I confess, I don’t know as much of the work of the revered Johnnie To as I should. I remember seeing Election when it came out in UK cinemas, but I’m not sure that I’ve got round to anything else, so this latest set from Eureka should prove something of an education.
The Films
Cheung (Andy Lau) is dying. With just weeks left, he decides to play a game with Police and a local gangster, with the objective of stealing both a valuable necklace and the 5million the gangsters are willing to pay for it. Inspector Ho (Ching Wan Lau) is assigned to the case, and he and Leung develop a relationship of respect as adversaries.
It is fairly obvious where Running Out Of Time is drawing it major inspiration from. Michael Mann’s Heat pre-dates it by just a few years and the central relationship, while...
The Films
Cheung (Andy Lau) is dying. With just weeks left, he decides to play a game with Police and a local gangster, with the objective of stealing both a valuable necklace and the 5million the gangsters are willing to pay for it. Inspector Ho (Ching Wan Lau) is assigned to the case, and he and Leung develop a relationship of respect as adversaries.
It is fairly obvious where Running Out Of Time is drawing it major inspiration from. Michael Mann’s Heat pre-dates it by just a few years and the central relationship, while...
- 8/1/2022
- by Sam Inglis
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
We’ll start the ball rolling here by saying we think the cover art is a tad hokey, but that minor niggle falls by the way side, because Martial arts icon Donnie Yen is bringing his trademark action to Us Dvdv...in Iceman...from Well Go USA Entertainment. A remake of the 1989 film Iceman Cometh, Yen plays a Ming era warrior who, along with his three traitorous childhood friends, are accidentally buried and kept frozen in time. 400 years later, they are defrosted and continue their battle in modern times where they left off. Directed by Law Wing Cheong (Punished, The Wrath of Vajra), Iceman also stars Eva Huang (Kung Fu Hustle, Race to Witch Mountain), Wang Baoqiang (Lost in Thailand), Simon Yam (The Thieves, Ip Man franchise), Mark Wu (Due West: Our Sex Journey), Gregory Wong (Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen) and Yu Kang (Special ID...
- 9/7/2014
- 24framespersecond.net
Production problems over the high cost budget and shooting complication has stalled Law Wing Cheong's period/modern actioner Iceman 3D for a long while but after overcoming this temporary setback, the remake to Clarence Fok's Iceman Cometh is finally ready to hit the theaters across Asia. To promote this occasion, the latest trailer has arrived that provides more context on the narrative while showcasing Donnie Yen's exciting brand of action direction.In the Ming Dynasty, there lives four orphans, Ying (Donnie Yen), Sao (Wang Baoqiang), Yuanlong (Simon Yam) and Niehu (Yu Kang). Raised in Taoyuan Village, the four are as closed as brothers. Their exceptional martial arts skills allows them to reach the highest rank within the imperial guards. After the four successfully killed the Japanese troop...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 4/4/2014
- Screen Anarchy
Blu-Ray Review by Sam Moffitt
Directed by Law Wing Cheong
Starring Xing Yu, Sun- Jung Yu, Heon Jun Nam
Here’s a kick ass martial arts movie with a dynamite blu-ray presentation, the kind we’ve come to expect from new releases, especially from Asia.
A long title card at the beginning tells us that Japan, in trying to destroy China set up a special temple, the Temple of Hades, to train master assassins. Highly trained killers and turn them loose on the Chinese populace. They kidnap many young Chinese boys and drill them mercilessly, along with some American and other nationalities.
Years later they round up several prisoners of war, all of whom are graduates of the temple training program. One graduate in particular, known as King of Vajra comes back to the temple to exact some old fashioned martial arts justice. It is never really explained if Vajra...
Directed by Law Wing Cheong
Starring Xing Yu, Sun- Jung Yu, Heon Jun Nam
Here’s a kick ass martial arts movie with a dynamite blu-ray presentation, the kind we’ve come to expect from new releases, especially from Asia.
A long title card at the beginning tells us that Japan, in trying to destroy China set up a special temple, the Temple of Hades, to train master assassins. Highly trained killers and turn them loose on the Chinese populace. They kidnap many young Chinese boys and drill them mercilessly, along with some American and other nationalities.
Years later they round up several prisoners of war, all of whom are graduates of the temple training program. One graduate in particular, known as King of Vajra comes back to the temple to exact some old fashioned martial arts justice. It is never really explained if Vajra...
- 3/25/2014
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Donnie Yen is back in action this April, starring alongside Simon Yam and Baoqiang Wang in Wing-cheong Law's Iceman update. Formerly known as The Iceman Cometh, Yen's latest assault on the senses goes by the name of Iceman 3D now. The new film is a remake of the 1989 movie directed by Clarence Fok, which starred action legend Yuen Biao. The film is slated for release in Hong Kong on April 17, 2014 and China on April 25, 2014, and you can check out an extended trailer at the link below. Any Donnie Yen news is good news so sit back and enjoy. Synopsis: A Ming Dynasty palace guard - wrongly accused of murder - is being hunted by his three sworn brothers and all four get accidentally buried and frozen in time during a battle. 400 years later, they are defrosted and continue the battle while adjusting to modern day life. Iceman 3D Trailer...
- 3/18/2014
- 24framespersecond.net
Hotly anticipated Chinese martial arts/horror hybrid The Wrath of Vajra is scheduled to open theatrically in Hong Kong on March 6th, however, only 12 days later on March 18th it'll hit store shelves in the Us, thanks to Asian film superheroes, Well Go USA. Directed by frequent Johnnie To collaborator, Law Wing Cheong (Punished, Donnie Yen's upcoming Iceman) and starring Xing Yu (Journey to the West: Conquering Demons), a rising martial arts wunderkind, The Wrath of Vajra looks like a lot of punishing fun.Twitch has your first look at the official Us trailer and brand new poster for The Wrath of Vajra, a film that looks like it could be a hit with many of you readers. Check out the poster above and gnarly trailer...
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[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 2/21/2014
- Screen Anarchy
Originally scheduled for a release back in the summer of 2013, Law Wing Cheong's martial arts/horror hybrid has finally landed a domestic release date, and is set to screen in Hong Kong from 6 March.Marking the first lead role for shaolin monk-turned-action hero Xing Yu (Flash Point, Shaolin), the film focuses on a Japanese death cult enlisted by the military to raise assassins to unleash on the Chinese. Contrary to previous information and earlier screenings of the film overseas, Wrath of Vajra will not be released in Hong Kong in 3D. Check out the film's official poster and trailer....
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 2/19/2014
- Screen Anarchy
Hong Kong’s Media Asia has sold martial arts drama Wrath Of Vajra to India’s Zoom Entertainment Network and Taiwan’s Sky Films following a private screening in Toronto.
The $12m film also went to to Cambodia’s Westec Media and Myanmar’s Golden Yellow Tree. It was previously pre-sold to Well Go USA for North America, Korea’s Sonamu Pictures and Germany’s Splendid.
Directed by Law Wing-cheong, The Wrath Of Vajra is a martial arts drama about a young boy trained by a Japanese death cult who grows up to fight for the Chinese. It is tentatively scheduled for release in China in late September.
Produced by Kylin Network and Ningxia Movie Group (Painted Skin: The Resurrection ), the film stars Shi Yanneng , Kurata Yasuaki,Ikeuchi Hiroyuki, Tony Liu and Jiang Baocheng.
The $12m film also went to to Cambodia’s Westec Media and Myanmar’s Golden Yellow Tree. It was previously pre-sold to Well Go USA for North America, Korea’s Sonamu Pictures and Germany’s Splendid.
Directed by Law Wing-cheong, The Wrath Of Vajra is a martial arts drama about a young boy trained by a Japanese death cult who grows up to fight for the Chinese. It is tentatively scheduled for release in China in late September.
Produced by Kylin Network and Ningxia Movie Group (Painted Skin: The Resurrection ), the film stars Shi Yanneng , Kurata Yasuaki,Ikeuchi Hiroyuki, Tony Liu and Jiang Baocheng.
- 9/8/2013
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
While the so-called Golden Era of Hong Kong cinema was fueled in large part by its kung fu cinema a major factor in the success of martial arts cinema was the extreme diversity within the genre. Unlike today's market which is overwhelmingly dominated by period pieces and gritty crime stories, Golden Era Hong Kong had room for far more. And notable among those sub-genres which have since largely disappeared is the horror-kung fu hybrid.And director Law Wing Cheong is bringing it back with The Wrath Of Vajra.Shaolin monk turned actor Xing Yu takes his first lead role in the picture, and if the trailers are anything to go by Hong Kong may have a significant new talent on its hands.In the 1930s, before the Western...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 6/22/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Iceman 3D, Law Wing Cheong's big budget remake of Clarence Fok's 1989 film The Iceman Cometh has been in the headlines pretty much non-stop since production began, with stories of extensive re-shoots, a ballooning budget and even problems filming on location in Hong Kong slowing things down. Now news arrives that the time-travelling martial arts epic, which stars Donnie Yen as a Ming era warrior thawed out in modern day Hong Kong, will be not one film, but two.Twitch has learned from a source within the production that the current edit of Iceman 3D is somewhere in the region of 3.5 hours long, and rather than dump the extra footage to get the film down to a more audience-friendly two hours, producers have opted to cut...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 6/14/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Donnie Yen is all thawed out and ready to go in Iceman 3D, the Law Wing Cheong directed remake of the 1989 Clarence Fok directed The Iceman Cometh, with Yen playing the role of a Ming era warrior frozen on a mountaintop only to be thawed out in modern times. Action ensues.Production has been quite difficult on this one with principal photography running well behind schedule and the budget ballooning to double the original amount but the first trailer has arrived and the footage they've got on camera is certainly attractive enough, although fans will note the extensive use of the tight shots and rapid edits that often denote the heavy presence of body doubles. Take a look at the trailer below....
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 5/21/2013
- Screen Anarchy
At the Hong Kong Filmart today, Golden Network Asia Limited held a press conference to unveil the promo for The Wrath Of Vajra, a martial arts film from the producers behind the Painted Skin series. This marks Xing Yu's (aka Shi Yanneng) lead debut, and is being called China's answer to Rambo. The former Shaolin monk-turned-actor previously had supporting roles showcasing his martial arts talents in Kung Fu Hustle, Shaolin and Flash Point.According to director Law Wing Cheong, who is currently helming The Iceman Cometh with Donnie Yen, the film will explore themes of cultural pride and present a Chinese hero possessing a strong sense of justice and an indomitable spirit. On the martial arts scenes, Cheong claims to revive a more realistic style than the recent...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 3/18/2013
- Screen Anarchy
After a successful decade writing for the likes of Stephen Chow (Shaolin Soccer, CJ7), Johnnie To (Sparrow) and Law Wing Cheong (Hooked On You, Punished), screenwriter Fung Chih Chiang finally takes a swing at directing with this light-hearted crime caper based on his own script. The increasingly ever-present Chapman To stars as low level Guangzhou bounty hunter, Cho, who will track down anything from criminals to missing pets in order to eke out a living. When his agent, Boss Tony (Wen Chao), sends him to a remote Hong Kong island in search of a ruthless thief wanted for assaulting a young bride, Cho soon finds himself caught up in the antics of eccentric hotelier Suen (Alex Man) and his oddball daughter, Linda (Fiona Sit).Nothing could...
- 6/24/2012
- Screen Anarchy
Director Law Wing Cheong's thriller Punished makes its way to DVD today from Indomina Films, and to celebrate the release, they've provided Twitch with three copies of the movie to give away to our readers. First, here's the synopsis for the film: Punished centers around real estate tycoon Wong Ho-Chiu (Anthony Wong). While sheltered in the luxurious trappings afforded by his wealth and power, he suffers an unbearable loss when his daughter Daisy (Janice Man) is kidnapped and killed: a victim of her decadent lifestyle and cocaine addiction. Wong Ho-Chiu turns to his trusted bodyguard Chor (Richie Jen) to seek out the perpetrators and exact revenge. Chor does his employers bidding with an unflinching determination and scarcely contained rage thinly hiddenbeneath the surface. Wong...
- 1/24/2012
- Screen Anarchy
Punished Directed by: Law Wing Cheong Written by: Chi Keung Fung Starring: Anthony Wong, Richie Jen, Janice Man, Maggie Cheung Ho Yee Punished is another entry in the revenge genre that continues in its ongoing popularity. A kidnapping occurs with the film non-linearly unraveling the mystery of who is involved. Although there are a few depictions of brutal violence, this film concerns itself mainly with the psychological toll on the perpetrator of revenge. An interesting change is that the physical revenge is performed by a hired-hand of the victim's father. Some people expecting an action film will likely find the character scenes rather bland, but I thought they were interesting in the context of the mystery of revealing who was involved in the kidnapping. The violence is not stylized at all. There are rough and tumble fights rather than wire-work martial arts. And the gunfights are straight ahead "keep shooting until you get shot" matches.
- 1/23/2012
- by Reed
- FilmJunk
Indomina Releasing and Vivendi Entertainment is getting ready to premiere “Punished,” produced by critically acclaimed Johnnie To and directed by Law Wing Cheong. The film stars Anthony Wong, Richie Jen, Janice Man and Maggie Cheung, and will be available on DVD, digital and Movies on Demand Jan. 24. The DVD version of “Punished” will be priced at $19.97; the prices for digital and Movies on Demand may vary by service provider. The special features on the DVD include two behind-the-scenes featurettes, a photo gallery, the international trailer and an exclusive Qr code for additional bonus material. Here’s the official rundown on “Punished”: “‘Punished’ centers around real estate tycoon Wong Ho-Chiu...
- 12/7/2011
- by monique
- ShockYa
Indomina Releasing has revealed the details of the upcoming DVD release for Punished, what looks to be a pretty gritty thriller about the murder of a wealthy tycoon's daughter and the brutal path of revenge he and his bodyguard subsequently cut through the criminal underworld. Starring the ever-reliable Anthony Wong, produced by Johnny To and directed by To acting regular Law Wing Cheong, Punished is getting its DVD release on January 24th and we've got some exclusive images from the film to show you. Here's the official synopsis from Indomina: Punished centers [on] real estate tycoon Wong Ho-Chiu (Anthony Wong). While sheltered in the luxurious trappings afforded by his wealth and power, he suffers an unbearable loss when his daughter Daisy (Janice Man) is kidnapped...
- 12/2/2011
- Screen Anarchy
Produced by Hong Kong favourite Johnnie To, tough revenge drama “Punished” is the latest from the popular Milkyway Image studio, which as usual means an emphasis on character and writing along with action and thrills. The film was directed by To regular Law Wing Cheong, who recently helmed “Ptu” spinoff “Tactical Unit: Comrades in Arms” and Miriam Yeung breast cancer comedy “2 Become 1”, and who also appeared in the likes of “Vengeance” and “Sparrow”. Headlining the film are another of his usual collaborators in Anthony Wong and Richie Jen, with support from Janice Man (“Frozen”), Maggie Cheung Ho Yee (“Men Suddenly in Love”), singer Candy Lo (“Split Second Murders”), Jun Kung (“Rebellion”), Charlie Cho (“Bet to Basic”), and Wong’s own real life teenage son Wong Yat Yat. The film follows Anthony Wong as property developer tycoon Wong Ho Chiu, whose daughter Daisy (Janice Man) causes him no end of trouble with her drug taking,...
- 9/1/2011
- by James Mudge
- Beyond Hollywood
A character-based kidnap thriller from Milkyway Image Productions, early 20th Century Paris comes to life under the direction of Luc Besson, and the Coen Brothers go Blu, again, along with a fistful of Sylvester Stallone catalog titles, plus Stanley Kubrick and Roman Polanski upgraded on Criterion, all available this week in high definition from your favorite retailers. Asia (Region A) Sources: AsianBlurayGuide.com, YesAsia.com Beginning of the Great Revival An all-star cast is featured in a sweeping historical epic celebrating the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party in China. In his review, our own James Marsh asked: "Is it really too much to ask that the film be honest and truthful, or at the very least, moderately entertaining?" Punished Law Wing Cheong...
- 8/16/2011
- Screen Anarchy
Gallants
Stars: Teddy Robin, Wong You Nam, Jia Xiao Chen, Mc Jin, Li Hai Tao, Law Wing Cheong, Leung Siu Lung, Chan Koon Tai, Susan Shaw, Chan Wai Man, Li Ka, Turbo Law | Directed by Derek Kwok, Clement Cheng
When legendary kung fu master Law Sun (Teddy Robin) unexpectedly awakes from a 30-year coma he discovers that his once celebrated martial arts school has become a teahouse and is now under threat from a takeover bid by his former rival. Aided by his now middle-aged apprentices, Dragon (Chan Koon Tai) and Tiger (Leung Siu Lung), and an unlikely hero in the form of the nerdy estate agent tasked with progressing the takeover, Master Law sets about training a rag-tag band of fighters to compete in a forthcoming martial arts tournament. Winning the prize could safeguard all their futures, but anything less would mean a certain end for the both the...
Stars: Teddy Robin, Wong You Nam, Jia Xiao Chen, Mc Jin, Li Hai Tao, Law Wing Cheong, Leung Siu Lung, Chan Koon Tai, Susan Shaw, Chan Wai Man, Li Ka, Turbo Law | Directed by Derek Kwok, Clement Cheng
When legendary kung fu master Law Sun (Teddy Robin) unexpectedly awakes from a 30-year coma he discovers that his once celebrated martial arts school has become a teahouse and is now under threat from a takeover bid by his former rival. Aided by his now middle-aged apprentices, Dragon (Chan Koon Tai) and Tiger (Leung Siu Lung), and an unlikely hero in the form of the nerdy estate agent tasked with progressing the takeover, Master Law sets about training a rag-tag band of fighters to compete in a forthcoming martial arts tournament. Winning the prize could safeguard all their futures, but anything less would mean a certain end for the both the...
- 7/24/2011
- by Phil
- Nerdly
“Tactical Unit – the Code” is likely to be an enticing prospect for fans of Hong Kong action cinema, being the first in a series of follow ups to Johnnie To’s seminal 2003 police thriller “Ptu”, a film which still stands as one of the best of the genre. Here, To serves as producer, passing the directorial reins to Law Wing Cheong, a member of the Milkyway stable previously responsible for “Hooked on You” and the comedy “2 Become 1”, and who recently starred in “Sparrow”. The film was written by Yip Tin Shing, another frequent To collaborator, who scripted “Election”, “Exiled”, “Throw Down” and others, and boasts a great cast of familiar faces including Simon Yam, Maggie Siu and Lam Suet. Thankfully, the film lives up to its impressive pedigree, proving itself worthy of the Milkyway brand, and manages to transcend its low-budget roots. The film revolves around an incident in which...
- 3/8/2009
- by James Mudge
- Beyond Hollywood
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