"Actor: Chi Yu Li"

• Shaolin Mantis | Blu Ray | (21/03/2022) from £12.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Direct from the golden age of Hong Kong martial arts cinema comes Shaolin Mantis another fast paced fight fest, from the mighty Shaw Brothers studio. When scholar Wei Fung (David Chiang) is hired by the Emperor to infiltrate a clan of rebellious Ming loyalists, his mission goes adrift when he falls in love the clan leader's granddaughter and his plans are discovered. From legendary director and star Lau Kar Leung (The Spiritual Boxer, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin) Shaolin Mantis is another superlative entry from the never ending showcase of 70s martial arts productions. An absolute must for collectors of classic Shaw Brothers movies. Special Features Audio Commentary by Asian Cinema Expert Frank Djeng Interview with David West

• Grand Master Of Shaolin Kung Fu | DVD | (08/07/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

  Bodhidharma created the Shaolin Temple where Chinese Kung Fu originated. This is a dramtic retelling of his struggles the secret style he invented and how he became the Grand Master of Shaolin Kung Fu...

• The Thundering Mantis | DVD | (25/07/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Seriously weird as only the best, completely-barking-mad kung fu flicks can be, The Thundering Mantis is the story of Ah Chi, a martial artist who hooks up with a kid sidekick. However, an old grudge resurfaces, with the result that the boy's uncle is murdered and the boy himself kidnapped. So far so Arnie-in-Commando, but it's at this point we're reminded that indigenous martial arts movies are something else again, as Ah Chi's rescue attempt goes disastrously wrong and the boy is tortured to death before his eyes. Apparently driven to insanity by this experience, Ah Chi goes berserk, breaking free and systematically trashing everything and everyone in sight. End of movie. Devotees will absolutely want this in their collections, but those who have yet to progress beyond the Jackie Chan/Jet Li school of Americanised martial arts films will need to leave their preconceptions at the door. There's a nice touch to the dubbed English soundtrack, where the voiceover artists seem to have taken it upon themselves to imitate various British character actors: listen out for Wilfred Brambell, Kenneth Connor and so on. On the DVD: The Thundering Mantis has no extras on the widescreen DVD other than a one-screen guide to other titles in the Kung Fu Connection series. --Roger Thomas

• Hero | DVD | (21/02/2005) from £4.88   |  Saving you £13.11 (268.65%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Director Zhang Yimou brings the sumptuous visual style of his previous films (Raise the Red Lantern, Shanghai Triad) to the high-kicking kung fu genre. A nameless warrior (Jet Li, Romeo Must Die, Once Upon a Time in China) arrives at an emperor's palace with three weapons, each belonging to a famous assassin who had sworn to kill the emperor. As the nameless man spins out his story--and the emperor presents his own interpretation of what might really have happened--each episode is drenched in red, blue, white or another dominant color. Hero combines sweeping cinematography and superb performances from the cream of the Hong Kong cinema (Maggie Cheung, Irma Vep, Comrades: Almost a Love Story; Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, In the Mood for Love, Hard Boiled; and Zhang Ziyi, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). The result is stunning, a dazzling action movie with an emotional richness that deepens with every step. --Bret Fetzer

• Red Corner | DVD | (01/02/2000) from £9.43   |  Saving you £6.56 (69.57%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Using a faulty thriller for his soapbox as an outspoken critic of China, a devout follower of the Dalai Lama, and an influential supporter of Tibetan freedom, Richard Gere resorts to the equivalent of propagandistic drama to deliver a heavy-handed message. In other words, Red Corner relies on a dubious strategy to promote political awareness, but director Jon Avnet appeals to the viewer's outrage with such effective urgency that you're likely to forget you're being shamelessly manipulated. Gere plays a downtrodden TV executive who sells syndicated shows on the global market, and during a business trip to China he finds himself framed for the murder of the sexy daughter of a high Chinese official. Once trapped in a legal system in which his innocence will be all but impossible to prove, Gere must rely on a Chinese-appointed lawyer (played by Bai Ling) who first advises him to plead guilty but gradually grows convinced of foul play. Barely attempting to hide its agenda, Red Corner effectively sets the stage for abundant anti-Chinese sentiment, and to be sure, the movie gains powerful momentum with its tale of justice gone awry. It's a serious-minded, high-intensity courtroom drama with noble intentions, but one wonder if it has to be so conspicuously lacking in subtlety. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

• Brotherhood of Blades (Blu-Ray) | Blu Ray | (10/04/2017) from £10.49   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Described as one of the best martial arts films of the last 30 years (Blood Brothers). Brotherhood of Blades tells an epic tale of power struggles, betrayal and conspiracies during the final years of the Ming Dynasty. When three elite Assassins are tasked by the Emperor to eliminate a powerful enemy and his loyal followers, they find themselves pulled into in a treacherous conspiracy which can only lead to a bloody battle for the Empire.

• Kung Pow - Enter the Fist | DVD | (20/01/2003) from £15.99   |  Saving you £2.00 (12.51%)   |  RRP £17.99

  A shamelessly low-brow parody, Kung Pow: Enter the Fist is a scrambling of footage from the 1975 Hong Kong martial arts epic Tiger & Crane Fist with new material shot by director Steve Oedekerk (Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls) in which he doubles for original star Jimmy Wang Yu. Following the style set by Woody Allen in What's Up Tiger Lily?, Oedekerk also dubs all the voices, rendering the basic revenge story even more formulaic and ridiculous. The villain turns out to be working for flying saucers manned by French aliens (!) and the Chosen One hero has an odd habit of using animals as weapons (gopher nunchakas, squirrel padding) and, in the stand-out scene, doing a full-on Matrix/Crouching Tiger battle with an extremely agile killer cow. A lot of the film is just dumb, but it still manages to beat laughs out of you with its relentless goofiness. Though it might seem an ego trip for Oedekerk, he is actually a likeable leading man, pulling funny faces and deliberately dubbing even his own voice badly. On the DVD: Kung Pow: Enter the Fist on disc includes an animated draft of the kung fu cow scene, with special effects elements shown pre-mixing. There are also several deleted sequences and a director's cut of one extended fight scene. --Kim Newman

• Satan Returns | DVD | (19/06/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Filmed in an oppressively dark and jumpy style reminiscent of the blockbuster 'Seven' this chilling Hong Kong horror stars Chingamy Yau as a police complaints officer being stalked by a psychopath who belives she is the devil's daughter. Maverick cop Mo Ti Nam tries to protect her with his lethal kicks and flying fists as the madman 'Judas' convinces her that she may indeed have demonic powers. Only the bumbling assistance of Mo's partner Ka-Ming busty female cop 'Leon' and the unpr

• Brotherhood of Blades | DVD | (10/04/2017) from £4.85   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Described as one of the best martial arts films of the last 30 years (Blood Brothers). Brotherhood of Blades tells an epic tale of power struggles, betrayal and conspiracies during the final years of the Ming Dynasty. When three elite Assassins are tasked by the Emperor to eliminate a powerful enemy and his loyal followers, they find themselves pulled into in a treacherous conspiracy which can only lead to a bloody battle for the Empire.

• One Armed Boxer 2 | DVD | (31/07/2000) from £9.98   |  Saving you £3.01 (23.20%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Many heads have rolled at the hands of Fung and his terrifying weapon - the Flying Guillotine. Only one man a one-armed man is capable of devising a technique that can combat it...

• Shaolin And Wu Tang | DVD | (13/01/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Two decidedly disparate groups the Shaolin and the Wu Tang sects must unite to fight with all their deadly skills for a common cause...

• The Shaw Brothers Collection - The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin | DVD | (23/03/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  The 36th Chamber of Shaolin takes martial arts fans inside the legendary Shaolin Temple birthplace of kung fu. This masterful Shaw Brothers classic inspired two wildly successful sequels and influences an entire generation of filmmakers. When Manchu invaders ravage a defenseless village one wounded and desperate student seeks refuge at the secretive monastery of Shaolin. Fueled by wrath he undertakes a grueling program of martial arts training that hones his strength agility and endurance in order to defeat his enemies.

• Half A Loaf Of Kung Fu | DVD | (03/06/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  In Half a Loaf of Kung Fu Jackie Chan is Jiang an orphan eager to master the martial arts. To achieve his goal Jiang becomes the student of Mao a one-time kung fu master who is now a beggar. Jiang learns quickly and has soon become skilled enough to join the Sern Chuan Bodyguards who have been entrusted with an important mission: to take the valuable Evergreen Jade to a safe place. But during the journey the bodyguards are attacked by an army of villainous highwaymen -- and only Jiang remains alive to defeat the thieves and protect the priceless gem.

• Fist Of Legend | DVD | (29/04/2002) from £9.25   |  Saving you £6.74 (72.86%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Jet Li stars in Fist of Legend, a 1994 remake of The Chinese Connection (also known as Fists of Fury, which starred the greatest martial arts legend of them all, Bruce Lee). This film is set in 1937, when Shanghai was occupied by the Japanese and racial tensions were high. Jet Li is Chen Zhen, who returns to Shanghai to avenge the death of his master, whom he learns was poisoned. His popular freestyle fighting technique and Japanese girlfriend do not endear him to his former friend, now his master's successor at the martial arts school. If Jackie Chan is inspired by Buster Keaton, Li seems to be channelling Steve McQueen here. He speaks softly and carries a big kick, and like Steven Seagal, even when he is under siege by a horde of attackers, no one can lay a finger on him. The dialogue and dubbing are atrocious, but the fight sequences are incredible (they were choreographed by Woo-ping Yuen, who lent his expertise to The Matrix). Perhaps most memorable is a bout between Chen and his girlfriend's uncle during which the combatants wear blindfolds. This is essential viewing for martial arts buffs and Li's growing legion of fans. --Donald Liebenson, Amazon.com

• 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

• The Last Hero in China | DVD | (02/06/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Village girls have been mysteriously going missing. The elders request Wong Fei Hung (Jet Li) to investigate. He does not want to get involved but with a plot to kidnap women for the slave trade a temple of corrupt monks and a dragon dance contest of the century Wong Fei Hung soon finds he must fight the battle of his life to save his village and his reputation.

• Fist From Shaolin | DVD | (19/05/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  This epic movie depicts the struggle and battles of those who sought to destroy the Monks' temples. A cast of real Shaolin Monks and Wu Shu fighters demonstrating skills not matched by others. Star of 'Mystery of Chess boxing' and '7 Grandmasters' Lee Yi Min starred and produced this action packed classic.

• Fairy Gone: The Complete Season 1 | Blu Ray | (24/10/2022) from £19.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  From the director of Drifters, and the creator behind Grimgar, Ashes and Illusions, comes a war-torn world on the brink of calamity. Able to summon fairies as alter-ego weapons, former soldiers become government dogs, mafia members, and even terrorists in search of purpose beyond the battlefield. Who will maintain the peace they all fought for nine years ago?

• The Postman Fights Back | DVD | (20/08/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  During the Republican Era in China the country became divided by warlords and there was constant bloodshed. Needing able-bodied men to join their factions warlords paid a hefty price. However the one man that they all wanted could not be bought. This action-packed film stars action legend Chow Yun-Fat and is directed by acclaimed helmer Ronny Yu. Fight choreography is by Yuen Chun-yeung action director of 'Charlies Angels'.

• Fairy Gone: The Complete Season 1 | DVD | (24/10/2022) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  From the director of Drifters, and the creator behind Grimgar, Ashes and Illusions, comes a war-torn world on the brink of calamity. Able to summon fairies as alter-ego weapons, former soldiers become government dogs, mafia members, and even terrorists in search of purpose beyond the battlefield. Who will maintain the peace they all fought for nine years ago?