Ip Man 3 with Donnie Yen

It's official Donnie Yen will return for the 3rd Ip Man film. This sequel will continue the story of Ip Man focusing on his relationship with Bruce Lee. The film will be directed by Wilson Yip and is written by Edmond Wong with a budget of $36 million. And for some reason will be shot in 3D...

I highly recommend the first 2 films, both great in their own way, but I slightly prefer the first for the fight scenes and realism. In the first 2 films Ip Man fought the Japanese in China then when he moved to Hong Kong he fought with the British and kung fu schools. Ip Man 2 ends with a young Bruce Lee making an appearance so this instalment looks like it continues right where it finished off.

The producers are said to be searching for an actor with martial art skills to play a grown up Bruce Lee. Lynn Hung is returning for this instalment and Simon Yam is currently in talks.

Watch this space.

The real Bruce Lee and Ip Man

Switch - Andy Lau stars in Chinese Mission Impossible style epic!

Action, martial arts, fast cars, big stunts, gun fights, hot girls, stunning locations, Andy Lau. What more do you want?

I haven't actually heard too much about this film except it stars Andy Lau and he is trying to save a Chinese painting "Dwelling in the Fuchun Moutains".

The trailer was recently shown at Cannes film festival, and it looks stunning. Brilliant cinematography, sleek and stylish. One to keep your eye on!

WOW!

From Up On Poppy Hill - New Studio Ghibli film coming soon!

The latest Studio Ghibli film 'From Up on Poppy Hill' was released across Japan on July 16th 2011. It is the second film from Hayao Miyazaki's son Gorō Miyazaki, who also directed Tales From Earthsea. While Earthsea opened to pretty mixed reviews, Poppy Hill is getting much more favourable ones. It also won the Animation of the Year at the 35th Japan Academy Awards.

Synopsis
It's Yokohama, 1963. Each morning a girl on a high hilltop hoists signal flags to greet the ships in the bay below. She is Umi Matsuzaka, a sensible, responsible girl, who disapproves of the antics of the boys in her school. She especially disapproves of their bold ringleader, Shun, when he inadvertently embarrasses her. Nonetheless, Umi is drawn into the boys' campaign to preserve a dilapidated club house and finds herself warming to Shun, sensing a strength of character like her own. But their friendship and save-the-clubhouse campaign will be severely tested, in ways to make Umi and Shun question who they are…

From Up On Poppy Hill will be released on DVD/Blu-Ray across Japan on 20th June 2012, it will be available on most DVD sites including our favourite Yes Asia. Ghibli films usually open in the UK a year after Japan, so hopefully From Up On Poppy Hill will be out here in the summer. If you can't wait, the Japanese DVD will come with English subtitles. Good times!

Trailer below:

Takeshi Kitano delivers "Outrage Beyond" in October!

Fans of Takeshi Kitano and Yakuza films in general will have been impressed with his return to the violent crime films that propelled him to stardom in Outrage. It was a brilliant Yakuza drama and also pretty brutal! The film must have been a success as Kitano is making a sequel, Outrage Beyond, which will be released across Japan in October and continue from where the original left off. Takeshi will again be starring in and directing the flick.

"We need them to swing across that river on a rope and try to stick to the Velcro wall"

Synopsis:
Sanno-kai—the major yakuza organisation within the Kanto region and the main focus of the first film—butts heads with Hanabishi-kai from the Kansai region as police try to take them all down. Kitano returns as crew boss and all-around dirty-job-doer Otomo.

Hmm interesting... If you have seen the first film you will know why this synopsis is intriguing. If not, then go watch it! It's available everywhere on DVD on also to stream on US Netflix!

Teaser below:

Another - Live Action Remake - Trailer and Stills

Looks like Another is the latest anime to get the live action treatment. For those not familiar with the anime, I reviewed it while it was airing, link.

Synopsis

 In 1972, a very popular honor student named Misaki died partway through the school year in Yomiyama Middle School’s class 3-3. His peers, devastated by the unexpected loss, decided to carry on as if the student were still alive, going so far as to keep the desk in place and bringing it to the graduation ceremony. Yet no one could explain why the dead classmate was present on the graduation photo.
In spring 1998, 15-year-old student Kōichi Sakakibara arrives from Tokyo in Yomiyama, to stay with his grandparents while his father works in India. He transfers into class 3-3 but misses the first few weeks as a pneumothorax keeps him hospitalised. While in the hospital, he receives a visit from his classmates and meets a mysterious girl wearing his school’s uniform called Mei Misaki, who seems to be visiting the morgue.
Once recovered, Kōichi goes to school and tries to adapt. His aunt, a teacher at Yomiyama North, gives him a few pointers but, like his peers, remains evasive when it comes to their behaviour towards Mei, who is treated by all as if she did not exist. Kōichi is further confounded by the air of mystery around class 3-3 and the fact that it is isolated from other classes, even practising P.E. separately.
Things go from bad to worse when a classmate, Yukari Sakuragi, slips while running down the stairs and dies, impaled on the sharp end of her umbrella. This is one of many deaths related to Class 3-3 which have Kōichi and his friends Mei, Naoya Teshigawara, Tomohiko Kazami, and Yūya Mochizuki, trying to unravel the mystery of 1972’s Misaki and the “calamity” that has struck Class 3-3 ever since.

Cosplay Island?

I'm looking forward to this going by what I have seen from the trailer. Also, knowing Japan is brilliant with horror and suspense, this could work out very well! On the other hand, Live Action adaptions of anime are usually hit or miss, with the majority being miss!

Another gets a theatrical release across Japan on August 4th 2012. No news of an international release yet, so watch the trailer below over and over to keep you going! Or watch the anime!

 

 

War of The Arrows

The Korean House of Flying Daggers?

War of The Arrows (2011)
Choi-jong-byeong-gi Hwal (original title)
122 min - Action/History
Director: Han-min Kim
Writer: Han-min Kim (screenplay)

Stars: Hae-il Park, Seung-yong Ryoo and Chae-won Moon

Synopsis

Set in 1636, the second Manchurian invasion of Korea rages chaos, as villages are attacked by overpowering Manchurian soldiers. The Manchurians kidnap childhood sweethearts, Ja-in and Seo-Goon on their wedding day. In an effort to save his sister, Ja-in's brother Nam-Yi sets out to defeat the enemy and save his sister and other Korean victims with only 1 bow.

After not hearing much about this film I was very surprised to see just how great it was! After a bit of research I discovered it was the 2nd highest grossing film in South Korea in 2011. Not only was it a financial success, it also won numerous awards, including Best Actor for Park Hae-il and Best New Actress for Moon Chae-won at the Grand Bell Awards (Korean equivalent of the Academy Awards). I think this film deserves all the success it has achieved.

The great thing about War of The Arrows compared to a lot of the other recent Asian period films is you don't have to know anything about the history. The history is there, but all that matters is the Manchurians have captured Nam-Yi's sister, and he will do anything to get her back. One of the Qing warriors Jyu Shin-Ta has an elite troop which are trying to hunt down Nam-Yi to stop him from doing anymore damage. Can Nam-Yi rescue his sister before she becomes a slave?

I have heard War of The Arrows being compared to House of Flying Daggers and The Hunger Games... WTF? I actually noticed some similarities with this and HoFD, some of the scenery and cinematography, the arrows and daggers, and the ending is also a little reminiscent. No idea were The Hunger Games comparisons came from...

The film looks stunning! Some of the projectiles of the arrows are excellent, the way the camera follows them and the realism really makes this film! There is hardly any hand to hand combat but plenty of weapon fights with spears and arrows to keep you entertained. The characters are all very like able especially the lead. Occasionally the action takes a back seat for some character development, but it's all relevant and interesting, and gives you a breather until the next epic fight scene. The film being just over 2 hours flies by and you will be entertained start to finish.

I recommend this film to all! Especially for fans of period action films like Hero, House of Flying Daggers, etc. War of The Arrows got released on Monday 7th across the UK on DVD and Blu-Ray. And it is also available on US Netflix for immediate streaming.

8/10

Trailer below:

Will The Raid be shown in your local cinema?

Occasionally a world cinema film gets released in theatres that we desperately want to see. But you have to wait till it comes out to see if your local cinema is even showing it. And usually it ends up getting a very limited screening(... London!). Damn.

 

 

But this pretty cool, very useful website Total Fan Hub has a listing of all the cinemas that will be showing it. Glasgow is on the list! Oh yes!

In case you have missed all the reviews and press, The Raid is getting a very good reputation, with many calling it one of the best action films ever made!

8 days everyone!