Lady Cop and Papa Crook (2011)

Two of Hong Kong's most popular talent and pop stars Sammi Cheng and Eason Chan. For Eason Chan, he is still in the main forefront of cinema and music while Sammi Cheng had been on hiatus and taking a break from the entertainment industry.

"Lady Cop & Papa Crook" is Sammi's return to cinema since her 2005 film "Everlasting Regret" and brings back the romantic comedy side of Cheng and the serious side of Eason Chan films. Fortunately, the film has two talented directors and writers involved with Alan Mak (writer of the "Infernal Affairs" films, director for "A War Named Desire", "Final Romance", "Rave Fever") and Felix Chong (writer for "Infernal Affairs" films, "Tokyo Raiders", "Initial D").

The writing duo wanted to create a film that would feature the cops and gangsters having to work together to solve a case and being stuck in one place.

"Lady Cop & Papa Crook" revolves around a illegal diesel kingpin named John Fok (played by Eason Chan). One day as Hong Kong and mainland Chinese were trying to arrest one of his men, the police chase ends tragically as an innocent mother and her son were killed in an accident. Despite being an underground kingpin, John cares for his family including his pregnant wife and his young six-year-old named Jimmy.

Meanwhile, Senior Inspector Maureen Szeto (played by Sammi Cheng) is known for solving cases and busting criminals. Her personal life is not as great as she has been dating a sculptor for a decade and their relationship has not really progressed. In fact, she hasn't had sex for a long time and she has been waiting for marriage and literally losing her patience.

Both John Fok and Maureen Szeto's path would cross when Fok's son is kidnapped. The kidnappers want $80 million dollars while his family members full of members of the Triad or his own organization want to find Jimmy on their own but Szeto who is assigned to the case, reminds Fok that most kidnappings are done by family members and people they know. Chances are that one of the people in his family have some involvement and that the police are known to solve these cases.

Fearing that his child may be killed, John Fok decides to have this uneasy alliance between his family members along with the Szeto and the Hong Kong police. Tempers clash and even the mainland Chinese police force are not too thrilled that Szeto and the HK police are aiding a criminal organization in their case. Will Senior Inspector Maureen Szeto find the young boy in time?

VIDEO:

"Lady Cop & Papa Crook" looks gorgeous on Blu-ray. Cinematography by Yuen Man Fung showcases an artistic side as he uses colors to great effect. Each scene, you can expect blues, reds and sometime a filter utilizing grays with color bursting out. Definitely an HK film that utilizes HD quite effectively.

Blacks are nice and deep, I didn't notice any edge enhancement or major compression artifacts.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

"Lady Cop & Papa Crook" comes with a crystal clear lossless Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Cantonese soundtrack and also a Dolby Digital 5.1 Cantonese and Mandarin soundtrack. During the action sequences, you can expect to hear an immersive soundtrack with glass break, vehicles crashing, explosions, etc. Surround channels are used quite effectively throughout the film, especially during the musical sequences. Front channel and center channel feature the dialogue and music and for the most part, dialogue is clear and understandable.

Subtitles are in English and for the most part, English subtitles are well-done with maybe two instances where the subtitles translates "$80 million" to "$80 millions" but having had watched a fair share of Asian cinema with bad subtitling, the subtitles for this film are good and easily readable.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Lady Cop & Papa Crook" comes with the following special features (note: There following special feature are only in Chinese, no English subtitles):

* Making of Featurette 1

* Making of Featurette 2

* Making of Featurette 3

* Trailer

JUDGMENT CALL:

For those of you who are familiar with HK films, Sammi Cheng has always been an actress known for romantic comedies. If anything, one would wonder since her breakout with films such as "Feel 100%" and "Needing You" if we would see a Julia Roberts style of transition. The ability for her to take on a main lead role outside of her comfort zone and shine.

With "Lady Cop and Papa Crook", Sammi Cheng plays a police officer and you wonder, could this film be her breakout serious role? But with this film directed by Alan Mak and Felix Chong, the film tries to incorporate Eason Chan and his scenes being more towards the serious side when showing him working in the Triad and then you get Sammi Cheng who plays the comedic cop but yet worrying about if her boyfriend will marry her?

In other words, you still get the romantic comedy Sammi Cheng during her scenes and then you get the serious Triad film with Eason Chan's scenes. The film is enjoyable but among Sammi's films, this is not her best but it's her best looking film courtesy of it being on Blu-ray.

For the Blu-ray release, included is the director's cut which has about seven more minutes and the original theatrical cut. The director's cut has a more fleshed out extended alternate ending that I prefer.

As for audio, definitely really good use with the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track. From the action scenes to the music, surround channels were used and even a little LFE.

But I do have one bone to pick with this release with Tai Seng Entertainment. Why did they forget to include the English subtitles with the special features. You have three special features included and although the subtitle option is there, they don't work. Sure, this is no different from me having to import the releases since the HK releases tend to only focus on the main film but I figured with Tai Seng and distributing it to the US, they would at least include the English subtitles on the special features and makes me wonder if other Tai Seng Entertainment releases are like that.

But overall, "Lady Cop and Papa Crook" is a fun and entertaining film. And if you can find a good deal on this Blu-ray release and are an HK or Asian cinema fan, it's definitely worth checking out.

I have come to expect Hong Kong films to be saturated with action, bullets, and general mayhem. If you're looking for that, this isn't the film for you. A gang leader has his son kidnapped, and proceeds to his normal modus operandi of sending his men looking for the kid. But then in come the police, led by a slightly flaky female detective, and our gangster is reduced to sitting around worrying about things, but unable to do anything about them. There are a (very) few fights and we spend most of our time locked up in the gangster's mansion watching a police procedural. It's not an awful film, but it's not very entertaining, either.

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Crank 2: High Voltage (2009)

I enjoyed how unique the first Crank film was and this sequel is even more wild, but I liked it a lot less. Crank: High Voltage is a roller coaster ride that last 85 minutes and features some really gross scenes. For example, a guy getting a shotgun rammed up his rear end isn't even in the top three weird moments in this flick. There was one scene where a guy had to punish himself for letting his boss down, which I had to turn my head and look away (I can't remember the last time I did that). There is almost zero realism here, much like the original, only multiplied by a hundred. Jason Statham is the main action star in the business right now and he is pretty good at what he does. He went all out here and I'm sure he has nothing but bruises and a nice paycheck to show for it. The large supporting cast was better than average and Amy Smart was especially yummy. If you liked Crank (2006) you will probably enjoy this one well enough, but I think they should put this series to rest. Judging by the ending during the credits, I'm sure we can expect Crank 3-D: Zombie Chev in the near future.

This movie made me feel like I was high and drunk while watching an action film, I don't really know how to explain that, but it was an awesome feeling. I also thought it was extremely hilarious and it was a really good sequel. After three months, Chev Chelios is back in action, and tries to find his heart before he dies. Doc Miles tells him that the Chinese gave him an AbioCor Artificial heart, and he must keep it charged, or he will die. He has jumper cables helping him, rubbing up against an old woman, makin' sweet love to his girlfriend, Eve on a horse race track, and grabbing electric wires. I highly recommend CRANK 2: HIGH VOLTAGE!!!

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How much abuse can one body take? When we last left Chev Chelios (Jason Statham), he had fallen from a helicopter, bounced off a car, and landed on a street in the middle of Los Angeles. And this was after being injected with a toxin that stopped the production of adrenaline. Now he finds himself in the middle of an operating room, his still-beating heart removed from his chest and replaced with an artificial version that's hooked up to a battery. When the battery gets destroyed, he's left with only an implanted backup generator, and in order for that to keep working, he must keep himself electrically charged. Sometimes, that involves sticking his finger into a car socket. At other times, that involves clamping jumper cables to his nipple and tongue, at which point the person behind the wheel hits the accelerator.

The original "Crank" was shameless, high octane fun, and so is "Crank: High Voltage," a film that doesn't know the meaning of the word "excessive." There's not a trace of humility to be found in any one of its ninety-six minutes. It's an unabashedly crude crime caper that uses four-letter dialogue as if being paid by the letter. It's an in-your-face assault on the senses, a hyperactive video game that never makes use of the pause button. Normally, these would be the hallmarks of a God-awful film, but in this case, they're the hallmarks of a stylish thrill ride that's just as funny as it is shocking. It's a movie so audacious in its insanity that I pretty much have to recommend it; it may not be the most edifying thing you'll ever see, but it certainly will be the most unforgettable hour-and-a-half you've had all spring.

The story: An Asian gangster named Johnny Vang (Art Hsu) is somewhere in Los Angeles with Chelios' heart, which is said to be indestructible and therefore perfect for harvesting. Chelios, with only a weakly powered artificial heart to work with, goes on a frantic search, stopping every so often to recharge. Along the way, he meets a number of ... interesting people. There's his old flame, Eve (Amy Smart), who now works as a stripper. There's a Chinese prostitute named Ria (Ling Bai), who clings to Chelios like a dog in heat and uses language that would make a sailor blush. There's Venus (Efren Ramirez), who's on a mission to avenge the death of his twin brother, Kaylo. Chelios has an occasional phone conversation with Doc Miles (Dwight Yoakam), who was once a heart surgeon before losing his license.

The movie is filled with unbelievable moments, but there are three in particular so priceless that I have to describe them. The first takes place at Hollywood Park, where a horse race is being held. Miles tells Chelios that, in a pinch, skin to skin friction will generate enough static electricity to keep his battery going. When Eve learns of this, she and Chelios begin creating their own "friction"--in the middle of the racing track to a cheering crowd of thousands. The second takes place in a power grid. Chelios and Vang start fighting, at which point the scene turns into a cheesy Asian monster movie, complete with unconvincing miniatures and makeup effects. The third is a strange flashback sequence revealing Chelios as a child (Billy Unger). He and his mother are on a talk show discussing why he became such a juvenile delinquent.

None of this has any real bearing on the story; they're nothing more than excuses for the movie to be ill-mannered and/or goofy. There are, of course, many other instances of these extremes, but they're all so over the top that I probably wouldn't be able to describe them anyway.

I leave it to you to see what happens at the end. Let it suffice to say that the shot before the end credits perfectly sums up everything the filmmakers set out to do. It would not be enough to say that this movie is bizarre; it's so outlandish that it pretty much defies the conventions of genre. Comparisons can be made to "Shoot `Em Up," Michael Davis' no-holds-barred, brilliantly original action film from 2007 that made use of stylized violence and a delightfully sick sense of humor. Both films also feature a British leading man. This leads me to why "Shoot `Em Up" is the more successful film: Clive Owen gave us a performance we hadn't seen him give before. Jason Statham, on the other hand, has starred almost exclusively in extreme action films, so there's very little he can do to surprise us.

Nevertheless, I'd be lying if I said that I didn't enjoy this movie, and it has everything to do with how far it goes. There's a difference between a movie that goes too far and a movie like "Crank: High Voltage"--the latter goes so far, it actually surpasses offensiveness and becomes entertaining. This is cinematic decadence at its most potent, an unbridled foray into the mind-numbing depths of action, comedy, and yes, even sex. One of the earliest cues is given by John de Lancie, who plays a TV anchorman; he describes the events of the first film as implausible. No, he doesn't just say the word. He pauses momentarily before accenting the word, as if to let the audience know that they're in store for yet another round of sheer lunacy. The writing/directing team of Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor could have made a tamer film, I suppose, but like Chev Chelios, they're hearts just weren't in it.

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High Voltage is essential for those that like their junk movies tasteless and baseless. I for one is pretty versatile when it comes to films and for those who know me can vouch for it. After I'd seen Crank 1 I couldn't wait to see Crank 2. It moves at such a frantic pace that you will probably miss a few things during the first viewing so I had to see it twice.

For those of you who don't know story wise, don't sweat it. It's just as bad as the previous installment. Voltage beings where the original ended with the Stath falling a mile from a helicopter and bouncing off a parked car dead presumably, but no because the Chinese warlord responsible for his original poisoned predicament has Staham's Chev Chelios scraped off the roadside and deposited in a makeshift surgical theatre where his heart, strong enough to survive the original film and so a desirable commodity for his wizened nemesis, is extracted and replaced with a battery powered stopgap designed to keep him alive and his organs fresh for transplantation. You'd be forgiven for losing the thread at this point but the movie is only 5 minutes old when Chelios thankfully regains consciousness and on Doctor's orders, begins a hunt for his real heart while subjecting himself to electric shocks to keep the temporary one functioning.

That, if you can believe it, is the setup, and you won't be shocked to learn that it's a fairly sober foundation for what follows. Shot on prosumer camcorders, Crank 2 is saturated in the promise of bargain basement vulgarity and doesn't disappoint. Edited with an eye for the absurd, it feverishly presses on across ninety monged out minutes in which guns are inserted into rectums, nipples sliced from torsos, fights segue into Godzilla style monsters battling against miniatures (with actors in caricatured masks of Statham and his enemy battling it out) and in the funniest sequence, Geri Halliwell appears in flashback as Mother Chelios, taking the young Chev to task on a talk show in which a few British cars and a reject from a mad max movie dressed as a British punk are dropped onto a Californian back lot for the least convincing but most enjoyable English flashback you've ever seen. Chelios may be a hard-line misogynist and causal racist, but there's something about the former Sydenham market trader that would make him likable. Jason Statham preforms brilliantly once again as Chev Chilos. But if you look closer to the film you will see cameo performance of Cory Haims(The Lost Boys) and David Carradine(Kill Bill).

Like I said if you can handle violence, blood, shootings, gratuitous nudity, foul and offensive language involving hilarious one liners from Jason Statham then give it a shot. It's a pure, mindless action taken beyond the extreme and I loved every minute of it.

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For those who have experienced problems playing Crank 2 on blu ray follow the instructions below.

Let's summarize what is required to get this title to play on profile 2.0 players with NO internal memory for BD Live.

1) You MUST install an SD card or USB stick. Which ever is required for your specific player

2) Internet connection is NOT required. Actually, it's preferred you disconnect the Ethernet cable from the player so there are no attempts to "call home"

3) When prompted to Updated, click NO. This allows you to bypass the EULA and quicker boot up since the player/title won't be searching an update.

As many of you I had troubles to play the movie on my Blu ray player but I did a search on the Internet to get a solution to my problem and I found the instructions from a guy on the Internet (Betamax75) the information is courtesy of Bluray.com

You don't need to upgrade your firmware just follow the instructions and the movie will play. In mi case I have a Sony BDP-S350. I installed the USB stick, put the disc on the player a let the disc to load and then the movie start working without a problem. I hope this can help you.

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The Legend of Drunken Master (1994)

In 1978, Jackie Chan's "Drunken Master" (or Jui Kuen) was an exciting film that is considered a classic and help popularize the drunken boxing style of martial arts which has been copied on various video games and other films. Over 16 years later, Chan returned for "Drunken Master II" (Jui Kuen II) which was not a direct sequel but followed the character with the same name, Wong Fei Hung.

For those not familiar with the name Wong Fei-hung (or Hong), the real man lived from 1847 through 1924 and was a master of the no-shadow kick, drunken boxing, the lion dance and Hung fist. The character has been explored in a number of films which include the Jet Li "Once Upon a Time in China" films and for Jackie Chan in the "Drunken Master" films

The film revolves around a man named Wong Fei Hung who travels with his father (a doctor) and a student named Tsao via train after obtaining more medicine to bring back home. But because they must pay duty fees for the items they bring with them, Wong would rather not pay for them (despite his father telling him to) and hides his items through one of the non-Chinese travelers luggage, hoping to retrieve it later on the train (the non-Chinese and the rich Chinese are separated in a luxury style train cabin away from the Chinese travelers who happen to be packed in like sardines.

But as Wong Fei Hung goes to retrieve the item, he discovers another man trying to take the item out of the luggage. We then see that the item the man takes, looks exactly like the item that Wong had. A fight ensues and the older man who is a Chinese loyalist named General Fu (Liu Chia-liang) manages to easily dodge and defend all of Wong's attacks and even calls Wong a traitor (which he has no idea why he is being called that).

Eventually, after the chaos ensues, Wong is able to retrieve the item but it appears that the old man accidentally took Wong's item (a ginseng root) and Wong took the item that the old man was trying to get, which appears to be an old Chinese ancient artifact and now the foreign traveler who own the luggage along with Chinese military are searching the whole train for it. Fortunately, a Counter Intelligence Officer (played by Andy Lau) manages to save Wong from being caught.

We learn that the artifact is part of Chinese traditional artifacts being taken by the British Consul and Chinese gangsters out of the country and now they are after Wong and want the artifact back.

Meanwhile, back at home, we get to see how Wong's stepmother (played by Anita Mui) tends to bail her stepsons from trouble but when those looking for the artifact steal from his mother's friend and even hit his mother in the face, Wong must used the forbidden fight of Drunken Boxing and also drinking alcohol which helps boost his attacks. But when he break his promise to his father, he learns a lesson by being beaten by his father and thrown out to the street when intoxicated, the Chinese gangsters beat him up to send a message that the want the artifact.

Will Wong be able to protect his family, his friends and even his land from the enemies without breaking his father's ultimatum of never to fight or get drunk again?

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"The Legend of the Drunken Master" is one of those releases that one will either love or really hate. First, let's discuss the picture quality. Picture quality is probably the best that this film has ever been seen. The High Definition 1080p (2:35:1) definitely brings out the film with much clarity but by no means is it perfect. You will see occasional dirt and scratches and there are some scenes where either there was change in camera lens but sometimes the film is not consistent at times. With that being said, fans of the film will definitely enjoy learning of how good the picture quality is and because the first version of this film that I owned was a VHS and then an uncut HK VCD, it's great to see the film with so much detail. But for those expecting the best from Blu-ray, you may not exactly be pleased but it is an upgrade from the original DVD release.

As for the audio quality, this is where things begin to look murky and it all depends on the viewer. Audio is provided in English 5.1 DTS-HD (48kHZ/24-bit) and French 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish 2.0 Dolby Digital. For the most part, lossless audio definitely shows major improvement during the action sequences and utilizes the surround channels. Meanwhile, the English voice dubbing can be understood but Jackie Chan's English voice over is sometimes hard to understand. But the biggest surprise is that there is no Cantonese/Mandarin audio track. So, for those who prefer to watch Asian films in their natural language will be upset to know that it was not included.

Second, it's important to let people know that this is the edited version of the film done back in 2000. The music was changed, the special effects were changed and the original ending had a significant scene cut out.

With that being said, for those who don't mind the English dub, were familiar with the 2000 DVD release and don't mind that the film was edited for the US, will definitely find the picture and audio quality to be much, much better than the original DVD release. The picture quality is shows quite a bit of detail and despite the film being made in 1994, there is no sign of excessive DNR (digital noise reduction), the film looks way better than it ever has. The audio is also much better than the previous DVD and there is a good use of the surround channels. But if you want the original Chinese audio, unfortunately, you will not find it on this release.

Subtitles are presented in English SDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"The Legend of Drunken Master" comes with the following special feature:

* Behind the Master: An Interview with Jackie Chan (6:35) Jackie Chan talks about how he always wanted the film to come out in the US and talks about the stunt choreography of the film.

JUDGMENT CALL:

"The Legend of Drunken Master" is absolutely vintage Jackie Chan at his very best. Jackie Chan is literally amazing to watch as the Smooth, fluid choreography is just outstanding and absolutely wonderful to watch in High Definition. But those battle sequences are just amazing to watch and the fight scenes, especially earlier in the film with Chinese loyalist General Fu (Liu Chia-liang) was just incredible.

Also, impressive was to see the latest Anita Mui (who was the equivalent to music artist Madonna in Hong Kong) and both she and Jackie Chan had awesome chemistry onscreen, even in this film despite Chan being much older than Anita, but everything seems to work quite well. As for Andy Lau's appearance, it was quite a short role. And for Shaw Brothers fans, you can catch the veteran Ti Lung playing Wong Kei-ying.

Again, I want to make it clear that this film has its best looking transfer to date on Blu-ray. Picture quality is very good but not great. But what it all comes down to is the viewer and what they want are expecting from this film.

For those wanting the 2000 English dubbed dialogue, you're going to get an awesome lossless track on Blu-ray as the film's lossless audio is utilizing the front, center and surround channels quite well during the action scenes.

But for those who have been waiting for the uncut release, let alone a release that would include the Cantonese or Mandarin audio, you're not going to get it on this Blu-ray release. And this is a major blow for those who have been hoping that with a Blu-ray release, they would be getting the version they have waited so long for. Even watching the final scene, a viewer is left wondering why it ends quite suddenly with no appearance from Jackie Chan but the truth is that Dimension cut that scene out (the original ending with Jackie Chan is a bit shocking but I'm not going to spoil it for you) because it was deemed in appropriate.

So, needless to say...it's going to be a love or hate release among fans. As a fan of the film, one can either wait and hope that an import uncut release of the film makes it to Blu-ray. Or perhaps maybe purchasing this latest release with the better picture quality, better lossless audio but for the most part only in English, French and Spanish (no Chinese audio dialogue) along with the revisions made back in 2000.

Personally, I want an uncut version with its original Chinese language (ala lossless audio) included and unfortunately, I didn't get it with this release. Otherwise, for those who don't mind the revisions or the English dub, this Blu-ray release of "The Legend of the Drunken Master" is the definitive version to own for now.

I know some of you will disagree and say that Bruce Lee's "Enter the Dragon", or Jet Li's "Fist of Legend" was the best ever made but I would have to disagree. While Bruce Lee was the best Martial Artist ever, his movies were average in regards to their fight choreography.No one could ever touch him in his films. The fight choreography in "Drunken Master 2" was incredible. It was realistic because there were almost no wire stunts involved and the fight scenes were fantastic. The fight scene with Jackie and Liu Chia Liang (Lau Kar Leung) in the beginning was pure poetry in motion. The final fight scene was fifteen minutes of pure adrenaline pumping action. Unique choreography makes this movie a classic. Unlike Jet Li's characterization of Wong Fei Hung, Jackie makes Fei Hung seem more human and vulnerable. Nobody could ever touch Jet Li in the "Once Upon a Time in China" series. Plus some of the moves just look so ridiculously fake. "Fist of Legend" is Jet's best movie because it isn't as fake and he actually has to fight hard to win. However, it is still only the second best film ever made. Not to criticize any other reviewer, but since when does the ability to do 540's and 720's and Butterfly kicks make a martial art film great? I have been involved in Martial Arts for over a 20 years and would love for someone to try to fight me using those kicks. While they look fancy in forms competition, they mean nothing in a real tournment fight and even less in a real street fight. This film is without a doubt the best Jackie Chan film ever and the best ever made. (At least until Jackie and Jet team up to do a film as has been rumored)

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Where to begin... It's difficult to put into words the disappointment I felt after watching the first few minutes of this US release of Drunken Master 2 (The Legend of Drunken Master).

Having seen the original movie on the big screen (and also being the proud owner of a VHS copy), I was looking forward to this release on DVD. Unfortunately, I feel this US release destroys what must be one of Jackie Chan's top 5 movies.

The translated dialogue is terrible. Not just the translations, but the voice actors they recruited sound like Chinese actors speaking bad English. If this was a real US release of the movie for US consumption, why not make the dialogue intelligible? As someone who speaks both Cantonese and English, I found the dialogue difficult to follow and just blatantly wrong. They rob the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) comedy which runs through the entire movie. If they couldn't get good script writers to translate it properly, at least they could have used people who spoke with an American accent. I would almost go as far to be insulted by the chop-soky English used in this release.

The soundtrack is also noticably absent. By robbing the fight scenes of their original score, they remove the excitement and drama from the entire movie. You may not always appreciate how much a soundtrack does for a movie, but this US release truly underscores this point.

Believe me, I wanted to like this movie. I was just so disappointed with what they had done to this movie.

I hope you do not buy this DVD. You should look for either the Hong Kong release of the VHS, Laserdisc, or DVD.

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This is completely ridiculous... I have been waiting TEN YEARS for a domestic release with the original cantonese and when they rerelease this CLASSIC they release the same horrid DUB. Why even bother to release this?

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This film has several formats. The VHS version from 1994 is the one you want to see! It is the perfect movie! It's also Jackie's perfect movie! This is a sequel, with 20 years between but Chan manages to look and act much younger. It is not difficult to accept him as being "young Wong Fei hung". The only connection between the two films is Jackie and drunken boxing. Ti Lung is his father and Anita Mui is "Mom" (actually Fei Hung's mother is dead). Anita darn near steals the show! This is a fantastic film! It is a period film, with unscrupulous people stealing as many Chinese treasures a possible. Chan accidentally gets involved in helping to stop the thefts and ends up taking on some major bad guys including Ken Lo in a steel factory. In my opinion the extended fight sequence is the absolute best, with

"Wheels On Meals" fight with Benny coming in a close second.

The final fight has Jackie battling a number of people before he squares off with Ken Lo. (Lo is a major talent in the kickboxing world and stands out as one of the best.) Jackie had some differences of opinion with the director and the final fight is designed by Jackie and it shows! It is powerful yet graceful..furious but with purpose. It is beyond excellent!

This film has something for everyone. In addition to Jackie's excellent fighting there are plenty of laughs, and more intricate plot than with many of his movies. There is a scene with Ti Lung and Chan that is poignant and feels very real. But it is the fight scene in the steel factory that will have you rewinding a dozen times. I have two MAJOR criticisms of the US release,primarily Disney's decision to throw out the the soundtrack and musical score! The music from the original is perfect and part of the whole feel of the film. There never was a valid explanation from Disney as to why they dumped the original score. Jackie dubbed his voice for Fei hung, but the dialogue is not the same! Some might be attributed to the difficulty in translation but in some scenes the dialouge has been radically changed. Disney also cut out the very end of the movie as they felt it was offensive. But that leads to an abrupt end to the film. I have no problem with cutting that scene though and it does not change the film.

One of my all time favorite movies! This one should not be missed!

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Just Married (2003)

I found this movie to have two distinct halves. I somehow did not find it funny when Ashton Kutcher pushed Brittany Murphy near the beginning of the film. Getting liquid all over her front was supposed to be slapstick, but I thought it was cruel and mean, even if they weren't getting along. Because of this beginning, I found it difficult to get into the movie initially.

Our story is an old one. Poor boy meets rich girl. The two fall in love. The families object. The two persist, and get married, and it turns out badly until the end of the movie; sort of like "Romeo and Juliet", only nobody dies, and it's funnier.

However, I didn't get my first laugh until about 22 minutes into the movie. I had to wait until about halfway through the movie before it started to get really funny. The movie was supposed to be funny before that, but the humor was flat. For example, Ashton Kutcher is plugging a sex toy into an electrical outlet. Of course the toy has a plug for 110 volts, and the European hotel they are in has 220 volts, the European standard. Ashton somehow believes he can get the plug in. His rather more experienced wife stands by while he jams the plug in and predictably causes all sorts of havoc.

Later the couple plows into a snow bank. Ashton throws a snow ball at a passing car that doesn't stop to help them. The old lady driving the car backs up and, again predictably, pushes their car over the edge while giving the two of them an obscene gesture (that part wasn't predictable).

While I found the first half of the movie predictable and funny only in places, the second half of the film picked up substantially. I finally identified with the characters, the movie became funny, and I thought the ending was touching.

This movie does one thing really well. Most movies about weddings and honeymoons try to paint a picture of how perfect everything is. This movie shows a honeymoon disaster. Further, it shows how two people who truly are in love with each other can find how truly difficult life can be when things go wrong.

If you like light romantic comedy, this movie may be for you. You may find more humor in the first half than I did. If so, the second half will be an absolute riot. The ending touched me. Worthy of watching at least once.

This movie was a surprise hit with me.

I found it to be very very funny, and Brittany Murphy's laughter in the film is extremely infectious.

Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy were such a great pair.

The extras were pretty average, but the commentary was really inspiring and fun. The film gets 3 stars, but the great DVD commentary gives it major bonus points, equalling 4 stars overall.

Have fun checking it out.

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I was completely surprised to read so many bad reviews about this movie. It's high up on my list of favorite movies. It makes me laugh every time I see it, and it has some incredibly romantic, touching moments. Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy did a fantastic job of portraying newlyweds. I adore this movie and hope people will read this and think about buying it.

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Alot of people see Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy and they write Just Married off as another silly teen movie made for the MTV crowd. Think again. From start to finish Just Married shows the trials and tribulations a young couple face when they fall in love too quickly and become impulsive.

The movie starts out after the honeymoon when Kutcher and Murphy are at eachother's throats wanting a divorce. They can't stand to be together, but can they bare to be apart? The movie then begins to unfold when a lonely and miserable Kutcher tells how it all started.

At first, you believe the whole movie will be shown through flashbacks and his memories, but that's not the case. Soon he starts at the beginning and that's where we watch these two people fall so madly in love. To say much else would give the movie away. So I'll shut up and just say what I liked about it.

From their first kiss to their wedding and even into their honeymoon, Kutcher and Murphy bring realism and charisma to their characters all while exuding a rare chemistry on screen that many romantic comedies lack.

The couple have the typical problems: their in-laws fight, they have different ideas about how to spend their free time and jealousy from past lovers ensue.

They also have their not so typical problems: getting married and realizing they don't know who the other person is or what they want out of life and eachother.

He just wanted a buddy, someone to give his empty life meaning, but he's too clueless and hard headed to fight for love. She wants a dream man, someone to sweep her off her feet and prove her rich, over bearing daddy wrong, but her spoiled past makes her not so willing to fight when times get tough.

Will the couple survive and have a happy ending? Before you say of course they will, watch the movie and see for yourself how this original love story unfolds.

Sometimes the most exciting thing about love is also the scariest: No one said love lasts forever.

This movie goes with this notion and fills in all the blanks with alot of funny jokes and zany mishaps the honeymooners find themselves in.

I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who wants to laugh, cry or remember what its like to fall in love. An excellant movie!

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A happy young couple, Sarah (Brittany Murphy) and Tom (Ashton Kutcher) marry against the wishes of Sarah's friends and family and go to Europe for their Honeymoon. Unfortunately for them, Sarah's parents send Sarah's ex-boyfriend Peter (Christian Kane) to break up the happy marriage.

The European honeymoon is entertaining. They happy couple spend a night in snow drift, and another night blowing electrical circuits in a castle (5 star hotel) and being ejected. Desperate to find lodging they spend a night in a cockroach infested Venice pension and a night fighting in a classy Venice hotel. As a final treat they spend a night in jail.

This movie has lots of slapstick comedy, but social lessons as well. Tom demonstrates why a man needs to avoid getting his ego in the way of his actions when he blows hotel circuits, insults a hotel manager and gets kicked out of a five star resort Sarah demonstrates why some secrets must be told and others withheld and why guilt gets in the way of starting a marriage. Both learn that love can conquer a lot of trouble if you allow the love to work.

Just Married is a comedy worth viewing. It is an above average film that can tickle your funny bone. I recommend it for a good laugh.

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You Me & Dupree

YOU, ME AND DUPREE is a formula film, a template designed for teenage guys who feel the need for potty mouth, noisy, crude guy things movies. There have been a lot of these films of late (all spinoffs of The Wedding Crasher image) and one wonders if there is a saturation point.

Relating the story is rather pointless as it is a one-line joke (?). Dupree (Owen Wilson playing Owen Wilson) is the best man at his buddy Matt Dillon's wedding to Kate Hudson (the You and Me) and subsequently moves in with them, causing all manner of mayhem and bad taste and faux pas and grim situations (think toilet problems etc). And that is it. Michael Douglas was brought in to play a flat role as Kate Hudson's father who objects to her marriage blah blah blah. Ask directors Anthony and Joe Russo for the rest.

We know that Hudson, Dillon and Douglas have much better roles to offer (Wilson seems to have found his niche), and the only reason films like this keep getting made is because they make money (for some reason) at the box office. The film is silly, tacky, tired and should only be rented if the shelves in the video store are otherwise empty... Grady Harp, November 06

familiar story (cf Down and Out in Beverly Hills), some shouting and falling over, masturbation jokes you know the drill. Tiresome after a while, but the wife sorta liked it after a hard day with the kids....

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Owen Wilson you were good in Behind Enemy Lines, so less of this boring shaggy guy thing would be nice....

Buy You Me & Dupree Now

What can you say about a movie like "You, Me, And Dupree?" Your first response might be, "Man, haven't I seen this movie before?" That's how familiar this buddy comedy will seem, it covers no new territory. It's not a terrible film and it has some enjoyable elements, it just lacks a creativity and spontaneity that might have branded it as compelling entertainment. As is, it's a slight and reasonably pleasant way to waste a couple of hours. You might not remember anything about it in a week, but you might get limited enjoyment in the now.

The story revolves around two college buddies. Matt Dillon, the responsible friend, has recently married Kate Hudson, gone to work for her dad (Michael Douglas), and is trying to make a place in the "grown-up" world. Owen Wilson plays the resident "Man-child," a buffoon who shirks responsibility and lives in a carefree (and hopeless) state. Conveniently, Wilson loses his place to live and so must move in with the newlyweds. Juxtaposing Wilson's antics with Hudson's stability is the comedic center of the film, and the two battle for the attentions of Dillon. Nothing new, huh? Wilson is an engaging performer, and talented, but we have seen him (and dozens of others) play this exact character time and time again. When did it become OK to continually represent 30-somethings as drifting losers? (I don't know anyone like this. Right out of college, sure--but 15 years later, not so much). But he is likable, and Hudson and Dillon are likable too. It's all so likable, if not riotously funny.

I actually found most of "Dupree" to be a pleasant, if extremely familiar, diversion. Having no ambitions whatsoever, the picture plays out as a genial poke at friendship and responsibility. The performers carry the mundane story, and it unfolds as a comfortable and watchable TV sitcom plot might. However, inexplicably, this mildly amusing endeavor goes way, way over-the top for its finale. Shifting in tone, and for reasons unnecessary to delineate, the last act of "Dupree" involves Douglas as a corporate villain (a lightweight Gordon Gecko, if you will) and our pair of heroes breaking into his offices. Turning things into an action comedy seems at odds with the rest of the picture, and the shift in tone does not serve the film well. Nothing about this conclusion is necessary or amusing.

Ultimately, "Dupree" is what "Dupree" is--a paint by numbers comedy. Instantly recognizable, there are aspects of so many other films working here--and instantly forgettable. I don't regret watching "Dupree" and I don't hate it. It's just so unassuming, it hard to generate much passion either way. KGHarris, 01/07.

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It seems like this film is too much like other "over the top" comedies trying to hard to make you laugh. To make matters worse, all of the best scenes in this movie are seen in the previews/trailers, which annoyed me! Previews/trailers are meant to give you a quick taste of the movie & create desire for you to see the movie, NOT show all the best scenes in the movie!!

Owen Wilson is the best part of this movie! He is a very witty actor and does a great job in this role. Unfortunately, Owen Wilson is getting too type cast/stereotyped by playing the same type of goofy, comedic characters he always does. I wish he'd branch out and try some new roles! His role in this film is the same type of character seen in "Zoolander", "Meet the Parents", "Wedding Crashers", "Shanghai Noon" and "Shanghai Knights", all of which were better films in my opinion!!

Alrighty then.... Matt Dillon plays a man with no backbone, who ends up marrying the daughter of a wealthy land developer, who just happens to be his boss! His new father-in-law, played by Michael Douglas, can't stand his new son-in-law and does everything he can to emasculate his new son-in-law and destroy the their new marriage.

Too top things off, Owen Wilson plays Matt Dillon's best friend in the movie. Wilson's character is a single, unemployed, well-meaning loser who ends up moving in with the newlyweds and completely disrupting their home and lifestyle.

Kate Hudson, plays Matt Dillon's wife in the movie who has a love/hate relationship with Wilson's character. She hates him in the beginning and loves him in the end, which seems so unbelievable!

The storyline is lacking anything resembling real life! All of the characters (with the exception of Owen Wilson's character) are so one dimensional it is pathetic!

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With such a talented and likeable cast, I was hoping for more from this movie. Aside from the 3 stars, you also have Michael Douglas making a signifigant contribution to the film. He plays Hudson's father well, but the part is not written well. Hudson and Dillon mostly play things straight, which would be great if Wilson was being completely zainy. But Wilson is not really over the top as a boy trapped in a man's body, so the film sort of sputters along without any really big laughs. It tries to be sweet and amusing, but it fails more times than not. I would rent this one before considering a buy.

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Police Story (1985)

I first saw Police Story back in 1989 on VHS. I loved it and thought it was a riot. The fight scenes were great and I just couldn't believe the things Jackie Chan would do to put action on the screen. That is what makes his movies so great. You see the action and amazing stunts and you KNOW that is Jackie doing it, not some stunt double and since he's doing it, it's not that unbelievable. Plus, he knows how to be funny on screen and it works so well with everything going on. His fighting style is not some fancy martial arts. Like Jackie says, it's street fighting and unlike other heroes, Jackie gets so beat up and yet he still gets up and makes you cheer for the good guy.

Now, with this DVD release, you get the movie the way it was. The VHS was at 90 minutes. This version is at 101 minutes which means there were some added scenes which I can't remember for the life of me. It's been so long since I saw the VHS version that I don't know what scenes were put back in.

You can watch it in the English dubbed voices in 5.1, in the original Cantonese in 5.1 or the original Cantonese in mono. Personally, I love it in the Cantonese language because when they dub to American, they try to change the dialog a bit to fit the lip movement. With the Cantonese track, you get to feel the real emotions that the actors used in the scene. Also, unlike his later films, Jackie did NOT dub his own voice in here on the English track.

You would think that is where it would end with this, but no. There is so much more here than the movie.

First off, you have commentary by Rush Hour director Brett Ratner and Asian Film Expert Bey Logan. It's too bad Jackie didn't lend his comments as well. I would have loved that. However, you do get a conversation with Jackie Chan that lasts about 10 minutes where he goes over the stunt work, how he likes to do his own stunts, etc. It is especially interesting to know that they didn't have the budget to rehearse various stunt scenes, so they did them usually in one take. This resulted in some serious injuries, especially with the bus scene. It's amazing to hear how some people came close to death making this film, but when you watch the film, you can see why.

There is also a 35-minute feature where they speak with the people of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team (Sing Ga Ban). Here, many members of this team talk about what everyone's role was, how great it was to work with Jackie, etc. A VERY interesting retrospective on Jackie and his work ethic.

There is also a 6 minute feature that is a tribute to Jackie Chan with Brett Ratner talking about how this movie is so great.

Along with all of this, you also get various deleted scenes, alternate opening and ending as well as a deleted scenes montage that shows some scenes wrapped in between the released scenes so you can see where they would have fit in.

If you've never seen a Jackie Chan film before (what rock have you been under if you haven't?), then see this one first. The stunt work and action is raw and in real time. No wires, no digital enhancements, just pure, raw stunt work caught on film in real time.

Excellent DVD release and it's about time!

Finally its on dvd, and long overdue one of the best Jackie Chan movies ever made. Police Story is classic Chan at its best, including terrific action and great Chan humor. Jackie Chan plays "Kevin Chan", and is a one man army in this action blast.

After capturing a criminal drug lord in an explosive action-packed beginning sequence, the movie only begins to take off, as Chan constantly fights off goon after goon wherever he goes to protect a witness to the criminal. The drug lord only frames Chan for killing another cop, result, Chan becomes one angry and determined man to take matters on his own hands to capture the guy once and for all, who had escaped his first capture swiftly thanks to his ridiculous lawyer at the hearing.

The action is constant from beginning to end, and where there isn't Chan fighting and action, there is the comedy and humor, resulting in great pacing overall. The real treat of Poilce Story is the final fight in the shopping mall, where fist fly, glass breaks everywhere, motorcycles run, and Chan performs an outrageous stunt that is shown 3 times from different angles during the movie sliding down a multi-story string of lights and crashing into a glass house. Simply amazing and one of his best known stunts ever.

Poilce Story is a must for the heart of any Jackie Chan collection, and now that its on dvd you can experience this much deserved movie in better than VHS quality. Thank God Poilce Story 2 is to be released soon too, another excellent Chan flick!

Buy Police Story (1985) Now

Jackie Chan worked on the violent action movie The Protector in 1985. The film was a critical and commercial flop. Chan did not get along with director James Glickenhaus. In Hong Kong, Chan re-edited and re-shot scenes for the Hong Kong version of The Protector, but the movie was still a failure. Chan took matters into his own hands by directing and starring in Police Story(1985). He plays Chan Ka Kui. In the English dubbed versions, he's known as "Kevin Chan" in the UK English dub and "Jackie Chan" in the US New Line Cinema version released on VHS. Chan plays a Hong Kong police officer who tries to put crooked businessman Tom Koo/Chu To(Chor Yuen) in jail. Chu To frames Officer Chan for murder and he must find a way to prove that he's innocent. A young Maggie Cheung plays Chan's on screen girlfriend May. In Hong Kong, Police Story is known as Ging Chat Goo Si. The HK version is longer than the US cut and the Japanese version has more key scenes.

After my high school graduation, I didn't go to sober grad or a party. I stayed at home, ate cake and pizza and watched Jackie Chan movies. Chan and his stunt team put some real elbow grease into their work. We get to see Jackie Chan kick and punch people and fly through glass! We see stuntmen fall three stories and crash into furniture. Brigette Lin plays a woman who tries to help Officer Chan prove his innocence. Bill Tung became a regular in Jackie Chan movies around this time.

Police Story isn't perfect. There's a gag in a court room that has a cheap payoff! Chan throws in some slapstick humor to take the edge off the story. May hits Chan in the face with a birthday cake after getting angry! The action scene where cars drive through a dumpy town was used again in Bad Boys II(2003). The scene where a bad guy flies through a windshield was referenced in Tango and Cash(1989). Police Story(1985) is still one of my favorite Jackie Chan movies.

Read Best Reviews of Police Story (1985) Here

I have to say that I vastly prefer Jackie Chan's work during the '70s and '80s, and I prefer his Asian movies to his Hollywood movies (although RUMBLE IN THE BRONX is pretty good). Jackie Chan has so many awesome action flicks under his belt I don't know that I can say for certain that POLICE STORY is his very best film. But if it isn't his best, it's absolutely right up there with the ARMOUR OF GOD and DRUNKEN MASTER thrillers and THE YOUNG MASTER (I don't know that THE YOUNG MASTER is actually considered among his best, but it's certainly one of my favorites). Directed and starred by Jackie, POLICE STORY is entirely his vision and one perfect instance in which all the elements that constitute a Jackie Chan picture combine to form this incredible synergy. After a bad experience in Hollywood (cough*theprotector*cough) Jackie went back to Hong Kong and decided to show the world something new in the genre of police drama. If I were to suggest a Jackie Chan film to someone who had never seen a Jackie Chan film, this is the one.

Jackie and gritty rarely go together, but there's a definite Dirty Harry vibe in POLICE STORY, what with Chan Ka Kui (Jackie) fighting not only drug kingpins but also police corruption. I had never seen a more edgy Jackie, and, yes, I understand the film is peppered with his trademark comedic bits. But he commits such intensity into the no-holds-barred action sequences that I'm blown away every time I see them. You can feel the impact whenever Jackie or his opponents absorb vicious blows or slam into unforgiving surfaces. This is Jackie Chan in his absolute prime, way back in 1985. I see his more recent efforts nowadays and I note how the guy has slowed down, and there's this bittersweet taste.

POLICE STORY, in my eyes, presents some of the most electrifying fight scenes and certainly the biggest stunts I've ever seen Jackie do. Plenty of jawdropping action set pieces, but there are two absolute standouts: that crazy insane car chase down thru the hillside shanty town and then the brutal extended fight sequence in the shopping mall in which Jackie uses anything and everything he can get his hands on to pummel a grip of goons. The mall sequence climaxes with Jackie's amazing slide down an electrified pole. The fast and furious nighttime skirmish with Jackie battling thugs in the street where he's hurtling in and out of vehicles that's not too shabby, either. Just another demonstration of precision and pinpoint timing between Jackie and his trusty stunt men. But, man, I wonder how many cars Jackie demolished in this one?

Humor is a constant in a Jackie Chan film, to the extent that sometimes I can't help but groan. But, here, the humor provides a stabilizing element against all the intense segments. POLICE STORY comes up with good gags, mostly involving the nonexistent romantic triangle of Jackie, Jackie's long-suffering girlfriend Maggie Cheung, and Brigitte Lin, the key witness whom Jackie is protecting. I always laugh when the film arrives at the courtroom scene. It starts out as this oh-so-dramatic event until, suddenly, it degenerates into an episode of Three's Company. For those who enjoy broad schtick, there are also moments in which pies and cakes are catapulted into people's faces.

What I gots is the Special Collector's Edition DVD and its special features are very solid, even though one deleted scene presents even more pies in the face:

Director Brett Ratner and Asian Film Expert Bey Logan's informative audio commentary

Five "Rare Deleted Scenes" (total running time 00:16:25 minutes): 1)an extended opening with new stuff including an office surprise birthday party and Chan Ka Kui apparently having just been newly assigned to this police department; 2)a brief press conference introduction; 3) an extended ending with alternate outtakes; 4) montage of very brief deleted shots shown in continuity within the official footage; and 5) outtakes without the closing credits which means that the blooper footage now fills up the screen

"A Conversation with Jackie Chan" (00:10:22 minutes) Jackie reveals fascinating behind-the-scenes stuff about the making of POLICE STORY. One tidbit we learn is that, at the end of that double-decker bus sequence, the two stunt men on the second tier of the bus were supposed to crash thru the window and land on the car instead of smashing onto the asphalt road. Also, we learn that one of the stunt men went missing somewhen during the crazy drive down thru the hillside shanty town. Jackie also talks about his concerns regarding that death-defying slide down that electrified seven-stories-high pole in the mall

"A Tribute to Jackie Chan by Brett Ratner and Bey Logan" (00:06:14 minutes) these two guys talk about Jackie and POLICE STORY and the film's impact

"Stunts Unlimited": A retrospective with interviews of members of the celebrated Jackie Chan stunt team, and they reflect on their stunts in POLICE STORY (00:34:07 minutes, with English sub-titles)

the original Hong Kong theatrical trailer and the U.S. promotional trailer for POLICE STORY, as well as the promotional trailer for KILL ZONE

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By general consensus, Jackie Chan has made two very great movies above others: The Legend of Drunken Master and "Police Story" here. "Drunken Master" is a straight kung fu film while "Police Story" is more of a balanced action movie, incorporating gunfights and car chases with the martial arts. On the whole, I like "Master" more because its story is easier to follow and it has fewer pauses between fight scenes, but "Police Story" is no slouch, either. While it does drag a bit in the middle, the film is a myriad of death-defying stunts and physical comedy, and its ability to almost perfectly balance the two is what has made it so unforgettable for a lot of folks.

The story: Ka Kaui (Chan) is a Hong Kong policeman-turned-hero after he single-handedly captures a notorious druglord (Chor Yuen, Twin Dragons), but in midst of protecting the key witness to the gangster's trial (Brigette Lin, Chungking Express) and trying to keep his girlfriend (Maggie Cheung, In the Mood for Love) from leaving him, he is framed for the murder of another cop and needs to clear his name without getting arrested or killed.

The plotline is one of the two major issues I have with the film: I suppose that someone well-versed in Hong Kong cinema or proficient in Cantonese/translated subtitles would have less of an issue understanding what's going on, but I needed to read a synopsis to clarify some of the things that happened in the complicated second half of the movie. My other beef lies with the amount of time that passes without any action scenes: rest assured, there is no shortage of thrills involved, overall, but since I find it difficult to appreciate the acting content, I felt myself losing attention more than once during the ongoing dialogue scenes. Of course, not all the performances baffle me: Chan speaks a universal language with physical comedy. As far as I'm concerned, he has surpassed his idol, Buster Keaton, in how to make people laugh via body language and has perfected the art of "funny face" and taking a fall. This is especially well on display when his on-screen girlfriend assaults him with his own birthday cake upon assuming infidelity. Gold.

Still, it's the film's award-winning action content that makes it stand out, and as much as I could go on about it, nothing I write can come close to expressing my amazement at how well it has been done. For starters, the martial arts scenes are not quite as technically-accurate as Chan would develop them in the future, but nonetheless amazingly choreographed and well within Chan's top-ten list. There are about three big ones of varying lengths, but the final one-against-many brawl in the shopping mall is as beautiful and brutal as one can hope for. Of course, no matter how very good these hand-to-hand encounters are, the definite highpoints of the picture are the stunt scenes. Since there are too many cool instances to name individually, let me highlight the most breathtaking ones: 1) Jackie and the villains drive three cars downhill through a shanty village, destroying literally dozens of scrap metal and straw shacks in their way, 2) Jackie uses an umbrella to haphazardly hang onto the side of a speeding bus, 3) the near-entirety of the shopping mall fight, culminating in Chan's legendary leap onto an electric lighting structure, down which he slides a legitimate seventy-five feet before crashing through a glass ceiling. In a word, astonishing.

So, is it my favorite Chan flick? no. Is it awesome anyway? without a doubt. Should you buy the Dragon Dynasty release with a host of cool and exclusive special features? of course, silly.

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Blazing Saddles (2006)

"...of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives." Thus spoke Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman), the State Procurer, Attorney General and Assistant to the Governor as he plotted against the residents of Rock Ridge in Mel Brooks' hilarious western spoof "Blazing Saddles", which was first released to theaters in 1974. With the meager budget of only $2.6-million, the film grossed over $119.5-million, making it the highest grossing western of all time until the release of "Dances with Wolves" in 1990, which grossed over $184-million. The success of "Blazing Saddles" is attributable in large part to the superb direction and writing (in conjunction with several other writers) of Mel Brooks, who (of course) also acted in the film in three separate roles: as Gov. William J. LePetomaine, an Indian chief and a World War I aviator. Equally important are the many very talented comedic actors who brought the film to life.

The plot of "Blazing Saddles", as I eluded to in my review opening, takes place primarily in the fictional old-west town of Rock Ridge, whose residents seemingly all have the same last name and who have been mercilessly besieged by a group of thugs who are lead by a man named Taggart (Slim Pickens, 1919-1983). After the thugs kill the sheriff of Rock Ridge, the residents send an urgent plea to Gov. LePetomaine to immediately appoint a new sheriff. Gov. LePetomaine delegates the appointment to his assistant Hedley Lamarr, whose nefarious secret agenda is the destruction of Rock Ridge to make way for a new railroad line. Lamarr devises what he believes will be the final, unconscionable inducement to the residents of Rock Ridge for them to vacate: the appointment of a black sheriff, Black Bart (Cleavon Little, 1939-1992). Most of the residents of Rock Ridge are aghast when Sheriff Bart rides into town. However, he quickly acquires a sidekick in Jim 'The Waco Kid' (Gene Wilder) and some unsolicited attentions from the heavily accented visiting stage performer Lili Von Shtupp (Madeline Kahn, 1942-1999), whose passions include the consumption of schnitzengruben. The story continues to entertain as it builds to a climax that only the twisted comedic genius of Mel Brooks could devise. Also, in classic Mel Brooks fashion, the film includes several musical interludes that include the film's title song (sung by Frankie Laine), "The Ballad of Rock Ridge", "I'm Tired" (sung by Madeline Kahn), "The French Mistake" and "April in Paris". Other memorable characters include Olson Johnson (David Huddleston), Rev. Johnson (Liam Dunn, 1916-1976), Mongo (Alex Karras in his first big-screen role), Howard Johnson (John Hillerman), Van Johnson (George Furth), Gabby Johnson (Jack Starrett, 1936-1989), Harriett Johnson (Carol DeLuise, a.k.a. Carol Arthur), Dr. Sam Johnson (Richard Collier, 1919-2000), Buddy Bizarre (Dom DeLuise) and a cameo by Count Basie (1904-1984). There were also several brief uncredited appearances by Anne Bancroft, Gilda Radner (1946-1989) and Rodney Allen Rippy who played Bart at age 5.

Overall, I rate "Blazing Saddles" with a resounding 5 out of 5 stars. It is a hysterically funny film that I can highly recommend to everyone. Though none of Mel Brooks' other films were as financially successful as "Blazing Saddles", many are noteworthy of mention, including "The Producers" (1968), "Young Frankenstein" (1974), "High Anxiety" (1978), "The History of the World, Part 1" (1981) and "Spaceballs" (1987).

Blazing Saddles is one of the great comedies of all time. Unfortunately, it's likely that no major studio today would release it. South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, Something About Mary and American Pie (all hilarious movies which I would highly recommend, by the way) contain toilet humor that makes Mel Brooks at his most graphic seem like a Disney movie in comparison. However, today's politically correct Hollywood would be horrified with a comedy that uses racial epithets left and right, worrying about the backlash that subject matter would cause.

This is too bad because Blazing Saddles shows that such language, given the right context, can actually combat bigotry by showing how stupid it really is. Cleavon Little, as Sheriff Bart, and Gene Wilder, as The Waco Kid, are presented as islands of sanity in a sea of ignorant, racist townspeople. The 'n' word is thrown out repeatedly, but is intended as an insult to the people who say it rather than a slur against blacks. Mel Brooks, a very liberal Democrat, recognized that racism is offensive and nasty in nature and showed it in its true light in Blazing Saddles. As a result, the film does more to ridicule racism and bigotry than most serious "message films" on the same subject ever could.

Unfortunately, the corporate suits who now run the big studios are more worried about image and profits than producing quality movies. As long as a film offends as few people as possible and appeals to as many members of the general public as possible (preferably between the ages of 18 and 35), the executives like it -even if the film has no originality or artistic merit at all. As a result, films like Blazing Saddles and TV shows like All in the Family are taboo these days. Hollywood has lost a lot of daring and courage since 1974. See Blazing Saddles and you will realize just how much.

Buy Blazing Saddles (2006) Now

Yes, I am an early adopter and this was the second HD-DVD I purchased. I show this to my friends, including those with HDTV from either cable or a dish, and they are VERY impressed. This movie looks fantastic. The colors are spot on and the level of sharpness is top notch. This release showcases an excellent video transfer of this movie. Regardless of whether or not Mel's humor is to your liking, this is one of the finest HD DVDs currently on the market

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It is one of those comedies that you either like or hate. I liked it, I think that too many people take themselves so seriously. Blazing saddles gives a relief to that narrow type of outlook. I think that if you just accept it as a comedy, and don't try to make it more than it is. It's a comedy, and plain and simple a very good one. It a parody on everything that people look for to take an issue on. Lighten up ,and just enjoy.

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This was definitely Mel Brook's crowning achievement. Unfortunately you could never release a movie like this today in our "politically correct" environment. Although Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder were terrific (these are common-clave people. You know, MORONS!), it is the supporting cast that truly made this the all-time classic it is today. Slim Pickens first line in the movie is unforgettable, Harvey Korman's hilarious bad guy (that's HEDLEY!), Madeline Kahn's deadpan impersonation of Marlene Dietrich, and Alex Karras as dimwitted Mongo all contribute to the nonstop hijinks. All are hilarious and each of them steals the show at some point in the film. That part where Mongo punches out the horse is a classic clip. One terrific character in the film not mentioned in other reviews here is frontier gibberish-uttering Gabby Johnson, a dead-on spoof of Gabby Hayes, who appeared in pretty much every Western film from the turn of the last century up through the Roy Rogers era. But the true gift of this film is that every kind of humor is used, from subtle situational humor to in-your-face slapstick comedy. Truly a funny movie that is appreciated by several generations today and will continue to be so in the future.

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