All Film Reviews

‘Blood of Warriors’ certainly tries its best but is far too hampered by the excessive melodramatics and the general feeling of historical action epic fatigue.

Perhaps if the series had been completed it may have been bordering on the “classic” status, but as a standalone movie there are just far too many plot holes for it to fully succeed.

Much of the story could have been padded better, with the format really revolving around getting to the next action sequence when more depth to the characters would have been far more beneficial.

Although I like a lot of the people involved, there’s no escaping that ‘Bloodfight’ simply isn’t a very good martial arts movie.

There’s plenty of silly villains, hammy dialogue and unnecessary boob shots to keep you entertained.

‘Bloodfist 2050’ certainly recaptures the feeling of 90s American martial arts B-movies, so much so that it actually winds up feeling a little late to the party.

Obviously I still wouldn’t call it good in the traditional sense, but it is a familiar slice of cheese that certainly goes down easily.

If you’re okay with a few obvious plot devices and some basic fisticuffs, then this may make for a worthy addition to your collection.

If you’re just looking for a quick burst of schlocky, action-packed fun then this will certainly make the grade.

It’s possible that fans of Don Wilson or cheap action movies in general may appreciate it more, but to me it’s evident that the series was starting to run out of ideas.

If the idea of a ‘Die Hard’ clone with sci-fi channel levels of acting and action sounds appealing, then you may get a kick or two out of the low budget cheesiness of ‘Bloodfist VI’.

‘Manhunt’ travels the same well-worn path as its predecessors (particularly ‘Bloodfist IV’) with a very predictable plot and some low grade action.

‘Hard Way Out’ is a sloppily cobbled together mess that is littered with awful genre cliches and a collection of very bad actors.

Recommended to all fans of Gary Daniels, and those who like their hands free action violent and acrobatic.

What puts it slightly above most is the charisma of a youthful Van Damme coupled with some decent action.

‘Bloodsport II’ is an improvement over its predecessor due to the greater quantity (and quality) of the action.

Bernhardt puts in another solid performance, proving his abilities as a screen fighter with a certain charisma. Unfortunately, everything else is totally forgettable.

It’s commendable that the team behind ‘Blue Remains’ opted to try something different but unfortunately the technology at the time just wasn’t up to the task.

Dark cinematography, powerful scenes, politically incorrect humour and good fight choreography combine to make this an entertaining film, but one you are only likely to watch once.

Existing in its own heightened reality, ‘Bodyguard Kiba’ is all about making our hero look cool (and indestructible!) and the bad guys as nasty as possible.

Not as riotously entertaining as the first instalment, ‘Bodyguard Kiba 2’ is still a fun watch, mainly to see Chiba strutting his cool stuff and for the impressive fight scenes that open and close the film.

It may be a little rough around the edges but its ambition and heart is in the right place and if given a chance, ‘Bodyguard: A New Beginning’ is an often rewarding experience.

Overall it’s a wonderful film, a blockbuster people call it, and maybe it is, but really for us Asian movie fans this is what it’s all about – a hard hitting, hard punching film with a heart of gold and a fist of iron.

For newcomers, it may prove a little difficult to get into and occasionally confusing but those already enjoying Kitano’s films will easily find several merits here that are synonymous with his best work.