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One-eyed Baz: Barrington 'Zulu' Patterson, One of Britain's Deadliest Men
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Blinded in one eye by a childhood incident, his tormentors called him 'One Eye' or 'Cyclops'; it...
Travis Knight recommended The Grandmaster (2013) in Movies (curated)
Erika (17788 KP) rated 3 Ninjas Kick Back (1994) in Movies
Sep 18, 2019 (Updated Sep 18, 2019)
3 Ninjas Kick Back is the second in the '3 Ninjas' series; the first and this one were some of my favorite movies growing up. I'm into martial arts films, and these were perfect for me. I read the novelization of this film until it fell apart, and I still have it today. They did change the actor for Rocky, and this kid wasn't as crush-worthy as the first one. The three brothers aren't allowed to go on a trip to Japan with their grandfather because they have to play in a baseball tournament. They end up following, of course, to find a cave of gold. My favorite scenes are always the booby-trapping scenes, where they hi-jinx these wannabe, early 1990s losers. It's still super amusing. They do end up making it back for the baseball game, making everything work out in the end.
Of course, now it's completely dated, but I still watch it.
Of course, now it's completely dated, but I still watch it.
FOX Sports Play
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Watch LIVE streams of world class sporting shows and events including the Formula 1 and MotoGP race...
Shadow Walker (Bloody Hearts #1)
7.0
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A newborn witch is hunted for her blood. Two brothers, heirs to a demon dynasty, teach her how to...
Adult Paranormal Romance
Finding Lorena
10.0
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Imagine being able to jump back in time and do it all over again. Going back to live with...
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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Karate Kid (2010) in Movies
Aug 8, 2019
It may not be “use the force”, but the phrase “wax on, wax off” has stood the test of time in popular culture and cinematic fame. Would the newest Karate Kid film do the same? Could I stomach another ghastly remake in a year that seems endlessly full of them? Well, I am happy to report that I didn’t have to.
Jaden Smith crafts an engaging portrayal of the lead character, Dre Parker, a kid trying to fit in and make friends as an African-American in China. Equally impressive was Jackie Chan as maintenance man by day, Kung Fu master by night, Mr. Han. Chan’s performance was surprisingly dramatic and, for once, did not entirely center on his undeniable martial arts appeal. Don’t get me wrong, the martial arts are in there but for Chan this film displays his tenure as a veteran of the big screen.
It seems there is only one thing that could have been better: Tarji P. Hensen who played Dre’s dopey mom, Sherry Parker. No parent could seem this self-absorbed and unaware of a situation yet maintain wholesome parental figure status, and the acting was poor to boot. Overshadowing Hensen’s lame interjections was Dre’s adorable love interest, Meiying (played by Wenwen Han). The performance of Meiying managed to captured not only Dre’s heart but also that of the entire audience while staying on the film’s well-plotted course.
“The Karate Kid” is emotionally charged and action packed, there is really no denying it. And so what if the whole thing also looks a lot like a tourist film for China, the great landscapes and classic shots only add to the imagery.
Film buffs and fans of the original Karate Kid series will enjoy the mix of subtly-placed and more blatant references to the original films. Better yet it quickly becomes clear that Jackie Chan is not trying to top the legendary performance of Pat Morita but manages to prove that the story we all got so wrapped up in 1984 is still relevant in today’s modern world.
Jaden Smith crafts an engaging portrayal of the lead character, Dre Parker, a kid trying to fit in and make friends as an African-American in China. Equally impressive was Jackie Chan as maintenance man by day, Kung Fu master by night, Mr. Han. Chan’s performance was surprisingly dramatic and, for once, did not entirely center on his undeniable martial arts appeal. Don’t get me wrong, the martial arts are in there but for Chan this film displays his tenure as a veteran of the big screen.
It seems there is only one thing that could have been better: Tarji P. Hensen who played Dre’s dopey mom, Sherry Parker. No parent could seem this self-absorbed and unaware of a situation yet maintain wholesome parental figure status, and the acting was poor to boot. Overshadowing Hensen’s lame interjections was Dre’s adorable love interest, Meiying (played by Wenwen Han). The performance of Meiying managed to captured not only Dre’s heart but also that of the entire audience while staying on the film’s well-plotted course.
“The Karate Kid” is emotionally charged and action packed, there is really no denying it. And so what if the whole thing also looks a lot like a tourist film for China, the great landscapes and classic shots only add to the imagery.
Film buffs and fans of the original Karate Kid series will enjoy the mix of subtly-placed and more blatant references to the original films. Better yet it quickly becomes clear that Jackie Chan is not trying to top the legendary performance of Pat Morita but manages to prove that the story we all got so wrapped up in 1984 is still relevant in today’s modern world.
The Nature of Monkey is Irrepressible
Only mildly unhinged Japanese adaptation of the famous Journey to the West stories, which became a cult TV show when exported to the UK, Australia, and South America. Classic 16th century Chinese novel is transformed into something almost indescribable; a mixture of off-the-wall humour, hyperactive martial arts sequences, and cheesy special effects - the English dub may take a few liberties with the original scripts as well.
A representative episode sees our heroes visiting a small village terrorised by a giant catfish monster, which proceeds to eat three of them; they end up going to a disco which is held in the bad guy's stomach, before persuading him to vomit them up so they can fight him and his followers. Frequently silly, and the low budget often shows, but made with relentless energy and cheerfulness; hugely imaginative, often genuinely very funny. A generation of UK viewers grew up able to sing the theme tune 'Monkey Magic' (and misremember the name of the show as a result).
A representative episode sees our heroes visiting a small village terrorised by a giant catfish monster, which proceeds to eat three of them; they end up going to a disco which is held in the bad guy's stomach, before persuading him to vomit them up so they can fight him and his followers. Frequently silly, and the low budget often shows, but made with relentless energy and cheerfulness; hugely imaginative, often genuinely very funny. A generation of UK viewers grew up able to sing the theme tune 'Monkey Magic' (and misremember the name of the show as a result).
Erika (17788 KP) rated Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019) in Movies
Jan 11, 2020
Ip Man 4 is indeed a finale. The Ip Man films are always solid, with interesting stories and beautifully choreographed fighting.
Donnie Yen, is, of course, amazing, and I've always loved his portrayal of Ip Man. I know Ip's family is very thankful for the films, and likes them. That's always a plus in my book.
Ip takes a trip to San Francisco when Bruce Lee provides the ticket and hotel. But, Ip is mainly using the trip so he can look at schools for his son.
The film portrays San Fransisco at the time, and the racism against the American-born Chinese and the immigrants. There was another interesting perspective to me as well, the Chinese Masters are mad with Bruce Lee for wanting to introduce Chinese Martial Arts to people that aren't Chinese.
Of course, it wouldn't be an Ip Man film if he wasn't going around, kicking people's asses justly. Overall, I really enjoyed the movie, and it was a nice break after seeing Uncut Gems earlier that day.
Donnie Yen, is, of course, amazing, and I've always loved his portrayal of Ip Man. I know Ip's family is very thankful for the films, and likes them. That's always a plus in my book.
Ip takes a trip to San Francisco when Bruce Lee provides the ticket and hotel. But, Ip is mainly using the trip so he can look at schools for his son.
The film portrays San Fransisco at the time, and the racism against the American-born Chinese and the immigrants. There was another interesting perspective to me as well, the Chinese Masters are mad with Bruce Lee for wanting to introduce Chinese Martial Arts to people that aren't Chinese.
Of course, it wouldn't be an Ip Man film if he wasn't going around, kicking people's asses justly. Overall, I really enjoyed the movie, and it was a nice break after seeing Uncut Gems earlier that day.
Chheam Pi Damnor
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"2 Blood Generations" - it's a title of this 56-episode Chinese Drama Book in Khmer. It tells the...