A Chinese Ghost Story III (1991) [Film Review]

A Chinese Ghost Story III; or, Heavenly Dilemma

     Why are you telling me your name? I won't be visiting you, and you won't be visiting me. Man and ghost can't be together... Even if you were human, it'd be hopeless because monks and women can't be together. Remember to be more careful in future. If you meet other monks, they won't give you a chance. Take care of yourself!
Tsui Hark and Ching Siu-tung did not wait long to release the next follow-up, as A Chinese Ghost Story III saw the light of the day just one year after the premiere of the second part. This particular motion picture; however, feels more like a soft reboot rather than proper continuation.

Release Info

Directed by: Ching Siu-tung Starring: Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Joey Wong, Lau Yuk-ting

Language: Cantonese Original Title: 倩女幽魂III：道道道 Runtime: 104 min

Synopsis
The film begins with a flashback from the first film in which we see the fight between Yin Chik-ha (Wu Ma) and the Tree Demoness (Lau Siu-ming). The monk manages to imprison the demon via magical seal, but it breaks after 100 years. This is the beginning of a new story centering on a young Buddhist disciple, Shi Fang (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai), and his master (Lau Shun) who are travelling to the Imperial City in order to deliver the figure of a golden buddha. For fear of being robbed by thieves, they spend a night in a haunted place known as the Orchid Temple (the same place from the first film). There, Shi Fang is being seduced by a ghost called Lotus (Joey Wong), but the monk remains resilient to her charms. In order to avoid detection by the master, Shi Fang lets Lotus escape. As a way of returning the favour, Lotus attempts to protect Shu Fang from her mischievous sister Jade (Lau Yuk-ting) and the Tree Demoness. Nevertheless, Lotus’s intentions are exposed and Shu Fang is forced to seek the help of a noble mercenary Yin (Jacky Cheung).

100 Years Later
Fans of the series often point to A Chinese Ghost Story III as the weakest of the bunch. Understandably, the movie suffers from the lack of Leslie Cheung and Wu Ma, and falls into repetitiveness (the return of the Tree Demoness). Also, Joey Wong plays an entirely different ghost this time. Yet, the film still manages to be its own thing.

There is room for comedy as well as action. There are also fantastic dynamics between Tony Leung’s character and Joey Wong’s ghost. Their relationship is not a simple rehash of the romance between Choi-san and Siu-sin because the young monk tries as hard as possible not to be physically interested in Lotus, which leads to a lot of hilarious bickering between the two characters.

What is more, A Chinese Ghost Story III puts a lot of emphasis on the aspect of Buddhism. While in the previous pictures, the monks used sutras and special charms to fight the evil spirits, here we have beads, special paint, golden buddhas, flying carpets, and divine light pit against snakes, swirling tongues, and lighting bolts. Tony Leung transforming into a glowing red buddha in the film’s finale is arguably one of the coolest things ever.

Recommendations
I recommend A Chinese Ghost Story III to anyone who would like to experience an action-packed fantasy story with comedy elements. Personally, I believe that the original trilogy works so well primarily because of Joey Wong. Throughout the three films, she played different roles which really showcased her acting range and talent.Overall score: 8/10

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Kaito Ruby (1988) [Film Review]

Kaito Ruby; or, Partners in Crime

     I don't know if you're a fool or just a plain good guy.
I have already written this on MDL, but allow me to repeat it: I’d have never thought that I will watch a romcom/heist flick with 22-year-old Kyoko Koizumi playing a criminal mastermind. It is so out of the ordinary seeing this great actress together with the legendary Hiroyuki Sanada (28 at that time) on the screen. Well, director Makoto Wada made it possible and Kaito Ruby is a sweet, fun flick indeed.

Release Info

Directed by: Makoto Wada Starring: Kyoko Koizumi, Hiroyuki Sanada, Kumi Mizuno

Language: Japanese Original Title: 快盗ルビイ Runtime: 96 min

Synopsis
Toru Hayashi (Hiroyuki Sanada) is a nerdy guy who lives with his mom (Kumi Mizuno) in an apartment complex. One day, he notices that a beautiful girl known as Ruby (Kyoko Koizumi) moves into a flat two floors above him. All of a sudden, the girl confesses that is a professional burglar and enlists Toru to help her out in heist projects. Toru agrees but his cowardice always gets the better of him in heated situations.

Play it again, Toru
During the first thirty minutes of the film, you get an impression that this is a standard, run-on-the-mill, romantic comedy in which a clumsy guy falls for a quirky girl who is way of his league, but the longer the film lasts, the better it gets.

The jokes and slapstick comedy are entertaining to watch but the chemistry between Sanada and Koizumi is off the charts. Kaito Ruby really feels like an homage to American comedies from the 1950s, especially in terms of static cinematographic style, dream-like production design, and musical numbers (yes, Kyoko and Hiroyuki sing together!)

My only complaint is that the film could have been shorter because some of the sequences feel a bit prolonged (for instance, the boyfriend subplot). Nevertheless, it is still a great experience watching the film.

With regard to performances, Hiroyuki Sanada is obviously too cool for school as the next-door boy with huge glasses (didn’t recognise him at first!). Kyoko Koizumi also delivers a radically different performance from her standard drama roles as a know-it-all girl who is basically a missing member of Ocean’s Eleven. Additional bonus is the appearance of Kumi Mizuno herself as the sweet and patient mom.

Recommendations
If you are looking for a light comedy with great leads for Sunday afternoon, then Kaito Ruby is a great choice. The ending really has the spirit of Koki Mitani movies and Kyoko Kizumi also sings the main theme. All in all, Kaito Ruby will most certainly uplift your mood.Overall score: 8/10

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Gundress (1999) [Anime Review]

Gundress; or, Mecha Charlie’s Angels
     I lived according to your word. You were everything to me.Your eyes were like those of… a stray dog who had lost a fight. You were scared, and your isolation made you feel that no one loved you. I could understand how the world looked to those eyes. That’s why I was with you. But I misunderstood!
My exploration of good old cyberpunk anime goes on. This time I would like to discuss Gundress, an anime feature from 1999, to which Masamune Shirow contributed as character and mecha designer. Interestingly, the film generated a bit of controversy among anime fans. Well, let’s take a closer look at it.

Release Info

Directed by: Katsuyoshi Yatabe Voice actors: Masako Katsuki, Kumiko Watanabe, Akemi Okamura, Reiko Takagi, Rie Ishizuka, Tomoko Kawakami

Language: Japanese Original Title: ガンドレス Runtime: 85 min

Synopsis
Welcome to the future, it’s the year 2100 in a newly-built Bayside City, an international port. In order to fight off terrorism and smuggling operations, private military organisations step into action. The Angel Arms Company is one of them. It was founded by a former policewoman Takako (Masako Katsuki), and she leads the group composed of six former criminals who now enforce the law in special security suits. The team is ordered to protect an arms-dealer called Hassan (Minoru Inaba) because he might provide some vital information which will enable the authorities to bring down the big crime ring. However, crime lords try to strike back. They send Jean-Luc Skinner (Kenyuu Horiuchi) to kill Hassan. It turns out that the assassin is a former lover of Angel Arms pilot, Alissa (Rie Ishizuka).

At the Edge of Cybernet
I have to say that I checked out Gundress completely without having the knowledge of its troubled production. I think it was for the best. At first glance, Gundress seems to be a small-budget OVA from the late 1980s, similar in production value to Shirow’s other anime project, Black Magic M-66 (1987). However, it appears that Gundress had large financial resources and the backing of a major Japanese studio (Nikkatsu). What is more, it was intended to be a theatrical(!) release. As a result, when comparing Gundress to other sci-fi classics released in cinemas (Akira (1988), Ghost in the Shell (1995)), one can clearly see that something went horribly wrong in the making process.

It cannot confirm this rumour, but (allegedly) moviegoers were given leaflets on the premiere day saying that the film is unfinished and the studio will send them a home video copy later on… I could not find out more about behind-the-scenes drama of Gundress, but undeniably the animation studio could not handle this project properly.

Putting these revelations aside, I have to say that Gundress works well as an OVA played at home on your DVD player. It tries to be as wacky as Dominion Tank Police (1988) and as serious as Ghost in the Shell (1995). In addition, I enjoyed the concept of Charlie’s Angels fighting the bad guys in mechas. Masamune Shirow’s designs are always a pleasure to look at.

What is more, Gundress features an ensemble cast of legendary voice actresses: Masako Katsuki, Kumiko Watanabe, Akemi Okamura, Reiko Takagi, Rie Ishizuka, and the late Tomoko Kawakami. It is worth watching this anime feature, just to listen to their performances.

Recommendations
All things considered, Gundress is harmless fun, but not anything exceptional. If you happen to find it on a cheap DVD, then go ahead and grab it. Certainly, it is not worth the price of a cinema ticket. In my opinion, the storyline would have worked better in the form of a short series rather than a 90-minute picture. Overall score: 6/10

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New Police Story (2004) [Film Review]

New Police Story: or, The Long Arm of the Law

     There are so many great things waiting for you. Forget the past, turn your pain into your power.
9 years after the previous Police Story instalment, Jackie Chan returns to the series with a complete remake, simply called New Police Story. Directed by Benny Chan, the movie distances itself from the previous entries due to much grittier tone and heavy violence. Is this a decent action flick or yet another refurbished old chestnut? Let’s find out together.

Release Info

Directed by: Benny Chan Starring: Jackie Chan, Nicholas Tse, Charlie Yeung, Charlene Choi

Language: Cantonese Original Title: 新警察故事 Runtime: 123 min

Synopsis
A group of five anonymous youngsters conducts a series of bank heists in Hong Kong. Apart from stealing money, they gained notoriety for violently killing police officers who rushed to the scene. Inspector Chan Kwok-wing (Jackie Chan) is sent together with a squad to track down and arrest the gang. Unfortunately, Chan’s team members fall into a trap and get killed. Chan himself barely makes it out alive. Depressed and ashamed, Chan turns to alcohol, but a transfer cop, Frankie Cheng (Nicholas Tse), suddenly appears and identifies himself as Chan’s new partner. With the help of Frank, Chan pulls himself together and begins the search for ruthless killers.

Death Wish
I clearly remember seeing New Police Story in the mid 2000s on television, but the teenager me just could not handle all the violence (the squad decimation scene). It was only 10 years later when I revisited the movie and I found it to be extremely gripping.

What I like the most about New Police Story is the change in tone. From the opening scene, we see Jackie as a fallen cop. He is no longer “Mr. Nice Guy” who gets himself in trouble only to heroically save the day. His new interpretation of a police officer is that of a vulnerable man who seeks redemption. Indeed, it is a great story arc. In addition, the plot itself about a gang of game-addicted youngsters (no longer gangsters or terrorists as in previous films) is excellent and accurately reflects the high-tech feels of the early 2000s.

In terms of action, there are lots of amazing sequences. We get a new double-decker bus chase, disarming the bomb scene, and final confrontation at a convention centre, to name but a few. Definitely, my favourite action set piece is the building wall drop. The blooper reel at the end of film clearly shows what an arduous sequence it was to shoot (without any CGI!).

With regard to disadvantages, the film tends to be a bit over-melodramatic in places. There are some moments when the viewer wants to catch a breath, but the drama just presses on. Nevertheless, there’s still some space for humour, mostly coming from the characters of Frankie (who in terms of appearance is an obvious rip-off of Detective Aoshima from Bayside Shakedown).

Speaking about performances, New Police Story serves as one of the notable examples which prove that Jackie can be not only a stuntman but also an actor. In addition, I enjoyed the light-hearted performances of Nicholas Tse as Frankie Cheng and Charlene Choi as officer Sa Sa. Charlie Yeung also gives a compelling performance as Chan’s love interest, in spite of limited screen time. Also, Yu RongGuang (who appeared in Project S (1993)) plays the supporting part of Chan’s superior.

Recommendations
All things considered, I’m very fond of New Police Story and I like coming back to it every now and then. I safely recommend it to the fans of Jackie Chan as well as enthusiasts of police drama. This movie is undoubtedly one of the strongest entries in the series. Jackie went in an entirely new direction and it paid off. Stay tuned for my review of Police Story 2013.Overall score: 8/10

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