IMDB: IP Man 2

Basic Plot: Very loosely based on the life of Yip Man, the first man to teach the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun. This movie centers around his life after moving to Hong Kong, as he tries to establish a school for his martial art.

Outburst: First Japan and then the British, Ip Man’s life seems centered around a series of invasions. This movie, like the first, is full of pro-Chinese nationalism. It is not as soul-rending as its predecessor; it’s enjoyable with a ton of excellently choreographed fight scenes. A worthy sequel, but not a standalone film.

— For those who enjoyed the original Ip Man and martial arts movies in general. This is a pretty straightforward fight movie, without the drama of the original.

Official Site: Ip Man 2
Wikipedia Entry: Ip Man 2

WATCH IT NOW: IP Man 2 (English Subtitled)

IMDB: Ip Man

Basic Plot: Semi-biographical tale of Yip Man, the first man to teach the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun.

Outburst: Such are legends born, even if they aren’t true. Donnie Yen is an amazing martial artist and a good actor. He has to be the next up-and-coming celebrity for this genre. I can certainly say that this movie has influenced me to learn, if not Wing Chun, perhaps Wushu as my primary martial art. Nothing like kicking ass and looking good while you do it.

— This is an incredible movie but also a very sad one, so most people won’t want to watch it repeatedly. You’ll need to like tearjerkers and kung-fu to truly honor this gem of a drama.

Official U.S. Site: Ip Man
Wikipedia Entry: Ip Man

BUY IT NOW! Ip Man (2-Disc Collector’s Ed.) [Blu-ray]
BUY IT NOW! Ip Man (DVD)

Basic Plot: When six childhood friends gather for a funeral, they find a map that leads them to a dark secret.

Outburst: Basically we have a bunch of B-list actors, mostly known for various television roles, thrown together in this indie version of Stephen King’s It. The group archetypes seems as carefully planned as on a reality television show; fairly mainstream plot devices are cobbled together in place of challenges. Let us watch the actors, selected more for a variety of good looks than any particular acting ability, jump through these hoops of horror. Besides the constant excuse of ‘it was in the script’, you’ll be left with very little clue as to why anyone in this film does anything the way they do.

Then there are the plot holes, like having someone say “we can’t find a door that leads to the outside” while standing in front of a door marked ‘Exit’. Um, turn around? Seriously, the movie plot has more holes than a gang-bang porno flick.

— It’s mainstream horror done with an indie budget. Mostly you’ll want to watch this if you are a fan of any of the actors, because it’s fun to watch them act like they’re having nervous breakdowns.

Optional External Review (with spoilers)

Basic Plot: A London radiologist’s life begins to unravel after she spots her lookalike on a busy street. Part of After Dark Horrorfest III.

Outburst: I’ve never been confused by the soundtrack of a movie before. Discordant screeching during otherwise bland scenes caused me to backtrack more than once because I thought I’d missed something. Was this scene supposed to be scary? The pacing is sedately determined, much like a drama.

— If hospitals or mirrors give you the heebie-jeebies skip this film; the addition of random scary music will only make this phobia worse. Otherwise, it is a solid independent horror for those who like creepy movies.

BUY IT NOW! The Broken

Basic Plot: A young man must find a hidden Earth ship to save humanity.

Outburst: Spectacular animation, tight plot, good dialogue, flawless pacing, and a reasonably good rock & roll soundtrack all lend their parts to make this a quite solid movie, though perhaps not a jaw-dropping film. Kind of disappointed they didn’t put a scene after the credits in which Gune activates his invention; I am not fond of loose threads, however minor.

— Good for mixed generation science-fiction fans. May be a little violent and/or uninteresting to young children.

Wikipedia Entry: Titan A.E.
WATCH IT NOW: Titan A.E.

IMDB: Chronicles of Riddick

Basic Plot: Five years after Pitch Black, Riddick becomes the unlikely defender of humanity. This is the third in the Chronicles of Riddick series.

Outburst: I would have liked to have known I was jumping from an improbable setting to one that was utterly fantastical and shallow. As if being a human badass wasn’t enough, now Riddick is a superhuman being survived from a destroyed planet — has someone been reading too many Superman comics? The film is gorgeously visual with spectacular CGI effects, but lacks the symbolism for an allegory. The plot devices either lack context or are nonsensical, giving the storyline a contrived feel.

/CULT — If you are partial to “graphic movies” i.e. comics turned to print, you will probably love this movie despite its lack of source print material. Those who have a yen for anti-heroes will gush over Riddick. On the other hand, if you enjoy hard science-fiction, you’ll be beating your head against a wall before the film is over.

Official Site: The Chronicles of Riddick
Wikipedia Entry: The Chronicles of Riddick

Wikipedia Entry: Dark Fury (The Chronicles of Riddick)
BUY IT NOW: Riddick Trilogy (Pitch Black / Dark Fury / Chronicles)

Basic Plot: Chuck Norris, playing a spirit being, allies himself with a band of children determined to save a forest from evil loggers.

Outburst: I knew it would be bad when I saw one reviewer had labeled it comedy but no one else had. And it was obviously done as a favor for the director, Aaron Noris (his brother). I did not expect it to be so utterly ridiculous I had tears in my eyes from laughing. No amount of acting talent (both from cameos and some surprisingly talented child actors) can compensate for a silly premise, simplistic plot, and just plain bad directing. The piece de resistance was the Chuck Norris fight scene, complete with bad eighties rock, with random forest animal sidekicks. Who packs a chipmunk to fist fight?

— This is a totally family friendly Chuck Norris film, if you don’t mind the supernatural. It is also rockin’ as one of those movies so truly awful they are funny to watch.

Optional External Review (with spoilers) — I liked this review because it glosses over Chuck Norris’ career slump, of which this movie plays a part.

Basic Plot: This animated short film is the second in the Chronicles of Riddick series. The survivors from Pitch Black find themselves in the hands of a bounty hunter.

Outburst: One of the better Peter Chung (maker of Aeon Flux) animations, although the alien monsters are even more fantastically unbelievable than usual.

/CULT — Highly recommended that you watch this animation if you want continuity on the Chronicles of Riddick series.

Wikipedia Entry: Dark Fury (The Chronicles of Riddick)
BUY IT NOW: Riddick Trilogy (Pitch Black / Dark Fury / Chronicles)

Basic Plot: Marooned spacefarers struggle to survive on a seemingly lifeless world. This is the first in the Chronicles of Riddick series.

Outburst: Another Hollywood thriller populated with characters too stupid to stay alive. Notwithstanding the implausibility of crash-landing a space vessel on the single planet around with breathable atmosphere, I can’t imagine anyone brave or foolish enough to crawl down a suspicious tunnel without weapons or some kind of shield ahead of them. On a desert planet without water? Waste energy and sweat by chasing after an escaped criminal, only to discover some other once habitable outpost. Oh well, the effects are good even if the movie is more fantasy than hard science fiction.

/CULT — Anti-hero Riddick is a cult phenomenon and the director did a masterful job of this film. A popcorn-throwing good time.

Official Site: Pitch Black
Wikipedia Entry: Pitch Black (film)

BUY IT NOW: Riddick Trilogy (Pitch Black / Dark Fury / Chronicles)

Basic Plot: Based on the classic tale by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this was a feature-length addition to the 1984 UK television series. When the latest heir to the Baskerville estate seems targeted by an evil curse, Sherlock Holmes is on the case.

Outburst: Another staid, British production best relegated to the napping hour of daytime television. The acting is mostly good but not incredible. This means little; how hard is it for a British actor to act stuffy and very British? The notable exception is an over-acted Miss Stapleton, played by Fiona Gillies; we will give her a pass since this appears to be her debut role. The timing of sequences is methodical. The whole film, in fact, could be described as ‘perfectly passable’. After a dragging beginning, interest picks up once they head to the Baskerville estate with its properly gothic backdrops and mystery characters.

— Real Holmes fans are the only folks watching this movie, and they might be a touch upset with it because it isn’t one-hundred percent like the story. (Personally, I thought it was a reasonable translation from page to screen.)

Wikipedia Entry: Sherlock Holmes (1984 tv series)
Wikipedia Entry: Hound of the Baskervilles (story/novel)