Customer Reviews

Kung Fu Master

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

.. 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. Apparently this was meant to be a two part movie, so just a warning this movie will not have an ending, this is only the first part. From what I've heard the second part of this story was filmed, but it never made it to the developing studio to be released, which really [is bad] because this film just leaves you hanging. However, 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 [bad]. 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.

This video is the best kung fu movies that I have seen in a long time. Jet Li is simply trilling! the fighting seen's are fare better than the WU-Tang series you can see the time it took for the fighting scenes to take place the story line is better planed out than all other movies I've seen! this is a must see.

Kung Fu Master, also known as The Evil Cult, is one of the most bizarre martial arts flicks I've seen in a long time. The plot is nigh-unto incomprehensible, but involves six martial arts clans from China and Persia who are fighting over two magical swords--a skinny glowing one and a big, fat, choppy one with curlicues. Somehow, a very young Mo-Kei, maybe only six or seven at most, is attacked by evil martial artists and left with a grey handprint on his chest. This is the dreaded Jinx Hand.

His parents are understandably upset by this marking, and so is Mo-Kei's uncle, who is a powerful martial arts master. You see, this handprint means young Mo-Kei will never be able to use kung-fu or have sex, or else he will die. At least, I think that's what it means. In the meantime, it makes him "very painful" and subjected to frequent bouts of near-hypothermia.

Mo-Kei's parents and his uncle rush him off to a temple where they try fruitlessly to cure him. The parents kill themselves so that the bad guys don't learn where their "buddy" is hiding with his magical sword. Just before his mother dies, she tells Mo-Kei to avenge their deaths on all the baddies. Unfortunately, that's pretty hard to do if you don't know kung fu. After all, there were no machine guns in this time period.

Eight years later, there's a bizarre scene where the uncle, now 108 years old discusses his morning erections with a very mature-looking 14- or 15-year old Mo-Kei (played by Jet Li). Uncle explains that Mo-Kei does not get erections because he is weak, but that he himself is no old granny, and has them every morning!

Mo-Kei is kept alive by energy transfusions from his uncle and can only look wistfully at all the cool kung fu guys practicing their mad martial arts skillz. Then a hot chick shows up, and he becomes even more confused when she tricks him into watching her get ready for a bath.

This is, of course, grounds to off the inoffensive Mo-Kei, and he gets chased off a cliff along with a kung fu mama with a jug-handle hairdo. After groping her chest on the way down, Mo-Kei and the girl meet an old man imbedded in a giant boulder. He teaches Invincible Solar Stance (or something like that) to Mo-Kei, which somehow cures him of his Jinx Hand affliction and allows Mo-Kei to kick ...

The story only gets weirder from here, with a kung fu vampire named Green Bat (who asks a master to suck poison out of his bottom), an evil queen with a lethal harpsichord (complete with harpsichord battle), a master with foot-long eyebrows, Red Cross workers with a penchant for hookers and rape, and more talk of erections.

Because Mo-Kei has become a master of Invincible Solar Stance, he learns yet another advanced style--Magical Stance--in a scant six hours. For anyone else, it would take thirty years. He then proceeds to kick more ... with this technique.

Mo-Kei's learning skills are increasing at an astronomical rate. The final fight scene is great because Mo-Kei learns the entire art of t'ai chi chu'an in approximately ten seconds. Of course, he kicks even more ...

Many ... are filled with footprints by this point.

I really don't quite understand what happens at the end, and since the movie stops without really wrapping anything up, I can only assume there is a sequel, or at least the intention for a sequel.

If you're in the mood for some REALLY over-the-top martial arts involving ropes, wires, and terrible subtitling, this is the film for you. If you're in the mood for well-filmed martial arts choreography, look elsewhere. This is far too silly.

I originally saw this movie at the Towne Theatre in San Jose, CA, where it was released in US theatres under the same title. I do not own the DVD and will not comment on quality or sound.

I found this movie on video at the World Video Store in Sunnyvale, CA, where the clerk told me it was based on a novel that was the Chinese equivilent of 'War & Peace'. It revolves around a pair of swords. This movie mainly refers to one of them, called the 'Yee Tin' sword. When I asked the clerk what the Chinese title of this movie was, he said in broken English "Yee Tin Slays Dragon"(?)

As for the movie review, sheesh.. where to begin. We'll start with Jet Li's character as a child. His parents are attacked by some enemies known as the 'Two Jinxes'. One of them hits the child, making him ill for life. Then a confusing sequence where his dad dies, and his mother commits suicide while the leaders of 20 clans (everything from Wutang to Shaolin) bicker and argue over 'who killed who' and 'saving face' and all those other CHK vengeance cliche's. Jet Li survives with the help of an old Taoist Tai Chi master played by Sammo Hung. The other students, feeling envious of him because of their master's special treatment, take advantage of Sammo's abscence by beating him up and banishing him.

Yes, the plot is very confusing. There are what seems like hundreds of armies, and all of them arguing over things that happened in the past. But since when has plot played a major role in a Honk Kong martial arts movie? If you're a fan of CHK fung fu fantasy movies, here is the mother of them all (with the exception of maybe 'Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain').

While being chased out of his home, Jet Li is joined by a cute female thief who is looking for the Yee Tin Sword to break her silver shackles. Deep in the valley they bump into an old man chained to a floating boulder who is tricked by Jet Li into teaching him the 'Solar Stance'. This cures the jinx he's had since childhood, and at the same time gives him superhuman martial arts skills. Whereupon he flies into a battle where 10 different armies are trying to kill each other. After mowing down 50 people in a row, he flies above the battle and even fires energy bolts from his fists at the soldiers below. Then he gets trapped in a cave where he reads some graffiti and learns the 'Magic Stance'. Now that he's a God, it's time for some payback. And all of this in the first 15 minutes of the movie!!!

Just kidding, but you'll understand why I poke fun after you've experienced the dizzy pace of this film for yourself.

Overkill? Definitely. As this movie was originally planned to be filmed in two parts, the ending leaves you dangling. The sequel was never made. The rest is history. Just don't try to understand the plot and you probably won't be disappointed with this visual rollercoaster. I generously give it 4 stars because of the over the top battles and the fantasy elements. Only in Hong Kong cinema is style over substance synonymous with raw fun.

I have seen this movie many times and is one of my favourite kung fu movies till date. The special effects are a bit dated but still very much enjoyable. But the movie doesn't have a proper ending and leaves much to be desired. I don't know if it has a sequel. It has great fighting scenes and fascinating characters. Just don't expect a great story. But all in all a very enjoyable movie experience. Don't think twice and buy the movie specially at such a low price.

This disc is not the best in the world, but it was interesting. Obviously transferred from a video source, the disc is extras-free and not brimming over with quality processing. The overall appearance is rather muddy, and the subtitles are both duplicated in English and Chinese, and very hard to read most of the time. No chapter access, either.

On the other hand, the DVD is Widescreen, so I give credit for that. Also, this is a very different style of kung-fu film. I refer to it as a parody because that's what it reminded me of more than anything else; a parody of fantasy martial arts films. Characters not only fly and leap like superheroes, they can also blast opponents with energy bolts, lightning, magical swords, and fantasy kung-fu strikes.

The story is a bit hard to follow. Basically, bad guys looking for a magic sword cause the death of Jet Li's parents, and attack their child with with a slow-killing strike. The result is that Jet Li cannot learn kung-fu -- if he tries, he'll die! Eventually, he is cured and becomes the Master of all kung-fu by learning the secret of the "Solar Stance" technique from a powerful kung-fu teacher. Then, Jet can take revenge on the people who killed his parents.

Along the way, he meets up with a kung-fu mistress who helps him learn even better kung-fu, another evil kung-fu mistress who wants the handsome young Jet Li for herself, an a bad kung-fu mistress who now controls the magic sword. He also runs into a confusing array of kung-fu masters, enemies, and armies. I admit that I got a bit lost trying to follow who was fighting who, and why. The ending was also left kind of up in the air, as if the film was meant to be the first chapter in a series.

Still, the fights are spectacular. Not quite up to the "Once Upon a Time in China" standards, but spectacular nevertheless. In one scene, Jet is attacked with harp strings by the evil mistress, and in another, an army is devestated by an underground assault!

Overall, the film is a lot of fun, mostly because it takes itself seriously (albeit with tongue firmly planted in cheek). Despite the shoddy processing, the disc is definitely worth the low price for Jet Li fans, or for "Crouching Tiger" fans with a sense of humor.

This movie was made to be a fantasy/martial arts movie, and it delivers as promised. I have a very extensive collection of Martial Arts movies and I can honestly say that this movie is one of my top 15 favorite movies. I gave it a 4 instead of a five because it does go a little overboard with the fantasy element, but not enough to distract you from the fighting, and believe me, there's a lot of it.