True Legend

[ghostexorcist]

I am a big fan of Stephen Chow's version of So's life in his "King of Beggars". Donnie Yen's portrayal of So in "Hero Among Heroes" wasn't too bad either. So I look forward to this flick with open arms.

[GeneChing]

Cung was who I was talking about back in post #6. If you go to Cung's MySpace site, he's posted some pics, but he's restricted access only to his MySpace friends (all 16507 of them). There's also some pics of Cung in costume on Michelle's blog - see 12/11.

I'm particularly amused by this pic.

[doug maverick]

yeah i sent cung a congradulatory message via myspace when i heard the news. he responded by saying working with ywp was great, and that they trusted him enough, to where he didnt have to do alot of prep work, they just showed him the moves and then shot the scenes. i think ywp, got inspired after the whole forbidden kingdom phenomenon because this film seems like its mixing fantasy with the whole serious drama thing. so im curious as to how this film is going to come out.

[doug maverick]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGf0w_QYyDM

[GeneChing]

This looks so Yuen Woo Ping.

True Legend trailer

[GeneChing]

I love 3D!

Action man

If you met Yuen Woo-ping on the street you would probably not give him a second look. He looks like an ordinary 65-year-old man, short, slim and slightly hunched.

But he created the action scenes for The Matrix, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Kill Bill and some of the most popular Hong Kong kungfu films such as Drunken Master and Iron Monkey.

That makes him extraordinary.

Yuen has been designing action scenes and directing kungfu films for 40 years, and created the kungfu comedy genre that made Jackie Chan an overnight star, as well as the martial artists' biopic idea, such as Jet Li's Huang Feihong series.

Now, he is planning to introduce 3-D kungfu.

True Legend (苏乞儿), directed by Yuen, is the world's first 3-D kungfu film.

Yuen Woo-ping and actress Zhou Xun at a news conference ahead of the release of True Legend, on Feb 9.

"3-D has been really popular in Hollywood, so why not try it? Chinese films should not lag too far behind," he says. "The technology makes the action three-dimensional, which offers viewers more visual enjoyment. The power and beauty of kungfu will be crystal clear."

The film, to premiere on Feb 9, features authentic kungfu, accentuated by 3-D and computer-generated effects.

The two lead actors, Zhao Wenzhuo and pop icon Jay Chou, had no doubles. Zhao won various national kungfu contests before entering the film industry in the early 1990s; while Chou demonstrates his drunken fist style and various weapons, even though he had no previous kungfu training.

"I still believe in real kungfu," Yuen says. "It is the foundation. Technology only perfects it when it comes to the limitations of human bodies. I do not like those kungfu films in which people fly here and there."

This belief was challenged to the limit in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, in which Ang Lee wanted the film to be like a Chinese water-and-ink painting - light, fantastic and unearthly. That meant a lot of wires, which Yuen was not good at, or fond of.

Yuen says the scene where Chow Yun-fat and Zhang Ziyi fight in the bamboo forest was one of the most troublesome of his career.

"Ang Lee told me to fight on the bamboo. That one sentence killed me," he laughs.

For the scene the crew shot for five or six hours a day. Chow and Zhang spent one hour a day on the bamboo, while the rest of the time was spent testing the wires.

At one point Yuen could not help saying to Lee: "What do you want, fight or feel?"

"Can we fight out a feel?" was the answer.

The scene, of course, turned out to be one of the most impressive parts of the film.

While he has sometimes had a different vision from the directors he has worked with, Yuen says he has always followed their direction. But he also gave many suggestions to Lee, who, in his book, credits Yuen as one of the film's scriptwriters.

The success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Matrix series made Yuen a sought after figure in Hollywood and he worked on Kill Bill and Danny the Dog, too.

But he prefers the working style in China.

"The system here is more flexible," he says. "Every department will lend a hand when needed, while in Hollywood you cannot intervene in others' work. They may complain to the labor union about that."

Yuen is also used to being spontaneous and some of his most praised scenes were created in this way. In Hollywood that is impossible, he says, as actors have to practice their action sequences months before filming starts and no changes are allowed on set.

"Also, in Hollywood they shoot only five or six takes a day and never work overtime. In making The Matrix, I once worked 1 minute over schedule and they asked me to stop," he recalls.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Matrix made kungfu movies popular in Hollywood, but most of the Chinese stunt teams have returned to China.

Part of the reason for this, Yuen says, is the Hollywood stunt teams learned a lot from the Chinese. Also, since kungfu films are still most popular in China, the opportunities are here.

"Kungfu films are not at a low point. We still have a lot of work in the mainland and Hong Kong," he says. "And what Hollywood learned from us is not the cream of the cake. So I don't worry about losing work. I would like to cooperate with Hollywood again if the script is good.

[Hebrew Hammer]

OMG Michelle Yeoh in 3D?!!!! Delicious!!! Plus the fight scenes look great...I'd pay to see it just to laugh at the guy with tatoos flexing his shirt off.

[GeneChing]

There's a news vid if you follow the link.

Kung fu movie "True Legend" premieres in Beijing
2010-02-01 09:06 BJT

The highly-anticipated martial arts film "True Legend" has premiered in Beijing. The film is directed by Yuen Woo-ping, and employs 3-D techniques. It's aiming to take a big slice of China's movie market during the China's new year season.

Major cast members Jay Chou, Zhou Xun and Vincent Zhou joined Director Yuen, at the premiere.

"True Legend" is regarded by critics as one of the most stunning flicks Yuen has ever directed. Many of its scenes were shot in breathtakingly dangerous places, like the Hukou Waterfall at the Yellow River in North China's Shanxi Province.

Jay Chou plays two separate roles in the film. When asked about how he switches the roles with such ease and grace, Chou had this to say.

Jay Chou said, "The two roles I played in the film are very different characters. And they have diverse Kungfu styles. I think this is a great challenge for me. I really enjoyed myself during the shooting and I think I fulfilled the roles."

Zhou Xun said, "There was a scene shot on a mountain slope, where I was required to climb up the mountain hauling a wooden cart. I felt filming the scene is like a mission impossible, for the cart is too heavy and I could hardly make any steps upward along the slope."

Although director Yuen Woo-ping is known for his Kung Fu choreography in movies, the film also has a softer side. There are emotional relationships between family members, lovers and siblings.

"True Legend" is set for release across the country on February 9th.

[GeneChing]

in Asia

Friday February 12, 2010
True to form
By MICHAEL CHEANG
cschuin@thestar.com.my

Action director Yuen Wo Ping’s take on the legendary Beggar So comes with new elements in True Legend.

THE legend of a crazy, drunken beggar who is a martial arts expert proficient in a certain alcohol-induced fighting style has been made into movies before.

So what makes True Legend – the latest take on the legendary So Chan (better known as So Hak Yi or Beggar So), one of the most renowned martial arts exponents in China’s history – different from all its predecessors?

Firstly, it marks action choreography maestro Yuen Woo Ping’s return to the director’s chair for his first movie since 1996’s Tai Chi 2.

Secondly, with the “retirement” of Jet Li and the slacking standards of Jackie Chan, True Legend features the timely return of another martial arts star after a long hiatus from the silver screen – Vincent Zhao Wenzhuo.

Best known as the guy who took over Jet Li’s role as Wong Fei Hong in Once Upon A Time In China 4 and 5, he has also crossed fists with Li in Fong Sai Yuk, as well as starred in other films such as Green Snake and The Blade.

True Legend is Zhao’s first starring role in a movie since 2000’s Fist Power. After filming Fist Power, the actor from China realised that his career progression would be limited if he relied solely on his martial arts prowess.

He decided to give up big-budget film productions to concentrate on honing his acting skills through television productions instead.

“When I was in Hong Kong, directors told me to improve my acting skills, so I decided to do more TV shows to polish up on my acting,” he said during an interview after the premiere of the movie in Beijing recently.

Zhao made his last TV show four years ago, and since then he has been training hard and focusing on making his big screen comeback.

He was originally slated to play the villain in Chan’s Rush Hour 3, but when that fell through, he decided to stay in Los Angeles to train and learn English. It was there that he met Yuen, who then offered him the Beggar So role.

“I was chosen by Yuen himself. The script had been lying around for a couple of years, but they could not find a suitable actor to play the role,” he said.

The titular “true legend” of the movie is the famous “beggar fighter” So Chan, one of the most renowned martial arts exponents in China’s history.

He’s best known for his appearance as a filthy and downtrodden beggar as well as his powerful “drunken fist” martial arts stance.

In Yuen’s version of the legend, So Chan is a former general who wants to be left alone with his beloved wife Ying (Zhou Xun) and young son; and to practise martial arts in peace.

Tragedy befalls his family when his vengeful godbrother Yuan Lie (Andy On) murders So Chan’s father and takes his son away.

Living in exile in the mountains, So Chan takes on the appearance of a mad beggar, and continues honing his fighting skills with an imaginary “Lord of Wushu” (Jay Chou) while waiting for the day when he will settle the score with Yuan Lie.
Yuen Woo Ping directing Vincent Zhao in a fight scene while filming True Legend.

The movie also stars Guo Xiao Dong, Datuk Michelle Yeoh, and the late David Carradine in one of his final performances before his death last year.

Drunken Stance fist

This is the first time Zhao has worked with Yuen as a director. “He is a very strict director who is very particular about what he wants.

“Sometimes, when we were doing an action scene and thought that the take was perfect, he would stop us and tell us to do it again.

“Many of the scenes and fights had to be shot a lot of times, and some were harder than others,” recalled Zhao.

According to Zhao, all those years of working on TV series have served him well. He is making his comeback to film armed with a lot more confidence and a more serious approach to his acting.

“I think my performance in this movie is much better than it used to be in my earlier films. Even though my fighting is relatively good, I would like to be known for my acting. I want to be known as a real actor, and not just a martial arts actor.”

Fans of Hong Kong cinema should be fami*liar with the drunken fist martial arts that So Chan practises in the movie.

Jackie Chan was amongst the first to popularise the stance through his Drunken Fist movies; and the stance has popped up in countless films ranging from Shaw Brothers’ classic movies to Stephen Chow’s slapstick flicks.

However, Zhao stressed that True Legend features a version of the drunken fist that viewers have never seen before on film, because Yuen wanted to move away from all the usual stereotypes associated with the stance.

“At the time when I was learning martial arts, I encountered many versions of drunken fists. There is the southern one, the northern one, even one where you fight while lying or sitting on the floor!” said Zhao.

“For this movie, Yuen specifically told me not to strike the usual poses associated with the drunken fist. He wanted me to incorporate the ‘drunkenness’ into the movements, so it would look more natural and real.

“Our version of the drunken fist is a lot more different from Chan’s – ours is more realistic, and is almost as if we created a whole new style.”

Because the drunken fist is hardly a conventional martial art, Zhao went through two months of vigorous training before filming.

“The drunken fist features a certain loss of balance while fighting. Many times, it is even fought while lying down on the floor!” he said.

“It also emphasises more on the upper part of the body, so I had to train that part of my body, and also lose weight so my movements would be more agile. I lost about 9kg in a month through exercise and a strict diet.”

Zhao’s main concern on the film set was getting injured, because Yuen was so adamant that the fighting looked real. The actors and stuntmen were instructed to deliver their blows for real.

“This movie has been one of the hardest to film, compared to the Wong Fei Hong movies. It’s not just the amount of fighting we did, but the intensity and the fact that it was all real action,” said Zhao.

“We have lots of great actors, and a good director, so we were never worried about the box office. Besides, with Yuen around, you can be sure our action scenes will be great.

“Despite directing the action in so many other movies, I’m sure he would have kept some of his best and unique ideas for his own comeback movie!”

Another epitaph for Carradine. Wonder if it will top Break?

[GeneChing]

No mention of the 3D. I probably wouldn't have been as amused by Avatar without the 3D.

Saturday February 13, 2010
Not-so-true narrative
Review by S.B.TOH

Yuen Woo Ping’s True Legend is supposed to be the true story of a martial arts legend, so why does it seem overly familiar and even clichéd?

News of Yuen Woo Ping’s return to the director’s chair in True Legend had martial arts movie fans in a tizzy, and why not?

Long before Yuen found fame and acclaim for choreographing the fight sequences in The Matrix movies and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, he was carving a little niche for himself as a maker of pretty decent martial arts movies.

Which self-respecting fan hasn’t watched Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow (1978) or Iron Monkey (1993)? The former heralded the arrival of a little-known actor named Jackie Chan, while the latter saw Donnie Yen in one of his best roles ever.

Surely True Legend cannot be anything but superlative? Surely, this year, we are all in for a treat not unlike last year’s Chinese New Year movie Ip Man; that is to say, an offering with a sprinkling of humour, a sense of fun, a dash of melodrama and, lots and lots of awesome kickass action?

Alas, True Legend isn’t the instant classic one might have expected. It’s not terrible but it’s not terribly good either.
Precarious: Su Can (Zhao Wenzhuo) has to face his evil godbrother in order to save his family.

Blame it on leading man Zhao Wenzhuo, an emotionally detached centre within the vortex of churning emotions that is his character’s story; blame it on Andy On, whose villainous turn has a one-dimensional cartoonish feel to it; blame it on the screenplay, which for some reason places the most emotionally-charged and climatic fight scene somewhere in the middle.

It makes everything else that comes afterwards more than just a little anti-climatic. Prematurely sated – well, somewhat anyway – we’re liable to roll over and snore, unless something really good is served next, which unfortunately, never happens.

True Legend is the “true story” of Su Can, founder of the drunken fist style of kungfu so beloved of Chinese moviedom and a quasi-mythical figure in the mould of Wong Fei Hong and Hua Yuanjia (the subject of Fearless and Fist of Fury). The legendary figure has had many fictional incarnations – as Donnie Yen in Beggar So, as Chow Sing Chi in a comedy called King of Beggars, even as Chow Yuen Fatt in a 1980s’ TV serial.

Here, in his latest resurrection, Su Can’s story unfolds as if it were… a copy of Jet Li vehicle Fearless.

Whether by coincidence or by contrivance, True Legend’s roller-coaster account of Su Can’s eventful life, from personal tragedy to national triumph, is surprisingly similar to that 2006 movie. As with Fearless, the plot revolves around a family feud gone spectacularly wrong. There is similarly the hero’s retreat into the wilderness to find himself and perfect his art. And then there is his showdown in the finale with predatory foreigners to restore Chinese pride.

A case of great mind thinking alike or fools seldom differing? The answer lies somewhere in between.

The story begins promisingly enough with General Su Can leading a mission to rescue a Qing prince from the clutches of a band of bandits. Although he wins the post of governor for his exploits, Su Can decides to retreat from public life to concentrate on perfecting his martial arts, leaving his adopted brother Yuan Lie (Andy On) to shine in the limelight.

It proves to be a big mistake.

Five years hence, Yuan Lie returns home as governor. But it’s revenge rather than celebration he has in mind. Many moons ago, his real father, a rogue kungfu exponent, was killed by Su Can’s father, who went on to adopt Yuan Lie and his sister Xiao Ying (Zhao Xun). Having marinated in hatred and assorted bad thoughts all those years, Yuan Lie finally gets his chance at exacting terrible revenge….

The tone of the movie is capricious, unpredictable, with the shifts in mood being a little awkward. One moment, you think you are watching a somber and realistic movie; next thing you know, things have turned dark and fantastical (baddie with armour plates sewn into his body, anybody?) Then, before you know it, things are getting whimsical and a tad psychedelic, with Jay Chou appearing as a figment of our hero’s imagination.

The Taiwanese pop star turns up, dreamlike, every so often to instruct Su Can on new fighting techniques, including – I kid you not – a breakdance-like spinning move.

The rest of the movie is a hodgepodge of movies past, with luminaries like Michelle Yeoh and Lau Kar Fai making cameo appearances for no particular reason, not to mention the use of troupes from Yuen’s work in other movies: Yuan Lie’s black-clad henchmen look like they’ve sauntered in from the set of The Banquet; his male-female pair of assassins is a facsimile of a similar pair from Iron Monkey.

Even the tigers prowling the gladiatorial arena in the closing sequences look like something out of Gladiator, and absolutely surplus to requirement. The biggest disappointment, though, is the fight sequences, which show precious little of the balletic grace and kinetic energy that is Yuen’s trademark.

There is, no doubt, a good story in here somewhere, but it’s buried in too many clichés and formulaic elements to come good.

[GeneChing]

I'm wondering if I'll ever be able to see this in 3D.

True legend of a martial arts hero

BASED on the story of a real-life hero, True Legend tells the tale of Su Can’s extraordinary journey in defying all odds to create a unique school of martial arts for the world to follow.

It chronicles his early days as a brave warrior of the Qing Dynasty. Later, he *becomes a legendary martial arts hero and is credited with creating the Drunken Fist style.

Su Can’s character (often referred to as Beggar Su) is popular among *Chinese folk heroes and many top *artistes *including Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen and even Stephen Chow in a comedic *version, have portrayed this character on the screen, big or small, through the years.

This time, real-life action star Vincent Zhao (Fong Sai Yuk, Once Upon a Time in China IV and V) takes on the legendary role of Su Can, his first film role in eight years.

Set in the Qing *Dynasty, Su is a rich man who loses everything in a turn of events and is forced onto the streets.

In all appearances, he seems to be a beggar whose only purpose is to get drunk every day and wander around the town aimlessly. But when his son is threatened in a situation, he regains his senses and the strength that has lain dormant inside him all this time.

He dreams of the day when he would refine his skills and achieve peace of mind, *ultimately creating what is known as the Drunken Fist style of martial arts. He becomes a legendary hero to the common people who bestow on him the title of King of the Beggars.

True Legend is directed by Yuen Woo-ping, who made a name for *himself choreographing the brilliant action *sequences in Kill Bill Vols 1 and 2, The Matrix series as well as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Yuen’s years of training in martial arts since young have stood him in good stead as he went on to become an actor, producer and director, not to mention an award-winning action choreographer.

With him at the helm of True Legend, you can expect nothing but the best where action is concerned.

Award-winning mainland China *actress Zhou Xun (Perhaps Love, The Banquet, Painted Skin) plays Su’s wife together with a stellar cast that includes Datuk Michelle Yeoh and four-time Golden Globe nominee David Carradine.

Also in the film is Jay Chou, Taiwan’s leading pop singer, who has made the crossover into film with such successes as Initial D, Curse of the Golden Flower, Kung Fu Dunk and Secret.

Although Chou’s role is relatively small, as – believe it or not – Su’s martial arts master, his costume and image is something to behold. Yuen describes his *character as that of a ‘kung fu god’.

Another face to watch out for is screen fighting legend Gordon Liu (Drunken Monkey, Kill Bill Vols 1 and 2, Star Runner) who *tackles a character that looks somewhat like a character in another film, complete with white flowing brows.

Last but not least is Andy Onn who makes for an impressively chilling *villain. This fast-rising *martial arts talent in Asia won the best new artiste award for his performance in Star Runner (2003) and is set to mesmerise again in True Legend.

With excellent action *sequences and boasting a cast of literally who’s who of the entertainment *industry, this is one movie that is bursting with star power. – *Sharon Wong

[GeneChing]

I'm surprised the whole 3D aspect isn't discussed that much. Perhaps the 3D release is very limited.

Truly legendary hero
Amir Hafizi
Thursday, February 11th, 2010 12:45:00

One thing's for sure, you can always depend on Yuen Woo Ping to dish out a traditional kung fu movie like True Legend.

Yuen was behind such classics like Drunken Master, Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, Tai Chi Master, Iron Monkey and Wing Chun — all of which are timeless, traditional kung fu movies.

True Legend does not disappoint in that respect, staying true to the genre. This is the first film Yuen is directing after a long hiatus.

The last films he directed prior to True Legend were Iron Monkey 2 and Tai Ji Quan, in 1996!

Furthermore, Yuen's father (who passed away in 1979) was the legendary Simon Yuen — one of the most recognisable Asian faces in the world for his portrayal as Beggar So.

You know, the red-nosed drunkard who taught Wong Fei Hung the Drunken Fist Style? This is interesting because True Legend is about Beggar So — how he came to be a beggar and how he developed such astounding martial art styles such as the Drunken Fist.

Beggar So started as Su Can (played by Vincent Zhao), a general in the imperial army. He was doing very well, and even managed to save the Prince in an adrenaline-pumping opening to the movie.

In order not to offend his adopted brother Yuan Lie (Andy On) — who was in the same army, Su Can left for home to live with his wife Xiao Ying (Zhou Xun) who is also his foster father's ward.

Five years later, Yuan Lie returned as a governor and did some really nasty things to Su Can, which sets him off on a path of self-destruction that involves drinking, bouts of self-pity, crying and training with mystical, semi-real entities.

Xiao Ying is the devoted wife who saves Su Can's life, nurses him back to health and motivates him to be stronger than he could ever imagine.

Meanwhile, Yuan Lie keeps hold of Su Can's young son, believing the boy to be his only family left. This is a setup for one major dramatic kung fu showdown, which is what True Legend is.

Filled to the brim with big-name stars such as Jay Chou, Datuk Michelle Yeoh, Zhou Xun and Vincent Zhao, director Yuen manages to focus on the story.

The kung fu is good, utilising just enough wire work to make it beautiful, without going overboard and turning silly although some bits could have been done better.

Drunken Fist, for example, should just be Drunken Fist — not an amalgam of Drunken Fist, Capoeira and Muay Thai.

Break-dancing in Drunken Fist is a bit... off. It was much better seeing the Five Venom Fist, just like in old Tony Wong comics or Jin Yong's wuxia novels. It is a Chinese New Year movie, and a martial arts one at that, so going traditional all the way would have been nice.

The drama is overly dramatic, just like how they used to make them in the '70s. All the crying and emotions are presented in a way that you wouldn't miss it. It's just really out there, in your face.

As if the characters are screaming, "We are crying We are crying! We are sad! We are sad!"

However, the performance of Zhou Xun stood out in this film. She brought emotional intensity in an understated manner. It is easy to see why a lot of people regard her as the top actress in China.

Her homely, cute looks also helps a lot. Also, look out for scene-stealers in Jay Chou, as the God of Wushu and Datuk Michelle Yeoh as Sister Yu.

Though Chou's acting has been criticised before, his cheeky portrayal as a figment of Su Can's imagination, or possibly a true martial arts deity, works, and is a definite crowd pleaser.

This is basically an entertaining movie, except for one thing. It should have been 20 minutes shorter.

See, the whole thrust of the movie was about Su Can's personal battle against a rogue member of his family. However, towards the end, it became more about a nationalistic plot of teaching some foreigners respect.

Though this twist does open doors for a David Carradine cameo — one of his last performances — it was a bit jarring.

Either focus on that from the beginning, like the phenomenal Ip Man, or ditch it altogether. Introducing that angle so far into the movie might make some moviegoers check their handphones for the time.

All in all, True Legend is a fine kung fu movie. Yuen shows why he is one of, if not the best kung fu directors in the business, with this traditional, back to basics offering.

It is also perhaps a homage to his father Simon Yuen, which makes it heart-warming for a Chinese New Year film. True Legend opens today.

[GeneChing]

14 Blades not far behind. Little Big Soldier not in the top 5.

Top five film during Spring Festival
2010-03-08 14:42 BJT

From romance and comedy to Kungfu and animation, a dozen films hit Hong Kong's big screen during the Spring Festival. On today's "Countdown", we'll take a closer look at the five most popular.

No.5 "Happy Goat and the Big Big Wolf"

The home-made animation "Happy Goat and the Big Big Wolf" broke the 43.5 million yuan record at the mainland's box office. The film's success on the mainland is attributed to the great popularity of the TV series of the same name. Without such a strong grounding, the comedy between the two natural enemies would have sold fare fewer tickets than it did on the mainland, though the Cantonese version lends voices from Hong Kong actors Michael Tse and Wang Cho Lam and actress Stephy Tang.

No.4 "14 Blades"

On the mainland, the Kungfu film "14 Blades" was a strong rival for the American blockbuster "Avatar". However, in Hong Kong it lost market share to another action film "The True legend Suqier". Moviegoers' different tastes and backgrounds on the mainland and in Hong Kong lead to different scores for the two.

No.3 "The True Legend Suqier"

"The True Legend of Suqier" has fought back well against "14 Blades" in Hong Kong, and in Taiwan, native pop King of Asia Jay Chou's role has given a guarantee of more success at the local box office. Famed action director Yuen Woo Ping leads a star-studded cast to enhance new glamour to the film "True Legend Su Qier", a classical story in China. However, it needs more effort to achieve victory.

No.2 "All's Well, End's Well"

The new version of the 1993 classic "All's Well, End's Well" triggers a chain of hilarity in cinemas. The film was full of confidence before it hit cinemas and did a good job, topping the box office on the first day, but gradually lost the battle to the comedy "72 Tenants of Prosperity" in Hong Kong.

No.1 "72 Tenants of Prosperity"

"72 Tenants of Prosperity" is a remake of the 1973 movie "The House of 72 Tenants", a classic in Hong Kong's film history. As a premise to the high anticipation of die-hard fans of the original, this story is a new creation. It also sees strong collaboration between Hong Kong's Shaw Brothers Studios and TVB. The film has a strong star-studded cast which also added to its odds-on success and finally topped Hong Kong's box office on the Chinese lunar new year holiday.

[GeneChing]

I have this dim memory of a 3D kung fu film that came out back in the days of the red/blue 3D glasses, back when 3D boomed in the horror genre. Was there one back then or am I just hallucinating again?

3D sights set on kung fu classics
Panelists see remakes as grist for home ent. market
By Gavin J. Blair

March 23, 2010, 08:04 PM ET
HONG KONG -- The tantalizing prospect of 3D re-edits of classic Hong Kong kung fu movies was dangled before the participants at the Asia Visual Effects and Digital Film Making Summit 2010: "Emerging Digital Movie Making in Asia" seminar in Theatre 1 of the Convention Center on Tuesday morning.

The cinema's facilities were put to good use as speakers showed footage from some of the latest local 3D productions that had the audience applauding after every clip.

With 3D inevitably one of the buzzwords of the moment, the Association of Motion Picture Post Production Professionals (AMP4) are presenting a series of events on the topic across the four days of Filmart under the banner Hong Kong 3D Film New Action.

3D pioneer Victor Wong, who has worked as a Visual Effects Supervisor with Sony Pictures, and on Disney's "Nightmare Before Christmas 3D," explained how films could be converted from 2D, showing how the various layers were separated and then put back together to give the 3D effect. He used the example of "True Legend" -- the Hong Kong-China co-pro directed by Yuen Woo Ping, dubbed the first 3D kung fu film -- that received mixed reactions to its 3D version when it hit theaters.

"We can turn the classic Cantonese films, such as Bruce Lee's movies, into 3D, aimed at the home entertainment market," Wong said.

He went on to explain that he believed 3D should not be used as, "just effects for effects sake, but used to tell a story."

Next up Leo Lo, CEO of Asia Legend, told the story of how his company came to do the postproduction 3D work -- done in Hong Kong and China -- on last year's Iranian film "Kingdom of Solomon," which was shot in Tehran.

Lo said the Iranian producers had searched worldwide for a partner, and found that despite the language difficulties, there was a lot of common ground between the Persian and Chinese cultures. He said he expected a lot more postproduction 3D work from filmmakers around the world to be making its way to Hong Kong and China.

[doug maverick]

this movie almost worked for me. i mean i like the initial storyline about su or so however you pronounce it. being a general and refusing a promotion for his adopted brothers benefit, and the twist of su's father having killed the adopted bros father and him wanting revenge actually the fist 90 minutes of this film is **** near perfect, i mean i could nit pick with some issues like the overuse of wires and how the action should have been more grounded, i mean this film was part comic book part folk hero part wuxia it didnt know what it wanted to be. what ruined it was the last 30 minutes i wont spoil it but honestly it was totally useless. totally i would say watch this movie till about an hour and 25 minutes in and then shut it off. trust me you aint missing nothing.also jay chou sucks donkey nuts as the god of wushu