Amazon.com

Fallen Angels was originally planned as one section of directorWong Kar-Wai's best-known film, Chungking Express, but eventually it grew into its own distinct and delirious shape. In many ways, Fallen Angels may be the better film, a dark, frantic fun-house ride through Hong Kong's nighttime world. Part of the film is a love story between two people who have barely met:a young, ultra-hip hit man (Leon Lai) and the dreamy operative (Michele Reis) who plans his jobs. Much of the movie is given over to a very strange subplot about a manic mute (Takeshi Kaneshiro) who goes on bizarre nocturnal prowls through a closed food market--like almost everything else in Wong's films, this is antic, stylish, and oddly touching, all at the same time. It must be said that, also like Wong's other films, Fallen Angels is fragmented and oblique to the point of occasional incomprehensibility…but then suddenly something wild or wonderful happens, such as the moment when the killer leaves the scene of a spectacular shooting and is promptly waylaid by a cheerful old school chum on a public bus. These coups--whether lyrical, violent, or simply "how on earth did they get that shot?"--are tossed off by Wong and cinematographer Christopher Doyle with all the cool of the hired killer, as though the movie were a cigarette dangling from a pair of oh-so-casual lips. This is exactly why so many otherwise calm critics fell all over themselves in hailing Wong Kar-Wai as one of the most exciting filmmakers of his generation. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Amazon.com

Hong Kong superstar Jackie Chan gives his self-mocking humor full flourish in CityHunter, adapted from a Japanese comic book. But that doesn't meanthere isn't a solid dose of action--after a brilliantly cartoonishopening, the movie settles into a half-comedy, half-thriller variation onDie Hard, in which Eurotrash terrorists have hijacked a plush oceancruise liner and super-detective Ryu Saeba (Chan) has to stop them, aidedby his lovely, love-lorn assistant (Joey Wong, A Chinese GhostStory, Green Snake) and a beautiful undercover secret agent(Chingmy Yau, Naked Killer). Though City Hunter is short onbreathtaking stunts, there's plenty of well-choreographed hand-to-handcombat. Jackie Chan's lecherous, self-absorbed character (accompanied by aparade of girls into skimpy or skin-tight outfits) come across like agleeful parody of James Bond (slightly marred by a bit of homophobia). Allin all, a high energy romp. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (6)

more like 4.8 pretty good...
This movie is a stylized version of *A Better Tomorrow*.

Leon Lai and Lau ChingWan are the 2 ace hitman in the middle of the gangwar. Tho they work for different bosses, they develop a strange friendship. Sadly, they expect one to die by the other's hand. And the opportunity comes up, as they get a lil *competiion* at Malaysia. But their bosses join force, to leave them dead. It's only through each killer's sense of honor and perseverance that payback can be done.

Once again, Lau Ching Wan turns in a fine performance. Charismatic and layered performance. Leon Lai is pretty good as Jack.

Action and melancholy create a great film.
From great Director Johnny To, 'A Hero Never Dies' is quiet simply a heart pounding battle of guts; heroism; friendship; love; and revenge. This is simply one of the best films made ever in the history of Hong Kong Cinema and is rivaled only by 'The Killer';'The Longest Nite';'Hard Boiled';and 'Full Contact', it is one of the best films of it's genre and is widely considered a fantastic film for it's performances by Lau Ching Wan and Leon Lai, as well as the superior direction of Johnny To.

'A Hero Never Dies' is a must for people that enjoyed any of the mentioned films and, like the Longest Nite, it is definetly not for people with out a mind. The film is involveing, emotional, and creative.

Outstanding!! Loved it!
This is one of the best HK movies I've ever seen. There are some really neat scenes in this movie that will make you say "how did they do that?" specifically the scene where the 2 characters are in the bar trying to outdo each other with their own tricks. It is a revenge movie with a great storyline as well. I would consider this along with "Running Out of Time" as Johnny To's best. The Mission on the other hand, is just plain boring.

A Better Tomorrow...WAAAAAAY BETTER!
John Woo...John Shmoo. Any Hong Kong fan that hasn't seen this movie isn't a Hong Kong fan. This is a tale of true love, friendship and above all...broken honor. I've seen it 25 times already and I'm still not sick of it. If only I had a woman like the women these guys had. To make a long story short - get this movie. Everything about it rocks. It's better than anything John Woo has done (well...The Killer comes close). Lan Ching Wan is excellent. Leon Lai is, as always, himself. The soundtrack, which exploits different variations of Sukiyaki is beautiful. I'm surprized I'm only the 3rd reviewer for this film...and the only guy to give it 5 stars. Wake up and smell the pork buns fellas!!!

A hero Never Dies
johnny To used to be a master of melodrama, partly due to his training from the tv soap opera...but since this very film, he changed into a serious filmmaker with a thorough look at the person "hero", in terms of both human nature and the burden which were set on them by the world. I think To was greatly influnced by his writer-partner Wai Ka Fai on this issue. Looking foward to seeing his latest "Running Out of Time" and "Mission". ... Read more

Description

Pop superstar Leon Lai (Bullets Of Love, Infernal Affairs III) stars in this futuristic time travel adventure. Lai is a cop who is sent back in time to rescue Nam-Hong, the daughter of Doctor Jang who invented the time-travel device. He finds himself strapped in an unknown pocket of space filled with gladiators and bounty hunters. He must rescue Nam-Hong and return with her to the present world soon before the time travel machine is destroyed by an evil cult leader. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Bullets = Three, Love = Zero?
Wow.

Typical Hong Kong fare transplanted from overseas onto American soil is generally virtuoso gunplay punctuated by splashes of blood, mayhem, and explosions. This is not to say that these films are bad; rather, it is only to say that -- after several releases -- most films tend to blend together in plot, substance, acting, and theme.

In my opinion, BULLETS OF LOVE has only a single shortcoming: it is poorly titled. Certainly, the title is symbolic, and the meaning will be known by the end of the film ... but couldn't they come up with something better?

Leon Lai plays Sam, a detective in self exile from the police force after the assassination of his fiance, Ann (Asaka Seto in a wonderful breakthrough-style performance). However, after the assassin she-beast guns down Ann in cold blood, she realizes her attraction to Sam. Two years and several plastic surgeries later, she slithers her way into Sam's life in the personae of You, a freelance photographer. The two of them find redemption from their past lives and past mistakes. However, once the assassin's boss is released from prison, both Sam and You are forced to revisit their pasts, discover You's secret, and set their respective worlds right again.

While the packaging boasts that BULLETS is an action thriller, the film spends a tremendous amount of time and energy exploring these two characters and the people who populate their mutual existence. More than many other Hong Kong thrillers, BULLETS takes ample time for the leads to find one another and to surrender to their feelings of love. This relationship -- despite the forced dramatic situation -- is given a strong backbone of realism, and much credit should be given to Lai and Seto's performances. Together, they create a chemistry that is palpable; come the film's bloody conclusion, the viewer has grown to care deeply for them.

A truly great find and a welcome surprise, BULLETS starts slow -- setting up a relatively elaborate situation -- but it paces nicely to a bullseye up through the climax.

FIVE AND A HALF STARS
An excellent film with considerably more plot and character development than some Hong Kong productions. Asaka Seto steals the show. Her performance has depth and subtlety, and if you don't care much about such things just enjoy the fact that she's totally hot! There is plenty of action, bullets, blood and even a few quick martial arts sequences, but in addition, this flick also features a suspenseful, well written and well directed story. Very few flaws overall and very much worth the price. Plenty of websites have good plot summaries if you need more, but fans of H.K. Cinema will not be disappointed, and if you're not a fan yet this one's a great way to get acquainted!

Asaka Seto is superb in this surprisingly good movie
Bullets of Love is a Hong Kong action movie that has many very tender moments and even a few funny moments. Hong Kong action star/singer Leon Lai plays a Hong Kong detective who, along with his prosecutor fiance (Asaka Seto), fights a nasty Hong Kong gang. When the gang has Leon's fiance killed, he retires from the police force and tries to live a quiet life with his family in a fishing village. One day Leon spots a woman who is a dead ringer for his dead fiance, and he falls in love with deadly consequences (that's three "deads" in one sentence--not bad, eh?--Hey, it's a Hong Kong film. You gotta expect this kind of violence in a review). Bullets of Love has the action and tongue-in-cheek humor you'd expect from a movie of this genre, but Japanese TV actress Asaka Seto is so effective at being both brutal and tender she is able to play different characters with the same face. The result is startling. She fully adds an extra dimension to this very effective film. This DVD version is in Cantonese and English with English subtitles, and includes a "making of" documentary. ... Read more

Description

Based on the popular Japanese sci-fi comic strip, "Wicked City" is about a futuristic Hong Kong on the verge of a take over by the Reptoids--ruthless monsters disguised as humans. They work amongst us, they live within us and their destiny is our demise. Packed with non-stop action and special effects, "Wicked City" will glue you to the screen until the astonishing end. ... Read more

Reviews (33)

Jackie Chan at his best
i've seen many anime in my childhood. city hunter is very popular in japan and i managed to watch a few episodes in korea. i always wandered what would it be like if an anime show was converted to a movie starring real people. to my luck, city hunter starred the legendary dragon (Jackie Chan). he's not japanese and a little old but that doesn't matter. this movie is full of anime style physical and verbal humor. i can't remember a moment i wasn't laughing. and also the action sequences are awesome. jackie chan is awesome on skateboard (wheels on meals). fight scenes are cool too using his trademark agility and stunning techniques (but no jumping off walls in this movie). jackie chan used a stunt double about 3 times but only for simple things (i don't know why). i can't describe how well the action and comedy are, you just have to see the moive, it's really that good. if you like anime and you like jackie chan, then this movie is perfect for you.

Too absurd even by the Chan standard
Even a bad Jackie Chan movie turns out to be better than most of the action/comedies available, but City Hunter is an exception.

The action is hard to follow, and the humor too childish. By example, while fighting at the game room, he turns into characthers of the "Street fighter" video game, turning even into Chun Li (with make up, dress and everything) and making some of the moves as in the videogame.

It is uncomfortable to enjoy the movie when it turns so stupid. There is a good scene in which Chan, fighting inside a movie theatre, imitates the movements of Bruce Lee on the screen. But thhat scene alone is not worth the experience of "City Hunter"

this is a must see for the anime fans
This is a completely different kind of jackie chan movie. I did not see the anime of city hunter but from what i saw in the movie i bet they tried hard to keep to the series with the kind of antics the people in the movie do. I am writing this review without finishing watching the movie, but so far the movie is excellent. The voice is not Jackie Chan's though. Its some one else just like what they did with Gorgeous.

ONE THING I MUST WARN YOU ALL THOUGH IS THAT EVEN THOUGH THE COVER SAYS WIDESCREEN THE MOVIE IS FULL SCREEN.

I bought this movie in best buy for 9.99 and was hoping for the widescreen like it says on the box. this is not a two sided dvd where one side is wide and the other normal. The DVD itself does not say if it is widescreen or full screen. it just say the movie name on it.

I hope this is a screw up on the part of 20th Century Fox where some dum guy mixed a full screen DVD in the widescreen box, but if it isn't then they SUCK real bad. STOP FALSE ADVERTISING to make movie off of Jackie Chan's name. But i didn't find a full screen dvd for sale even online. This is the only reason i give the DVD a 3 out of 5.

Worst. Jackie. Ever.
I have probably seen a dozen Jackie Chan movies and loved them all, City Hunter was the first movie of his to dissapoint me. The stunts are almost nonexistant and pretty lame when they do appear. The fight scenes are also dissapointing.

The worst part of the movie would have to be the rap video sequence. It was the most god awful thing that I have seen in my life.

The best part of the movie was when Jackie and his opponents are fighting in a video arcade and they all get transformed into different street fighter 2 characters. That part is actually really cool and if you are an old school fan of street fighter I would recommend renting this DVD just to see that. Other than that this is a movie to pass on.

STICK WITH HK IMPORTS "ALWAYS"
Why American production make HK movies look so cheap? First of all, they cut off so much scene, second of all ruin it by making look act so dumb by English Dubb. ALWAYS stick with ORIGINAL LICENSED HK RELEASE. Be careful with cheap imports, boots, and bulls though. ... Read more