THE CHERRY BUSHIDO coming to theaters Friday, March 11th

HS Productions
presents

The Cherry Bushido
Directed by Hiroshi Akabane
Japan, 2022, 125 minutes
Japanese with English Voiceover

 

The Japanese live action feature The Cherry Bushido will release theatrically in North American theaters on Friday, March 11th. Look for a review here at AsianCineFest the week of March 7th.

Synopsis:
Shizuka is a college student with a strong sense of justice and a patriotic spirit. She is looking for a job, but she is secretly wishing to take over the dojo owned by her father, Shingen. One day, Shizuka is scouted by an entertainment agency, but in fact, it was a non-profit organization which was run by a group called the "Japan Salvation Conference (JSC)." The head of JSC, Satoshi tells her about the divine revelation that Japan may face its extinction in the 21st century. Shizuka joins the JSC and after undergoing rigorous spiritual training under the guidance of Satoshi, Shizuka decides to go on a special mission to save Japan from its crisis. Shizuka and her pals leave their astral bodies and head for the spirit world to defeat the Great Demon of Hades, a demon with an aim to destroy Japan. Will they be able to save Japan?

Watch the official trailer here.

Subway Cinema's SUNDAYS ON FIRE begins tomorrow Sunday, February 13

Subway Cinema
Presents

The very first of Subway Cinema's SUNDAYS ON FIRE will occur tomorrow, Sunday, February 13th at noon at the Nitehawk Prospect Park. It's a 35mm screening of a rare, golden age Hong Kong action classic that hasn't been seen on the big screen in decades. This one's got a female lead and you won't regret it. Future screenings in this series will be on the second Sunday of every month through June!

Get tickets here.

THE PAPER TIGERS reviewed; available tomorrow on Blu-ray and DVD

Well Go USA

Entertainment
Presents

The Paper Tigers
Written and directed by Tran Quoc Bao
Starring Alain Uy (True Detective), Ron Yuan (Mulan), 

and Mykel Shannon Jenkins (Undisputed III),
USA, 2020, 108 minutes

 

The Paper Tigers is a very fine martial arts action comedy that puts some interesting twists on the traditional "You killed my master!" revenge tale. It will be available on Blu-ray and DVD starting tomorrow, Tuesday, June 22nd.

 

Jim (Mykel Shannon Jenkins), Danny (Alain Uy), and Hing (Ron Yuan)

When they were teenagers, Danny, Hing and Jim were  the only disciples of their kung fu master. Twenty-five years later, now in their forties, they have grown apart and are no longer practitioners of the martial art they once loved so much. They pretty much have changed into washed-up middle-aged men dealing with such issues as weekend visitation with their teen-age kid, bad knees, annoying former classmates, and middle aged spread.

 

Upon learning that their elderly master has been murdered, Hing reestablishes contact with Danny and the two of them then seek out Jim. Determined to avenge their sifu, they have to muster all the skill and bravado they can in an effort to identify the assassin and exact retribution.

Disc Specs:
  -- Audio
    -- DTS-HDMA 5.1
    -- Stereo
  -- Subtitles
    -- Off
    -- English SDH
    -- Korean
    -- Traditional Chinese
    -- Simplified Chinese
    -- Vietnamese
  -- Bonus
    -- Behind the Scenes
      -- A Look Behind the Film
      -- Tai Tung Restaurant
      -- Production Design
    -- Deleted Scenes
    -- Bloopers
    -- Trailer
  -- Previews
    -- Silat Warriors: Deed of Death
    -- Undercover Punch & Gun
    -- Deliver Us from Evil

Watch the trailer here.

AsianCineFest Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars; very highly recommended, a film that's very well worth seeing.

UNDERCOVER PUNCH & GUN available on Digital, Blu-ray™ & DVD June 8th with an all-new English dub

Well Go USA
Entertainment
Presents

Undercover Punch & Gun / Wo hu qian long
Co-directed by Lui Koon Nam and Frankie Tam

Hong Kong, 2019, 91 minutes

 

An undercover cop’s daring plan to infiltrate a notorious drug ring is severely compromised when a rival agency attacks mid-trade and kills the gang’s leader in the action-packed MMA thriller Undercover Punch & Gun (a.k.a. Undercover vs. Undercover). Their cover blown, both teams are forced to unite and take to the high seas in an attempt to overthrow the ruthless smuggler behind it all. Undercover Punch & Gun wil be coming to Digital, Blu-ray™ and DVD on June 8 with an all-new English dub from Well Go USA Entertainment.

First-time co-directors Lui Koon Nam and Frankie Tam assembled an exciting cast – including Philip Ng (Enter the Fat Dragon, Chasing the Dragon), Van Ness Wu (Ip Man 4, Dragon Blade), and Andy On (Special ID, Once Upon a Time in Shanghai) – for this MMA extravaganza with the explosive action fight sequences choreographed by Philip Ng, “…one of the best action directors working today.” (Asian Film Strike)

Synopsis:
While an elite cop is working undercover to infiltrate a notorious drug ring, his plan is compromised when a rival agency with a grudge attacks during a trade, killing the gang’s leader. Their cover blown, both teams are forced to unite and take to the high seas in an attempt to overthrow the ruthless smuggler behind it all.

SILAT WARRIORS: DEED OF DEATH debuts on Hi-YAH! on June 4th; coming to Blu-ray & DVD on July 6th

Well Go USA
Entertainment
Presents

Silat Warriors: Deed of Death / Geran

Directed by Areel Abu Bakar

Malaysia, 2019, 101 minutes

When their younger brother brings a ruthless criminal gang to their door, a family must fight together against the threat in the action-packed martial arts epic Silat Warriors: Deed of Death (a.k.a. simply as The Deed of Death), which will debut exclusively on the martial arts streaming service Hi-YAH! on June 4th, before hitting Digital, Blu-ray™ and DVD July 6th from Well Go USA Entertainment.

In addition to actors Namron (One Two Jaga, Dukun, Redha) and Fad Anuar (Dollah Superstar, TV’s “KL Gangster: Underworld”), first-time film director Areel Abu Bakar selected much of the talent from martial arts training facilities and competitions in order to give a sense of realism the exciting action sequences. His first-time actors include Khoharullah Majid, Feiyna Tajudin, Taiyuddin Bakar, Megat Shahrizal and Azlan Komeng.

Silat Warriors: Deed of Death won the Daniel A. Craft Award for Excellence in Action Cinema at the 2020 New York Asian Film Festival, the first Malaysian film to win the award.

Synopsis:
When a reckless young gambler’s wild lifestyle of illegal gambling, drag racing, and betting on brutal street fights pits him against a ruthless criminal betting ring, his luck finally runs out. The gang shows up at his family’s home to collect on the debt, forcing his family to fight in order to save their land and his life—before their limited time runs out.

DELIVER US FROM EVIL reviewed

Well Go USA
Entertainment
Presents

Deliver Us from Evil / Daman akeseo guhasoseo
Directed by Hong Won-chan
South Korea, 2020, 109 minutes

Deliver Us from Evil is a high octane action, crime thriller from South Korea. It debuts on digital & Blu-ray today, May 25th from Well Go USA Entertainment.

 

Synopsis:

After the shocking kidnapping of a little girl in Thailand, Kim In-nam (Hwang Jung-min), a mercenary with a murky past as a government black ops agent, is forced to re-emerge from the shadows when he learns the incident is closely connected to him. With the help of expat Yui (Park Jeong-min) he flies to Thailand and begins tracking the girl’s whereabouts, moving ever closer to the notorious child trafficking ring responsible for her abduction. However, when an infamous gangster nicknamed The Butcher (Lee Jung-jae) learns just who has entered the country and is finally within his grasp, he goes on a bloody rampage to thwart the ex-agent’s rescue mission as retaliation for a killing that he will never be able to forget—or forgive. 

 

There's no shortage of exciting action sequences in this thriller. Fists, feet, knives, guns, etc. all come into play at one time or another. 

 

Disc Specs:

-- Audio

  -- Korean DTS-HDMA 5.1

  -- Korean Stereo

-- Subtitles

  -- Full English

  -- English

  -- Off

-- Bonus

  -- Making Of

  -- Filming Location

  -- Teaser

  -- International Trailer

  -- U.S. Trailer

-- Previews

  -- The Paper Tigers

  -- The Swordsman

  -- Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula

 

AsianCineFest Rating of Deliver Us from Evil: 3.5 out of 4 stars, very highly recommended; a highly entertaining actioner.

THE PAPER TIGERS reviewed; in theaters, virtual cinema & on demand today, Friday, May 7th

Well Go USA

Entertainment
Presents

The Paper Tigers
Written and directed by Tran Quoc Bao
Starring Alain Uy (True Detective), Ron Yuan (Mulan), 

and Mykel Shannon Jenkins (Undisputed III),
USA, 2020, 108 minutes

 

The Paper Tigers is a very fine martial arts action comedy that puts some interesting twists on the traditional "You killed my master!" revenge tale.

 

Jim (Mykel Shannon Jenkins), Danny (Alain Uy), and Hing (Ron Yuan)

When they were teenagers, Danny, Hing and Jim were  the only disciples of their kung fu master. Twenty-five years later, now in their forties, they have grown apart and are no longer practitioners of the martial art they once loved so much. They pretty much have changed into washed-up middle-aged men dealing with such issues as weekend visitation with their teen-age kid, bad knees, annoying former classmates, and middle aged spread.

 

Upon learning that their elderly master has been murdered, Hing reestablishes contact with Danny and the two of them then seek out Jim. Determined to avenge their sifu, they have to muster all the skill and bravado they can in an effort to identify the assassin and exact retribution.

 

 

Find tickets by clicking here to go to the film's official Well Go USA Entertainment webpage, then scroll down a bit.

Watch the trailer here.

AsianCineFest Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars; highly recommended, a film that's very well worth seeing.

IP MAN: KUNG FU MASTER coming to theaters and on demand starting December 11, 2020

Magnet Releasing
Presents

Ip Man: Kung Fu Master
Directed by Li Liming
China, 2019, 84 minutes
 

Ip Man: Kung Fu Master will be available in theaters and on demand December 11th, 2020 by Magnet Releasing. The film harks back to Ip Man's early days before the Communist Revolution in 1949. Ip Man was then a police captain who was framed for the murder of a ruthless but honorable mobster, and targeted for vengeance by his dangerous daughter. Forced to quit the force, he soon also has to contend with the arrival of the Japanese army in Guangzhou.

 

Ip Man, the martial artist who famously tutored Bruce Lee, is portrayed by Dennis To for the third time. His previous outings in this series were in The Legend is Born: Ip Man (2010) and Kung Fu League (2018).

ENTER THE FAT DRAGON becomes available today from Well Go USA on digital, Blu-ray & DVD

Well Go USA

Presents

Enter the Fat Dragon / Fei lung gwoh gong

Directed by Kenji Tanigaki

Hong Kong, 2020, 97 minutes

Enter the Fat Dragon, starring Donnie Yen (the Ip Man franchise & oh, so many other fine action films) debuts on Digital, Blu-ray™ and DVD today, July 14th from Well Go USA Entertainment. This review is based on watching the Blu-ray.

The film is a reimagining of the popular comedy martial arts film of the same name that starred Sammo Hung, which in turn derived it’s title from Bruce Lee’s ground-breaking Enter the Dragon (1973). This Enter the Fat Dragon was directed by Kenji Tanigaki (Legend of Seven Monks) and costars Teresa Mo (Hard Boiled), Niki Chow (Heavenly Mission) and Wong Jing (Kung Fu Mahjong).

Fallon Zhu (Yen) is a super-fit, by-the-books cop with a fiancée who’s a lovely aspiring actress. His over-enthusiasm at work results in him being demoted into a records clerk . On top of this, he’s dumped by his fiancée. As a result he develops a major snack cake habit and becomes most morbidly obese. A routine assignment escorting of a prisoner extradited to Japan goes wrong, providing Zhu an opportunity to redeem himself at work and in the eyes — and heart — of his fiancée.

Enter the Fat Dragon is a good film with some very fine stunts, lots of action, and some nice comedic touches.  Stick around during the end credits for a time-lapse segment of Donnie getting his “fat face” put on and for some outtakes.

Disc Specs:
— Audio:
  — Cantonese DTS-HDMA 5.1
  — Cantonese Stereo
— Subtitles:
  — English
  — English (Full Version)
  — Traditional Chinese
  — Off
— Trailers:
  — International Trailer
  — U.S. Trailer
— Previews:
  — Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula Teaser
  — Cut Throat City
  — Is Man 4: The Finale

AsianCineFest Rating: 3 out of 4 stars

ENTER THE FAT DRAGON Debuts on Digital, Blu-ray™ & DVD on July 14th

Well Go USA

Presents

Enter the Fat Dragon / Fei lung gwoh gong

Directed by Kenji Tanigaki

Hong Kong, 2020, 97 minutes

International martial arts icon Donnie Yen [Ip Man, Mulan (2020), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story] is back in the action-comedy Enter the Fat Dragon, “a hilarious, hyper-paced, rock-em sock-em blast of a movie!” (Ultimate Action Movies) debuting on Digital, Blu-ray™ and DVD July 14 from Well Go USA Entertainment.

The film chronicles the events that transformed super-fit super-cop Fallon Zhu (Yen) into a records clerk with a major snack cake habit—and one shot to regain his job and his fiancée. A hilarious parody of Bruce Lee's 1972 film Way of the Dragon and a reimagining of the popular comedy martial arts film starring Sammo Hung, Enter the Fat Dragon was directed by Kenji Tanigaki (Legend of Seven Monks) and costars Teresa Mo (Hard Boiled), Niki Chow (Heavenly Mission) and Wong Jing (Kung Fu Mahjong).

Synopsis:

Enter the Fat Dragon is a hilarious chronicle of the events that transformed super-fit super-cop Fallon Zhu (martial arts phenom Donnie Yen) into a glorified records clerk with a major snack cake habit. After a desperate request from an old colleague, Zhu teams up with a wily, wok-wielding restaurateur to solve a mysterious murder—and take his one last shot at regaining both his job and his fiancée.

ENTER THE FAT DRAGON opens in North American theaters today

Well Go USA

Entertainment

presents

Enter the Fat Dragon / Fei lung gwoh gong

Directed by Kenji Tanigaki

Hong Kong, 2020, 97 minutes

In this action-comedy movie starring martial arts superstar Donnie Yen, a police officer's suspect suffers a mysterious death, and he must team up with an undercover inspector to solve the murder mystery.

Synopsis:
Sent to Japan on a routine police escort, Officer Zhu (Yen) is excited to have the chance to re-qualify for full time duty as a police officer. However, after a series of mishaps, the mission goes terribly wrong and the suspect Officer Zhu is escorting suffers a mysterious death. Zhu enlists the help of wok-wielding restaurant owner and a former undercover inspector to solve this murder mystery in the new best action comedy movie from martial arts superstar Donnie Yen.

To watch the trailer and get tickets, click here.

[Note that this film seems to bear no relationship with Sammo Hung's 1978 film of the same title.]

Chinese action film THE BRAVEST coming to digital on January 14th

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Presents

The Bravest / Lie huo ying xiong

Directed by Tony Chan

Written by Yu Yonggan and Tony Chan 

Cast: Xiaoming Huang (The Message), Jiang Du (Operation Red Sea), Zhuo Tan (Dying to Survive); also starring Zi Yang (Ode to Joy), Hao Ou (The Left Ear)

China, 2019, 118 minutes

Synopsis:
When the oil pipeline in the city harbor explodes due to a calculation error, a disgraced Chief Firefighter must put the past aside and team up with his former rookie in order to save the city.

Hong Kong actioner VIXEN arrives on digital streaming platforms today

TriCoast Studios

Presents

Vixen

Directed by Ross W. Clarkson

China, 2018, 90 minutes

Vixen, a Hong Kong a female driven take on Die Hard, arrives on digital streaming platforms (Amazon, DirecTV, AT&T, FlixFling, Vudu, Vimeo on Demand, XBOX, Sony, Google Play, FANDANGO + Sling/Dish) today, May 6th. The film stars former stuntwoman Li Ran. Also featured are such action legends and martial art experts as Bryan Larkin (Dead End, Outlander) and Jai Day (Transformers, Pacific Rim: Uprising). Africa’s most famous Chinese martial arts expert, Luc Bendza, who graduated from Beijing’s prestigious Sports University, plays the film’s Machiavellian main villain.

Synopsis:
Vixen is a femme-centric Hong Kong action film about a Chinese security expert who fights a lone battle against a European criminal gang that has seized the world’s tallest building, where a massive, high-tech international conference is taking place. With the building under lockdown, the lone expert, Sunny Liu (former stuntwoman Li Ran) must use all her courage, intelligence and martial arts prowess to outwit, outlast and outfight the terrorists. She’s beautiful, she’s deadly, and she always knows – a woman’s work is never done.

POLICE STORY/POLICE STORY 2 coming April 30th from Criterion!

Police Story (1985) and Police Story 2 (1988), two of Jackie Chan's finest films, will be available from The Criterion Collection on April 30th, 2019, on Blu-ray (two discs) and DVD (3 discs).

Here's what Criterion has to say about this upcoming release:

The jaw-dropping set pieces fly fast and furious in these breathtakingly inventive action comedies, two smash hits that made Jackie Chan a worldwide icon of daredevil spectacle. The director/star/one-man stunt machine plays Ka-Kui, a Hong Kong police inspector whose methods are, ahem, unorthodox; the phenomenal Maggie Cheung, in a star-making role, plays his much-put-upon girlfriend, May. (Police Story, it's worth mentioning, also features the fabulous Brigitte Lin.) Packed wall-to-wall with astoundingly acrobatic fight choreography, epic explosions, charmingly goofball slapstick, and awesomely 1980s electro soundtracks, Police Story and Police Story 2 set a new standard for rock-’em-sock-’em mayhem that established Chan as a performer of unparalleled grace and daring and would influence a generation of filmmakers, from Hong Kong to Hollywood.

Special Edition Features include:
- New 4K digital restorations of Police Story and Police Story 2
- Alternate 5.1 surround and English-dubbed soundtracks for both films
- 35 mm subtitled theatrical print of the condensed Hong Kong version of Police Story 2, presented in 2K for the first time
- New programs on Chan’s screen persona and action-filmmaking techniques featuring author and New York Asian Film Festival cofounder Grady Hendrix
- Archival interviews with Chan and actor and stuntman Benny Lai
- Television program from 1964 detailing the rigors of Peking-opera training, akin to the education that Chan received as a child
- Chan stunt reel
- Trailers
- New English subtitle translations
- An essay by critic Nick Pinkerton

For years I've owned DVDs of each of these fantastic films in both their import and their Dragon Dynasty versions. Still, I can't wait to get my hands on the Criterion releases. Will certainly be reviewing them as soon as possible.

THE GREAT BATTLE is coming to Digital, Blu-ray™ Combo Pack & DVD on January 8th, 2019

Well Go USA

Entertainment

Presents

The Great Battle

Directed by  KIM Kwang-shik

South Korea, 2018, 136 minutes

Director Kim Kwang-Sik (My Dear Desperado) brings to life the first Korean action blockbuster to depict the Korean Goguryeo dynasty in the epic story The Great Battle. It will be available on digital, Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD starting January 8th, 2019 from Well Go USA Entertainment.

Set during the Chinese Tang dynasty, the action-packed film is based on the historic 80-day battle between the Goguryeo and Tang forces known as The Siege of Ansi, that took place while the two groups were at war between 645-668 AD. Kwang-Sik uses cutting-edge cinematic technologies to create spectacular action sequences.

The film stars Zo In-Sung (The King), Nam Joo-Hyuk (the TV series Bride of the Water God) and Park Sung-Woong (The Swindlers). The discs also come with a behind-the-scenes featurette with commentary from the director and cast.

Synopsis:
With epic scale and breathtaking action, The Great Battle tells the story of the Siege of Ansi, where Goguryeo forces held their fortress against 200,000 invading Tang soldiers in a battle that raged for 88 days.

South Korean action film TAKE POINT opens in LA today, December 27th, in other cities across U.S. and Canada on January 4th, 2019

CJ Entertainment

Presents

Take Point

Directed by KIM Byung-woo 

Starring HA Jung-woo, LEE Sun-Kyun, Jennifer Ehle,

Kevin Durand, Malik Yoba, and Spencer Daniels

South Korea, 2018, 119 minutes

South Korean director KIM Byung-woo known for his award-winning film “The Terror Live,” is back with the release of his new action thriller, “Take Point.” This title releases in Los Angeles on December 27th and in cities across the U.S. and Canada on January 4th. It will have audiences at the edge of their seats as they follow Captain Ahab on a CIA mission that he may not get out of.

On the day of the U.S. presidential election in 2024, Captain Ahab (HA Jung-woo), who works for private military company Black Lizard, and his team of elite mercenaries embark on a secret CIA mission to abduct North Korea's Armed Forces Minister in an underground bunker below the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The mission derails when the target turns out to be none other than Supreme Leader of North Korea himself, who has an incredibly high bounty on his head.

Photo courtesy CJ Entertainment

Ahab and his 12 men go in for the jackpot against the CIA’s wishes. Unbeknownst to them, another PMC squad is after the same target and Ahab has to work around CIA’s aerial strikes that put him and his men in immediate and present danger. The bunker is demolished and Ahab is in critical condition. When the Supreme Leader suffers a devastating injury, he has no choice but to team up with an elite North Korean doctor (LEE Sun-kyun) to not only save himself but his target and get out of the bunker in one piece.

For the official movie trailer click here.

More information and the list of theaters is available here.

THE VILLAINESS coming to digital November 7th, Blu-ray Combo pAck and DVD on November 21st

Well Go USA

Presents

The Villainess / Ak-Nyeo

Directed by JUNG Byung-gil

South Korea, 2017, 124 minutes

Bloody revenge is at the heart of the stylish, kinetic action-thriller The Villainess, debuting on digital November 7 and on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD November 21 from Well Go USA Entertainment.

Certified “Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes, this welcome shot of adrenaline to the classic femme fatale story follows a ruthless female assassin who leaves a trail of bodies behind her as she seeks her blood-spattered revenge.

Directed by JUNG Byung-gil (Confession of Murder), The Villainess stars KIM Ok-bin (Thirst, The Front Line), SHIN Ha-kyun (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance) and BANG Sung-jun (Horror Stories 2, Pluto).

Bonus materials include a Making-of featurette that highlights the action choreography and the characters.

Synopsis:
Honed from childhood into a merciless killing machine by a criminal organization, assassin Sook-hee is recruited as a sleeper agent with the promise of freedom after ten years of service - and she jumps at the chance for a normal life. But soon enough, secrets from her past destroy everything she’s worked for, and now nobody can stand in her way as she embarks on a roaring rampage of revenge.

BROKEN SWORD HERO debuts on digital, Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD on October 31st

Well Go USA

Presents 

 Broken Sword Hero / Thong Dee Fun Khao

Directed by Bin Bunluerit

Thailand, 2017, 122 minutes

The latest feature by renowned Thai director Bin Bunluerit (The Elephant Boy) and starring Muay Thai superstar Buakaw Banchamek,  Broken Sword Hero debuts on digital, Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD October 31 from Well Go USA Entertainment.

The martial arts epic introduces to a variety of fighting styles practiced in Thailand, including Muay Thai, and recounts the story of Thongdee, a real warrior from Thailand’s Ayutthaya period who later became a national hero for continuing to fight despite having a badly broken sword.

Synopsis:
Based on a real warrior from Thailand’s Ayutthaya period, Broken Sword Hero follows the heroics of legendary military general Thongdee. From the disparity as a young runaway to the toughest warrior among his people, a legendary fighter with unparalleled skills in Muay Thai and swordplay, fights for the freedom of his people.

RAILROAD TIGERS reviewed; debuts in a Blu-ray+DVD combo pack and on DVD today, June 20th

Well Go USA

Entertainment

Presents

Railroad Tigers

Directed by Ding Sheng

Starring Jackie Chan, Huang Zitao, Wang Kai, Darren Wang 
China, 2016, 125 minutes

Railroad Tigers is an action-comedy set in China during World War II. Today, Tuesday, May 20th, it becomes available as Blu-ray™/DVD Combo Pack and as DVD only, from Well Go USA Entertainment. (It's been available on digital since Tuesday, May 9th.)

Ma Yuan (Jackie Chan) is the head porter at a railroad station in part of China occupied by the Japanese. He and several cohorts  (the titular "Railroad Tigers") are just a bunch of regular guys who really want to do something great for their country. Thus far they've engaged in various small-time action against the Japanese, but nothing of any real consequence.

They have an opportunity to change that when they learn that the Hanzhuang Bridge, along a major route vital to the Japanese for bringing supplies to their front line, must be destroyed. Although the Chinese Eighth Army Route soldiers have been unsuccessful in accomplishing this, Jackie and his rag-tag compatriots take on what looks to be a suicide mission.

Japanese aggression during WWII has been the subject of numerous Chinese (as well as Korean) films. Such movies seem find a receptive audience in these two countries, but they can seem like a worn out trope to North American audiences. Sad to say, such is the case here, because the film is weak in almost every regard. The story line is simple (as opposed, say, to the psychological complexities in the somewhat similarly themed The Bridge on the River Kwai). There's nothing particularly compelling about the characters, and the action (choreographed by He Jun) and stunts (performed by the Jackie Chan Stunt Team and involving lots of wire-work) are not top drawer, and the CGI often is not very good.

That the film has problems becomes evident in the first few minutes. As each character is introduced, the frame freezes and text, in Chinese and English, gives the character's name and occupation. In the case of several of the "Railroad Tigers", their catchphrase is also indicated. Do we really need to be told that Jackie's character's catchphrase is "Shut up!" when we will hear him say it several times in the course of the movie? Or that "Let's go!" is the catchphrase of Xiaohun, a railroad porter? This freeze frame introduction -- which visually brings the film to a screeching halt -- is employed for seventeen characters! Not good cinema technique at all.

No one should begrudge the fact that Jackie, who became 62 years old this past April, can't handle the kind of stunts and action sequences that he performed so brilliantly in years gone by. With his terrific sense of timing and ability to poke fun at himself, he's better served at this stage of his career with  comedic fare that includes some action, rather than an action-drama with some comic touches, as is the case in Railroad Tigers. Thus, Kung Fu Yoga, which opened in North American theaters on January 27th and will soon be offered by Well Go, showcases him to much better advantage.

Disc Specs:
-- Audio
    -- Mandarin DTS:X
    -- Mandarin 2.0 Stereo
    -- DTS Headp;hone X
    -- English 5.1 DTS HDMA
    -- English 2.0 Stereo
-- Subtitles
    -- English
    -- Off
-- Bonus
    -- “Director’s Featurette”
    -- “The Dangers of Shooting”
    -- “The Making of ”
    -- “VFX Featurette”
    -- “The Characters”
    -- Trailer
    -- International Trailer
-- Previews
    -- Kung Fu Yoga
    -- Operation Mekong
    -- Cold War 2

Die-hard Jackie fans will probably enjoy Railroad Tigers well enough, but for the rest of us it's just an almost pleasant watch.

AsianCineFest Rating: 2.5 out of 4 stars; fair, but shy of being a truly good film.

RAILROAD TIGERS debuts on digital today; will be coming to Blu-ray & DVD on June 20th

Well Go USA

Entertainment

Presents

Railroad Tigers

Directed by Ding Sheng

China, 2016, 125 minutes

Hong Kong’s cheeky, lovable and best-known film star Jackie Chan (Rush Hour franchise) reunites with Director Ding Sheng (Little Big Soldier) for a third time with Railroad Tigers, debuting on digital today, Tuesday, May 9th and on Blu-ray™/DVD Combo Pack and DVD June 20th from Well Go USA Entertainment.

With his patented blend of martial arts action and comedy, Chan plays a railroad worker in 1941 China who leads a team of freedom fighters against the Japanese in order to get food for the poor. The action-packed Railroad Tigers also stars Huang Zitao (Edge of Innocence), Jackie Chan’s son Jaycee Chan (1911), Wang Kai (The Golden Era), Hiroyuki Ikeuchi (Ip Man), Ping Sang (Saving Mr. Wu), Alan Ng (Young Bruce Lee) and Darren Wang (Our Times).

Synopsis:
In this action-comedy caper hearkening back to Jackie Chan’s classic Hong Kong films, a railroad worker (Chan) and his ragtag group of freedom fighters find themselves on the wrong side of the tracks when they decide to ambush a heavily armed military train filled with desperately needed provisions. Unarmed and outnumbered, they must fight back against an entire army using only their wits, in a series of dazzling set pieces and action scenes rivaling anything seen on the big screen.

Bonus Materials Include:
-- Five Featurettes:
    -- “Director’s Featurette”
    -- “The Dangers of Shooting”
    -- “The Making of ”
    -- “VFX Featurette”
    -- “The Characters”
-- Trailers