Kung Fu Jungle

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).

"Kung Fu Killer" (aka "Yi ge ren de wu lin") is one of the absolute better Donnie Yen movies in years. I had very little expectations to the movie when I sat to watch it, expecting it to be little more than just another tough-guy-beating-up-all-the-bad-guys movies that Donnie Yen usually tends to make. However, I was more than genuinely and pleasantly surprised at the outcome of "Kung Fu Killer".

What makes "Kung Fu Killer" a good movie is a combination of several things, which include the action, the martial arts, the story, the acting, the setting and the atmosphere of the entire movie. I was really enjoying this movie from start to end. As with all Donnie Yen movies, then the martial arts and action sequences are tight, precise and well-choreographed and equally so executed. And I am a sucker for Hong Kong movies, so of course it was a treat to be back on the gritty streets midst worn-down old and sparkly new buildings at the heart of South-East Asia.

Donnie Yen does deliver his usual perfect set of fighting and action skills here in this movie, and he is joined alongside by Baoqiang Wang, whom I don't think I have noticed before. But wow, this guy was also quite amazing, and definitely a name to keep an eye on. There was a good feeling of brutality and honest, hard-hitting fighting throughout the entire movie, without excessive use of Wire Fu. Charlie Yeung also did add a good element to the movie with her acting talent.

The story is about an imprisoned martial arts instructor whom is given a deal to work with the Hong Kong police in order to find and stop a particularly brutal serial killer who is targeting the best of the best of martial artists.

The characters in the movie were a bit square, yes. And by square I mean that they were generic and as you would expect from a movie of this type. Nothing grandiose here or nothing innovative in terms of character building. But that is still alright, because they are enjoyable and well portrayed by the cast hired for the various roles and characters.

It should be said that director Teddy Chan does follow a strict how-to-make-an-action-thriller by the book. And that is one of the downsides to the movie, because it does give it a bit too much of a predictability to it.

If you enjoy Hong Kong cinema, then "Kung Fu Killer" is a definite must watch movie, especially in the latter years. I was quite surprised with how good the movie was, and am pleased to say that Donnie Yen is definitely back in top form. I am rating "Kung Fu Killer" a solid eight out of ten stars.

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 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.

if you're a big fan of old-school kung fu flicks (i.e, stuff with Shaolin monks, Iron monkey, people doing fancy kung fu moves) you'll probably enjoy this movie. If not, your mileage may vary, and this movie may be a 6 or 7 out of 10 for you. Don't expect the more "realistic" fight scenes we've seen lately out of stuff like "the Raid", Bourne flicks, or Jason Statham. Even though this movie takes place in present day, it's in many ways a homage to classic kung fu movies of the past.

Donnie Yen plays an imprisoned martial artist who's released on the condition that he helps the police apprehend a serial killer hunting kung-fu masters. The plot develops like something you'd expect from a kung-fu film taking place centuries ago. The villain chooses his victims based on their mastery of the arts. He wants to defeat the best kicker, the best grappler, the best weapon user, etc.. in order to prove he is the greatest fighter in the land. The action scenes are pretty good - fast and frenetic, minimal apparent cgi/wirework, and well choreographed. I should also note the producers do a nice job finding and designing creative set pieces for the action, with various scenes taking place on a busy freeway, inside a dinosaur museum, etc...

Another plus is the characterization and portrayal of the villain (played by Wang Baoqiang). He's given enough depth and backstory to separate him from the typical one-dimensional baddies we've all seen, and Wang's earnest (although somewhat melodramatic) performance is one of the highlights of this movie.

I think it's apparent from watching this that the filmmakers put a lot of effort into making this a quality kung-fu movie. Sure, maybe it falls prey to some of the usual action movie tropes (this ain't high art we're talking about after all), maybe there's cheesiness here and there, and Donnie Yen isn't a great actor, but it's easy to appreciate the little details and work invested into this film that elevate it above random xyz action movies that have good fight scenes, but are otherwise unmemorable.