arts and gun-play) is the films saving grace and there is plenty of it, including a ladder-on-a-helicopter stunt inspired by Police Story 3 that is good fun after an impressive, lengthy shoot-out. We certainly can't deny Kwai's talents as an action director and this definitely delivers in that department.

After a death of one of the team members on the one hour mark, the last 30 minutes takes a mature turn leaving most of the comedy behind for an all-out, action-packed, fight filled finale on a (badly CGI-ed) blimp with Lee versus Urquidez, which is fantastic. It's great to see 'The Jet' back in some Hong Kong styled action!

Overall: Overly flawed but action packed and great fun, And Now You're Dead gives HK action fans what they want, along with some unintentional laughs...