Heroes of the East
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Movie Reviews of Heroes of the East
Movie Review: A Favorite Film Gets Even Better
Summary: 5 Stars
I have already enjoyed "HEROES OF THE EAST" (aka "SHAOLIN CHALLENGES NINJA") for over 15 years, first having seen it on video tape, then on DVD and now on this excellent Dragon Dynasty edition DVD.
IMHO, this is one of their best yet, if not THE best, releases. The movie is finally restored (thanks to Celestial Pictures), to its ShawScope glory, with both Mandarin and Cantonese soundtracks (as well as that good 'ol, clunky English dub, which I doubt I will ever listen to again!), and a bevy of cool special features.
There are so many reviews of both the film itself and the special features here (and elsewhere), I will only add that this movie is one of the great kung fu movies of all time. It is rare in that there are no deaths and not even any serious injuries (except perhaps to an ego here and there!). It is a movie about sharing culture, about the challenges in any marriage, and especially in a marriage where there is a culture barrier. It is a story about being patient and loving anyway (but that message is covert. This is not a romance, nor a "chick-flick" yet, I do believe that many women will enjoy it, even if they are not big martial art fans, and I also think it is good for kids).
The martial arts in this film, directed and choreographed by the great real and film martial arts master Lau Kar Leung (and he even makes a great cameo as the Drunken Master "Beggar Su", in addition to filling in for his adopted brother, student and lead actor Gordon Liu on some difficult moves, most especially with the weapon, Three Sectional Staff. I always knew that the moves behind the back were NOT Gordon Liu, but I did not know, until the commentary by Bey Logan, that it was Lau Sifu) are some of the best ever. It is mostly pretty realistic (and even the exceptions are still pretty cool to watch) kung fu choreography, with little wire work (almost none, if any), few special effects shots, and believable fights (again Bey Logan's commentary helped me, because the few fights that are not completely believable, I always had a little trouble with, and it is nice to hear confirmation about those. E.g. A Chinese straight sword would not and could not stand up to full contact with a Samurai sword. The Chinese sword would break. Period!). THe exceptions are few and as I say, still fun and work within the context of the story.
And the story is a good one. A truly great martial arts movie or action movie of any kind, should have the action help tell the story. And this one does.
The special features on this disc are generous and quality. I loved Bey Logan's commentary and half hour tribute to Lau Sifu and the movie itself. I really like Bey's commentaries. I could almost see myself getting any and all DD releases just for those, even though I might not love the film. But on this one, not only do I love the film, but it is one of his best commentaries. His obvious love and respect for Lau Sifu and for the film itself, is both evident and enhances my enjoyment of the movie itself.
Gordon Liu's interview is also about a half hour (or at least 25 minutes) and also is very interesting. While he repeats some of what he has said in other interviews on other DD releases, there is plenty specific to this movie that makes it very special and interesting (e.g. how he and the Japanese actress who played his wife were able to "bond" a bit on a date before filming and also how they worked out a little code, so they could know when it was their cue, since neither spoke the other's language!).
And the feature about Japanese and Chinese weapons was also interesting and the woman who was the host for this was kinda cute!
This is my favorite DD release thus far by far. It is tremendously entertaining with lots of repeatability for viewing pleasure and I also continue to learn a lot, both from the movie and from the special features.
"HEROES OF THE EAST" was already one of my favorite kung fu movies of all time (and I admit, I am still missing having seen a few classics, such as "THE PRODIGAL SON", and have never seen all of Jet Li's "FIST OF LEGEND"... not more than a few scenes in a video store in Times Square over 15 years ago! I know, I know: I should be ashamed of myself. It is next on my list!). But I have seen a good deal of the Shaw Brothers 70's and early 80's classics and again, this has already ranked up with my favorites (most notably, "THE 36th CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN", aka "THE MASTER KILLER").
Now, with this DD release, I think "HEROES OF THE EAST" climbs up to tie with anything as number one. For me, now, there may be those that are as good, but none better.
I would definitely rate this one as a must buy (especially at the price! But even for twice the price, I would still get it).
Movie Review: Top 10 of the genre
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a self-admitted kung fu flix junkie. I became addicted to this from watching "Kung Fu Theater" on TV from the early 80s on. Much like many other genres or particular themed movies, there are good ones, there are bad ones, and some that outright suck.
This is one of the best I've ever gotten to watch. I'm surprized I've never even seen (or at least remember) snippets or clips before seeing this DVD. This was filmed just after "36th Chamber of Shaolin" (1978), probably the "Citizen Kane" (1941) of kung fu movies. This film also has the title of "Shaolin vs Ninja"
Strengths: almost too many to list. First is Gordon Lui as Ah To, son of a well-to-do businessman who gets married. (If you've never seen him with hair, it's funny.) His chosen wife is Japanese who is adept at Japanese martial arts, and is practically wrecking the household with her constant practicing. Second is director Lau Kar-Leung, who is also one of the very best director / action direction / choreographers in the business. Lau also is one director who does not indulge in fights drenched in blood and death, so don't expect any. Lau puts on a brief demonstration of 'drunken boxing' style as a lighter moment during the second half. Third is the chief Japanese antagonist, Yasuaki Kurata, one of the greatest actors of the genre (and still going strong today at age 63). Fourth, the weapons action--in fact the multiple matches seen makes up the second half, and the varieties seen. Unique here is one gets to see the chinese weapon of choice (including my favorite, the 3-section staff) and the approximate Japanese version / equivalent. No other film will ever show so many in use or matched in such a way.
The plot is understandable and starts out more of a comedy starting out as a 'battle of the sexes' through the lens of cultural differences (Chinese vs Japanese) regarding their respective martial arts and the philosophies integrated into them. Typical for this type of film, don't expect great dramatic acting or dialogue, but this has very little campy acting, and does not get mired in bad stereotypes. Unusual aspect of this film is it isn't a 'bash the Japs' type of Hong Kong movie that were more common. Ah To's wife leaves in a pique back to Japan, and Ah To makes a tactical mistake by listening to his obsequious house servant and writing a letter that was interpreted as a challenge to his wife. The direction turns more to drama as his wife has a serious suitor (Kurata-san) in Japan who takes it as an affront to all Japanese martial arts, and goes to China to answer the challenge. And for extra measure, brings along a number of masters, each adept in a particular Japanese martial art or weapon. Each cannot back down because of the sense of honor.
Weakness: I could nitpick but overall Heroes of the East (title doesn't quite the action or plot) is well made, consistently interesting, isn't overly predictable (other than match outcomes) and really doesn't get bogged down like most movies will, however the ending scene was really weak. Was the challenge really resolved? Did Ah To win his wife back? What was that moral message again?
A more thorough review can be found at [...]. Description of the weapons can be found at: [...].
If you like good martial arts movies, this is a cornerstone film for any DVD library. So if you don't have it, then get it.
Movie Review: Finally a release from Dragon Dynasty that ALL Kung Fu fans can look forward to!
Summary: 5 Stars
Apples vs. oranges, Chevy vs. Ford, Yankees vs. Red Sox, vanilla vs. chocolate... all great debates to be sure, but they pale in comparison to the best debate of them all, Chinese Martial Arts vs. Japanese Martial Arts! This Lau Kar-Leung(who also appears as a drunken master!) film, that also goes by the far worse title, "Shaolin Challenges Ninja," delivers this battle in fantastic fashion with tons of style and charm to spare. The plot has Gordon Liu in an arranged marriage to Japanese actress Yuko Mizuno and instantly their cultures and beliefs clash, most importantly when it comes to just who has the best fighting techniques the world over. In typical Kar-Leung film fashion the movie has a light playful tone, however; unlike some of his other attempts it's never corny and obnoxious and Gordon and Yuko in particular have fun with the situations while still keeping a serious tone about everything. The Japanese masters that are brought in to challenge Gordon are all great and bring personality and flavor with the small amount of screen time each is given (by actual Japanese actors). When these duels occur we get everything you could ever hope for including Kung Fu vs. Karate, Long Sword vs. Kitana, Butterfly Knives vs. Sais, 3 Section Staff vs. Nunchuku (in the closest we'll ever get to seeing Liu take on Bruce Lee... and this guy is an obvious clone), and more! One knock I do have with the movie is that Chinese master Liu tends to pawn the Japanese masters in exciting but fairly one-sided duels. Still, this is a Chinese film (if it was Japanese I'm sure things would be quite the opposite) and the Japanese masters are all treated respectfully even in defeat. This is a top 10 martial arts movie for myself and many other fans of Kung Fu cinema so if you haven't seen this yet then do yourself a favor and check it out ASAP! For those that already own the DVD from bootleg hacks Red Sun, I implore you to do the right thing and purchase this version from Dragon Dynasty... not only will there be a nice selection of bonus material included BUT it will also show that martial arts fans are willing to pay for top-notch respectable releases of classic Kung Fu films(especially Shaw Bros movies). Who out there wouldn't love to see other chop socky masterpieces like Five Deadly Venoms, 8 Diagram Pole Fighter, Enter The Fat Dragon, The Kid With The Golden Arm, Shaolin Vs Lama, and so many others get more than just a bootleg treatment? Thank you Dragon Dynasty for taking a chance on this release and hopefully it's a step towards more quality genre titles in the near future(Come Drink With Me is coming soon too!).Movie Review: Keep the Shaw classics coming
Summary: 5 Stars
It's a beautiful thing to see a Shaw Brothers film get the five star treatment, but it's even better when the movie itself is a five star film, like this classic from Liu Chia-liang (Lau Kar-leung). His movies rarely disappoint, in fact, some of his failures are superior than other's successes. My personal fave from him is "36th Chamber of Shaolin", but this is just a tiny notch below that one. It's a totally unique take on the familiar topic of Chinese vs. Japanese. Instead of it being down the line & doing a "virtuous" Chinese avenging themselves against "wicked" Japanese, Lau crafts a very subtle & realistic story. The cause for the combat is over miscommunication & misunderstanding, not because somebody is a nefarious villain. Get this, nobody gets injured in this film, much less killed; all the martial bouts are tests of skill, not duels to the death. I like that aspect, and this is coming from a huge Chang Cheh fan.
Lau's half-brother, Gordon, does a great job (as usual) portraying the lead Ho Tao, as does Yuka Mizuno as his somewhat immature Japanese wife. The culture clash seems absolutely authentic. Lau made a very smart move employing real Japanese fighters to play Gordon's combatants, and the bouts are appropriately matched up; gim vs. katana, karate vs. kung fu, spear vs. yari, 3-sectioned staff vs. tonfa/nunchaku, butterfly knives vs. sai, culminating with the Japanese crab technique vs. Chinese crane style. Gordon takes on everybody, Yasuaki Kurata gives an incredible performance as the ninjitsu expert leading his team. Many familiar Shaw actors can be seen like Norman Chu, Wilson Tong, Ching Miao & Cheng Kang-yeh. Director Lau also shapes up the awesome fu and even plays the Drunken God expert Gordon tries to learn from. That character looks like a younger version of the drunk sifu Simon Yuen (who plays Gordon's sifu here) portrayed in "Drunken Master". Not only did Dragon Dynasty remaster the picture with it's widescreen Shawscope ratio (Arthur Wong's cinematography is stunning), but you can watch the movie either in Chinese with remastered subtitles (which emphasizes the language barrier better) or in a decent English dub. Don't miss the tribute to the man himself, Lau kar-leung or the awesome interview with Gordon Liu in the special features.
Movie Review: Heroes Now In The West!
Summary: 5 Stars
Man, I love this film. Heroes of the East features all types of fantastic martial arts styles including Kendo, Judo, Ninjitsu, Chinese Boxing and weapons battles up the yin yang! This is another absolute Shaw Bros. masterpiece that must be seen and appreciated by anybody and everybody claiming to be a Kung Fu cinema fan. The cinematography and choreography are second to none and the directing, well, the directing is impeccable, just what you'd expect from Lau Kar Leung. He's a master of his craft, no doubt about it.
Dragon Dynasty have released another incredibly cool DVD with a solid, clean transfer, crisp sound, three great audio language tracks (including English for those that prefer dubbing) and some super slick special features. I can hardly say this is Lau Kar Leung's best work but it is definitely amongst his best.
My final word on this release is, "Go buy the movie." It's a classic, it's a masterpiece and if you love good Kung Fu cinema this is a "must-own" film. I'd have to say that this is definitely made my top ten favorite Kung Fu films of all time so don't wait until it disappears from shelves and eventually goes out of print, grab yourself a copy now and marvel at the beautiful filmmaking and tail-kicking, hand-to-hand, fist-to-fist & weapon-to-weapon combat! Heroes of the East is timeless entertainment.