Kung Fu Jungle

Leave it to Donnie Yen, to pay respect and make a movie that is sort of a tribute to a lot of Martial Arts heroes of the past. Acting martial arts heroes that is of course. And this movie does have a lot of them. But it does pay respect to almost everyone in the credits too (stay seated or watch them through if you are a fan).

The movie also is a combination of different fighting styles. It's sort of a best of. The story is pretty decent for a movie like this too. The stunts action scenes are fantastic we knew that (if you've been aware of Donnie Yens body of work, if you'll excuse the pun). But it's also the story that you want to enjoy too. It might have a couple of bumps along the way, but overall a very good movie, especially for the martial arts fan

Kung fu instructor Hahou Mo (Donnie Yen) is serving a prison sentence for the accidental death of an opponent during a duel. When he sees a news report on the prison TV about the murder of a top martial artist, he believes that he can help the police to find the person responsible (who turns out to be a highly skilled fighter with a gimpy leg, as played by Baoqiang Wang).

While not exactly boasting the most inspired or original of plots (the story is reminiscent of all those old school kung fu films in which a villainous martial artist kills the good guys to prove he's number one), Kung Fu Killer is still a case of Donnie Yen proving to his detractors that he's still got it. Almost two and a half decades after he wowed audiences in In the Line of Duty IV, he is more than capable of choreographing and performing jaw-dropping scenes of martial arts mayhem.

I admit I was a tad doubtful at first, the initial fight scenes not grabbing me in the way I had hoped, but with each successive battle getting more and more elaborate and increasingly brutal, the film eventually won me over, the final showdown on a busy freeway being an incredible tour-de-force of kung fu excellence (with a truly wonderful spot of pole fighting midway). Admittedly, the fights are not without their use of CGI and wirework, but that's become fairly standard for modern action films, and the technology is used well in this instance. I for one am just happy to see Donnie still leaping about and doing what he does best. May he long continue to do so.

Granted, they had me at Donnie Yen, but then they gave me incredible production values, a fairly competent storyline, and met the action/fight-sequence quality of the first two IPman's.

This was ranked 6.4 this morning, 6.5 this afternoon, and could be headed higher.

It deserves it. It's a freakin' blast!

The final fight is as good as the alleyway in Killzone, and a clear lack of the all-too-present drama silliness found in many of these HK action flicks. Some of the serious stuff is handled quite well.

Albeit the fight scenes are still gloriously over-the-top(not sure what some were expecting reading some negative reviews - i mean isn't that wHY you rent a kung fu flick? Geesh).

The "filler" is solid, decently acted fare that keeps at an even pace and keeps the audiences interested in the fate of its lead characters. If u want realism go rent "the gunman" and be bored to death with a more basic plot, realism, and seasoned actors. It will fry your brain and send u back to the redbox faster than "Get Hard". Or have fun watching a mindless, unrealistic kung fu flick - which flies by like an F-16, and is a 90-minute adrenaline rush.

Highly recommend this! 65/100

I will be purchasing this. You should know where u stand before u hit play. If u enjoyed "true Legend", the "police stories", "supercop" or SPL:Killzone.. Or any modern kung fu flick.. You will love this!

If your a Donnie Yen fan, this film is an absolute must watch. He always delivers in the action scenes, but this movie also has solid characters and an interesting story.

Kung Fu Killer (or Kung Fu Jungle) is essentially about the quest of two men to be the best fighter alive. The villain is very overt in their quest of dominance, but the heroes journey is clouded by questions of conscience, family, honor, and pride. This gives each a destiny discovered through a series of fight scenes. The two inevitably end up pitted against one another in a test of skill, strength, and willpower. I really respect the use of the fight scenes to add depth to both characters and story.

If your watching this movie, it will be for the action. The martial arts is really well done, and while there certainly is some wire play and superhuman moments - the scenes follow their own stylistic rules which do not stray absurdly far from realism. Each dual features a different style, and the variation of techniques will be appreciated by the seasoned martial arts fan. I am especially fond of the fight highlighting weapons - especially it's introduction, style, and nod to the film industry.

The story isn't perfect, and this is what holds this movie back from being a true kung-fu classic. Everything is in the right place - Haunted villain, damaged hero in need of redemption, love interests, and surrounding characters trying to uphold the law. But it takes the viewers imagination to make all the pieces fit perfectly, and while I don't mind this myself, I certainly understand how someone who needs the all the roughed up puzzle pieces perfectly smooth would be left somewhat disappointed trying to fit it all together. I'd like to say the lessons learned make the ending perfectly epic, but really the films moral falls flat in comparison to the action, and the depth of the main two characters.

The villains character is especially deep. He overcomes both physical and mental anguish to become a master, but as a result of his life trials, is too damaged to be anything but a killing machine. The hero finds he has a choice in his destiny, which is one of the biggest points the film has to make.

Production values are very good. The camera work is especially well done, and the fight scenes gain a lot from this excellence. Always nice to see fight scenes from far enough back to really witness the action unfolding, and minimal edits to watch the actors preform their craft and stunts.

If your looking for an excellent martial arts movie with great characters, memorable fight scenes, and a solid story - then by all means, watch Kung Fu Killer.

Way above average: 7 out of 10

KUNG FU KILLER - aka KUNG FU JUNGLE - is the latest slice of martial arts madness from Donnie Yen, here playing a tough-as-nails convict who's released by the police in order to track down a serial killer who's been making it his business to kill Hong Kong's top martial arts fighters. What we have is a slim police procedural plot enlivened by tons of hard-hitting and well-choreographed kung fu fights.

What you see is what you get, and there's little to disappoint here. The production values make for a glossy, high-spirited production, and there's also plenty of the human drama you'd expect from the storyline. Donnie Yen always plays himself, really; whether he's a cop or a criminal, he's always the good-natured, good-moral hero who you're rooting for throughout. Charlie Yeung's female detective provides a good opponent for him to butt heads with though.

Really, though, the plot is just an excuse for the action, and it's plentiful indeed. Most of it consists of one-to-one bouts, although there's time for a riotous interlude inside a prison. All of it builds up to an extended finale in which Yen and the sneering villain beat seven shades of hell out of each other for what seems like an enternity, and it's all very entertaining, although not quite up there with the best of this genre (aka FLASH POINT and KILL ZONE).