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Once Upon a Time in China Part 2

Once Upon a Time in China Part 2

List Price: $19.94
Your Price: $17.95
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: GREAT MOVIE
Review: If you like material arts, kung fu movies with some of the best kung-fu you ever seen and hilarious parts, you will defitently say this is the best one. ONce Upon a China 3 is really good too.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Action packed from beginning to end with great fight scenes.
Review: If you love a fast paced film with lots of fight scenes, search no more. The fight scene between Wong and "Club-foot" will amaze you; these guys are like whirlwinds! This is probably the best of the series. There are villains, beauties, and of course the hero. This is a must see if you are a Jet Li fan, or a martial arts fan for that matter.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: EVERYTHING YOU COULD ASK FOR
Review: In a word - SUPER. This is one of the best films of its genre and will be an outstanding addition to your collection.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best of the OUATIC series
Review: In my humble opinion, this is the best one of the OUATIC movie series. The movie is not only great for the graceful fightings. It also strongly shows the feeling of the hotblooded patriots to find a way out for China during the time of chaos at the beginning of this century.

The best Kungfu movies never emphasis on violence and this moive is indeed a good example. There are many good fighting scenes which well reflect the characters and are beautifully choreographed. I am especially fond of the fighting scene between Wong Fei Hong and the offical, in which when Wong Fei Hong went to ask the offical to give refuge to the children, the official raided him aggressively and they fighted with staffs. The sentiments from both sides, villainy and righteousness, are poetically presented though their movement. So much better than those meaningless violent fightings.

OUATIC I and II are truely great movies, while the rest of the series, though pleasant to watch, are not as good. The movie shows the best of Jet Li along with fist of legend. Pity he acted in some really lousy movies too, especially some (all) of those he made in Hollywood.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Great Sequel to a Great Action Movie
Review: In the second film in this series, martial arts film legend Jet Li stars as Dr. Wong Fei-Hung, a real life folk hero of 19th century China. Combining solid martial arts action (as you'd expect from a Jet Li movie) with an equally solid storyline which delves into actual historical elements, this movie is a winner all-around, thus justifying the Hong Kong Film Award that it received.

THE STORY:

It is 19th century China and Western influence is growing in China bringing with it both good and bad elements. Dr. Wong Fei-Hung, a noted martial arts instructor and doctor, as well as his countrymen must contend with the expanding influence of the West and its impact on Chinese society. The country is in turmoil. An anti-Western extremist reactionary cult, the White Lotus Society, has arisen with a maniacal following bent on destroying all things Western, including Chinese who have begun to adopt Western ways. It is up to Wong Fei-Hung and his loyal followers, his loving "Aunt" Yee and his student Foon, to stop the ruthless destruction of the White Lotus. In addition, the film delves into history further as Wong and his companions meet and aide Dr. Sun Yat Sen, the famous Chinese revolutionary. There are tons of battles as the White Lotus, The Chinese Government, the British forces and Dr. Sun Yat Sen's revolutionaries all battle against each other, with Wong Fei-Hung and his followers all caught in the middle...

THE COOL STUFF:

If you love martial arts action you've got TONS of it here. The fight scenes are NUMEROUS and ELABORATE as you'll be treated to tons of fighting set in 19th century China is tons of marketplace settings as well as vintage Chinese dwellings and buildings. The sets and costumes are just awesome. The fight scenes between Wong and the White Lotus are just awesome. In addition, though the storyline is serious, unlike in the first film, this film does incorporate some humorous moments into it courtesy of the Westernized Aunt Yee and her interactions with Wong and Koon which lead to some hilarious moments (on the train ride as well as the dinner scene with the dog). Another hilarious scene is the acupuncture seminar that Wong and Koon attend with Sun Yat Sen and the Western doctors.

THE DVD FEATURES:

The features of the DVD, while not extensive as most new DVDs are, are perfectly acceptable. Included on this DVD are the following:

1. Bonus Movie Trailers for the following:

a. Once Upon a Time in China II

b. Once Upon a Time in China Trilogy

c. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

d. Miracles by Jackie Chan

2. Filmographies for Director Tsui Hark, Jet Li and Rosamund Kwan, Donnie Yen

THE VERDICT:

The most common criticism for most martial arts/action flicks are that the stories [disappoint]. The redeeming quality for them is, of course, the action. Like its predecessor, Once Upon a Time in China II overcomes 8these criticisms by delivering solid action and (lo and behold) a GREAT story. In addition, the film, besides having an awesome story and action sequences also incorporates just the right amount of humor to make it a nice package all around.

Overall, besides oohing and aahing to tremendous fight scenes you'll also be treated to a great look at a crucial period in Chinese history.

Highest Recommendation

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Great Sequel to a Great Action Movie
Review: In the second film in this series, martial arts film legend Jet Li stars as Dr. Wong Fei-Hung, a real life folk hero of 19th century China. Combining solid martial arts action (as you'd expect from a Jet Li movie) with an equally solid storyline which delves into actual historical elements, this movie is a winner all-around, thus justifying the Hong Kong Film Award that it received.

THE STORY:

It is 19th century China and Western influence is growing in China bringing with it both good and bad elements. Dr. Wong Fei-Hung, a noted martial arts instructor and doctor, as well as his countrymen must contend with the expanding influence of the West and its impact on Chinese society. The country is in turmoil. An anti-Western extremist reactionary cult, the White Lotus Society, has arisen with a maniacal following bent on destroying all things Western, including Chinese who have begun to adopt Western ways. It is up to Wong Fei-Hung and his loyal followers, his loving "Aunt" Yee and his student Foon, to stop the ruthless destruction of the White Lotus. In addition, the film delves into history further as Wong and his companions meet and aide Dr. Sun Yat Sen, the famous Chinese revolutionary. There are tons of battles as the White Lotus, The Chinese Government, the British forces and Dr. Sun Yat Sen's revolutionaries all battle against each other, with Wong Fei-Hung and his followers all caught in the middle...

THE COOL STUFF:

If you love martial arts action you've got TONS of it here. The fight scenes are NUMEROUS and ELABORATE as you'll be treated to tons of fighting set in 19th century China is tons of marketplace settings as well as vintage Chinese dwellings and buildings. The sets and costumes are just awesome. The fight scenes between Wong and the White Lotus are just awesome. In addition, though the storyline is serious, unlike in the first film, this film does incorporate some humorous moments into it courtesy of the Westernized Aunt Yee and her interactions with Wong and Koon which lead to some hilarious moments (on the train ride as well as the dinner scene with the dog). Another hilarious scene is the acupuncture seminar that Wong and Koon attend with Sun Yat Sen and the Western doctors.

THE DVD FEATURES:

The features of the DVD, while not extensive as most new DVDs are, are perfectly acceptable. Included on this DVD are the following:

1.Bonus Movie Trailers for the following:

a.Once Upon a Time in China II

b.Once Upon a Time in China Trilogy

c.Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

d.Miracles by Jackie Chan

2.Filmographies for Director Tsui Hark, Jet Li and Rosamund Kwan, Donnie Yen

THE VERDICT:

The most common criticism for most martial arts/action flicks are that the stories [disappoint]. The redeeming quality for them is, of course, the action. Like its predecessor, Once Upon a Time in China II overcomes 8these criticisms by delivering solid action and (lo and behold) a GREAT story. In addition, the film, besides having an awesome story and action sequences also incorporates just the right amount of humor to make it a nice package all around.

Overall, besides oohing and aahing to tremendous fight scenes you'll also be treated to a great look at a crucial period in Chinese history.

Highest Recommendation

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: "EXQUISITE" History in the making!
Review: JET LI & DONNIE YEN! (need I say more!)

...actually I could go on-and-on about this movie, but I'll try to stick to the essentials. Personally, I think this one's the best of all the other OUATIC sequels. Yes, they're all excellent films, but what makes this outstand; well it has two of the most gifted martial artists of all time.

I still get goose-bumps everytime I watch the dramatic scene where General Lan (Donnie Yen), is shown in an eerie-evening setting, and demonstrates his amazing skill and grace using a wet cloth-stick. Its an exquisite visual with glowing lanterns hanging everywhere...and then the scene explodes into a fierce and thrilling all-out battle with Wong Fei Hung (Jet Li) using bamboo sticks. (Talk about tension!)

Of course the entire film is done equally impressive; a powerful story about the political turmoils of China. Here, Wong Fei Hung is caught in the choas while visiting Canton for a medical conference. Although the scripts are brief and simple, the story in itself is very dramatic with much credit to the stunning cast performaces. Not to mention, a chilling soundtrack/effects that captivates and brings out the mood of the story. Truly a high-quality film, directed by Tsui Hark, and put it together with the brilliant Yuen Woo-Ping as the action choreographer, well you got one of the best films ever made.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The best movie in the series.
Review: Jet Li and Donnie Yen make for some of the best fighting in any Hong Kong action movie. OUIC2 tames its predecessors anti-foreinger stance and also increases the amount of action. If you want to see two of Hong Kong's best, this movie is a must see.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Big on plot, little on action
Review: Long story short: if you want to see a movie heavy on plot, (complicated as it is) OUATIC 2 is for you. However, if you want to see a movie which showcases both Jet Li and Donnie Yen's incredible martial arts skills, you'll have to look somewhere else as those skills are used very sparingly, in fact they're buried so deeply in the movie amid all the plot you almost have to ask yourself why they were included in the first place.

'Fist of Legend' and 'The Tai Chi Master', among many others, are Jet Li's best which exibit his tremendous physical talents. 'Drunken Tai Chi' and 'Iron Monkey' are a must see for both fans and those who are unfamiliar with Donnie Yen, an established actor and martial artist who'll soon make his mark just like Jackie Chan and Jet Li.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Yaaaaawwwwwnnnnnn
Review: Okay this movie is just plain boreing. This was the second jet li movie i had watched and was quite a dissapointment after Meltdown. The plot is old unoriginal and boreing. The fighting scenes are a total ripoff! jet li charges into millions of guys and with one swing of his hand they fly back a hundred million feet.
The one and only reason I gave this a TWO stars is because of the wet rag (I'm a sucker for those)
If you enjoy counting how many blades of grass are in your lawn try this movie if not stick with the defender or twin worriors.


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