With it being Memorial Day Weekend deliveries are a little behind. I know Kung Fu Panda 4 hits physical media this week and I’ll review that when it comes my way so this article will be about the home video releases we’ve already received. Up first is No Way Up. We’ve seen plane crash survival flicks. We’ve seen shark survival flicks. But have we seen plane crash survivors fighting to survive sharks? We have now! Oh that’s right, this is about a plane crashing in the ocean and a small group of survivors still in the plane underwater having to fight off sharks IN THE PLANE! while trying to get out and have enough oxygen to get to the top. Is it a good movie? Absolutely not. Is it so utterly ridiculous you kind of have to see it if you love preposterous survival movies? Yes. It’s heavy on laughable CGI between the sharks, the engine blowing and the plane crashing in the ocean and resting on a cliff under water, but I give it credit for trying something new. There aren’t many characters which is great because beyond the governor’s daughter, her two friends and body guard plus two grandparents and their granddaughter you only get a couple of plane employees with only one surviving the crash. Any more than that is useless. If you need some mindless entertainment with questionable effects, not award winning acting, but a completely preposterous plot, then this is right up your alley.
Speaking of CGI, Creation of the Gods 1: Kingdom of Storms is the latest Asian historical/fantasy film that relies heavily on CGI. There are spirit foxes and mythical gods with all kinds of powers and abilities and I have no idea what is actually going on in films like this. They are fun to watch, but I know nothing about the historical stories these types of films are based on. I just like watching the characters fighting each other and some have powers like the young character who runs around using ribbon to catch people and sort of fly through the air all the while not understanding anything that’s going on. It’s part 1 so I expect the sequels to come my way and I’ll watch them and most likely enjoy them despite not knowing who is who and what side is the good guys. This was a critical darling overseas but it feels like so many other movies I’ve seen before in the Chinese fantasy genre. The production value is top-notch and the costuming is fantastic. I may not always get what’s going on story wise and may not always be able to tell who to root for, but they are beautiful to look at.
Third we have A Queen’s Ransom. Starring George Lazenby, it’s making its North American Blu-ray debut. From 1976, it’s a Hong Kong action flick about a group of bad guys planning on killing the queen of England while on a trip to Hong Kong. Or so it seems. The authorities are on high alert with Elizabeth II’s visit and there is a convoy of gold also in the works. I had never seen the film and it’s full of double crosses, action and violence. Bolo Yeung (Bloodsport, Enter the Dragon) also stars. It’s very 1970s with the British still having a major influence on Hong Kong and the costuming is era appropriate. This new Blu-ray release is jam packed with bonus features like featurettes and multiple commentaries. If you are a fan of the film, this is a must own release.
Last we have Prison Walls: Abashiri Prison I-III which is also making its North American Blu-ray debut. This is the first three films in the Abashiri series which has well over a dozen films. Ken Takakura stars in all three movies as the same character, Shinichi Tachibana. In the first film he’s sent to Abashiri Prison and escapes. In the second film he’s on a ferry along with some thieves who stole some gems. In the third film he goes back to his old Yakuza gang wanting to go straight, but gets involved with a rival gang all fighting over jobs on the dock. I had heard of the franchise, but had never seen any of the films so this is a great introduction. Hopefully these three films are only the beginning of a full franchise release. The films look great and have a ton of style to them. Takakura is fantastic in the role bringing a level of stoicism to the character. If you like the franchise or 70s Yakuza gangster flicks then this is highly recommended.
The Nerds Templar 