"Actor: Hua Chung"

• Bruce Lee - The Master Collection | DVD | (27/11/2017) from £66.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Collection of action films starring martial artist and actor Bruce Lee. In 'The Big Boss' (1971) Lee stars as immigrant worker Cheng Chao-an who takes a job with his cousins in an ice factory and discovers all manner of suspicious activities. When he begins to investigate a series of disappearances - the latest of which has seen his own cousin go missing - he can't help but display his formidable martial arts skills. Taking on one opponent after another, Cheng will not stop until he has fought his way to the truth and the inevitable confrontation with the man known only as The Big Boss (Han Ying Chieh). In 'Fist of Fury' (1972) Lee stars as martial arts student Chen Zhen whose mentor dies in suspicious circumstances. Whilst he is mourning his old friend, members of a rival school arrive and taunt Chen and his friends, who do not react at first. Chen later humiliates his adversaries by beating every single one of them, but this causes bloody repercussions and begins to uncover the real reasons behind his master's death. In 'The Way of the Dragon' (1973) Lee stars as martial arts expert Tang Lung who travels to Rome to protect a family friend's restaurant from a powerful Mafia man. A violent altercation between Tang and the mobster's heavies persuades the gang boss to call for reinforcements, an American martial arts assassin (Chuck Norris), who challenges Tang to a fight to the death within the walls of the Colosseum. In 'Enter the Dragon' (1973) Lee plays the role of a secret agent who is sent to infiltrate a martial arts tournament presided over by a one-handed supervillain. His mission: to destroy the villain's opium-smuggling racket. Finally, in 'Game of Death' (1978) a successful martial artist who refuses to join a crime syndicate has a contract to kill put out with his name on it. The assassination attempt fails but his death is broadcast to the world to throw the criminals off his trail. Unfortunately, the hoods do not believe the stories and make him face a series of adversaries in one-to-one fights to save the life of his girlfriend (Colleen Camp).

• Chungking Express | DVD | (28/06/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Chungking Express tells two stories loosely connected by a Hong Kong snack bar. In one, a cop who's been recently dumped by his girlfriend becomes obsessed with the expiry dates on cans of pineapple; he's constantly distracted as he tries to track down a drug dealer in a blonde wig (played by Brigitte Lin, best known from Swordsman II and The Bride with White Hair). Meanwhile, another cop who's recently been dumped by his girlfriend (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, from John Woo's Hard-Boiled and A Bullet in the Head) mopes around his apartment, talking to his sponge and other domestic objects. He catches the eye of a shop girl (Hong Kong pop star Faye Wang) who secretly breaks in and cleans his apartment. If you're beginning to suspect that neither of these stories has a conventional plot, you're correct. What Chungking Express does have is loads of energy and a gorgeous visual style that never gets in the way of engaging with the charming characters. The film was shot on the fly by hip director Wong Kar-Wai (Happy Together, Ashes of Time), using only available lighting and found locations. The movie's loose, improvisational feel is closer to Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless than any recent film--and that's high praise. Quirky, funny, and extremely engaging, Chungking Express manages to be experimental and completely accessible at the same time. --Bret Fetzer, Amazon.com

• Island On Fire | DVD | (22/05/2000) from £8.97   |  Saving you £-2.98 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Island on Fire is, as the trailer says, "five films in one!". Despite the packaging headlining Jackie Chan this violent modern-day prison drama is an ensemble piece with Chan, a pool-player in prison for accidentally stabbing a man to death, on screen for no more than a quarter of the 92 minutes. Anyone buying this as a Chan movie may be seriously disappointed, for apart from the brevity of his role there is no trademark Chan humour. Also in the brutal and corrupt prison is Andy Lau, an undercover cop searching for the murderer of his professor, and Sammo Hung offering comedy and pathos as an inmate who keeps escaping to visit his son. There are many more characters, together with one subplot involving a mouse which anticipates The Green Mile (1999) and another concerning an assassination conspiracy which parallels Nikita, also released in 1990. Island of Fire is an uneven, always entertaining, sometimes moving film which packs an incredible amount of incident into its running time. However, it should be noted that it is an imitation of, rather than an official entry in, Ringo Lam's Fire series, which includes Prison on Fire (1987) and City on Fire (1987). On the DVD: The anamorphically enhanced 1.77-1 picture is a very good transfer of a rather grainy print, though given the many darkly lit scenes, this grain is probably part of the original film. The mono sound is fine. The film can be watched with the original Mandarin soundtrack and English subtitles, or with a much better than average English dub. The packaging claims there are over 60 minutes of extras. In fact there are nine deleted/extended scenes of variable quality, the best of which give more emotional depth to Sammo Hung's character, together with video interviews with Sammo Hung, Jimmy Wong Yu and director Chu Yen Ping. These total around 20 minutes and are interesting but not specific to the film. Also included is the theatrical trailer, Hong Kong Legends' own "music promo" trailer and eight trailers for further releases. There is also a six-page "animated" biography of Jackie Chan. --Gary S Dalkin

• Shaolin Kung Fu Master | DVD | (22/12/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  A stash of gold has been hidden in a forest and only six imperial guards know of its location - watch the masters battle it out! A host of Kung Fu stars take to the screen in this martial arts epic!

• Butterfly And Sword | DVD | (23/09/2002) from £6.55   |  Saving you £13.44 (205.19%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Donnie Yen and Michelle Yeoh - Enough said! You only need mention the names of these two superstars in relation to a Hong Kong movie and you know you're dealing with a quality production. Such is the adrenaline-charged swordplay fantasy BUTTERFLY & SWORD (18) - a hugely impressive showcase for the dazzling skills of both - which also stars Hard Boiled's Tony Leung. Directed by Chin Siu-Tung (who choreographed Jet Li in Swordsman II) this breathtaking spectacle explodes into action f

• Island Of Fire | DVD | (02/10/2000) from £10.25   |  Saving you £11.00 (122.36%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Island on Fire is, as the trailer says, "five films in one!". Despite the packaging headlining Jackie Chan this violent modern-day prison drama is an ensemble piece with Chan, a pool-player in prison for accidentally stabbing a man to death, on screen for no more than a quarter of the 92 minutes. Anyone buying this as a Chan movie may be seriously disappointed, for apart from the brevity of his role there is no trademark Chan humour. Also in the brutal and corrupt prison is Andy Lau, an undercover cop searching for the murderer of his professor, and Sammo Hung offering comedy and pathos as an inmate who keeps escaping to visit his son. There are many more characters, together with one subplot involving a mouse which anticipates The Green Mile (1999) and another concerning an assassination conspiracy which parallels Nikita, also released in 1990. Island of Fire is an uneven, always entertaining, sometimes moving film which packs an incredible amount of incident into its running time. However, it should be noted that it is an imitation of, rather than an official entry in, Ringo Lam's Fire series, which includes Prison on Fire (1987) and City on Fire (1987). On the DVD: The anamorphically enhanced 1.77-1 picture is a very good transfer of a rather grainy print, though given the many darkly lit scenes, this grain is probably part of the original film. The mono sound is fine. The film can be watched with the original Mandarin soundtrack and English subtitles, or with a much better than average English dub. The packaging claims there are over 60 minutes of extras. In fact there are nine deleted/extended scenes of variable quality, the best of which give more emotional depth to Sammo Hung's character, together with video interviews with Sammo Hung, Jimmy Wong Yu and director Chu Yen Ping. These total around 20 minutes and are interesting but not specific to the film. Also included is the theatrical trailer, Hong Kong Legends' own "music promo" trailer and eight trailers for further releases. There is also a six-page "animated" biography of Jackie Chan. --Gary S Dalkin

• The Iron Monkey | DVD | (24/02/2003) from £7.45   |  Saving you £-1.46 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  A young gambler going by the nickname of Iron Monkey seeks vengeance for the massacre of his family...

• Eunuch Of The Western Palace | DVD | (21/06/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Martial artists battle the power hungry eunuch Wang. This is the story of passions that rise from the Three Palaces and Six Houses - The Emperors own house for the empress and concubines where all contact between men and women is forbidden. These men and women will overcome all dangers and obstacles to survive.

• Shaolin vs Lama | DVD | (25/07/2005) from £12.98   |  Saving you £-6.99 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Originally made in 1983, Shaolin vs Lama is an example of the kung fu movie at its most cultish. The story is largely unimportant but concerns Yu Ting and his search for a kung fu master, a search that leads him into conflict with the Flying Eagle gang and their leader, Golden Wheel Lama. This is as far as it goes plotwise, not that that really matters. The focus of the film is, of course, the fight sequences and breathtaking they are too, though the whole film is given unmistakable aura of campness by its comical English dubbing. Still, it would be churlish to argue with the glowing recommendation of the Wu Tang Clan's Rza (a man who knows his kung fu stuff) of Shaolin vs Lama as one of the giants of the genre. On the DVD: filmed in a rather basic manner, Shaolin vs Lama is a colourful visual experience but not one that particularly shines on DVD. The 2.0 Dolby Digital sound gives the fight sequences an added bite but, as is so often the case, the potential of the format is frustratingly underused. There is no attempt to provide any sort of background to the film or the kung fu genre in general, instead leaving us with scene selection and the original theatrical trailer. --Phil Udell

• Chungking Express | DVD | (09/07/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Chungking Express tells two stories loosely connected by a Hong Kong snack bar. In one, a cop who's been recently dumped by his girlfriend becomes obsessed with the expiry dates on cans of pineapple; he's constantly distracted as he tries to track down a drug dealer in a blonde wig (played by Brigitte Lin, best known from Swordsman II and The Bride with White Hair). Meanwhile, another cop who's recently been dumped by his girlfriend (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, from John Woo's Hard-Boiled and A Bullet in the Head) mopes around his apartment, talking to his sponge and other domestic objects. He catches the eye of a shop girl (Hong Kong pop star Faye Wang) who secretly breaks in and cleans his apartment. If you're beginning to suspect that neither of these stories has a conventional plot, you're correct. What Chungking Express does have is loads of energy and a gorgeous visual style that never gets in the way of engaging with the charming characters. The film was shot on the fly by hip director Wong Kar-Wai (Happy Together, Ashes of Time), using only available lighting and found locations. The movie's loose, improvisational feel is closer to Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless than any recent film--and that's high praise. Quirky, funny, and extremely engaging, Chungking Express manages to be experimental and completely accessible at the same time. --Bret Fetzer, Amazon.com

• Kung Fu Hustle | Blu Ray | (12/12/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• The Crane Fighter | DVD | (19/05/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Old school martial arts from the Far East. The lovely but deadly Judy Lee stars as the Crane fighter who teams up with the debonair Kung fu kid Raymond Liu to overthrow the evil Manchu warlords who have taken over Canton. Superb action direction and direction from Raymond Liu a firm favourite with kung fu fans world wide.

• Shaolin Vs Lama | DVD | (02/02/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  In search of a master, a kung fu obsessive named Ting rescues a young Shaolin monk from a group of local gangsters and decides to use the opportunity to his advantage, persuading the monk to sneak him into the Shaolin temple. Thrown out soon afterward, he engenders the hatred of the Golden Wheel Lama, leader of the notorious Flying Eagle Gang, by rescuing a girl from its thugs/members. Now that he's in the sights of the once peaceable monk gone bad, Ting's only chance for survival is to unloc...

• Shaolin Invincibles | DVD | (21/06/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Two young women take revenge on the Emperor. Shaolin Heores strikes again this time lead by Lui Sze-Lung Kam Lung-Chee and Pei Tai-Koon. They swear to kill their mutual enemy Emperor Yung Ching. A few attempts are made to assassinate the Emperor but not until the final fight in the forbidden city Golden Palace does this story climax into an all out war resulting in superb fight scenes and stunning back drops.

• The Secret Rivals | DVD | (31/10/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  A vengeful female leader of the Heartbreak Red Gang wages war against her former lover and his family while various martial arts masters seek out a magical potion of ultimate kung fu power held within a Purple Jade Badger.

• The Dynamite Trio | DVD | (20/10/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Top Kung Fu stars Lung Fei and Mark 'Ghostface Killer' Long stars as masters of the Mantis kung fu style in this Kung Fu classic. The film caused near riots when released in the eighties in the West Indies and Africa due to the intense fighting styles.

• Kung Fu Hustle | DVD | (24/10/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  A small time thief, Sing, aspires to be part of the ruthless gang in this martial arts comedy.