Two Words, One Answer.
promoter Keith
 Superfights $14.98 Of all the east-meets-west styled films presented by Ng See Yuen, "Superfights" here is probably the least -known, probably because it flaunts the least-known stars of the bunch; no Jean-Claude Van Damme or Gary Daniels to be found here. Luckily, we've got a cast that's just as impressive as anything the series has given us thus far, and despite the film's quasi-reputation of being the worst or cheesiest of the collection, I didn't think it any less enjoyable than the movies that came before or after it. The story: Jack Cody (Brandon Gaines, in his only film role) is a young martial artist and avid fan of TV's sensational karate/wrestling reality show, "Superfights". When he rescues a young woman (Yu Fei Hong, A Thousand Years of Good Prayers) from a mugging using his self-taught karate skills, he's heralded an American hero and invited to join the TV program. Unbeknownst to him, however, his dream-come-true will turn into a nightmare upon finding out that not only are the televised fights rigged, but the whole show is a setup for manager Robert Sawyer (Keith Vitali, Revenge of the Ninja) to run a crime ring that impacts the lives of Jack's friends and family. Is there fighting? Yes, yes yes! And oh yes, it's good stuff! Director/choreographer Tony Leung ("Ip Man") wrangles some darn fine hand-to-hand encounters that would make Hollywood turn green with envy for their speed, technical know-how, acrobatics, and ingenuity. There are about nine of these fights, set among a couple of shorter scuffles, performed by top underrated talent: martial artists Gaines and Vitali, as well as Kelly Gallant (Tc 2000 [VHS]), Chuck Jeffreys (Bloodmoon), Cliff Lenderman (American Shaolin: King of Kickboxers 2), Willie Johnson ("WMAC Masters"), and kickboxer/pro wrestler Rob Van Dam (Black Mask 2: City of Masks), among others, light up the screen to the point that there really isn't a bad fight among the pack...although the best of the best has to be the final showdown between Gaines and Vitali, which can match McKinney/Van Damme, Avedon/Hues, or Daniels/Shahlavi any day. When the fighting stops, however, we're left to contend with the thoroughly interesting dramatics that have become a trademark of the See Yuen series...and nope, none of the cast can act their way out of an empty dojo. Brandon Gaines doesn't fail dramatically as much as Kurt McKinney or Loren Avedon did in earlier features, but dammit - that's still some damn bad acting going on. There are plenty of silly/funny/cheesy scenes to point and snort at, like when Jack gets smacked around by his girlfriend's tai chi-practicing grandfather (Patrick Lung-Kong), or the aftermath of mugging wherein he jogs to sentimental music and schoolchildren yell "Hey, there's the hero!", or the rather blatant sexual harassment he suffers at the hands of his theatrically-stunted older trainer, Kelly Gallant. If you believe such things would hinder your movie-watching experience, then don't give this film another thought...but if you, like me, love the cheesiness for the sake of cheesiness, then "Superfights" is definitely for you. If you're still not convinced, then tell me this...how many films have their own theme song, huh? On the fun-ness scale, "Superfights" ranks high, though you can't watch it too many times in a row - as great as it is, the film has the potential to cause lasting brain damage. Still, fans of the series know it's all worth it, so if you're game to awesome fighting and nothing substantially else, pick this one out and knock yourself out; you probably will, since this movie is guaranteed to compel spontaneous karate kicking.  All the Way $24.98 This is a classic musical film for me. It also tells the untold story about Frank Sinatra. Love the brilliant actors in this film. The Australian accents were magnificent especially to fans of Ally McBeal/Arrested Development star Portia de Rossi/DeGeneres speak in her native accent. ;) |
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