DVD: The Warrior's Way

Following the Challenge post re: Kung Fu Hustle, here is a review of a similar film. Jang Dong-Gun plays an assassin who refuses to kill a child and becomes an enemy of his own clan in this martial arts / western hybrid. Finding peace in a small community Yang attempts to put his past behind him but there is a whole army of warrior assassins on his trail. Meanwhile he learns the tragic past of Lynne (Kate Bosworth) and when her old enemy (Danny Huston) turns up he must choose to stay living in peace or unsheath his sword. Any ideas what he'll do?? This is great fun, it's very like Kung Fu Hustle but without the OTT cartoonish moments. The visuals are striking and the fight scenes are tremendous. I feel I've lost out by missing it on the big screen. Highly recommended for action / martial arts fans. Ric's Rating: 80%

A - Z Challenge: K

K is for......................................Kung Fu Hustle.

In 2004 director & star Stephen Chow brought us this crazy martial arts adventure from Hong Kong.

Chow is Sing, a downtrodden wannabe gangster who finds himself caught up in a battle between the unusual residents of a little village and the imposing Axe gang. Which way will Sing go...and who will be revealed as the ultimate kung fu master?

I can only describe this as Big Trouble In Little China on acid, now theres a phrase you never thought you'd hear !

A - Z Challenge: J

J is for........................................Jump Tomorrow.

This quirky British film follows a young Nigerian man and his French pal as they go on a road trip to reach the arranged marriage of the former.

The duo discover some of life's joys and have plenty of laughs on the way but will young George go through with the wedding?

The film's title comes from a piece of dialogue in which one of the friends is about to throw himself off a tall building. The other talks him down by saying that they have many things to do and see today, he could always jump tomorrow.

I think it's a great expression and the film isn't too bad either.

A - Z Challenge: I

I is for..................................Michael Ironside.

Michael Ironside’s performance as Ham Tyler in the original V introduced me to a new type of character, the anti-hero. Here was a good guy with a bad attitude, he didn’t suffer fools gladly and constantly ribbed the hero of the piece Donovan, labelling him “Gooder” because of his Do-gooding. He despatched the bad guys with ease and, on occasion, displayed a softer side, like the time he turned up as Santa Claus at a kids party.

One of the best tv characters of all time without a doubt.

Ironside went on to star in Top Gun, Total Recall and Highlander II but never achieved the status that he deserved. He now pops up in the odd film and appears infrequently in tv dramas.

Heres to the ultimate anti-hero, Michael Ironside.

A - Z Challenge: H

H is for.........................Hidalgo. This is a good old fashioned family film starring Viggo Mortensen from The Lord Of The Rings as Frank Hopkins who agrees to ride Hidalgo, his Mustang, in a 3000 mile race across the desert. Will the duo's bond be enough to help them survive, or even win? Check out the trailer.

A - Z Challenge: G

G is for..........................Robert Goddard and here is my review of his new novel, Blood Count.

Dr. Edward Hammond, a liver specialist, performed a life saving transplant on one Dragan Gazi in 1996. Gazi went on to command forces who massacred civilians in the Balkans war.

Shortly afterwards Hammond’s estranged wife was murdered and when Gazi’s daughter comes calling she demands Hammond does her bidding or he will be implicated in the murder.

So begins Robert Goddard’s latest novel of intrigue as Hammond’s endeavours take him on a long and winding road through Europe encountering some complex characters along the way. This is the first time I have read one of Robert Goddard’s books and the quality of the writing jumps off the page but the endless just one step further to go type scenarios manage to make what should be a thrilling journey come across as more of a depressing road trip.

Hammond himself is a man of questionable virtue and everyone involved has a hidden agenda that makes it difficult to root for anyone, except maybe the Mother looking for her long lost Son.

All the twists and turns, some more obvious than others, eventually come to a reasonably satisfying conclusion but there is never the huge dramatic moment that the author intends.

This should satisfy Goddard fans, of whom there are many, but there isn’t enough here to attract newcomers.

Ric’s Rating: 56%

A - Z Challenge: F

F is for.........................Free Jimmy.

I don't really need to add anything to this fantastic tagline:

"Four stoners, three gangsters, five vegans and a million reasons to free one junkie Elephant"

This madcap animated movie for adults features the voice talent of Woody Harrelson, Simon Pegg and Jim Broadbent.

Highly recommended if you fancy something a bit different.

A - Z Challenge: E

E is for...........................Every Dead Thing by John Connolly.

It's the first in the Charlie Parker series and the high standard has been maintained.

Synopsis:

Tormented and racked with guilt over the brutal slaying of his wife and daughter, Charlie Parker, ex-cop with the NYPD, agrees to track down a missing girl. It is a search that will lead him into an abyss of evil. At the same time, he is warned by an old black woman in Louisiana that 'The Travelling Man' is about to strike again. Multiple strands converge with a horrific confrontation in which hunter and hunted are intimately connected by guilt.

A - Z Challenge: D

D is for.........................Dead Man's Shoes.

This fantastic British revenge film stars Paddy Considine as a man out to bring to justice the gang who constantly torment his disabled brother.

Dark, violent and intelligent this is a must-see for fans of revenge stories.

A - Z Challenge: C

C is for........................The Cobra by Frederick Forsyth.

The lovely people at Transworld Publishers have sent me a copy of this for review.

I've never read Forsyth but this sounds pretty cool.

Synopsis:

The Cocaine industry is worth billions of dollars a year to the drug cartels who spread their evil seed across Western society. Its usage causes incalculable misery, poverty and death. Slowly, gradually, inexorably it is spreading...it is a blight which must be stopped.One man, Paul Devereaux, intellectual, dedicated, utterly ruthless and ex-CIA special ops, is given what seems like an impossible task. At his disposal, anything he wants - men, resources, money. He will not stop until he has completed his mission.Up to now the drug trade has been used to world governments attempting to prevent them plying their trade. But up to now, those governments have played by the rules. That is about to change. The rules no longer apply... and a dirty war is about to get a whole lot dirtier...

Check back soon for a full review.

A - Z Challenge: B

B is for.........Bubba Ho-Tep.

This fantastic little known film from 2002 stars Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead) as a very much alive (and in a nursing home) Elvis Presley who teams up with JFK (Ossie Davis) to battle an ancient Egyptian ghost.

Bizarre, bonkers and bloody brilliant.

A - Z Challenge: A

A is for…………Apocalypto. Mel Gibson’s stunning film about the attempted enslavement of a Mayan tribesman and his subsequent escape didn’t receive the recognition it deserved. Don’t let the subtitles put you off, the language used actually adds to the authentic atmosphere created. It was my favourite film of 2007 and has earned a place amongst my all time greats. Check it out as soon as you can, you won’t regret it.