Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)

Darth Vader vs Obi Wan Kenobi: 2/5




Ok so the lightsaber fight is nothing to write home about. But, this is an all time classic movie. And no one reading this is unaware of that. Go watch it, it's great.

The Clash a.k.a. Bẫy Rồng (2009)

Opening sword fight: 1.5/5


Gang Fight: 3.5/5


Phoenix/Tiger vs French Gangsters: 3.75/5


Woods fight: 3.75/5


Tiger vs Hac Long: 2.75/5


End Fight: 4.25/5




I enjoyed this film. The same two leads as The Rebel. Johnny Nguyen is great as usual. Ngo Thanh Van has improved. She was great in The Rebel and she's even better here. I also like her with the short hair, but that's a personal preference.

The opening fight is more of a violence vignette. After that, all of the fights are very good. And, as it should be, the finale was the best part. Really great exchanges, storytelling and intensity. Recommended. 

Vengeance Of An Assassin (2014)

Soccer game: 3.25/5


Warehouse Fight: 3.25/5


Dr. Si Foo vs Assassins: 3.75/5


Garage/Train fight: 3.5/5


Than vs Assassins: 3.75/5


Than vs Pod: 2.75/5



Man, this was disappointing. Well, since this was Panna Rittikrai's last film (as a director) let's start with the positives. The best action scene in the movie isn't rated here by me because it's a shootout. Dan Chupong shoots his way through bad guys through a 4 minute long take with machine guns, grenades and explosions galore. You might be wondering, does Dan Chupong dual wield machine guns through the whole scene? The answer is yes. 

The choreography in the hand to hand action is on point. Panna was a true master at that. Very dynamic stuff, and Nantawooti Boonrapsap outperforms Chupong in that regard. 

The best fight in the whole movie is when the old Chinese Doctor beats up a bunch of henchmen. The henchmen walk into a dark room. The lights turn on, and the old man appears in the middle of them all, and proceeds to punch, kick and palm strike them all to unconsciousness. Save for one guy who runs away. Then the lights go out again, and the old man disappears. Like a kung fu Undertaker. That was awesome. 

Ok, now to the bad stuff. This movie is very fragmented. It doesn't make a lot of sense. A lot of character motivations are nonexistent and each character lacks depth. They're mostly a bunch of archetypes thrown together. The stoic hero, the damsel in distress, the arrogant villain, the valiant young hero, the badass femme fatale, the wise old Chinese kung fu doctor (seriously he is awesome, though). And all of this would be fine if we had any reason to care about these characters. None is given.

Also, the CGI. Oh my God the CGI. I know it's commonplace to complain about CGI in action movies, but this is about as bad as it gets. The fight scene inside the train, is really well done, including Boonrapsap using a chicken bone as a weapon to slice up henchmen. Great stuff. Then they go on top of the train. And the rest of this action sequence is green screened. All of it. It distracts from some of the great choreo and stunt work being done because it's so obvious no one is on a moving train. Thai cinema got attention from practical stunt work, so I have no idea why they do this. The scene gets dumber, when the train ends up colliding with a falling helicopter. There's more details as to why this is really dumb, but just know that it is. 

Did I mention, by the way, that The Chinese Doctor only speaks English the whole way through the film? He doesn't even speak Chinese, ever. He's a doctor living in Thailand who can't speak any Thai and only ever speaks English. It's ludicrous. 

I'm sure there were more dumb things but I can't remember them all. This movie reminded me of Furious 7 at times, and that's NOT what I want in my Thai action cinema. I would say skippable, but since it's Panna's last film...give it a shot. 

Ip Man (2008)

Ip Man vs Liu: 2.25/5


Northerner vs Master: 2.75/5


Northerner vs Weapons Master: 2.75/5


Northerner vs Liu: 3/5


Northerner vs Ip Man: 3.75/5


Liu vs Black belt: 2/5


General vs Lin and Two Men: 2/5


Liu vs 3 black belts: 2.5/5


Ip Man vs 10 Black Belts: 4.25/5


Ip Man vs Soldiers: 2/5


Factory Fight: 3.5/5


Ip Man vs General: 4/5




Great movie. Donnie Yen's best role. Recommended.

SPL 2: A Time For Consequences (2015)

Chatchai vs Kit: 3/5


Prison Riot Fight: 3.5/5


Ah-zai vs Cops: 2.25/5


Kit, Wah & Chatchai vs henchmen: 3/5


Kit vs Ah-zai: 3.25/5


Fight in the Dark: 2.75/5


Kit & Chatchai vs henchmen & Ko Chun: 3.75/5



A lot of people compare this movie to The Raid 2. I don't quite see it. The Raid 2 is an excellent sequel to an excellent movie. SPL 2 is a good sequel to a good movie. I guess the tones are similar as well as both movies featuring a cop going undercover and also being in a prison when a prison fight breaks out. But that's about where it ends.

I gotta say, this is the best Tony Jaa movie since Ong Bak 2 (not counting Furious 7). It might even be his best work, overall. As an actor and a screen fighter, he's one of the better parts of the film. Wu Jing is also great. A better actor than Jaa, but towards the end of his screen fighting prime, he carries the film's emotional weight.

There are a bunch of good fights in this movie, but not one truly great fight. There's also some suspect use of wire fu. Considering this is a modern crime film, seeing guys fly through the air can be jarring. Jing and Jaa square off in the first fight and it's solid stuff, if a bit short. The prison fight is also good with a lot of moving parts and long takes. I do slightly prefer The Raid 2's prison fight, though.

The knife vs nightstick fight towards the end, clearly an homage to Wu Jing vs Donnie Yen in one of the best fights of all time from the first SPL, is not in the same league as the original. It's a good fight, it only suffers by comparison. However, when "store the sun" plays in the minutes leading up to that, I got real excited. That's one of the more iconic fight scene themes ever, to me.

Let's talk about Max Zhang, the Big Bad of this flick. He's quite good here. The main problem I have with him, and his part in the finale, is the wire work. A pet peeve of mine is when a character is a lot stronger than the others, seemingly only because he's fighting on wires while they are not. Jaa and Jing are kicking ass the whole movie with straight Muay Thai and Wushu. Zhang's flying around throwing wire kicks. But that's not his fault.

The finale is the best fight in the movie. Jaa taking out the henchmen is some of the better choreography I've seen all year. It's also such a breath of fresh air to see Muay Thai used in a modern, Hong Kong action film. Wu Jing plays such a good hero, night and day from his original SPL character. One thing this movie does well is have the heroes always fighting from underneath. Jing and Jaa are beat to hell by the time they have to take on Zhang.

The best part of the finale is when Jaa squares off with Zhang. Jaa attempts Muay Thai moves he's been using effectively the whole movie and Zhang has a counter for all of them. Such smart choreography. Because of course, Zhang has seen Jaa fight before, so he has that advantage. It devolves after that, though. The 2 on 1 stuff has more wire fu and unfortunately the fight has an implausible conclusion. There's also a weird side part with Jaa's daughter that felt unnecessary.


It's a solid action movie with some really good parts. All in all, Mildy Recommended.

Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge Of The Sith (2006)

Anakin Skywalker/Obi Wan Kenobi vs Count Dooku: 3.75/5


Obi Wan Kenobi vs General Grievous: 3/5


Mace Windu and other Jedi vs Palpatine: 3/5


Yoda vs Palpatine: 3.5/5


Obi Wan Kenobi vs Anakin Skywalker: 4.25/5




I'm risking credibility here, but I actually enjoyed this movie. It's not a good movie, but I found a lot to like here. Maybe it's because the other prequels lowered my expectations so much that I don't even think of this in the context of a Star Wars movie, but rather as a straight up action movie. And as action movies go, this delivered.

Sure, Hayden Christensen is still terrible. But he does less talking and more lightsaber dueling in this movie. Yes, him and Padme still have no chemistry. But there's less scenes of them together in this movie.

This movie has by far the most lightsaber action of all the Star Wars movies (as of this writing). And you can tell they really went for it. The final fight between Anakin and Obi Wan is truly epic. I know people want to resist giving it its due because the prequels, as an entity, has hurt something close to them. I have no such attachment to Star Wars. I can tell you, from a choreography and performance standpoint, it is definitively the best lightsaber fight in the entire franchise. I'm including Clone Wars in that, as well. Now, that doesn't make Darth Vader looking up and screaming, "NOOOOO!" 5 minutes later ok. That's not ok, that was stupid. But that end fight is still amazing. And the score is terrific too.


Look, this is not a great film, but it is the best of the prequels by far. If you want action, you'll dig this. If you want a well told story with great characters, what makes you think the prequels would start that now? Thumbs in the middle on this one. Mildly recommended.

Star Wars Episode 2: Attack Of The Clones

Obi Wan Kenobi vs Jango Fett: 1/5


Obi Wan Kenobi vs Count Dooku: 2.75/5


Anakin Skywalker vs Count Dooku: 3.25/5


Yoda vs Count Dooku: 3.5/5



This movie is garbage. The worst of the prequels. Even though there is more action in this than "Phantom", it doesn't reach the heights of the lightsaber duel in that film. Although, there is less Jar Jar Binks.

But what there is more of, and what the movie is centered around, is the love story between Padme and Anakin. I hate it. It's one of the worst love stories of all time. They have less than no chemistry. Natalie Portman is usually good, but in every scene with Anakin here she's terrible. And Hayden Christensen is even worse. His casting is one of the worst castings of all time.  I'm not exaggerating, I can't think of worse love stories or casting as I type this. Truly awful.

The lightsaber fights at the end are pretty fun, but not enough to make up for the atrocity that is the rest of this movie. "Phantom" was boring, but this movie was aggressively bad. Skip it.

Rocky II (1979)

Rocky vs Apollo: 4.25/5


This fight's as good as the first. I loved the story of Rocky refusing to stay down while all Apollo wanted to do was keep him down. It wasn't enough for Apollo to win, he needed to knock him out. The tears on the face of Duke when he's yelling at Apollo "Stay away from him!" is something I only really noticed on this viewing, but it speaks volumes.

An all time classic finish, as well. Rocky wins the title with heart and determination. Highly recommended.

Rocky (1976)

Rocky vs Apollo: 4.25/5


Man, what a goddamned great fight that is at the end. Rocky's fighting spirit after his eyes are nearly swelled shut, while Apollo has broken ribs and goes in to finish him...great great stuff. This is still the best film in the whole franchise, because the story of a valiant loss in undertold in sports movies but has even more impact on the viewer. Highly Recommended.

Ong Bak: The Thai Warrior (2003)

Ting vs Thugs: 1.5/5



Chase scene: 3.5/5



Ting vs Big Bear: 2.75/5



Ting vs Toshiro: 3.75/5



Ting vs Mad Dog: 3.5/5



Ting vs Saming: 3/5



Ting/Humlae vs Thugs: 3.5/5



Ting vs Cave Guards: 2.5/5



Ting vs Thugs w/ weapons: 3.75/5



Ting vs Thugs: 4/5



Ting vs Saming/last Thugs: 4.25/5





The genesis of modern Thai action cinema, Ong Bak is a ton of fun. This is basically a 90 minute demo for Tony Jaa, but man does he deliver. One mild complaint with the fighting in the film is that it relies on big moves a lot rather than exchanges. That being said, Jaa's got a ton of great moves. There's every kind of elbow, knee and kick you can think of in this movie.


There's also a really cool sequence where Jaa fights some thugs while his own legs are on fire. It's incredible, and a practical effect unlike some of his later (and shittier) work.

If you're unfamiliar with Jaa or Muay Thai cinema in general, this is the place to start. Recommended.

The Big Boss (1971)

Hsu vs Thugs: 2/5


Hsu (and Cheng) vs Thugs: 2.25/5


The Big Boss sparring: 1/5


Hsu & Pei vs Thugs: 2.5/5


Workers vs Thugs: 2/5


Cheng vs Thugs: 2.5/5


Ice Factory Fight: 3.25/5


Cheng vs Thugs: 3/5


Cheng vs The Big Boss: 3.5/5



Bruce Lee is far and away what carries this movie. This was his first film, and he absolutely kills it. All of the mannerisms and battle cries started here. The badassery, the charisma, the speed of his attacks...absolutely incredible.

The fighting in this movie is just ok, but if you're watching this, it's to watch Bruce Lee. And you should. Recommended.

Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace (1999)

Qui Qon vs Darth Maul: 2/5


Qui Qon/Obi Wan vs Darth Maul: 4/5



This is not a good movie. It is boring. Except for that last lightsaber fight, which is among the best in the whole series thus far. Just watch that. Besides that, skippable.

Kung Fu Killer, aka Kung Fu Jungle (2014)

Prison Fight: 3.5/5


Tam King-Yiu vs Fung Yu-Sau: 2.5/5


Wong Chit vs Fung Yu-Sau: 3/5


Hung Yip vs Fung Yu-Sau: 3.5/5


Skirmish at the docks: 2.75/5


Sinn Ying vs Fung Yu-Sau: 3/5


Hahou Mo vs Fung Yu-Sau: 4/5




This movie is a mixed bag. As a movie it's mediocre. But the fights are pretty good. Wang Baoqiang, who plays the villain, is excellent in this. Which is a good thing since he does 90% of the fighting in this movie. I do wish they gave a more compelling backstory for him. He has a bit of clubfoot going on, which makes his impressive fighting skills even more impressive.

As a modern martial arts film, it's fairly paint by numbers as far as storytelling goes. The thing that stands out is the choreography and editing during the fight sequences. It's eye grabbing stuff. At times the moves performed feel a little too magical and out of place for a modern film, The real bread and butter in the fights is the speed and fluidity of the longer exchanges.

Also, I'm still waiting for a movie where Xin Yu kicks ass and isn't immediately killed, but that's a side point.

If you're a Donnie Yen fan, you'll dig this movie. As a martial arts film, I can only give it a Mild Recommendation.

Five Shaolin Masters (1974)

Opening Chase/Fights: 2.5/5



Tea House Fight: 2.75/5



Cai/Rebels vs Bao/Manchus: 3/5



Li/Rebels vs Zhang/Manchus: 3/5



Jiang/Fang vs Shan/Manchus: 3/5



Ma Chao-Hsing vs 2 Manchus: 2.75/5



Ma Chao Sing/Rebel vs Ma Fu Yi: 2.5/5



Prison Break: 3.25/5



Ma/Li Sparring: 2.25/5



End Fight: 4/5



I really dug this movie. It shows its age in parts, but there is some screen fighting in this that holds up to this day. Also, I was very invested in the stakes of the film. It follows a very simple structure, but executes it well. We see a lot of younger guys here that would go on to become stars in the 80's, like Leung Kar Yan (Beardy), Fung Hak On, and even a cameo by Gordon Liu. Of the 5 leads, Sheng Fu steals the show as Ma Chao Sing, he's got a Jackie Chan-like charisma to him. Admittedly I'm not as well versed in knowledge of martial arts actors in the 70's, besides Bruce Lee, so although these men were all top stars in this period they were new to me.

Anyway, there were no blow away fights but the final fight is great and satisfying when watched in context of the film. If you watched it as a standalone clip on youtube it wouldn't hold the same weight. There have been faster and more fluid fight scenes since then, but the finale carries emotional weight and displays various martial arts styles as a 5 part set piece that later films would adopt and follow.

Recommended.

Heroes Of The East (1978)

Tao vs Koda: 2.25/5


Tao vs Koda: 2.75/5


Tao vs Kendo Master: 3/5


Drunken Master Fight: 2/5


 Tao vs Karate Master: 3.25/5


Tao vs Nunchaku/Tonfa Master: 3.5/5


Tao vs Sojutsu Master: 3.5/5


Tao vs Sai Master: 3.25/5


Tao vs Judo Master: 2.5/5


Tao vs Takeno Round 1: 3/5


Tao vs Takeno Round 2: 3.75/5



I really dug this movie. It was kind of revolutionary for its time in that most Chinese kung fu movies portrayed Japanese people as awful monsters, whereas in this movie they are mostly honorable and fight in the spirit of sport. I also really enjoyed the variety of martial arts employed. There are no blow away fights but nothing is bad. And there's some really good stuff in here. Recommended.

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000)

Shu Lien vs Sword Thief: 3.25/5


Jade Fox & Sword Thief vs Bo, May, Tsai & Mu Bai: 3.25/5


Sword Thief vs Mu Bai: 3/5


Inn Fight: 3.5/5


Shu Lien vs Jen: 4.25/5


Jade Fox Ambush:  N/R



Goddamn I love this movie. I thought I'd look back on it and think less of it. No sir. A bunch of good fights and one GREAT fight. I'd have to check, but Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi's duel may be my favorite Woman vs Woman fight of all time. It's certainly up there. And it's also one of my favorite weapons fight of all time.

This is one of the few martial arts films nominated for Best Picture. And it's quite deserving. I'm not as big a fan of weapons fights or the Wuxia genre, but this is a beautiful film, and the acting is terrific. Yuen Woo Ping's choreography is on point. And Michelle Yeoh is exceptional.


Highly Recommended.

Dragon Tiger Gate (2006)

Tiger vs Gangsters & Dragon: 3.5/5


Dragon/Turbo vs Gangsters: 2.25/5


Kun vs Double Devils/Gangsters: NR


Dragon vs Double Devils/Gangsters: 3/5


Shibumi vs The Gate: 3.25/5


Shibumi vs Tiger/Turbo: 3.5/5


Shibumi vs Dragon: 4/5



How much hair product was in the budget for this movie? Anyway, this is a solid action flick. And it features the most one sided final battle (for the hero) I can remember. Donnie Yen's "Dragon" gets hit once in the course of the entire film. Unheard of for a kung fu protagonist. It's strange because Tiger and Turbo get some shine early on in the movie but become afterthoughts for the rest of it. It's all about Dragon. In fairness, Donnie Yen is the best screen fighter of the 3, but still, I expected Tiger to get more to do considering his name is in the title of the film.

The action is solid throughout but let me get to this final fight. Shibumi, who is one of the most strongly written badass martial arts villains in modern film, gets absolutely owned by Dragon. It's insane. Before this, we get to watch Shibumi do things like work over a Guinness World Record setting heavy bag, crush Master Wong to death, and just generally be awesome at everything. Then Dragon shows up, and Shibumi is completely outclassed. Normally in a martial arts film, the hero has to fight from underneath and overcome. Shibumi NEVER LANDS A HIT on Dragon. Dragon slaps him around about 50 times.

Now, let me also say, I really liked the fight. See the above score. The reason I rated it so highly is because the first minute of the fight features some of the best handwork choreography Donnie's ever done. It's so fast, sharp and fluid. Also I love how once Shibumi gets palm thrusted into a wall he looks up and says, "18 Dragon Slaying Palms?" like it's some mythical technique he'd only heard legends of.

Now normally, after that initial protagonist flurry the villain would start to take control and dominate. But nope. Dragon continues to slap Shibumi around for the rest of the fight. Shibumi gets zero offense until the end. And the ending gets a little ridiculous. Sometimes less is more. I actually would've rated this higher but the lack on drama due to Dragon's dominance takes it down a little for me. I wonder if Donnie's intention was to subvert the norm by having the hero just clean the floor with the big bad. I don't know.


Anyway, this is a solid flick, though not a must unless you're a Donnie Yen completist. Mildly Recommended.

Catch All Internet Lightsaber Fights (Various Years)

Ryan vs Dorkman: 4/5

Ryan vs Brandon: 4.25/5

Ryan vs Dorkman 2: 4.75/5

Ryan vs Brandon 2: 4.75/5






These are all dope! Watch them, in order!

The Shaolin Temple (1982)

Kicker Chang/Jue Yuan vs Emperor/Guards: 2.75/5


Bai vs Jue Yuan: 2/5


Bai vs Guards: 3/5


Jue Yuan vs Guards: 3/5


Jue Yuan vs Emperor: 3.5/5


Monks vs Guards: 4/5



Jue Yuan vs Monks: 3.25/5


Battle Of Shaolin Temple: 4.25/5


Monk/Bai vs Officer: 4/5



Jue Yuan vs Emperor: 3.75/5



This is a great movie. The action doesn't pick up until the second half of the film. But there are some great training montages to hold you over till then. Jet Li, though quite young here, really carries the emotional weight of the movie. His facial expressions convey such deep, sincere meaning. Oh and also, the man can fight. But this is one of his better acting performances.

The meat of this movie's action comes when all of the monks take up arms and do battle. It is glorious. Watching them fight with different weapons and styles is truly something to behold.

This movie is really all about what it means to be a monk. Which I found quite interesting. If you're into that sort of thing, you'll enjoy this too.

The movie has some gorgeous shots. Beautiful landscapes. It's the first Hong Kong film shot on mainland China. It's kind of legendary, in that way.

There are flaws with the film. It's paced a bit strangely, though that's an echo of the genre and time. Occasionally it feels almost like a series of vignettes. Some of the comedic beats don't hold up. But these are minor concerns.

I really liked this movie. Recommended.

Man of Tai Chi (2013)

Opening Fight: 2.25/5

Tiger Chen vs Chou Ping: 3.25/5

Tiger Chen vs Brawler: 3.5/5

Tiger vs Guy in Blue: 2.25/5

Tiger Fighting Montage: 3.25/5

Tiger vs Iron Body Guy: 3.75/5

Tiger vs Sanshou Fighter: 3.25/5

Tiger vs 2 Fighters: 4/5

Tiger vs Master: 4/5

Tiger vs Uri Romanov: N/R

Tiger vs Iko Uwais: 3/5

Tiger vs Keanu Reeves: 2.75/5



Tiger Chen is a talented guy. This movie functions as his vehicle. That being said, I wish I liked it more. It's an ok film, but considering they got Iko Uwais from the Raid in it and the sheer amount of fighting in it, I expected more.

Keanu Reeves chews so much scenery throughout this. He is way over the top. You can tell they wanted to make his final showdown with Tiger an epic, but they fall quite short. Keanu just can't move well enough to convince me he's the dominant villain he's presented as. Yeah he's bigger than Tiger, but that's about it. Also, if I never have to hear Keanu say, "You owe me a life" ever again I can die happy.

I wish Tiger and Iko Uwais had gotten a real chance to go at it, but the story film's narrative prevents that. Let's hope Tiger shows up in The Raid 3.

Onto the positives, there are 2 great fights and a couple very good fights in this. Tiger vs his master is especially resonant, the actor playing the Master moves better than Keanu. Plus the music that fight is set to really helps to convey the story. Tiger looks good in every fight scene he's in. He holds up his end quite well. I want him in more things.


I want to support movies like this and guys like Tiger. Somewhat recommended.

El Testigo (The Witness, 2011)

Jose vs Thugs: 3.75/5


Jose vs Gil: 2.5/5


Jose vs Detective Suarez: 2.25/5


Market Fight: 3.5/5


Gil vs Thugs: 3.25/5


Jose/Cristina vs Thugs: 2.25/5


Jose vs Gil: 3.25/5



Solid action throughout. Gil Sanabria carries himself very well. He's smaller than Jose but more imposing. He's a real badass in this movie. Jose has the beats down of a prototypical action hero. The Jackie Chan influence is big in this movie, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. This is from 2011 and having seen the stuff this team has done since, they've gotten even better. There's not a bad fight in it.

The action is good and well laid out, I just wish this movie did a little more to distinguish itself from other modern martial arts movies. There are a couple of nice turns in the plot, but it is a pretty straight forward movie. This is this team's first feature, so it's good that they got all the basics down. There's just nothing that really stands out, for me. The fights range from good to very good.

I wanted more from that end fight too, since my favorite aspect of the movie is Gil's inferiority complex towards Jose. I feel like they really made me want to see them fight and then didn't give that fight enough time.

Also, the girl that plays Cristina, Melissa Serrano, is stunningly gorgeous. I think this is my first review where I ever mentioned that about a leading lady, which tells you how gorgeous she is. I was distracted at times.

I'm partial towards this movie also because I am Puerto Rican, and how many Puerto Rican martial arts films are there? No seriously, are there more? If there are, link me. Not joking. I want more.

Recommended.

Yellow Zone (2012)

Andy Long vs Khoi Chau: 3/5



Andy Long vs Can Aydin: 4.5/5



That 80's Hong Kong style fight Andy and Can pull off shows that they would've fit in nicely back then. It's so good. And the tribute to Millionaire's Express at the end is terrific. And you get to see Andy do a Jackie Chan Police Story stunt during the credits. What's not to love?

Dogfight (2012)

The Fight: 4.5/5



One of the best LBP fights ever. And that's saying something. Shawn Bernal's never looked better. That's also saying something, as Shawn is one of my favorite screen fighters of all time. This is also a top contender for greatest 2 vs 1 fight of all time. Interesting dynamic in that there are 2 good guys. I guess my only complaint about the short is I wish there was more to establish them as the good guys. I was rooting for Shawn through most of it. But the choreography and exchanges still run through my mind sometimes, it's so on point. Excellent stuff.

Men In Suits (2012)

Green vs Blacks: 4.25/5


Green vs Red: 3.25/5


Purple vs Blacks: 4/5


Purple vs Red: 4/5



One of my favorite Vlad shorts of all time. And that's saying something. The use of dress color is evocative yet effective in establishing the characters, who never speak. Aaron Toney, the badass big boss in red. Mickey's heroine is easy to root for and Amy carries herself with a real sense of self confidence. I also appreciated Xin's mini boss character, clearly a lover of violence and challenging fights. I do wish I had a little more back story on what is going on, exactly. But the storytelling is simple and told well through the fighting. Great stuff.

Relic Hunt (2012)

4 Way: 4.25/5


Arcqeo vs Sheriff: 2.75/5


Arcqeo vs Vanessa: N/R



A classic 3 for all turns into an exciting 4 way fight with racial implications. This is a really fun short film, with great action. The second fight is great too it's just too short for me to rate any higher. The characters are fun and there's also a great motorcycle kick spot. Great stuff.

Part 2 Chapter A (2012)

White Suits vs Black Suits: 3.5/5

Mickey vs Caitlin: 4/5

Mickey vs Gui: N/A

These are great. Caitlin carries herself very well in these, exuding an aura of physical dominance. Mickey is always so easy to root for. Her small stature yet clear ability serves well for the plucky underdog character. Gui's character is great too, as the boss who's too strong to break a sweat on anyone, with an artifact of power, his white umbrella. Very anime, I dig it. I want more.

Yo Soy Un Hombre Loco (2011)

House Fight: 2.75/5


Bathroom Fight: 2.25/5


Number 1 vs Number 2: 4/5


You know, it's weird. Shawn vs Manny is great, and I can tell they tried to make their fight as good as possible. I just feel like they have a better 1 on 1 fight in them. They're LBP's best, but I feel there were certain things about the fight that could've been better. Their offensive transitions didn't really utilize counters, more just the other one not blocking. And a lot of the choreo felt basic, for guys of such high caliber

I don't want to be a negative Nancy on this. I gave it 4/5, it's still great. It's beautifully shot, backdropped with great music and location. The speed and power of the hits sold well. And Manny's character arc through the fight is a well told story. I still feel these 2 have a better fight in them, though. I shall wait for it patiently.

If you're unfamiliar with LBP, this is still a dope place to start.

Those Who Go To Hell Episode 3 (2012)

Roberto vs Jessie: 3.25/5


Daniel vs Timothy: 2.25/5


Daniel vs Shin: 4/5



Man I wish Manny vs Jay had gone longer. It does make however Manny's character of Roberto, the silent assassin, look strong, that he beat a legitimate fighter that quickly. It really sets up the final showdown between Daniel and Roberto nicely...except we never actually get it due to the project being unfinished :(


Shawn's fight with Jon is...there. It's not bad, it's short and pretty basic. Since this was originally going to be a movie not every fight can be long and epic. Which brings me to...


Shawn vs Keith. Though unfinished, the best 1 on 1 fight in the series. Manny vs Shawn might've surpassed it had it been filmed, but take nothing away from this fight; it's modern day shapes in a noir setting. There's really nothing else like it, anywhere. Had it been finished who knows how great it could've been.


Whenever I think of the Shawn/Manny fight we never got here I think of this fight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OruqZ0_Tb3o

It's the spiritual replacement of the final fight that we never got in this series, for me. Also if you're reading this I probably reviewed all of the fights in "Yo Soy Un Hombre Loco" somewhere on this blog.

Those Who Go To Hell Episode 2 (2012)

Daniel vs Jonathan: 2.75/5


Daniel vs Thugs: 2.75/5


Shin/Roberto vs Thugs: 3.5/5



Another unfinished fight! Man, and it was looking pretty good too. The house fight was more of a struggle than a traditional fight scene, but it wasn't bad, some good falls in it.

Manny is an artist behind the camera. But man is he a great screen fighter too. And this was Keith's breakout performance to me. Keith looked like an absolute powerhouse fighter here. Juxtaposed with the more experienced, smaller and faster character Manny played. I loved their different styles of annihilating enemies. "2 vs many" is a genre I wish we saw more of. Great work, just wish it was longer and had more Manny.

Those Who Go To Hell Episode 1 (2012)

Daniel vs William: 3.25/5



Man, I wish this series had been finished. So much. Shawn's energy in this fight is great, and he throws a memorable 4 kick combo as well. Steven brings a dynamic unhinged energy to this as well, these two work well together.

Part 1 Chapter C (2012)

Mickey vs Amy: 4/5




Arguably the two best female screen fighters in the game tearing it up. It's gritty, it's bloody and goddamn is it good. Vlad does it again.

Naruto Shipudenn Dreamer's Fight (2012)

Rock Lee vs Naruto: 4/5


Great stuff. Tributes can be tricky but Thousand Pounds pulled it off. Lee's Drunken Style in live action could only be pulled off by a talent like Brendon Huor.

Keep Going (2012)

Darren's Battle: 4/5



One of my favorite martial arts short films. Everything about it is on point. It's such a cohesive narrative and the storytelling of the fighting is terrific. Truly a work of art. Dardrex's best project to date.

Agent 4-H (2012)

Daniel vs Assassin: 3.5/5


At the time of release, Lunar's best fight scene to date. Made my "Top 20" list for 2012.

Marvel's Daredevil Episode 13 "Daredevil" (2015)

Daredevil vs Kingpin: 3.5/5




Ah yes, the big climactic showdown. Lots of Kingpin headbutts and Daredevil acrobatics. He even jumps off the wall to kick Kingpin at one point. Solid fight, worthy of closing out such a great show.

Marvel's Daredevil Episode 11 "The Path Of The Righteous" (2015)

Murdock vs Potter: 3.25/5



Only one fight but it's an intriguing one. I like whenever Murdock tries to intimidate a guy but then that guy turns out to be no pushover. Solid.

Marvel's Daredevil Episode 9 "Speak Of The Devil" (2015)

Murdock vs Ninja, Part 2: 3.5/5


Murdock vs Ninja, Part 3: 3/5


Ass kicking Montage: 2.5/5


Murdock vs Ninja, Parts 1 and 4: 3.5/5


Murdock vs Fisk: 2.5/5



A lot of good action in this episode. Murdock's battle with The Ninja, if looked at as one collective fight, is the best fight in the series thus far besides the long take. Adding ninjas to most things make them more badass.

We also get our first taste of Murdock vs Fisk. Just a taste, I'm sure there's more to come.

Marvel's Daredevil Episode 7 "Stick" (2015)

Kid Murdock vs Stick: 2.75/5


Murdock vs Thugs: 3/5


Murdock vs Stick: 3.5/5



I mean, Stick is awesome. He's an elderly, dickish, hardass badass. I loved every scene he was in. And his fight with Murdock at the end was beautiful storytelling. We might not see him again for a while but his presence really brought new energy to the show.

Marvel's Daredevil Episode 6 "Condemned" (2015)

Murdock vs Cops: 2.75/5


Murdock vs Vladimir: 2/5


Murdock vs Cops: 2/5



Good little fight in the beginning. Nothing too substantial afterwards, more short confrontations. Beginning to feel like the fight in episode 2 won't come close to being matched. Show's still awesome, though.

Marvel's Daredevil Episode 5 "World On Fire" (2015)

Murdock vs Russians: 2/5


Murdock vs Russian Guard: 2.25/5


Murdock vs Vladmir: 2/5



Really short bursts of fighting. It's a great episode, just no memorable fights.

Marvel's Daredevil Episode 4 "In The Blood" (2015)

Garage Fight: 2.5/5

Fisk vs Anatoly: 3/5



Sweet, Kingpin's finally getting some. The first fight is pretty standard "hero lurks in the shadows" warfare, but still well done. Fisk's fight is brutal. As it should be.

Marvel's Daredevil Episode 3 "Rabbit In A Snowstorm" (2015)

Bowling Alley Fight: 3/5


Murdock vs Heely: 3.5/5



Good action in this episode. I like that Murdock is being challenged physically in every episode so far, he's not just running through red shirts.

Marvel's Daredevil Episode 2 "Cut Man" (2015)

Murdock vs Russians: 4.25/5


The first truly great fight of the series. I may be grading this a bit generously, but it's such an impressive long take shot. Thought it's evident that there are times when Cox switches out with stuntmen, that's more smart action direction than anything. All in one take, it felt real and gritty.

Marvel's Daredevil Episode 1 "Into The Ring" (2015)

Murdock vs Thugs: 2.75/5


Murdock vs Assassin: 3.25/5


A couple of solid fights in the pilot. Covered in darkness, as Daredevil is a nighttime crime fighter. Hoping to see more in coming episodes.

Dragon Lord (1982)

Courtyard fight: 2.5/5

Temple fight: 3/5

Barn Fight: 4.5/5


Not one of Jackie's better movies. Also not a lot of fighting. The jianzi game in the middle is pretty impressive. And the last fight scene in the barn against Hwang In Shik is incredible. One of the great things about it is that Jackie's character, Dragon, doesn't possess a lot of martial skill. What he does possess is youth, determination, heart and incredible athleticism. Not to mention an ability to absorb a ton of punishment. This is in stark contrast to In Shik's character, who is highly skilled, older and can't take quite as much. I also like that Mars gets to be part of the finale, since he so rarely is anything but a background character. Since he is Jackie's real life best friend it's cool to see them work together in a movie to take down a big boss.

But besides the finale, there isn't much to this movie. Even the opening pyramid scene that took 2900 takes (the world record), isn't really that impressive in the grand scheme of things. That final fight is an enduring piece of art, though. Somewhat recommended.

25 Years...25 Movies

I’ve been pretty obsessed with narrative lately, trying to consume more narrative based things like movies and TV shows. So as someone who loves lists, and to commemorate my 25 years of life, this is a list of my 25 favorite movies. 

25. Contour

The ultimate indie action film

24. Office Space

Eastern philosophy applied to western life.

23. Wheels on Meals

Classic Jackie action flick.

22. The Wrestler

Love wrestling, love this film 

21. How To Train Your Dragon

Classic hero's journey. With Dragons.

20. Prodigal Son

Yuen Biao, my favorite screen fighter, in his greatest role.

19. Borat

Nothing made me laugh harder upon first viewing.

18. The Raid 2: Berandal

Best martial arts film of the modern era

17. Battle Royale

The violence. The concept. The violence.

16. Toy Story

Pixar at its best.

15. South Park The Movie

My favorite Musical

14. Crash

Worst Best Picture? Fuck that, it's great.

13. Pulp Fiction

Tarantino's Magnum Opus

12. Aladdin

All time favorite Disney movie

11. Team America

America, FUCK YEAH!

10. Short Term 12

Feelings. Brie Larson. All my feelings.

9. Oldboy

Korean mindfuck. Hammer time, bitches.

8. Fargo

Favorite movie heroine. Excellent all around.

7. Toy Story 3

My childhood. My adolescence. The sensation of growing up.

6. True Romance

Excellent characters, great love story.

5. Gran Torino

Interracial paternal relationship plus old man action. Love it.

4. Drunken Master 2 

My favorite fight scene of all time.

3. Police Story 

Jackie's Magnum Opus. Hong Kong Die Hard.

1a. The Matrix           1b. Groundhog Day

A perfect distillation of the human potential.

Action. Philosophy. Kung Fu. My favorite things.