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28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Fantasy, but get the Original Version!!!!!, January 18, 2002
Ok first off, all of you who are buying this silly Lord of the Wutang title are getting the cover up bootleg of the original movie which is The Kung Fu Colt Master (or Kung Fu Master here in US). Don't get the Lord of the Wutang version for the sound and picture really suck, and the distributors are known for cutting stuff too. With that aside, let me just say that this is one of the very few hk fantasy films that I own, and yet its one of my favorite movies. The story is basically about 2 swords that make the users superpowerful, and there are several kung fu schools looking and fighting for it. Jet represents one of these schools and througout the film, he masters several martial art techniques at an interestingly fast pace. He needs to protect his great grandfather, who happens to know where the swords are, from the corrupt schools. Warning, this is no Fist of Legend, but the martial arts are quite decent in my opinion. Yes, there is flying and superhuman powers in this film, but it actually makes it fun, not like dumb movies like the Storm Riders (this movie is too much). Plus, the film is extremely hilarious, especially the scene where Jet gets stuck in a cave. There are also 2 extremely beautiful women in this film that just made me go gaga. Watch it and find out what I mean. I'd totally recommend a buy tho, but like I said get the original Kung Fu Colt Master. I got the HK version which is presented in 5.1 dolby, and the picture is pretty clear as well. I can't say much for the World Video US release version, except that the cover looks really crappy. However, I've heard the transfer is pretty good and it has an english dub as well. But original Chinese w/ subs is the way to go for me. So go check this one out, and if you like it, try Swordsman II(w/Jet also)...check out my other reviews too, mostly HK flicks. Hope this was helpful.
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic incomplete Kung Fu saga, April 28, 2005
Jet Li plays Chang Mo Kei, a young fellow who was injured as a child by a life threatening Kung Fu move called the "Jinx Palm", which has made him weak and unable to learn Kung Fu. Plus on the same day his parents were both forced to commit suicide, which, as you might expect, was also no fun. Mo Kei is raised by his father's former master, a spry 100 year-old played with great aplomb by an unrecognizable, white-haired Sammo Hung, who also did a very good job as the fight choreographer for the film. The plotline is too complex to summarize, but needless to say Jet Li starts kicking ass and taking names pretty quickly. The film is of the fantastic Kung Fu variety, with people flying through the air, and using magical Kung Fu powers which put Jedi Knights and Neo to shame.
"The Evil Cult" has a variety of english titles and is based on a chinese martial arts novel which hasn't been translated to any western languages as far as I'm aware. It was supposed to be the first in a trilogy, but it didn't make enough money and so even though Jet Li, Sammo Hung, and the others involved fought to make them, it never came to pass. Apparently there have been some other films and TV Series made following the same story, but the most recent TV Series from 2003 hasn't made it to North America yet.
Still this first part of an incomplete saga is a great kung fu flick, primarily because of the incredibly quick pace, intricate plotline, bad humour, and non stop ass-kicking fun. It overwhelms the senses and if this type of flick is your cup of tea, I think you'll find this is as good as it gets. It seems to be a style of film you either get or you don't, so don't be put off by any bad reviews you see. This isn't Proust, but has its own virtues. If you like it, you likely be frustrated when it ends before resolving much of anything plot-wise, but just hold on, I'm sure they'll do a proper remake in ten years with genetic clones of the original cast or thereabouts. We'll see.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Another Jet Li flying on wires film, July 3, 2005
I didn't care for this movie the first time I watched it. It is pretty far from believable. But the 2nd time I watched it and I knew what to expect I enjoyed it a lot more. No, humans don't shoot lightning colored chi out of their hands. And people can't live being strapped to a large boulder. But it is still a good kung fu flick.
This one is SUB-TITLED and sometimes hard to read. White letters on a white background. I would like to find another version of this movie that has been dubbed in English for my collection.
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