Distributor : Genius Products
Audio : Vietnamese 5.1, Vietnamese DTS, English 5.1
Discs : 2 DVD
Languages : Vietnamese and English Dub
Subtitles : Spanish, English, English SDH
Contents : 2 DVD / 1 Promo Flyer
Screen Ratio : “Matted” Widescreen Format
Region : 1

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Director : Eric Dinkian
Cast : Karin Shibata, Xavier Legrand, Alexandre Leycuras, Françoise Durand, Thomas Baudeau, Daravith Chan Fah, Monirith Chan Fah, Mathieu Blandin, Serge Ferreira, Isabelle Glais, Sébastien Magne & Olivier Yves

Synopsis
A young Japanese woman living in a western country wakes up one morning and realises that her boyfriend has undergone a strange transformation – his face has disappeared and in it’s place now is a blurry and deformed mass of flesh. After barely escaping her home, she begins to realise that she might have been the only one to escape this strange mutation.

Kaojikara is an experience for the senses. It evolves around the themes of loneliness and alienation induced by cultural differences. For this film we have chosen the means of the imaginary metaphor – instead of the classic storytelling techniques – in order to give the viewer the possibility to “feel” the story.

In order to give our audience a feeling of uncharacteristic intensity, Kaojikara was filmed in Japanese, given a fast and ever evolving pace, alternating between colour and black and white photography, with over 200 shots of special effects and given a very specific and complex soundtrack.

Check out the trailer and making-of. Official site, go here.

About The Movie

Ip Man is adapted from the life story of Ip Man, the grand master of the Wing Chun style kungfu and sifu (master) of legendary kung fu superstar Bruce Lee. Wing Chun has a history of more than 200 years. It was founded by Yim Wing-chin, took root in the hands of Leung Chun, and prospered with Ip Man. The art of Wing Chun has now become very popular with martial arts enthusiasts, especially overseas. It is a traditional Chinese martial art with a formidable reputation internationally.

Wing Chun Chuan is characterized by close body combat, requiring practitioners to show speed and power. Its Chi Sao of “sticking hands” is more similar to modern day combat skills and has a rich feel of genuine strikes. This is also why Ip Man differs from the dazzlingly romantic and purely fictional style of previous martial art movies. Its explosive punches and aggressive close-range combat offer a new thrill never experienced by modern day audiences.

The story of Wing Chun began in the 1920s and 30s, in wartorn China. Ip Man was martial art’s unyielding follower, devoted whole-heartedly to the free learning of wushu. The fight to be top between the Wushu schools in the southern and northern regions of China had not stopped him having goodwill matches with other practitioners. Nationalistic bad feelings and racial hatred had not lessened his respect for Japanese martial arts warriors. In this great era of hatreds and tragedies, Ip focused only on wushu. His enthusiasm for martial arts saw him having devastating straight fights with various elite practitioners.

To this date there have been neither movies nor publications about Ip Man. This movie will be the first important record of the master’s life. Ip’s persistent devotion to Wing Chun is a classic example of the love and respect shown to wushu and the freedom and spirit it represents. This movie will see the making of a modern whushu representative of Chinese people worldwide. Ip Man is a concept, a spirit, a way of thinking – and it represents a new peak in Hong Kong’s wushu movies.

Detailed Synopsis

It is 1930s Foshan and the mood is one of wushu, wushu and more wushu. One fateful night, Sifu Liu calls at the mansion of the renowned Ip family after the opening of Liu’s new wushu school. During the friendly visit, Liu challenges devoted Wing Chun master Ip Man (Donnie Yen) to a sparring match behind closed doors. Ip wins easily.

The match remains a secret until the younger brother of Kungfu Crazy Lam (Xing Yu), saw the fight and decides to tell everyone about it. It is a loss of face for Liu and results in some serious rows. Ip is mocked by a police officer, Li Chiu (Gordon Lam Ka-tung), and breaks the latter’s revolver in two. In the meantime, marauding thugs and followers of Kam Shan-chau (Louis Fan Siu-wong) goes around challenging the Foshan wushu schools. In one fight, Kungfu Crazy Lam is seriously injured. Ip tried to save him but is challenged by Kam. The whole of Foshan gathers to watch Ip dispense with Kam easily using the four forms of Wing Chun: fists, legs, knives and poles. Ip becomes an overnight hero and wins Li Chiu’s respect and Foshan goes crazy for Wing Chun.

Ip’s prosperity does not last long. In 1937, the Sino-Japanese war breaks out and within a year, Foshan has fallen. The Japanese army seizes Ip’s family home and Ip and his wife Cheung Wing-sing (Lynn Hung) as well as their son seeks refuge in a derelict house. On his way to a pawnshop one day, Ip bumps into an old friend Chow Ching-chuen (Simon Yam), the boss of a cotton mill factory. Chow offers his old friend help but Ip is too proud to forsake his dignity for food and shelter. When food runs out, Ip is forced to work as a coolie to keep his family alive. At the factory, he is reunited with Kungfu Crazy Lam.

One day, a troop of Japanese soldiers led by General Miura (Hiroyuki Ikeuchi) arrives at the factory. Miura is crazy about wushu and uses rice as a reward to temp the Chinese to contest the Japanese in martial arts. Ip refuses to be baited but Lam eagerly takes up the challenge. Lam’s skillful moves fuel General Miura’s enthusiasm and he enters the ring to take on Lam himself. Lam is no match for the General and pays with his life.

The next day, Ip finds Lam missing. He is forced by the soldiers to go to the arena and is shocked to see Sifu Liu already severely beaten up by three soldiers. Ip is furious that Liu had to risk his life for food provisions and enters the arena to challenge the Japanese enemies. Even though Ip is outnumbered, he beats down his challengers one by one until none is left standing, Miura is elated and full of admiration for Ip. But Ip is very upset especially when Miura rewards Ip with the bag of blood-stained rice.

Kam leads a robbery at Chow’s cotton mill, which leaves several people dead. Chow decides to seek Ip’s help. Ip finally agrees and trains the mill workers Wing Chun and the factory grounds are turned into a de facto wushu academy. Kam stages another attack and although Ip and his followers are no match for Kam’s thugs, they score a magnificent victory.

Meanwhile, General Miura cannot forget Ip Man’s masterly skills and places Ip on the wanted list. To avenge his defeat, Kam disclose Ip’s whereabouts to the Japanese. General Miura storms into the mill with his army. While Ip, tipped off by Li Chiu, decides to forsake his own life in exchange for his followers’ freedom. With great sadness, he hastily arranges for his wife and son to leave Foshan.

The approaching army is stopped in its tracks by a towering figure: Ip Man. Ip challenges the general to a duel but the general wants to take the fight to the streets of Foshan where he wants the residents to witness Ip’s defeat.

In the ring, Ip and General Miura give their all in a life-and-death match that pits Wing Chun’s Chi Sao against Japanese karate. As excited Japanese soldiers cheer their general on, their Chinese counterparts are forced to witness the fight in silence. But with each attacking move, Ip wins back dignity for the Chinese. As he hears a sudden roar of applause, Ip realizes that his family and friends have not abandoned him. As his supporters cheer him on, he becomes more courageous and daring. But at a crucial point when Ip launches his final deadly punch, a Japanese officer responds by pulling his gun on Ip. A shot rings out and the scene turns to mayhem.

Several decades later, a trendily dressed young man walks into a Wing Chun school in Hong Kong. The young man wants to learn Wing Chun from Sifu Ip Man. His name is Bruce Lee. The elderly Ep, with eyes like a hawk’s but a peaceful air, shows who the true master of kung fu really is.

The much awaited historical-fantasy epic – Queens of Langkasuka is set for 23 October 2008 wide release in Thailand. Check out the official website and the trailer below.

Director : Stanley Tong
Cast : Michelle Yeoh, Yu Rong Guang, Bowie Lam, Emil Chau, Fan Siu Wong, Antena Chu Yan, Dick Wei, Alan Sit, Bill Tung, Jackie Chan (cameo).

Synopsis
Michelle Yeoh reprises her role of Inspector Yang, a no-nonsense cop from mainland China whose dazzling beauty conceals her sharp mind and martial arts mastery. Sent to Hong Kong to bust up a crime syndicate, Yang is flung into a tailspin when she discovers the gang is headed by her ex-lover. Can Yang find a compromise between her heart and her honor.

Review
After the success of Police Story 3 (Supercop), here comes a spin-off for Michelle Yeoh’s character – Inspector Yang. Michelle Yeoh teams up with Emil Chau and Fan Siu Wong against the formidable Yu Rong Guang (Iron Monkey) and his gang. Overall, this movie is pretty decent with a good mix of fast-paced action sequences with love/drama elements. Look out for Jackie Chan & Eric Tsang cameo appearance in the second half of the movie. Recommended to all Michelle Yeoh fans!

Rating
Plot : 3/5
Acting : 3/5
Entertainment : 4/5
Overall :

Notable Scenes

• Michelle Yeoh’s action & stunts
• Michelle Yeoh vs big/tall guy in finale
• Yeoh & Yu’s relationship

Finally, a full trailer for CL Hor’s long awaited martial arts flick - Kinta 1881.

John Woo’s Red Cliff has raked in 302 million yuan (US$44.04 million) as of Monday, to became the only Chinese film to have crossed the 300 million yuan milestone. It also breaks the opening-weekend box office record in China.