The Iceman Cometh

Rating:
Summary: Very Cool
Review: I enjoyed this movie thoroughly. I found it very funny and the action sequences was amazing. I also liked the love story between Yuen Biao and Maggie Cheung's characters.

Rating:
Summary: Iceman Cometh, Too Cool for Words!
Review: This is a good Movie! It features acrobatic martial arts Superstar Yuen Biao (Project A) as "Ching", a Ming Dynasty Imperial Guard. Beautiful Hong Kong leading lady Maggie Cheung (Police Story I&II) is streetwalker "Polla". The always awesome Yuen Wah (Supercop) is villian "Fung San". Veteran actors Taipo, Corey Yuen Kwai, Richard Ng, and Wu Ma also have small roles.

Yuen Wah and Yuen Biao are Imperial guards during the Ming Dynasty in ancient China. Yuen Wah becomes a rapist and serial killer, and murders the Princess. Yuen Biao vows to bring Fung San to the Emporer for justice. Fung San steals the magical "Black Jade Buddha" and attempts to use its mystical superpowers for himself. Ah Ching arrives just in time to stop him. A fierce swordfight ensues with both participants tumbling over the edge of a cliff into a glacier. Still locked together in combat, the two are frozen for three hundred years.

After discovery the two are accidentaly thawed and brought back to life in modern day Hong Kong. Fung San adapts easily to the excesses of modern day, he returns to a life of crime. Ah Ching "rescues" prostitute "Polla", and without job skills Ah Ching becomes Polla's bodyguard/personal slave to survive. Later, Ah Ching battles to rescue Polla after she falls intp Fung San's evil clutches.

The swordplay and fight scenes between Yuen Biao and Yuen Wah are awesome ! The immense neon sign used to backlight Yuen Biao and his sword on top of a skyscraper is a very striking image! One of the ultimate scenes in the movie comes when Wah and Biao are facing off with swords and a huge 747 jet passes right behind them, Wow! I love the juxtaposition of ancient weapons and modern technology. I have run through the final fight scenes over and over again in slow motion and reverse to watch the action, it is unbelievable. There are a few really excellent stunts in the movie too. Yuen Wah and Yuen Biao are the real thing, as they were both stuntmen extrordinaire before they became actors.

Yuen Wah always plays the most evil villians in Hong Kong Cinema with extreme skill. Biao's portrayal of Ah Ching is wonderfully done and convincingly complex and funny too. He truly shines in the emotional scene in the graveyard tunnel when he drinks the poison to prove his love for Polla.

I highly recommend this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Iceman Cometh, Too Cool for Words!
Review: This is a good Movie! It features acrobatic martial arts Superstar Yuen Biao (Project A) as "Ching", a Ming Dynasty Imperial Guard. Beautiful Hong Kong leading lady Maggie Cheung (Police Story I&II) is streetwalker "Polla". The always awesome Yuen Wah (Supercop) is villian "Fung San". Veteran actors Taipo, Corey Yuen Kwai, Richard Ng, and Wu Ma also have small roles.

Yuen Wah and Yuen Biao are Imperial guards during the Ming Dynasty in ancient China. Yuen Wah becomes a rapist and serial killer, and murders the Princess. Yuen Biao vows to bring Fung San to the Emporer for justice. Fung San steals the magical "Black Jade Buddha" and attempts to use its mystical superpowers for himself. Ah Ching arrives just in time to stop him. A fierce swordfight ensues with both participants tumbling over the edge of a cliff into a glacier. Still locked together in combat, the two are frozen for three hundred years.

After discovery the two are accidentaly thawed and brought back to life in modern day Hong Kong. Fung San adapts easily to the excesses of modern day, he returns to a life of crime. Ah Ching "rescues" prostitute "Polla", and without job skills Ah Ching becomes Polla's bodyguard/personal slave to survive. Later, Ah Ching battles to rescue Polla after she falls intp Fung San's evil clutches.

The swordplay and fight scenes between Yuen Biao and Yuen Wah are awesome ! The immense neon sign used to backlight Yuen Biao and his sword on top of a skyscraper is a very striking image! One of the ultimate scenes in the movie comes when Wah and Biao are facing off with swords and a huge 747 jet passes right behind them, Wow! I love the juxtaposition of ancient weapons and modern technology. I have run through the final fight scenes over and over again in slow motion and reverse to watch the action, it is unbelievable. There are a few really excellent stunts in the movie too. Yuen Wah and Yuen Biao are the real thing, as they were both stuntmen extrordinaire before they became actors.

Yuen Wah always plays the most evil villians in Hong Kong Cinema with extreme skill. Biao's portrayal of Ah Ching is wonderfully done and convincingly complex and funny too. He truly shines in the emotional scene in the graveyard tunnel when he drinks the poison to prove his love for Polla.

I highly recommend this movie.

Rating:
Summary: A smart rehash of " Time After Time " .
Review: Though the plot is not original enough, still has some fresh elements, very Chinese style. My English is poor, can't tell the story well, 1st reviewer did a great job helps a lot. Fung San was Chinese version of " Jack the Ripper " travel through time to present Hong Kong. ( Well, not actually " Time Travel " but frozen over three hundred years and resurrect, still young and alive.) Our hero took on the mission to chase after the rapist. Ching encounters with the streetsmart hooker Maggie, She uses him as a servant / bodyguard and drag him into her deceiving world. Due to Ching's higher moral standard, he has a hardship to fit in ( fallen ) modern society, and split with Maggie when he find out her tricks. The whole process how he fells for this feisty, vigorous not-so-decent lady, has a struggle against his will, all the laughter came from. Fung San go with the flow easily, still a villain/ robber/ murderer and about to strike again, living on the verge of dark society, Maggie became San's prey accidentally. The rescue leads to the final showdown between Ching and San, Maggie was took as a hostage, Ching must prove his love for her, to save her life, and will he sacrifice for her? Basically the storyline is the martial arts version of " Time After Time ", more hilarious, action packed, and shows off both Yuen's solid stunts, I mean " real stunts " especially rare to find in recent years H. K. films. Unlike Jackie Chan, How to describe Yuen Biao's characteristics ? His small figure make him " as light as a swallow " looks as if he can leap so high and flying without a wire. Besides, he can act in this one.

Rating:
Summary: It was awesome when I first saw it...
Review: When I was just a wee lad, I saw Iceman Cometh in a dodgy little theater and it became one of my favorite films. It had it all, sword fights, fisticuffs, time travel, magic etc. Twelve years later, I didn't find it quite as charming. There are things that still hold up very well. The fight scenes are well coreographed and showcase Yuen Biao and Yuen Wah's martial arts prowess. In addition much of the camera work with its beautiful tracking shots still look fresh and exciting.

But of course there are things that did not stand the test of time. Although you can't fault fashion too much, the ultra-hip, tight-rolled-up-jeans, neon-lit, late-80's look really dates the film. Also, the quirky story wich I once found so profound, made me cringe for the most part.

If you have never seen this film before, you might enjoy it. But if you're like me, seeing this film again after many years, you'll still enjoy it, but you're left a bit disappointed. Oh well, chalk up another one to rose tinted glasses.