Kung Fu The Movie (1986)

the audience applauded

Best movie of this year hands down!

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

'Kung Fu' was the ultimate martial arts television series that had evolved into a few movies and other adaptions. This movie starred David Carradine, and I saw it on television originally in the 1980s when it was first broadcast. I remember that this film was a little dry and it lacked a really coherent story and the charm that the television series offered. This seemed more modernised and more like a movie that was all about the action and the martial arts. I just thought it did not work very well. Maybe I was prejudiced because I enjoyed the television series a lot more, and I expected something different. This film just did not do it for me, and it was more involved with the action than anything else, so it suffered from a storyline, and I just did not care for the story. I think it had something to do with finding a long lost brother or son or something. Unengaging. Not as good as the series. Watch the series instead!

This is a great martial arts flick with 2 fantastic performances from David Carradine and Beandon Lee!. It's got some really cool fights in it, however if your looking for a martial arts film with lots of action look elsewhere, but if you want a Martial Arts film, with a great plot and a great story, with some cool fight scenes, and a bit of action you have come to the right place!. Mako is awesome as the main villain, and i loved the flashback scenes, as well plus, the finale is great and very exciting. The ending was great, however i wished Brandon had more screen time, it was still extremely cool to see David Carradine and Brandon Lee in the same movie together!. This is a great martial arts film,that's smart and intelligent, i am now going to buy the TV series on DVD, and check out, the movie as well!. The Direction is very good. Richard Lang does a very good job here with some cool shots, good camera angles, and he kept the film at a fast pace!. The Acting is WONDERFUL!. David Carradine is amazing here, he is extremely likable, mysterious, had great dialog, kicked that ass, and was tons of fun to watch! (David Rules!). Brandon lee is AMAZING as he always was, however he is quite creepy here, with limited dialog (except at the end),and always had an intense look on his face!, he was wonderful (Brandon Ruled!). Mako is fantastic as the main villain, he is extremely menacing unpredictable and just rocked overall!. Kerrie Keane didn't convince me here, as she was rather annoying and her chemistry with Crradine was off. William Lucking is good as the dirty cop. Rest of the cast are awesome. Overall i highly recommend this great martial Arts flick, i am going buy the TV series on DVD, and see the movie as well!. ***1/2 out of 5

You know one of those movies that no one talks about... it's beyond indie. It's practically unknown... but you see it in the back of some video store, wipe the dust off of it, and it's one of the most well-made movies you've ever seen? That's the case here. This is a classic example of an American adaptation of kung-fu movies. Carradine is the main star, who already had a long run in kung fu movies. He's a great actor, and is one of the top caucasian martial artists of the time. He brings an aura to his character that is consistent with earlier films such as Return of the Dragon and Kung-Fu Vengeance. If you've watched this for Carradine, look at some of his earlier stuff. If you knew him before Kill Bill, then kudos to you. Another reason you might watch this film is Brandon Lee. Who, if you may not know, is the son of Bruce Lee. This isn't his first appearance on the silver screen, but he tries not to let it show. Brandon is still pretty fresh in Hollywood, so his acting skills need a bit of development. (As seen in The Crow) Yet the aspiration used to live up to his father's standards of acting as well as martial arts punctuality makes him a perfect part for the antagonist.This film is pretty well-made... nice cinematography, writing, directing... The director is Richard Lang, who retired in 1997. he was already into directing by the time of Kung-Fu, and was already rooted in film due to his mother being an actress in the 20's and 30's. Lang was also a director for Melrose Place and Beverly Hills: 90210. So maybe Kung-Fu was his acme... maybe Melrose Place. Whatever you like. Either way, it's a nice film.Watch it if you're a kung-fu fan or in the least bit interested in martial arts.

This was Brandon Lee's first role (he was 21) and is a decent movie. If you like the show then you will like this. I personally think David Carridine is a disgrace to martial arts because well, he sucks. He also once claimed to be possessed by Bruce Lee's spirit. Ummm, yeah O.K. I only watched this to see Brandon Lee. You can tell he had really just started in the martial arts but he was still better than Carridine. Brandon did a good job acting too in kind of a villain role at first who changes his ways in the end. If you're a Brandon Lee fan, check it out grasshopper!