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- Angels 2 | aka Iron Angels 2 (1989) Review
- You don’t want to miss our new Blu-ray/DVD list for July!!!
- Kundo: Age of the Rampant | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)
| Angels 2 | aka Iron Angels 2 (1989) Review Posted: 29 Jun 2014 11:15 AM PDT  "Angels 2" Japanese Theatrical Poster AKA: Angel 2, Fighting Madam 2 By Paul Bramhall The 'Girls with Guns' genre is generally considered to have been kicked off by the 1985 Corey Yuen movie Yes, Madam!, which introduced us to the femme fatale coupling of Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock. The rest of the 80s were spent introducing us to a bevy of dangerous ladies – in 1986 we were given the ferocious pairing of Moon Lee and Yukari Oshima in Iron Angels, and in 1987 we were given yet another deadly duo with Cynthia Khan and Michiko Nishiwaki in In the Line of Duty 3. Despite the talent of these ladies, the genre arguably always remained a tier below the output from their male counterparts. As time went on the action seemed to increasingly move to countries which had cheaper production costs, such as the Philippines and Malaysia, and by the mid-90s the 'Girls with Guns' genre had all but disappeared. For the few glorious years that these movies were getting produced though, the sheer number that got cranked out pretty much guaranteed at least a few minor classics. Often filled with copious machine gun fire and cheap and cheerful pyrotechnics, interspersed with moments of intense fight action, it's easy to see why these kick ass gals gained a sizable following. The original Iron Angels delivered a strong cast, apart from the aforementioned Moon Lee and Yukari Oshima, they were ably backed up by Alex Fong, Elaine Lui, and Shaw Brothers legend David Chiang, who essentially filled the role of Charlie in a Hong Kong version of Charlie's Angels. Throw in Japanese star Saijo Hideki and Korean boot master Hwang Jang-lee, and it would be difficult not to have a good time. The movie is considered a classic of the 'Girls with Guns' genre, and spawned two sequels, the second of which has frustratingly yet to be released on DVD in any English speaking country. It's a shame, as while Iron Angels 2 is hardly a contender for an Oscar, it is a worthy addition to the genre. The three principal members of the original return in the form of Moon Lee, Elaine Lui, and Alex Fong, who essentially make up the team of angels. Why one of the angels has to be played by a guy is anyone's guess, but in the pantheon of questions that could be raised out of Hong Kong's movie output from the 80's, this is probably one of the lesser ones. The story concerns the angels being distracted from their holiday in Kuala Lumpur, when the host with whom they're staying turns out to be an insane revolutionary. This is revealed in a wonderful speech when he explains that he wants to make "an Asia for the Asians", and we get to see him kick back in the evening with a whiskey on the rocks, while watching videos of Hitler parading through the streets of Germany. Of course in an effort to flesh out the plot a little bit more, Elaine Lui becomes romantically involved with him, unaware of his extreme ideals, and if that wasn't enough to push the run-time to a suitable length, the rest is padded out by travelogue like shots of Kuala Lumpur city. While Iron Angels was hardly a big budget affair, it did get by on the merits of having a pair of strong adversaries in the form of Yukari Oshima and Hwang Jang-lee. Oshima seemed to relish her role of the vicious gang boss, and the whole movie stayed true to its genre origins by having Moon Lee and Elaine Lui ultimately have to rescue the captured Fong from her lair. The sequel loses points somewhat in the fact that if anything, the shift in focus seems to be away from the ladies, and instead Fong is now the image of the macho 80's Hong Kong action hero, seemingly able to beat up anyone who crosses his path. After playing the deadly leading lady in the Shaw Brothers classic Come Drink With Me, Cheng Pei Pei suffered a similar fate in its sequel Golden Swallow, when she played second fiddle to Jimmy Wang Yu. The only problem here is Alex Fong is no Jimmy Wang Yu, and director Stanley Tong is no Chang Cheh. While I'm sure a more academically minded critic would be happy to draw comparisons between the notions of feminism between the original Iron Angels and its sequel, let's face it, at the end of the day we're all here for the action. Moon Lee would go on to make several movies together with Yukari Oshima, so the real question is how does she fare here with no promise of a final throw down with the Japanese beauty. Thankfully the answer isn't a disappointing one, in large part due to the showdown that she has with the movies action director Yuen Tak. Tak is one of the more unsung heroes of Hong Kong action cinema. Originally cast as a kind of Jackie Chan clone in the 1980 Shaw Brothers movie The Master opposite Chen Kuan Tai, he went onto to have a successful career as an action director, working on such movies as Dragon from Russia, while still occasionally making onscreen appearances, most notably returning as the villain in the 1997 version of Hero. Here Tak serves as action director and plays the head henchman, who happens to face off against Lee in a munitions hut in the finale. While their fight is frustratingly brief, what's there is gold, as the two exchange a lightening fast flurry of feet and fists. The fight is so good that it makes you realize that she's just spent the majority of the movie wasted in what for the most part is a non-action role, while it's Fong who gets given the majority of the movies action beats. While Fong is a passable screen fighter, the fight between Lee and Tak makes his scenes look like rehearsals. This is made even more glaringly obvious when straight after the showdown he's given the final confrontation of the movie, which while not particularly bad, simply doesn't stand up compared to the few seconds of excellence we've just bore witness to. There's also a whole lot of obligatory but satisfying machine gun fire and explosions in the finale, but despite it all, Iron Angels 2 remains a notch under the original. Later that same year Lee would be seriously burnt when she was caught in an explosion, which detonated early while escaping from a building on the set of the movie Devil Hunters, but like the strong female characters she portrayed on screen, she didn't stay down for long. Hopefully movies like both Devil Hunters and Iron Angels 2 will some day make it onto DVD, and everyone can enjoy watching the ladies of Hong Kong cinema kick just as much ass as the men. Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 7/10 |
| You don’t want to miss our new Blu-ray/DVD list for July!!! Posted: 29 Jun 2014 12:00 AM PDT  The Raid 2: Berandal | Blu-ray & DVD (Sony Pictures) Summer is in full force and it’s burning hot out there! After a scorching long day in the sun, there’s no better way to cool off than to lounge on your sofa, switch on the A/C, and catch up on some new movies! For those of you looking to add a number of exciting Blu-ray & DVD titles to your collection, get ready for our latest list of new releases handpicked by cityonfire.com! The month of July is one of the HOTTEST months ever for Asian action, Martial Arts, Kkaiju and other cult gems/classics that are just waiting to be discovered! Titles include The Raid 2, Protector 2 aka Tom Yum Goong 2, The Suspect, Rigor Mortis, Destroy All Monsters, Deadly Eyes, Southern Comfort and many more! These titles are just the tip of the iceberg, so be sure to scroll down so you don’t miss anything! If you’re interested in purchasing any of the titles, we’re hoping you’ll click on our Amazon.com links to show your support towards cityonfire.com. In return, we’ll continue to highlight martial arts, Asian cinema and other notable titles at the beginning of each month. As always, we appreciate your help! Once Upon a Time in Vietnam: July 1, 2014 Lionsgate presents the DVD for Once Upon a Time in Vietnam (aka Lua Phat), directed, written by and starring Dustin Nguyen (The Rebel). On a mission to retrieve fugitives from the Emperor in Vietnam, Dao, a commander in the Emperor's army, is assigned to protect a peaceful small town from being taken over by a crime boss. Soon, Dao's past catches up with him, threatening to destroy the town and the woman he has come to love. This vietnamese martial arts film also stars Thanh Van Ngo (Clash) and Roger Yuan (The Perfect Weapon). Escape to Athena: July 1, 2014 Henstooth Video presents the DVD for 1979′s Escape to Athena, directed by George P. Cosmatos (Rambo: First Blood Part II). Roger Moore took a break from the James Bond franchise (between 1977′s The Spy Who Loved Me and 1979′s Moonraker) to film this action gem about a group of World War II POWs who plan to escape from their Nazi captors and retrieve valuable stolen art at the same time. Escape to Athena also stars Telly Savalas, Stefanie Powers, Claudia Cardinale, Richard Roundtree, Sonny Bono and Elliott Gould. Still not sold? Then watch the trailer! Southern Comfort: July 8, 2014 Shout! Facory presents the Blu-ray & DVD for 1981′s Southern Comfort, directed by Walter Hill (The Warriors). When nine National Guardsmen enter the Louisiana swamp for routine training, they come across some angry Cajuns who know the territory like the backs of their hands. Armed with a precious few bullets, and confused by the dimly lit, moss-covered maze into which they ve stumbled, the innocent guardsmen know they’ll be picked off one-by-one. Starring Keith Carradine, Powers Boothe and Peter Coyote. Rigor Mortis: July 8, 2014 Well Go USA presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Rigor Mortis, directed by Juno Mak (Dream Home). This atmospheric horror film from Hong Kong revolves around a public housing tenement that’s plunged into a dark storm of supernatural chaos. Rigor Mortis is a nod to the Mr. Vampire series. In fact, it features many actors from that classic title: Chin Siu-ho, Anthony Chan, Billy Lau and Richard Ng. The film also stars Chin Siu-ho, Anthony Chan, Kara Hui, Lo Hoi-pang and Paw Hee-ching. The Raid 2: July 8, 2014 Sony Pictures presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Gareth Evans' The Raid 2 (read our review). This action-packed martial arts epic will include the following bonus features: "Gang War" Deleted Scene, Ready for a Fight: On Location; Violent Ballet: Behind the Choreography; English dub and original language version of the film, director commentary with Gareth Huw Evans; The Next Chapter: Shooting a Sequel; Cinefamily Foundation Q&A with Gareth Huw Evans, Iko Uwais and Joe Trapanese. Deadly Eyes: July 15, 2014 Shout! Factory presents the Blu-ray & DVD for 1982′s Deadly Eyes (aka The Rats), directed by Robert Clouse (Enter the Dragon). Hong Kong’s Golden Harvest studios teams up with Warner Bros. to produce this cult thriller about a scientist who genetically alters a colony of super rats. As they breed and multiply, they must seek ever increasing amounts of food. They soon find a new source of nourishment – human flesh. Deadly Eyes features a memorable scene where the deadly rats attack a movie theater while a Bruce Lee film is being shown. Action Adventure Movie Marathon: July 15, 2014 Shout! Factory presents the Action Adventure Movie Marathon. These sets bring back the good ol’ memories of going to a video rental store; only now you can see these obscure titles without adjusting your tracking. The Blu-ray version includes 1973′s I Escaped from Devil’s Island and 1982′s The Final Option (aka Who Dares Wins); in addition to the films just mentioned, the DVD version also includes 1959′s Shake Hands with the Devil and 1983′s Treasure of the Four Crowns. As the trailer states, it’s more groundbreaking than Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Arc combined. James Clavell’s Shogun: July 22, 2014 Paramount Pictures presents the Blu-ray for James Clavell’s Shogun. This 1980 mini-series (on 6 Blu-ray discs) focuses on John Blackthorne (Richard Chamberlain), an English ship pilot, whose vessel wrecked upon the Japanese coast in the early 17th century. He is thrown in the midst of a war between Toranaga (Toshiro Mifune) and Ishido (Nobuo Kaneko), who struggle for the title of Shogun which will give ultimate power to the one who possesses it. By no means is Shogun a martial arts adventure, but it does have snippets of chanbara bloodshed within its beautiful plot structure! Destroy All Monsters: July 22, 2014 Tokyo Shock presents the Blu-ray for 1968′s Destroy All Monsters (aka Charge of the Monsters), the 9th in Toho Studios’ Godzilla series. Directed by Ishirō Honda with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa (supervised by Eiji Tsuburaya). The plot involves aliens who take control of Earth’s monsters and begin using them to destroy the human race. Godzilla vs. Megalon: July 22, 2014 Tokyo Shock presents the Blu-ray for 1973′s Godzilla vs. Megalon, directed by Jun Fukuda (Godzilla vs. Gigan). Godzilla vs. Megalon is the first and only Godzilla film to feature Megalon and Jet Jaguar, star of the Godzilla video games. Considered the most elusive and sought-after Godzilla film. Features never-before-seen extras including trailer and gallery. The Suspect: July 22, 2014 Well Go USA presents the Blu-ray & DVD for The Suspect. Directed by Won Shin-yun (Seven Days, A Bloody Aria), this high-octane Korean film follows a North Korean secret agent who is betrayed by his government. On a mission of revenge, he heads to the South and cuts a warpath through deadly assassins and rival agents, all the while trying to unravel the conspiracy he’s found himself in the middle of. The film stars Gong Yoo and Park Hee-soon. Destroy All Monsters: July 22, 2014 Tokyo Shock presents the Blu-ray for 1968′s Destroy All Monsters (aka Charge of the Monsters), the 9th in Toho Studios’ Godzilla series. Directed by Ishirō Honda with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa (supervised by Eiji Tsuburaya). The plot involves aliens who take control of Earth’s monsters and begin using them to destroy the human race. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance: Ultimate Revenge Edition: July 22, 2014 Palisades Tartan presents the Blu-ray for Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance: Ultimate Revenge Edition. Directed by Park Chan-wook (Oldboy), Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is not an easy film to watch, but it’s well-crafted masterpiece! The film follows a recently laid off factory worker (Shin Ha-kyun) who kidnaps his former boss’ daughter, hoping to use the ransom money to pay for his sister’s kidney transplant. His plan goes haywire and unleashes a series of savage events. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance also stars Song Kang-ho (Snowpiercer) and Bae Doona (Cloud Atlas). Dragonwolf: July 29, 2014 Well Go USA presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Dragonwolf, directed by Raimund Huber (Bangkok Adrenaline). The Devil’s Cauldron, a city where violence has forged a society in which only the lethal and can survive, two young men who possess the intellect and ferocity to flourish, carve a name for themselves as unstoppable hit men. But when a woman mysteriously enters their lives, she turns them against each other, resulting in a battle that threatens to bring the city to the brink of destruction. The film stars Kazu Patrick Tang, Johan Kirsten and Macha Polivka. Protector 2 | aka Tom Yum Goong 2: July 29, 2014 Magnolia presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Prachya Pinkaew’s Protector 2 (aka Tom Yum Goong 2). Once again, Kham's pet elephant (Tony Jaa) has been abducted and he must fight anyone in his way to find him. Protector 2 features amazing choreography by Panna Rittikrai (Ong Bak). Also starring is RZA (Man with the Iron Fists), Mum Jokmok (Ong Bak), Yanin Vismitananda (Chocolate), Petchtai Wongkamlao (The Protector), Marrese Crump (G.I. Joe: Battle for the Serpent Stone). Legendary: Tomb of the Dragon: July 29, 2014 Lionsgate presents the DVD for Legendary (aka Legendary: Tomb of the Dragon). Travis Preston (Scott Adkins) assembles his team for an expedition to a remote region in China’s hinterland, where a wild animal that the locals believe to be a primeval monster they call the “Shocate” is said to roam free. Travis’s nemesis Jim Harker (Dolph Lundgren), a merciless trophy hunter, has already set up camp. A race against time ensues, and Travis and his team will have to pool all their resources if they want to capture this legendary creature alive. Note: Even though Adkins stars, be aware that this is not a martial arts movie. |
| Kundo: Age of the Rampant | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA) Posted: 25 Jun 2014 01:12 PM PDT  "Kundo: Age of the Rampant" Korean Teaser Poster RELEASE DATE: October 21, 2014 Well Go USA presents the Blu-ray and DVD for the South Korean film Kundo: Age of the Rampant (aka Band of Thieves). This 19th century period action/martial arts film stars Ha Jung-woo (The Chaser) and Kang Dong-won (The X), and directed by Yoon Jong-bin (Nameless Gangster). Kundo: Age of the Rampant revolves around a group of righteous thieves who steal from corrupt public officials and give to the poor. But things get deadly when the thieves come across a powerful figure. Watch the trailer. Pre-order Kundo: Age of the Rampant from Amazon.com today! |
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