good asian action films this year

[pete]

it seemed like right after Flying Daggers and Ong Bak's international acclaims last year, every director immediately went on set to stick it to the man or something.  If any of these films ever hit the theaters here, or if you're bored and you have edonkey, try to look for these films.

A Bittersweet Life--I wrote about this a few weeks ago.  It was a Korean film that kinda combines John Woo-style "heroic bloodshed" gangster movies with "sundance chic" (according to Ebert) gritty existentialism.  It's really well-acted and well-shot, the story is simple enough, following a favored mob henchman's sudden plunge and his eventual revenge.  It's got a great score, great cinematography, and a good dosage of black comedy to make that kinda stylized gangster action film more accessible to the non-genre buffs.

Crying Fist--this is more like a gritty boxing movie.  It stars Choi Min-Shik of Oldboy and Ryu Seung-beom, as two men on the bottom of the socio-economic ladder, trying to earn a little respect via boxing.  I guess it's similar to Cindrella Man in that respect, but its depiction of down-trodden poverty is much more convincing and heart-wrenching.  It also has the most realistic-looking (least stylized?) boxing I've seen on screen, instead of theatrical punches in front of shaky cameras, there were a few sequences that were in long ass takes.

Seven Swords--a big wuxia epic coming from Tsui Hark, who did Peking Opera Blues, Once Upon a Time in China, Time and Tide, as well as some horrible movies.  The story is familiar enough--seven swordsmen were sent to protect a war-torn village from the imperial mercenaries.  however, the film isn't really interested in character or dramatic arcs, but more on little vignettes from character to character.  The final showdown is amazing, with really intricate wirework and creative choreography.  All of the weapons are really inventive and the fights are more gritty than the recent arthouse swordsman flicks.  the fights are a bit "impressionistic" in that they aren't beautiful coherent kungfu ballets, but were done with a lot of suggestions via editing, effects, and, I dunno, "impressions."  see it and you'll know what I'm talking about.

The Myth--Jackie Chan's own historical epic where he tries to include everything, from slapstick comedy to fancy weaponwork to a lot of gore to the worst romance I've ever witnessed.  I love the action, finally he shows the world he's still capable of kicking so much ass, but man, there were some really really Xena-worthy special effects shots and some really really terrible romance.

Tom Yum Goong--Tony Jaa's second film.  It's like Ong Bak, but in Australia.  The filmmakers seem really intent on stealing every move from video games, which was kinda cool I guess.  Tony Jaa shows off even more amazing stunts, and the plot is even more ridiculous (at one point five giant white strongmen threw a baby elephant through a glass door).  There is a 4 1/2 minute steadicam shot of Tony Jaa going through a hotel, blasting his way through four floors of bad guys.  Pretty incredible.

The Election--Johnnie To's big gangster film.  It's about a triad syndicate's election that takes place once every four years, a cenutry-old tradition.  The story focuses on the two candidates as they try to outdo each other.  It's more of a gangster flick than an action flick, with really great acting and a brilliant script.

S.P.L. (sha po lang) -- the film that debuted in the Toronto Film Festival that just got picked up by the Weinsteins.  this is a brutal police thriller.  The story is again pretty cheesy but the action, DUDE, the action is some of the best choreographed and executed action ever.  It's extremely intelligent and fresh.  I've never seen "savage grace" depicted like that before.  I'm still blown away by it.

I don't think asian action film is a very popular genre on this here board, but seriously, all these films are exceptional in some way, and aside from The Myth, all of them are worth at least a peek.

[pete]

kinda spoiler

here is part of the climatic battle in SPL.  it's quite intense.

[Fernando]

That was awesome, I got to get these movies somehow, slowly I'm becoming a fan of this asian action flims, not that I have seen a lot, but with the links you have provided in the past and the amazing experience of seeing last year ong bak i'm already sold.