PUNISHER: WARZONE
Lexi Alexander - 2008
Is Punisher:Warzone a gory cartoon spoof or a kickass vigilante wet dream? The filmmakers tried to have it both ways and, IMO, failed. Campy moments jar uncomfortably with scenes of extreme sadism and clumsy attempts at poignancy.
The actor playing Jigsaw seems to be channeling Jack Nicholson's Joker; a bad choice, but it's not what ultimately derails the character as villain. Jigsaw and his brother are despicable creatures we want to see dead, but they are never credible threats to someone who routinely plows through heavily-armed goon armies with ease. The Punisher's "weaknesses" are his outlaw status and his rigid morality, and Jigsaw was in a position to exploit both points. But having the NYPD work hand-in-glove with Castle neuters the former and the villains didn't hit upon the latter until the very end, far too late to establish any tension.
Good points? Castle's flashbacks and the supporting cast will please fans whose main criteria is adherence to the comics. Colin Salmon is always watchable and manages to keep his dignity in a role that is little more than Castle's punching bag. And I'm pretty sure the over-the-top gore will excite the Punisher's core audience.
But goddamn, Julie Benz has wasted away since Angel. I guess that's what it takes to get roles these days - actresses are required to be as nearly two-dimensional as the characters they play.
THE BATTLE WIZARDPao Hsueh-Li - 1977
I have a fondness for loopy movies, and I now have a new favorite.
Based on Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, a sprawling wu xia novel by the legendary Jin Yong, The Battle Wizard tells the story of a young prince who masters kung fu without really trying. If I say the movie is fast-paced, it'd be a bit of an understatement. Clocking in at just over 72 minutes, The Battle Wizard careens from plot twist to bloody fight and back again without pausing for breath. And whenever things look like they're settling down, you're hit with a new "WTF?" moment. I don't want to ruin too much for potential viewers, but there's a chicken-footed villain whose lust for vengeance is surpassed only by his desire to control a really tough gorilla, and a love interest who throws flesh-burrowing snakes at people she doesn't like. Oh, and the deadly plastic bone! Fans of Kung Fu Colt Master and Super Inframan will want to give The Battle Wizard a try.
THE MAN FROM HONG KONG
Brian Trenchard-Smith - 1975
Jimmy Wang Yu plays a brutal Hong Kong cop who comes to Sydney to extradite an HK drug smuggler (played by Sammo Hung). When his prisoner is assassinated, Wang decides to take on the local drug kingpin responsible for the hit.
Man From HK is no classic and drags a bit at first, but once it gets going it really doesn't stop. There's car chase, foot chases, big explosions, bloody fights, and countless kicks to the crotch. In his commentary track, writer/director/producer Brian Trenchard-Smith swears the whole thing was meant tongue-in-cheek; when a romantic montage kicks off with, "Have you healed enough to make love?", you have to hope he's telling the truth.
Sammo also does the fight choreography, and while it's not his best work, one has to remember he was working with Wang Yu and a crew of mostly Aussie stuntmen. (Though they all scream "ah-yah" like HK stuntmen when they get hit, for some reason.) The final duel between George Lazenby and Wang is a standout, however, with Lazenby showing off some decent moves and even performing an outrageous fire stunt himself. The Aussies do shine when performing the non-fight stunts, including a pretty rousing car chase and a hang-gliding romp high above Sydney Harbour.
It's all very Seventies - even the car seat belts are wide. The villain's office is decorated in Early Eyesore, and one of Wang's police liaisons looks and dresses like an oversize hobbit. When Wang isn't ripping throats out, he's driving muscle cars and knocking boots with local gals. (I'm pretty sure he had a good time making this film.) Oh, and the theme song is "Sky High" by Jigsaw! I was giddy to learn that this AM staple from my yoot was commissioned especially for the film!
As mentioned in my post on Wang Yu, I had ordered the Australian DVD of Man From HK. The 2-disc set from Madman Entertainment has some nice extras, the most interesting of which is Kung Fu Killers, an Australian TV documentary also by Trenchard-Smith. Killers follows stuntman Grant Page around Sydney, Hong Kong, and Macau as he learns about martial arts and kung fu filmmaking. There's lots of footage from Wang Yu and Bruce Lee films (including scenes with "Harlem Globetrotter Raoul Jabbar"), and interviews with George Lazenby on the set of Stoner and Stuart Whitman on location for Shatter. Carter "Maybe I Can Herp You" Wong and Angela Mao (who looks far cuter in "modern" hair and wardrobe than she ever did in her movies) also turn up. There's even a talk with a professional voice dubber! The grand finale has Page doing a rope stunt off the side of a mountain.
The anamorphic R4 DVD is definitely worth picking up if you're interested in this film. I'm now jonesing for similar quality releases of Stoner and Beach of the War Gods.
Coming this fall - Law & Order: The Shire
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