Absolution (2015)

Director: Keoni Waxman
Notable Cast: Steven Seagal, Byron Mann, Vinnie Jones, Adina Stetcu 
AKA: Mercenary: Absolution

While there has been a resurgence in the careers of many of the 80s and early 90s action icons, the continued career of Steven Seagal is rather perplexing. Unlike his peers Jean-Claude Van Damme, Gary Daniels, and even Sylvester Stallone, Seagal still doesn’t seem to give two shits about the movies he is in. If it wasn’t for the frequent collaboration with director Keoni Waxman (and a slew of strong supporting cast members), Seagal’s career would be bottom of the barrel material. Take his latest effort, Absolution, as a prime example. A sequel to his film A Good Man from last year, Absolution is a decent B-grade actioner that’s utterly drowned by Steven Seagal presence. It’s almost sad that one of my favorite action stars from the early 90s would be the worst part of his own films.

John Alexander (Seagal) continues to work as a hired hit man in the underground world of crime and corruption. He’s turned a new leaf though and decides he needs to atone for the sins in his life. While on a job, he encounters a young woman on the run from a vicious local crime boss (Jones). With the help of his ass kicking partner Chi (Mann), Alexander is going to have to rely on his wits and his fists to find his absolution…or die trying.

This is body language for "get out of the way."

To be upfront, Absolution is still a shockingly fun straight to home video action flick. Keoni Waxman is proving to be one of the best directors in the world of low budget action and he only continues to get better with time. Waxman also serves as one of the writers on the film and despite some very predictable plot progressions and the inclusion of a random Russian side character (whom only serves to be a walking, talking plot progression himself), the film carries a lot of energy and heart to sell its simplified tale of anti-heroes vs baddies in an Eastern European country. Absolution isn’t one of the best films you’re likely to see this year, but considering is budget and B-grade concept it comes off as a pleasant surprise in quality.

It helps that the action here is solid with plenty of shoot outs (try to ignore the CGI bullet holes though) and plenty of slick hand to hand combat thanks to the charming and dynamic presence of the underrated Byron Mann. Even Vinnie Jones, whom I expected to show up for a paycheck as the big bad, has a decently shot and fun fight sequence against Seagal in the final act. Don’t think about some of the elements too hard though (like the lacking security of the bad guys, the terrible shooting by the henchmen, or the weird inability of the villains to catch up to Seagal who never goes faster than an awkward saunter) and you’ll be just fine as you ride along with the film.

Yet, despite all the surprisingly fun and energetic things that Absolution has going for it, the one key to making it all work is Seagal and…well, he’s straight up fucking terrible in this film. Steven Seagal is single handedly the worst part about his own movie. He delivers key lines like he’s drunk, he has no chemistry with any of his supporting cast (although Byron Mann obviously tries to compensate with his own larger than life screen presence), and Keoni Waxman has to edit around Seagal’s action scenes to make stand ins look real and to make him look more badass than he is anymore. Throughout the film I kept thinking to myself, “Gosh, I sure wish Gary Daniels was in this film. It would be so much better.” While I appreciate that Seagal is still making films and that those films are decent at their foundations, it would make me feel much better if it looked like he gave two shits about it.

One of the few fights were Seagal was present.

In the end, Absolution is a surprisingly solid little film that is completely undermined by lackluster performance of its star. The action is fun, the supporting cast does their best (although the main girl in it makes me wince whenever she speaks in it), and Keoni Waxman takes a patchy script and makes it worth watching. If only someone else was in the film instead of Seagal, then Absolution might have been one of the bigger surprises of the year.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Shaolin Martial Arts (1974)

Director: Chang Cheh

Notable Cast: Alexander Fu Sheng, Chi Kuan-chun, Johnny Wang, Leung Kar Yan "Beardy," Chen Yi Ling, Gordon Liu

In the last few months Netflix Streaming has taken it upon itself to start offering some old school martial arts titles for viewing, albeit they were mostly older Jet Li action flicks to start with. However, just recently they uploaded a handful of Shaw Brothers titles (in stunning hi-def and with subtitles!) including Shaolin Martial Arts. Having never seen the film before, it never made the cut for a DVD or Blu release in the US, I instantly leapt at the chance. Shaolin Martial Arts features a stunning cast of heroes and villains and it’s directed by the iconic Chang Cheh. Fortunately, the film lives up to its cast and crew as a well-developed and thoughtful kung fu flick filled with everything a fan could want: action, story, and even some gimmicky characters.

Memories of the Sword (2015)

Director: Park Heung-sik

Notable Cast: Kim Go-eun, Jeon Do-yeon, Lee Byung-hun, Lee Jun-ho

South Korea has already established themselves as the elite place for thrillers, but the market has showcased a knack for plenty of other genres too – including the Hong Kong style of wuxia. Last year’s Kundo was a big surprise in its wuxia influence (enough so that it ended up making my top list of action flicks for the year), but it’s the epic tale of revenge in Memories of the Sword that has the style down damn near perfectly. Featuring some breathtaking visuals, classic wuxia storytelling, and performances to emotionally devastate the viewer, Memories of the Sword is a wickedly effective ride that blends a variety of old school influences with a modern sense of style.

Mystery of Chess Boxing, The [Ninja Checkmate] (1979)

Director: Joseph Kuo
Notable Cast: Yi-Min Li, Mark Long, Jack Long, Yuen Siu Tien, Jeanie Chang

In martial arts cinema there have always been the ‘big two’ companies for quality material: Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest. However, they are not the ONLY two companies that put out massively enjoyable kung fu flicks in the 70s and 80s and there are a handful of great flicks worth your time that are not from those banners. Take The Mystery of Chess Boxing as a major example of one of those films. Despite its low budget, The Mystery of Chess Boxing – also known as Ninja Checkmate in the US – is a massively entertaining and energetic film littered with charming performances and hinged on two of kung fu’s greatest characters: the Chess master and Ghost Face Killer. It's classic with a capital 'kung fu.'

The time has come for some of the greatest masters of kung fu. A renegade killer named Ghost Face Killer is hell bent on revenge and he will stop at nothing to finish his list and kill all of those who tried to kill him. For a young man (Yi-Min Li) looking to learn kung fu himself, it’s a date with destiny he doesn’t know is coming. With the help of a few teachers, he is going to have to master both chess boxing and the iconic Five Elements Style if he is going to overcome the Ghost Face Killer (Mark Long).

Training is only for the strong.

Kung fu fans owe it to themselves to at least partake in this film at least once. It’s not wholly original with its vengeance plot that surrounds a young man looking for a path in life, injected with a bit of Jackie Chan-esque physical comedy and a whole lot of gray wigs for all of the grandmasters, but the film is wildly energetic in its delivery. The film has some unique flaws to its name, including some major editing issues that mess a bit with the narrative flow and a subplot in the second act featuring the drunken master himself Yuen Siu Tien that doesn’t feel fully fleshed out, but the resounding charm and high speed fight sequences do more than make up for most of them. It helps that the film has three very big screen presences in its cast with Yi-Min Li as the lovable every man hero and Jack Long and Mark Long as the teacher and villain respectively. The combination of these three, however, particularly in the final fight, is truly a kung fu sight to be reckoned with. The humor can be a bit hit or miss, the dubbing pulls away from the more serious moments too, but the film flies by with a wink and a kick that’s essential martial arts viewing.

To top it off, the fight work in the film is phenomenal. The film starts off catering a bit to the Jackie Chan school of funny mischievous slapstick kung fu, but it’s intermixed with a series of rapid fire and impressively choreographed assassination sequences that sees the iconic villain Ghost Face Killer murdering his way closer to our heroes. The film spends a bit of time with the fan favorite training pieces in the second act to speed things up, but nothing quite prepares the audience for the super long and shockingly diverse battle at the end of the film. It’s simple as it tags in characters and eventually works its way into a 2 on 1 throw down, but it’s highly entertaining.

The ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny.

Truthfully, the worst part about The Mystery of Chess Boxing is the quality of the actual film. Sure there are some issues here and there with plotting (the Chess master’s daughter seems to be thrown in to have some sort of feminine aspect of romance for shits and giggles), but the terrible condition of the film itself makes it a bit hard to watch. As far as I know, only a dubbed version exists and the film is heavily cropped and a bit blurry visually. It’s sad that a true gem like this film never got the proper treatment and time has degraded the experience, but it makes one grateful we have it at all.

The Mystery of Chess Boxing is hardly perfect when it comes to traditional movie critique, but it’s a guaranteed kung fu fan’s dream when it comes to rating it based on that bias.  At some point I hope some miracle arises and a better quality version comes to the surface for fans. Until that point though we will just have to enjoy the film for its relentless energy and powerful fight sequences.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Taking, The [Bait] (2015)

Director: Dominic Brunt
Notable Cast: Joane Mitchell, Victoria Smurfit, Jonathon Slinger

Being only one of three films I chose at Fantasia this year that you wouldn’t e able to file under the horror gene, The Taking (also known as Bait), was a film where I was looking for something different. Director Dominic Brunt, whose only feature before this is a zombie flick, directs this film that analyzes the two lead’s nightmare and does a pretty decent job. The terror comes from situation and Brunt puts our leads in as they find everything that they own or love at stake including significant others, family, and their own lives. This little film isn’t one that Fantasia fans have heard much from and it is was placed to the smaller venue, but to still a sold out crowd of curious genre lovers and while The Taking did not garner a yelling crowd, it was definitely well received.  

                
The Taking follows cafe shop owners Dawn and Bex (played by Joane Mitchell and Victoria Smurfit respectively) who are looking to expand their business from outside the local market to their own little shop. After failing to acquire the necessary loan to open their business from the bank, Dawn decides to hear out an offer from Jeremy (played by Jonathan Slinger) a new acquaintance who tries to befriend the discouraged twosome. Up to the point that they finally feel tricked and decide to decline the money, it is already too late. The events giving clues to Jeremy’s identity up to this point give answer as Dawn and Bex get involved in a do or die situation as Jeremy is looking to collect.

                

This little film from the UK was not overly delightful considering a few bones that I had to pick with the writing. While I have no problem with the cast’s performance, especially Jonathan Slinger who plays his role to a tee, the decisions made by our leads are more than questionable. I felt like I was watching a slasher film where everyone decides to split up! As a viewer I was putting myself in their shoes and making my own decisions. This isn’t solely for the two protagonists (though the film seems to focus more on Dawn) but for Jeremy as well. As a matter of fact, his were a lot more frustrating! I can acknowledge that The Taking’s writer Paul Roundell had chosen this because it was a simpler route than to have to think. If Jeremy is a dangerous man approaching his victims looking to collect, shouldn’t he be used to them trying to trick him or trying to kill him instead? Would it be easier to make excuses like this? It seems to me that it’s more like an excuse to not think. The characters are interesting enough and have more depth than your average film. Bex usually doesn’t take shit from anyone and is happy with her boyfriend, while Dawn is in touch with her mother and her autistic son. Where the pay off really comes is the film’s climax and in spades. It seems only natural that after the large but not gratuitous amount of violence in the film that it finishes off with a big bang. After taking a ridiculous amount of mental and physical abuse, our leads decide that they’re not going to take anymore shit from Jeremy and his goon. 

              

I think the best way to view The Taking is not seriously like I did because then you just start pulling your hair out. If you decide to do otherwise, then it’s some pretty decent popcorn fun. I may have exaggerated the issue of some of the less than smart decisions that the characters take but there are a few laughs to be had and the end resulted in the biggest reaction from the Fantasia audience and it was definitely a positive one. Seeing the villain get his just desserts is super satisfying. The Taking lays in the middle of the spectrum of a film that definitely deserves the Netflix viewing or rental but not exactly the full purchase price.

Written By Elise Holmes

Elise Holmes is not your average writer. Dedicated to her Evil Dead fan site The Deadite Slayer, she is doing Fantasia Fest coverage this year for Blood Brothers! Check out her site HERE!

Wolf Warrior (2015)

Director: Wu Jing

Notable Cast: Wu Jing, Scott Adkins, Yu Nan, Kyle Sapiro, Ni Dahong, Kevin Lee

Despite its general luke warm to cold reviews, I was still looking forward to Wolf Warrior. Call me old fashioned, but we just don’t get B-grade action films like we used to. As someone who grew up on the likes of Stallone, Van Damme, and Seagal, I have a well-rounded love for the big budget bad action flick. While Wolf Warrior most certainly falls into the very same categories as some of the Hollywood's best of the worst, it was also a remarkably enjoyable film experience. Don’t expect anything above a low brow explosion riddled, loosely threaded film and you’ll find plenty of cheese and action to go around.

Leng Feng (Wu Jing) just earned himself a one way ticket out of the army for disobeying an order in combat, but he’s also earned his way into one of the most elite training and fighting groups in all of China…THE WOLF WARRIORS! Yet while on a training mission with the army, these elite soldiers find themselves at odds with a vicious and well trained group of international mercenaries lead by a ruthless killer (Scott Adkins). Is there something else more sinister afoot?

Weapons of mass destruction assemble! And get those tanks too!

In a way, Wolf Warrior represents three kinds of Hong Kong action films: the old school action flick, the modern action flick, and Chinese military propaganda film. On top of that, director/actor/co-writer Wu Jing made one hell of a vanity project out of Wolf Warrior too. He essentially plays an unstoppable force of strategic and military might (seriously, he gets shot like five times in this, outruns snipers, and somehow survives stepping on a landmine) that rivals Rambo in many situations…and strangely enough always seems to be remarkably sweaty while doing it…and his wonky survival tactics and unwavering patriotism harkens back to the days of 80s muscle. This is balanced with a sense of grounded Hong Kong action dynamics including plenty of gun fighting and an impressive knife fight with the ever awesome Scott Adkins in the finale. There are even a handful of scenes that seemed inspired by Eastern Condors – just not nearly as good or effective, but present nonetheless. It’s the relentless pacing of the film and obvious old school foundations that make Wolf Warrior so much fun to watch.

Layered on top of that, Wolf Warrior still employs a lot of modern action techniques. The film has some decidedly crisp production values and tends to want to use far too much CGI for its own good – a plague upon the house of Hong Kong for many years that particularly rears its ugly head in a very random sequence where the soldiers have to fight off a pack of actual wolves. I shit you not. The plot is also a blend of the old and new as it takes the idea of a weapons dealer that uses a “revenge tactic” to cover a more diabolic and modern twist…stealing a biological weapon that is genetically designed to only kill Chinese people (?!?!). The narrative here is rather weak and a lot of the character progressions feel forced and unnecessary. A romantic subplot between Wu Jing and Yu Nan seems to be jammed in (despite a fun bad performance from the latter) and even a strange parallel with another solider that’s told in flashback doesn’t work nearly as well as the film thinks it does.  This, along with some editing issues, makes Wolf Warrior rarely the poignant flick it wants to be.

Yet, in what might be one of the strangest moves, Wolf Warrior might as well be one of the most expensive propaganda films I have yet to see. It’s many monologues about the strength and righteousness of China, the “I Fight For China” patches The Wolves wear, and even the strange dialogue between Adkins and Wu Jing in the end about country pride versus money seem to hammer its not-so-subtle subtext home with a cannonball. Even the random biological weapon that ONLY KILLS CHINESE PEOPLE seems to smack of hilariously obvious propaganda. It’s not that it’s wholly different then what many of my favorite action flicks of my youth did (I’ve seen Rocky IV a lot of times), but it was a shock to see the film so blatantly throw it out there in this modern age.

The reason action fans will want to watch this...this fight.

For fans of B-action flicks, Wolf Warrior is packed with outrageously fun action and some of the silliest plot twists you are likely to see this year. The film is not at all effective with its secondary characters (it’s barely effective with its main character) and the plot is about as loosely threaded as they come, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a blast watching it. With a promise of a Wolf Warrior II in the mid credits, it’s hard for me to say that I wouldn’t be excited to see what ridiculous shit they come up with for a second film, but for now I’ll just say that despite its gaping flaws and eye-rolling pieces that I enjoyed the hell out of Wolf Warrior. Warts and all.

Written By Matt Reifschneider