Dragons Forever

I definitely got a more solid sense of Sammo Hung's directing here.

Wheels On Meals was a good introductory film for his directing, and I get a sense he likes telling a myriad of different genres in a story. It's similar yet different to the first film this week, with more an emphasis this time on the romance with ranges of good to spectacular bits of action sprinkled in. The story follows three men who by some means or another is employed by a shady corrupt business to gain land for their factory, each member has their own plans and forge brief alliances but none of them is telling the whole story leading to periodic clashes before the pin is dropped and they all go after the business. Again it sort of focuses more on the lives of these characters than the action itself, and I really really like that. That's the reason why I hold the Ip Man series so highly, it gives you character and the big fights which I feel works very well here as well. It's so interesting seeing Jackie play a lawyer and be more of a romancing kind of guy, instead of his down to earth everyman persona in most of his films. But that sure as hell doesn't mean he can't still fight. Once again all these guys are on even better form than Wheels On Meals in my opinion, bringing so much speed and precision to their strikes and getting a bit more acrobatic in their movements. The final fight is short but unbelievably outstanding, with so much going on and some hits that straight up made me cringe. I mean f***ing hell man, I need an ice pack just watching it I can't even fathom the actors going through it. It does not shy away from the falls and the impacts, it's really one of the most impressive fight scenes in cinema for me. We even get another standoff with Benny The Jet, didn't entirely plan that but he brings his further improved skill to the forefront. I mean you could break down those two fight scenes alone and really notice how much their styles, technique, and skill has grown. But like I said the film is more of a romance, with Jackie and Sammo having some one on one time with their lady friends which I actually did like. It never felt like it dragged or was pointless so I must commend the film for that. Solid 8/10, 4 stars check it out, and we jump straight to 1999 for the final Jackie Chan film of the week before the next theater going experience.

Wheels On Meals

Yeah Vanguard really stuck with me so I figured why not see some more.

Believe it or not this movie has been on the review calendar several times but always got pushed back, but I finally saw it and while it was admittedly different from the few Jackie Chan movies I've seen I still really enjoyed it. It's much more a comedy film first with action peppered here and there, and if that turns you off it I still very much urge you to see it for yourself. The plot follows two friends who run a food truck in Spain who get swept up in this kidnapping plot by a bit bumbling detective, as they meet a woman with a penchant for pickpocketing among other characters. Now I will fully say the comedy even for me took me about 20 minutes into the film to really grasp, obviously I haven't seen many comedy movies in the 1980s from China but once I got it, the movie made me laugh a fair bit but even when I wasn't laughing I still had a smile on my face. I was pretty shocked to see the story unfold in Spain, Barcelona to be exact so it really just goes to show Vanguard wasn't the one and only to do such a thing. But the locations look nice and the production while obviously not top tier in terms of budget still gets a lot done and in no small feat for the choreography. It's good old classic martial arts fighting, with guys flying across the room from a hit, that instantly recognizable steak punching sound effect, and some neat-o camera work just for the fun of it. Again, it really isn't wall to wall action but at the same time I didn't have any issue with that because the fights were still engaging and entertaining. Hell I would almost go on record and say for a fact that the fighting was kept to a minimum so you really get your full money's worth with the fight between Jackie and Benny The Jet. Holy hot damn it has been a minute since I've seen a fight that good, no it's not even a fight. It's a duel. It's a duel of high skill and raw power that will probably be replaying in my head for the rest of the day. I wouldn't even be surprised if they said they didn't do much choreography for it and just filmed it like if it was a tournament match, it feels that organic and unscripted. If you had reservations watching this movie, chances are those dissipated while that fight was going on. I'm quite certain this is the first Sammo Hung directed movie I've seen, though I've seen him as one of the martial arts masters in Ip Man 2, and while it is an unashamedly 80s piece of foreign actiony cinema I really liked how he did it all. The slow motion, the unique camera placement for certain shots, the editing, it worked very well for me. Also have to give a nod to the music, it got funky and even had a montage song like any true 80s classic. It's a fun movie with a caper plot, and it's cool to see Jackie in one of his older roles. I give it 3 stars, 7.5/10, good times be found here. Tomorrow we jump closer to the 90s with another Sammo Hung directed film.

Ip Man 2

I think I would say this film is better than the first.

So the story picks up not long after the first with Ip Man living in British occupied Hong Kong where he begins a new school and starts taking pupils. He encounters various other Masters, and through altercations with one's students they form a rivalry which soon turns to respect and understanding. And a boxing event is announced which leads to the clashing of two styles, western boxing and eastern martial arts with Ip Man fighting not for superiority but for respect. And you may notice a....shall we say a specific pattern with this movie. Now granted, film is a langauge that surpasses all barriers, and no idea is truly original. And while the factual events happened decades before, this film combines plot from Rocky 1 through 4! Two fighters form a rivalry, they rematch while hero's wife is preggers, rivals become friends and find mutual respect for one another, one friend dies in a fight and the other must avenge him. They even do a slow-mo run for crying out loud. But does that hinder my enjoyment of the movie? Actually no, you feel this palpable passion to see Ip Man win this fight. And the fights really up the ante this time around, being much more elaborate in the use of objects and even camera placement. There is one scene I especially admire where Ip Man explains to one of his pupils the importance and values of Wing Chun, cementing even more his calm, nonviolent, and all around kind demeanor. Which is why in my opinion, they casted Donnie Yen perfectly, he really is one of the nicest people you will meet like, ever. Plus they throw in a few familiar faces from the first movie, which is always appreciated. It's just a really good movie, a little more or less action depending on your point of view, but worth your time nevertheless. But we got one more, so let's see if the 3rd ends on a high note.