Wordiezett
So much average
Onlinewsma
Absolutely Brilliant!
Erica Derrick
By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
Leofwine_draca
THE MYSTERY OF CHESS BOXING isn't a very remarkable kung fu movie although I guess others found it more so, with this film and its characters particularly inspiring members of the Wu Tang Clan over in the US. It was directed by the prolific Taiwanese director Joseph Kuo, previously of THE BLAZING TEMPLE and THE 18 BRONZEMEN, and like those movies it feels a little cheap and slapdash in places.However, THE MYSTERY OF CHESS BOXING does have some good elements, it's just that overall it turns out to be rather average. The storyline is very typical, about a master killer known as the Ghost Face Killer (his name is more interesting than he is) who goes around killing various martial arts masters in the countryside. As usual, the upstanding son of one of the dead men swears revenge, but first he must train.Training takes up most of this film's plot and it's quite unusual. Firstly the kid, Ah Pao, is kicked out of the kung fu school and must go on the road. The best part of the film is when he teams up with Siu Tin Yuen (aka Simon Yuen, famous for his 'Beggar So' character in DRUNKEN MASTER) for the usual shenanigans involving food and drink. This doesn't last long, and Ah Pao instead ends up at the home of a chess expert who teaches him chess boxing.Sadly, the chess boxing stuff is never as interesting as it sounds, as it only really adds unusual names for the moves rather than providing a new way of fighting. As such, the eventual end fight feels underwhelming despite everything. The cast are okay and there are some fine little training sequences involved here, but THE MYSTERY OF CHESS BOXING isn't a film to particularly remember.
brlfrndz
I heard about this movie because of the famous rap group The Wu-Tang Clan. So i checked it out on youtube. And man is it fast!!!! When i say say fast, I mean it is difficult to keep up with a technique that is so complex. There are excellent fight scenes, especially at the ending! The acting isn't so terrific, but since this is real genuine kung-fu that very few practice, it doesn't matter. The storyline is decent, but you don't always need a storyline for old fashioned fun. Funny haircuts, funny English dubbing, intensely good scenes. It would make an excellent remake. Plus, it's not overly violent either. Kids tend to watch kung-fu movies regardless of the violence level. So this would also fall into parental approval.
Chung Mo
If you remember anything that made watching kung fu films fun in the late 1970's and early 1980's this film has it. The crazy dubbing, the bizarre behavior of the kung fu fighters, nutty old man wigs and elaborate energetic fighting moves that make no practical sense.I somehow missed this one completely and finally caught up to it. I can see why it remains a cult classic. The lead villain, the Ghost Face Killer, likes to verbally taunt his victims while performing kung fu moves by himself. He intersperses the moves with half a sentence here and there so it takes a while to complete his taunt. The rest of the film would be standard low budget kung fu film fare but the fighting scenes are really, really well done. These actors (well some of them could act) really could move. Not that all the moves make a lot of sense but it's entertaining.The only problem I had is the TV print I saw is very badly transfered which made the film a chore to watch at times. It was missing an entire scene so that the young hero shows up all beaten up and we never see why. Also the cook character played by Simon Yuen is killed off-screen by the villain but it's only mentioned in passing. It seems like that scene is missing also.Good fun.
Dan
Ninja Checkmate is a good kung fu film. It has a cool story, great fights and funny dubbing.The plot of Checkmate Ninja is about a young man who admits a kung fu school in which his class mates don't really like him. Therefore, He becomes a friend of school's cook whose kung fu techniques are very interesting. However, the cook sends him to a chess master who at first, refused to take him as his pupil, but he agreed to take him as his pupil. The chess master teaches the young man some great techniques with which he will use while fighting against the bad guy.This film contains many fights, private kung fu lessons, funky haircuts, funny clothes and controversial dubbing which I actually like. I really like Ninja Checkmate despite its lack of ninjas. However, I suggest that you check this kung fu film. The fights at its ending will totally blow your mind!!
