kenny lin

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Review: Tsui Hark’s DETECTIVE DEE: THE FOUR HEAVENLY KINGS Conjures A Balance Of Dicey Fantasy Spectacle With Fine Storytelling And Action

Crafting big scale stories with equal balance between authentic and CG filming is never not risky. Long-standing film favorite Tsui Hark didn’t exactly impress as much as he might have wanted in partnership with Yuen Woo-Ping for Miracle Fighters reprisal, The Thousand Faces Of Dunjia, but the journey forward is always one that stands to gain with its share of improvements. Assuredly, some of them are made visible with grand appeal to fans of the Detective Dee franchise now looking forward to the next installment, Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings. The VFX-heavy affair seen here is much ado with the world our title hero lives in, played once again by Andy Lau’s prequel counterpart, returning actor Mark Chao since leading the 2013 prequel. Actress Carina Lau makes her regal re-entrance into the trilogy as Empress Wu opposite our title hero who is newly appointed as an investigator by Emperor […]

Check Out A New International Trailer For JOURNEY TO THE WEST 2: THE DEMONS STRIKE BACK

Lee B. Golden III

This past weekend proved lucrative for the Stephen Chow-produced Tsui Hark sequel, Journey To The West 2: The Demons Strike Back topping Chow’s 2015 fantasy, The Mermaid for its first day opening. The film was released in China on up to 390 IMAX screens upon its release and with more territories pending following Sony Pictures’s acquisition of the film in December, we now have another international trailer floating online hailing the hit sequel. SYNOPSIS: Tang Monk brings three disciples on a journey to the West. On the outside, everything seems harmonious. However, tension is present beneath the surface, and their hearts and minds are not in agreement. After a series of demon-capturing events, the monk and his disciples gain mutual understanding of each others’ hardships and unease. Finally, they resolve their inner conflict and work together to become an all-conquering, demon-exorcising team. Much like its 2013 predecessor it definitely has […]

Derek Yee’s SWORD MASTER Wields Online With A New Clip

Lee B. Golden III

What’s a wandering swordsman with a death wish to do when his one and only rival is learned to be dead? This is the question Peter Ho faces in the events that ensue in director Derek Yee’s newest wuxia fantasy reprisal, Sword Master, which opens this Friday in select theaters. SYNOPSIS: In this beautifully shot wuxia epic, a powerful swordsman is haunted by the destructive impact his deadly talents have on others. Weary of the bloodshed and violence from the martial arts world, he banishes himself to the humble life a vagrant, wandering the fringes of society. But his violent past refuses to let him go quietly. The master swordsman must regain the ability to wield his sword and fight those disrupting the peace he so desperately craves. Director Derek Yee joins forces with producer Tsui Hark to bring this classic story of a master swordsman to life. With a […]

Sony Picks Up JOURNEY TO THE WEST: DEMON CHAPTER For Multi-Territory Release

Lee B. Golden III

Director Tsui Hark’s latest pairing with The Mermaid helmer, producer Stephen Chow for Journey To The West: Demon Chapter, is currently slated for China release in late January. As for the U.S. and other territories however, the word now is that Sony Pictures has acquired the rights to the new film following the hit success of the 2013 former which starred actor Wen Zhang and actress Shu Qi. Actor Kris Wu replaces Zhang in the role of the monk, Tang Sanzang per the popular folklore as told in the ancient novels of the same name by author Wu Cheng’en which have also inspired many a film title centered on classic folk hero, The Monkey King. Also starring are Kenny Lin, Yao Chen, Jelly Lin and Bao Beier with a script by Chow, and with Hark and producer Nansun Shi producing. Variety reports that other than the U.S. and Canada, the […]

Review: Derek Yee’s SWORD MASTER (2016) Revisits A Classic With An Open Door Forward

So, not sure about the rest of the crew here at Film Combat Syndicate, but I am a big fan of weapon work in fight scenes so I was excited to review Derek Yee’s latest, Sword Master, as it’s marketed to be an epic sword fantasy revisiting the Shaw Bros classic, Death Duel…and I got more than I bargained for. Right from the very start we are treated with a very pretty fight scene full of CGI, which we should expect for the rest of the action pieces. When I saw the first scene, it made sense. This is a modern day way of showing wuxia films of old. Mostly everything is done in a green screen studio to give obviously unrealistic but gorgeous backdrops that give the lore and land a mythical vibe that feels real and familiar. We see this as Swordsman Yen, played by Peter Ho, travels […]

Derek Yee’s SWORD MASTER Wields A Poster And Release Date

Lee B. Golden III

If there were ever a film to arrive in time for the holidays, it appears it would be director Derek Yee’s latest 3D endeavor, Sword Master. The film is releasing theatrically this Friday in China and is now bound for screens in North America and Canada on December 9 as per Well Go USA’s latest announcement which now comes branded with a fresh new U.S. poster. Peep it below along with a small batch of stills from the film! SYNOPSIS: In this beautifully shot wuxia epic, a powerful swordsman is haunted by the destructive impact his deadly talents have on others. Weary of the bloodshed and violence from the martial arts world, he banishes himself to the humble life a vagrant, wandering the fringes of society. But his violent past refuses to let him go quietly. The master swordsman must regain the ability to wield his sword and fight those […]

Oddball Antics Cap Off The Newest Teaser For JOURNEY TO THE WEST 2: THE DEMON CHAPTER

Lee B. Golden III

Hong Kong film stalwarts Stephen Chow and Tsui Hark have been at it in recent weeks with a rather odd approach to their latest campaign for Journey To The West: The Demon Chapter. Peep this recent teaser and you’ll see what I mean, though you’ll get some more oddball antics at the tail end of the latest teaser for the film now host to xXx: The Return Of Xander Cage co-star Kris Wu in the lead role. Following the first film in its stellar box office numbers, Chow wrote and produced the film with Hark taking over directing duties for Wu who plays Buddhist monk, Tang Sanzang on his legendary journey to the West as inspired in the original classic novel written by Wu Cheng’en. The film opens on January 28 in China with the cast rounding out to actors Kenny Lin, Chen Yao, Mengke Bateer, Bao Bei’er and Lin […]

Derek Yee And Tsui Hark’s SWORD MASTER 3D Wields A Brand New Trailer Online

Lee B. Golden III

Director Derek Yee’s latest co-helming effort with Tsui Hark, Sword Master 3D, is finally on deck for a December release following a delay of its summer opener. The film is based on author Gu Long’s novel which transpired into the 1977 Shaw Brothers classic, Death Duel in which Yee starred. Leave it to the actor, of course, to gain insight from the acclaimed scribe himself with a version of the original story that apparently wasn’t in the book. Given the appeal and the current state of film, it’s easy to understand why Yee would take interest in brandishing a plush new remake for the big screen. Hong Kong Cinema giants Derek Yee and Tsui Hark join forces in this 3D martial arts epic, about an elite swordsman who is haunted by his skill, and a challenger who aims to take his place at all costs. The latest trailer arrived to […]

WELL GO USA Nabs An August Release For Derek Yee's SWORD MASTER

Lee B. Golden III

Director Derek Yee’s latest, Sword Master, has quite the work to do upon its release in China this summer. It’s opening in 3D and to the masses of many whom may share a history with its predecessor, helmer Chor Yuen’s 1977 Shaw Brothers adaptation of Gu Long’s classic novel, Death Duel in which Yee himself also starred. Time will tell if the new film holds a candle to old while the latest teaser for the film is already online with actor Kenny Lin and Peter Ho leading the way for a story of a swordsman who fakes his death to pursue a new life only to find himself forced to wield once more against a formidable foe. Yee wrote the script with Crime Story and Bodyguards And Assassins scribe Chun Tin-Nam, and producer Tsui Hark who previously directed Lin in the 2014 holiday hit, The Taking Of Tiger Mountain. The […]

Pan Anzi's FOR A FEW BULLETS Fires Away With New Character Posters

Lee B. Golden III

The Palace helmer Pan Anzi is poised to take July by storm with his latest neo-Western action comedy, For A Few Bullets, and in the good company of a fitting cast. The film itself has reportedly been in the works for several years prior to filming. For all intents and purposes though and in the wake of its most recent viral teaser release, it looks like it will be a worthy feat to draw some excitement from. Set against its neo-Western 1930’s backdrop with the Gobi desert as its location, the film centers on a reluctant partnership between a beautiful government gunslinger and a slick con artist in order to protect the national Imperial seal from the Japanese military. Award-winning actress Zhang Jingchu (Seven Swords, Rush Hour 3) stars in the film next to Kenny Lin, along with actress Liu Xiaoqing (Mojin: The Lost Legend), and actors Vivian Dawson, singer […]

Derek Yee's SWORD MASTER 3D Gets A Glossy New Teaser!

Lee B. Golden III

Two years since actor-turned-director Derek Yee took the helm for the latest three 3D offering, Sword Master 3D, we now have a stunning new trailer that graciously bolsters with enough visuals to catch the eye. For all these efforts and more, we have actors Kenny Lin and Peter Ho joining in to lead the time-honored story based on late Hong Kong author Gu Long whose work inspired Yee’s then-lead starpower in the original Shaw Brothers production, Death Duel. Lin and Ho lead the way for a story involving a swordsman whose past catches up to him after he fakes his own death to escape the underworld, forcing back into the martial world to face a formidable foe. Yee wrote the script with Crime Story and Bodyguards And Assassins scribe Chun Tin-Nam, and producer Tsui Hark who previously directed Lin in the 2014 holiday hit, The Taking Of Tiger Mountain, and while surely […]

THE GREAT WALL Announces Its Cast With Matt Damon And Andy Lau Leading

Lee B. Golden III

Several years in the making, Legendary Pictures has finally enlisted its confirmed official cast for the upcoming China epic, The Great Wall. Actor Matt Damon is the A-list choice to lead the prominent cast for the new film which also includes popular film star, actor Andy Lau who just recently completed his latest role in the upcoming Sammo Hung actioner, The Bodyguard. House Of Flying Daggers and Hero helmer Zhang Yimou is taking on directorial duties for this one which is set to be a major undertaking as the biggest production in China ever shot for global distribution. The premise alone reads as familar ground for Legendary considering the monster thrillers it’s become known for in recent years like Pacific Rim and the upcoming Skull Island, so this one is bound to leave mark as another truly epic film worth eyeing next year. Read the news below! Legendary Pictures announced […]

Review: THE TAKING OF TIGER MOUNTAIN (2014)

Lee B. Golden III

SYNOPSIS: Tsui Hark’s thrilling adaptation of Qu Bo’s beloved adventure novel stars Tony LEUNG Ka-fai as a ruthless bandit, ruling the lands of Northeast China from his fortress on Tiger Mountain. A captain of the Liberation Army (LIN Gengxin) launches a counter-insurgency against the dictator with a skilled investigator (ZHANG Hanyu) sent to destroy the gang from the inside. REVIEW: It’s been a while since I’ve seen a Tsui Hark film, and to be honest, I haven’t had the luxury of seeing all of them. However, I will speak on the handful of films I have seen with his name attached, and his is a vision I am entirely charmed by when it comes to truly epic, adventurous storytelling. This time, he introduces us to at least one other aspect of history that not many of us are not exposed to, and here thanks in large part to late author […]

THE TAKING OF TIGER MOUNTAIN Reveals A New Cast Photo

Lee B. Golden III

Earlier this month, a poster (above) started circulating for director Tsui Hark‘s latest 3D period actioner, The Taking Of Tiger Mountain. This month, the film is finally on its way to the marche du Cannes courtesy of Distribution Workshop after reportedly wrapping a five-month location shoot last week in Northern China in -30°C (-22°F) weather. As such, we also have another promotional photo for the film now viral which you can check out below. Set for a possible Holiday release later this year, the film is based on late author Qu Bo’s first book, the 1957 novel publication titled Tracks In The Snowy Mountain, which centers on the true story of Yang Ziron, a communist soldier who infiltrates a gang of bandits. The principle cast includes Zhang Hanyu, Zhou Dongyu, Gao Hu, Tong Liya, Kenny Lin and actor Han Geng making his film debut. The Taking Of Tiger Mountain is […]

THE SWORD MASTER Director Responds To Fans About Casting

Lee B. Golden III

Following up on the previous report regarding the latest concept image for director Derek Yee‘s new film, The Sword Master, Yee recently took to social media to set the record straight regarding some reported backlash over the casting of his new film. The film was finally announced last year with film auteur Tsui Hark attached as producer for a 3D rendering of the Shaw Brothers remake based on a classic novel that inspired the 1977 film, Death Duel. “If a collaboration between Tsui Hark and I still need big stars to get you to waste your time and spend your money on a ticket, then we might as well pack up, go home, drink whiskey and shoot the breeze,” Yee posted on his Sina Weibo account. “It doesn’t matter who’s acting in the film. Tsui Hark and I are the top stars of the film!”. Written by Yee and Hark […]