Exciting Action Films I adored!

Night if the Assassin  Directed by Kwak Jeong-deok

FRANÇAIS app de traduction à gauche

I was lucky to screen a series of exciting asian movies in tandem with this years Fantasia Fest. You can find these movies at some theaters, some streaming services and on this site that specializes on martial arts and action films: Hi-YAH! (www.hiyahtv.com).

Yoshitaka Amano

Night if the Assassin  first impressed me with it's visual style that evokes the dramatic drawings of Yoshitaka Amano. 

The hero of the story, Lee Nan played by Shin Huin-joon, is renowned as the best hired assassin of Joseon. Unbeknown to him, he is afflicted with an almost incurable, deadly, heart disease that saps his energy as easily as blowing out a candle as soon as he engages in battle. There is only one mysterious plant that can heal him but bandits overwhelm the mountains where they grow.

His only option is to go into hiding in the hope that he can somehow reach this plant. He becomes an employee of Yawol, a single mother who operates an eatery played by Lee Jung-Min.

The above descriptions set the stage for the complex puzzle of crime and corruption that will force Lee Nan to fight to the death. The fight scenes are excellent and Lee Nan is swift and efficient. He has an equally talented enemy Dal-gi, played with wicked undertones by Hong Eunki. DO NOT MISS THIS FILM!

Hidden Blade Directed by Er Cheng

This movie embodies the meaning of the word sleek! I devoured every minute of it with delight. It is so well scripted you will not guess who is the mysterious hidden blade until the end. 

We rarely see a movie that addresses how China was devastated by World War II where it lost 14 million people. On this link you can read more about the impact of WW II on China. I

In this movie, we see how a group of Chinese citizens formed a secret spy ring of double-agents who successfully gathered information that would turn the tide in the Japanese occupied land. Beside it's exquisite elegance, the movie speaks in dramatic symbolism sprinkled with scenes of unbearable cruelty and betrayal. The movie is based on actual historical events that you may wish to explore. Here is a good starting point.

The cast is brilliant! SLEEK! Tony Leung, Wang Yibo, Zhou Xun, Huang Lei to name a few. The intricacies of the plot compelled me to look at the movie twice. It is such an attractive film that just seeing the images flow one into the other is a worthwhile experience.

Kill Shot Directed by Ari Novak

This movie opens with a heist somewhere in the Afghanistan. A suitcase containing a huge fortune is taken across the ocean and is lost somewhere in the Montana wilderness where a battle for the money begins. 

The construction of this film is particular. For example, the carrier of the money filled suitcase is a tiny little girl, played by Anaya Patel, who crosses snowcapped mountains to drop off the money filled bag. Then, a stunningly gorgeous woman, Dina Diablo played by Mara O'hara, appears! She is part of a group that will steal this 100M$ fortune. Back in Montana, we meet Jackson Hardison played by Rib Hill. He is not a likeable character! He meets Kate, Rachel Cook, at the bar where he rents a room. By this point I was thinking: the best looking cast I have ever seen! 

The problem with this film, for me, was that the acting is subpar and the script not very well thought out. What I liked about it: it reminded me of the times growing up where I would play war with my brothers and our friends. We carried weapons we made out of wood and had so much fun.

See this movie with a spirit of fun.

Bad City Directed by Kensuke Sonomura | Hitoshi Ozawa | Masanori Mimoto

Kaiko City in Japan plagued by poverty and corruption, is besieged by competing mob gangs. Hitoshi Ozawa plays Torada, a falsely accused imprisoned police captain who is recruited to secretly head a small group of police officers mandated to investigate just how high up the governmental echelon the corruption goes.

This is a martial arts movie structured like the classical martial arts movies from back in the day where schools would fight other schools with hundreds of students fighting each other for supremacy or revenge. Both motives exist here, it is gang warfare on crack. The style of combat is mostly boxing but there is one terrifying hired assassin who uses the knife.

It is an action packed flick with an unexpected plot twists and a surprising ending.

Do enjoy these action films that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

LENA GHIO   

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