Customer Reviews

Master of Disaster [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

But Jackie fans beware! After reading the other reviews I felt there needed to be a little clearing up in the matter of what this movie is. First off, I'm what you'd call a Hong Kong Cinema freak. I have seen well over 200 films from HK. Everything from The Bride With White Hair to The Demon Wet Nurse. So I know what I'm talking about.

This movie is a Moon Lee film. The original title was NEW KIDS IN TOWN. It was releashed in the early 90's over in Hong Kong. What Xenon/Hong Kong Connection did was add-in scenes from The Protector (which actually does show Jackie & Moon Lee starring in the same movie). The reason they did it? Yep, as a previous reviewer wrote: "to sell more copies." It is a shame they had to do it that way but they (Xenon) knew if they just releashed it as MASTER OF DISASTER Starring Moon Lee most people would go Moon who? And probably not order it for the main reason of not knowing who Moon Lee is. Well friends & neighbors, Moon Lee (Lei Choi Fung)is one of the greatest female action actress' in Hong Kong. Now if it would have been Moon cast in Supercop instead of Michelle Yeoh/Khan things would be different. You must understand that good Hong Kong action doesn't start and end with Jackie Chan & Michelle Yeoh. And if you do then you just don't understand the genre at all.

Now if I've kept your attention and you are thinking about getting this DVD, let me add this: the quality of this disc is surprisingly good. I know this goes against what another reviewer said but please keep in mind that most HK flicks have a shoe-string buget to work with and their equipment is less than the best. They also have a fraction of the time to spend shooting it. I have seen the oringinal video of New Kids In Town and the DVD transfer is superior to the video of this film.

So, if you want to broaden your movie horizons into the world of fast, intense, wild, silly action then give this film a try. And think of the added Jackie scenes as a bonus. What can it hurt?

I'll agree with the other 2 so far - this was the worst movie ever.They didn't even try to cover up the fact that the Jackie Chan parts were spliced in, and the quality is horrible besides... save your money! There's a guy that can break shovels with his neck. The bad guy eats apples. What more could you want? Deserves to be burned

This is one of the most hilarious movies I have ever seen. Alexander Fu Sheng plays a thief who becomes friends with a young playboy played by Cheung Chin Pang (who is actually Fu Sheng's brother in real life). They find out about a treasure that villain Johnny Wang Lung Wei is after. Gordon Liu plays a Shaolin monk that is trying to keep the treasure safe, but just like all the movies that they starred in together, Wang Lung Wei gives Gordon one heck of a fight. I don't want to give away too much about the story, because this is a movie you need to experience for yourself. Make sure you have a kleenex box handy, because I had tears running down my face the entire movie from laughing so hard. Slapstick comedy at its finest.

The fighting in this movie is breathtaking at times. All of the fights are very good. I mean, you know that you are in good hands whenever Gordon Liu plays a monk. The movie is directed by Lau Kar Wing and it may just be his best directing job of his career. He has made some very good movies so that is saying quite a lot. And having Wang Lung Wei as the villain ensures that the action will be top notch. He does not play around in this movie. And I can't finish the review without talking about Fu Sheng and Cheung Chin Pang. I have only seen Cheung Chin Pang in a few movies, but this is the best I have seen from him. He is a great athlete and looks very good in his fights. And Fu Sheng doesn't do too bad himself. Also look out for Wilson Tong, Hsiao Hou and Yeung Hung (Brasshead from Kid With the Golden Arm). And director Lau Kar Wing gives himself a funny cameo fight scene.

This is one of those movies that gets more enjoyable every time I see it. I wrote a review after the first time I saw it and I gave it a 4/5 rating. Then I watched it again the next night and enjoyed it even more. Then I watched it again the next night and once again I enjoyed it even more!

Rating- 4.5/5

Make sure to get the region 3 IVL version, and not dubs from shlubs (quote from the reviewer named phil moscowitz). I had to give you props my friend. That is a great line, and I will be using it over and over and over again :-)

I Was Skeptical When I Ordered This Film Because A Previous Purchase From This Same Manufacturer That Was Labeled A Jackie Chan Film Wasn't (It Was 'Jackie Chan's Second Strike'). Well I Was Proved Correct. This Is NOT A Jackie Chan Film. It Is An Incoherent & Incomplete Film That Has Scenes Added To It From The Chinese Version Of 'The Proctector'. (These Are The Scenes That Were Added To The Chinese Version And Not Seen In The American Version Of The Film.) Save Your Money And Buy 'The Protector' And See The Whole Film That Is Miserably Dissected In 'Master Of Disaster'. ALSO, BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN YOU ORDER ANY 'JACKIE CHAN' MOVIES FROM THIS MANUFACTURER - 'HONG KONG CONNECTION' THEIR PACKAGES ARE MISLEADING AND THEY LABEL NON JACKIE CHAN FILMS AS HIS JUST TO SELL THEM.

If I can spare just one person from this video, this review will have been worth it. Appalling third rate kung-fu movie with a couple of unrelated(& unremarkable) Jackie Chan scenes spliced in. After Bill Wallace appeared in the opening scene, I looked forward to his return, WHICH NEVER OCCURED! Only one decent martial artist appears, but only in the last five minutes or so. Sadistic slapping of women & burning of wheelchair bound. Gives kung-fu movies the reputation they have with the uninitiated.

The box art has Gordon Liu all over the box, but this is primarily a Fu Sheng vehicle. You would think that a movie called Treasure Hunters and starring Fu Sheng and Gordon Liu would have the two of them as treasure hunters. Uh-uh. Fu Sheng is the treasure hunter here with Chang Chan Peng. Gordon Liu enters later as a Buddhist monk. The movie starts out as a straight up Fu Sheng comedy, with Fu Sheng portraying the upstart, cocky, brash, smirky, highly skilled ruffian he plays all so well. He is in top form here. At first, Gordon Liu's appearance comes across as a cameo, and you say to yourself "but of course...yet another shamelessly marketed film 'co-starring' Gordon Liu." Fu Sheng plays strictly for laughs in high comedy with outright slapstick. Just when I'm about to dismiss the film as some low-brow screwball comedy, THEN THINGS GET INTERESTING... Gordon Liu returns and gets involved in some wicked hard-core Buddhist monk Shaolin kung fu with the villians. Shaw Brothers hugely popular villian, Wong Lung Wei (the paunchy never-smiles mustached villian that ALWAYS plays the evil magistrate/junior boss/super villian's right hand guy), gets cooking with his female compatriot. In this one he's the main villian. We get a look at the awesome "Five Monk Array" and I'm starting to really get into this film. The film does the nearly unthinkable of mixing a screwball Fu Sheng comedy with a serioso Gordon Liu deadpan hard-core kung fu flick...AND IT WORKS! Also if you like Lung Wei, this is perhaps one of his biggest roles, comparable to his role in Instructors of Death. You will love this film!

The movie in itself is not bad. However it's utterly disgusting the way they named Jackie Chan as the main star of the movie. His character appears only a few times and he is not the hero. As a matter of fact his appearances could have been edited or cut from the film and you would have missed nothing. I am not referring to Chan's acting ability but the role his character played..........it was hardly necessary for one to enjoy the film. As a jackie Chan film collector.....it's a good thing I rented this one before attempting to buy it. Frankly I would have given it a higher rating had it not been for the misguidance.

Treasure Hunters was actually released as a movie called Dirty Ho. Ho is a man that Gordon liu (the 11th prince) meets at a bar. Ho becomes Liu's servant who must call Liu master after he loses a bet with Liu. There is comedy, beautiful sets and costumes, and the kung fu is off the hook especially the last fight with Lo Lieh. If you are looking for Quality Gordon Liu shaw brothers movies then get this one.

If you have already read the other reviews on this movie then you know that this is NOT a Jackie Chan movie, but in fact, is a very horrible attempt at a movie with clips of The Protector (A Jackie Chan movie) added to it. Now, if you have seen this movie and liked the Jackie Chan clips then you need to get the HONG KONG version of The Protector. Do not get the American version because it does not have these clips (they were added to The Protector when released in Asia).

I ordered this DVD with the expectation of it being a Jackie Chan flick.Much to my dismay Jackie Chan is in this flick,but only as a cameo perfomance.So if you are looking for a flick starring Jackie Chan look elsewhere,because he isn't here!!!