Kung Fu Jungle

"Kung Fu Killer" (aka "Yi ge ren de wu lin") is one of the absolute better Donnie Yen movies in years. I had very little expectations to the movie when I sat to watch it, expecting it to be little more than just another tough-guy-beating-up-all-the-bad-guys movies that Donnie Yen usually tends to make. However, I was more than genuinely and pleasantly surprised at the outcome of "Kung Fu Killer".

What makes "Kung Fu Killer" a good movie is a combination of several things, which include the action, the martial arts, the story, the acting, the setting and the atmosphere of the entire movie. I was really enjoying this movie from start to end. As with all Donnie Yen movies, then the martial arts and action sequences are tight, precise and well-choreographed and equally so executed. And I am a sucker for Hong Kong movies, so of course it was a treat to be back on the gritty streets midst worn-down old and sparkly new buildings at the heart of South-East Asia.

Donnie Yen does deliver his usual perfect set of fighting and action skills here in this movie, and he is joined alongside by Baoqiang Wang, whom I don't think I have noticed before. But wow, this guy was also quite amazing, and definitely a name to keep an eye on. There was a good feeling of brutality and honest, hard-hitting fighting throughout the entire movie, without excessive use of Wire Fu. Charlie Yeung also did add a good element to the movie with her acting talent.

The story is about an imprisoned martial arts instructor whom is given a deal to work with the Hong Kong police in order to find and stop a particularly brutal serial killer who is targeting the best of the best of martial artists.

The characters in the movie were a bit square, yes. And by square I mean that they were generic and as you would expect from a movie of this type. Nothing grandiose here or nothing innovative in terms of character building. But that is still alright, because they are enjoyable and well portrayed by the cast hired for the various roles and characters.

It should be said that director Teddy Chan does follow a strict how-to-make-an-action-thriller by the book. And that is one of the downsides to the movie, because it does give it a bit too much of a predictability to it.

If you enjoy Hong Kong cinema, then "Kung Fu Killer" is a definite must watch movie, especially in the latter years. I was quite surprised with how good the movie was, and am pleased to say that Donnie Yen is definitely back in top form. I am rating "Kung Fu Killer" a solid eight out of ten stars.

Granted, they had me at Donnie Yen, but then they gave me incredible production values, a fairly competent storyline, and met the action/fight-sequence quality of the first two IPman's.

This was ranked 6.4 this morning, 6.5 this afternoon, and could be headed higher.

It deserves it. It's a freakin' blast!

The final fight is as good as the alleyway in Killzone, and a clear lack of the all-too-present drama silliness found in many of these HK action flicks. Some of the serious stuff is handled quite well.

Albeit the fight scenes are still gloriously over-the-top(not sure what some were expecting reading some negative reviews - i mean isn't that wHY you rent a kung fu flick? Geesh).

The "filler" is solid, decently acted fare that keeps at an even pace and keeps the audiences interested in the fate of its lead characters. If u want realism go rent "the gunman" and be bored to death with a more basic plot, realism, and seasoned actors. It will fry your brain and send u back to the redbox faster than "Get Hard". Or have fun watching a mindless, unrealistic kung fu flick - which flies by like an F-16, and is a 90-minute adrenaline rush.

Highly recommend this! 65/100

I will be purchasing this. You should know where u stand before u hit play. If u enjoyed "true Legend", the "police stories", "supercop" or SPL:Killzone.. Or any modern kung fu flick.. You will love this!

Very fun to watch specially if you like Kung Fu martial arts flicks. KungFu style and moves used here are very surprisingly jaw dropping stunts. It may look bit unrealistic but just for the fun and imagination that Kung Fu is a whole lot on a different level of fighting style you will definitely love it.

If there's one thing I am missing on this movie is more challenging and long rival fights than easy to the top final match. Other rivals deserves something more too.

Anyway but still this is really a good one from Donnie yen. A must watch.

Leave it to Donnie Yen, to pay respect and make a movie that is sort of a tribute to a lot of Martial Arts heroes of the past. Acting martial arts heroes that is of course. And this movie does have a lot of them. But it does pay respect to almost everyone in the credits too (stay seated or watch them through if you are a fan).

The movie also is a combination of different fighting styles. It's sort of a best of. The story is pretty decent for a movie like this too. The stunts action scenes are fantastic we knew that (if you've been aware of Donnie Yens body of work, if you'll excuse the pun). But it's also the story that you want to enjoy too. It might have a couple of bumps along the way, but overall a very good movie, especially for the martial arts fan

If your a Donnie Yen fan, this film is an absolute must watch. He always delivers in the action scenes, but this movie also has solid characters and an interesting story.

Kung Fu Killer (or Kung Fu Jungle) is essentially about the quest of two men to be the best fighter alive. The villain is very overt in their quest of dominance, but the heroes journey is clouded by questions of conscience, family, honor, and pride. This gives each a destiny discovered through a series of fight scenes. The two inevitably end up pitted against one another in a test of skill, strength, and willpower. I really respect the use of the fight scenes to add depth to both characters and story.

If your watching this movie, it will be for the action. The martial arts is really well done, and while there certainly is some wire play and superhuman moments - the scenes follow their own stylistic rules which do not stray absurdly far from realism. Each dual features a different style, and the variation of techniques will be appreciated by the seasoned martial arts fan. I am especially fond of the fight highlighting weapons - especially it's introduction, style, and nod to the film industry.

The story isn't perfect, and this is what holds this movie back from being a true kung-fu classic. Everything is in the right place - Haunted villain, damaged hero in need of redemption, love interests, and surrounding characters trying to uphold the law. But it takes the viewers imagination to make all the pieces fit perfectly, and while I don't mind this myself, I certainly understand how someone who needs the all the roughed up puzzle pieces perfectly smooth would be left somewhat disappointed trying to fit it all together. I'd like to say the lessons learned make the ending perfectly epic, but really the films moral falls flat in comparison to the action, and the depth of the main two characters.

The villains character is especially deep. He overcomes both physical and mental anguish to become a master, but as a result of his life trials, is too damaged to be anything but a killing machine. The hero finds he has a choice in his destiny, which is one of the biggest points the film has to make.

Production values are very good. The camera work is especially well done, and the fight scenes gain a lot from this excellence. Always nice to see fight scenes from far enough back to really witness the action unfolding, and minimal edits to watch the actors preform their craft and stunts.

If your looking for an excellent martial arts movie with great characters, memorable fight scenes, and a solid story - then by all means, watch Kung Fu Killer.

Way above average: 7 out of 10