zaterdag 30 april 2011

THE LOST BLADESMAN 2011

Credits 4 English subs by cudencuden.

translated from Vietnamese subtitle. Not perfect, but so much better then machine translation*



Plot
In AD 200 during the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Cao Cao eliminates his political opponents Dong Cheng and others, before turning his attention towards rival warlords Liu Bei and Yuan Shao. To avoid fighting a war on two fronts, Cao Cao decides to attack Liu Bei first, and swiftly defeats Liu in Xu Province. Liu Bei flees north to join Yuan Shao, while his family is captured by the enemy. Liu Bei's sworn brother Guan Yu conditionally surrenders to Cao Cao to uphold his oath of brotherhood and preserve his honour.....

HOUSE OF THE FLYING DAGGERS 2004


Storyline

During the reign of the Tang dynasty in China, a secret organization called "The House of the Flying Daggers" rises and opposes the government. A police officer called Leo sends officer Jin to investigate a young dancer named Mei, claiming that she has ties to the "Flying Daggers". Leo arrests Mei, only to have Jin breaking her free in a plot to gain her trust and lead the police to the new leader of the secret organization. But things are far more complicated than they seem...

EDGE OF EMPIRE 2010


SynopsisYear 757, the Han Kingdom under the leadership of Jina Ong (Nirattisai Kaljaruek) is busy expanding their power and influence over the Mekong River Basin. The army under General Leeyong (Atiwat Sanitwong Na Ayudhaya) manage to conquer the Tai people by fighting and killing until they nearly become extinct.

Twenty years later the Tais continue to grow into six tribes; the Ler, Chiangsair, Khanu, Yuro, Dtai and Thanai. They live in peace and harmony until one of Han's soldiers, Libong (Awain Muangawan) tries to molest Buakham (Sara Legge), whose brother Lampoon (Thun Thanakorn) is a swordsman and blacksmith.

Luckily she is rescued by Faysianor (Kahabordee Kaljaruek) and the ugly incident makes Libong to be sent back to the Han's capital city in Loyang. His new replacement is Litongjia (Praptpadol Suwanbang), who will be in-charge of the Ler City and imposes much harsher law than ever before.

The Tais then manage to get rid of Litongjia and the plan is successful, with the unhappy Jina Ong seeking revenge for the death of Litongjia by appointing General Leeyong to conquer the Tai people once again. Once again the Tai people get together and stay united to fight for freedom, justice, and their country.

THE RESTLESS 2006

Plot

It is believed that when a person dies, their soul spends 49 days in Jungcheon, or Purgatory, before their eternal fate is decided -- heaven, hell or rebirth. That’s where accomplished demon hunter Yi Kwak finds himself as he lies on the edge of death in our world. Blessed with astounding swordsmanship and the uncanny ability to see the evil spirits invisible to most, Yi enlisted with the royal squad of elite demon exterminators, the Chuhyongdae, following his fiancée’s tragic death. In Jungcheon, he finds Yon-hwa again, but she does not recognize him –- she is a spirit of the afterlife now, severed from earthly memories. Moreover, she is deeply entangled in a great war between the white-clad warriors of reincarnation and a swarm of dark spirits determined to forever shatter the cycle of life and death. The battle is desperately close to a terrifying conclusion, so Yi must draw his sword to defend the woman he loves and all they holds dear –- and confront the same soul that was once like a father to him.

KUNG FU HUSTLE 2004

Storyline

Set in Canton, China in the 1940s, the story revolves in a town ruled by the Axe Gang, Sing who desperately wants to become a member. He stumbles into a slum ruled by eccentric landlords who turns out to be the greatest kung-fu masters in disguise. Sing's actions eventually cause the Axe Gang and the slumlords to engage in an explosive kung-fu battle. Only one side will win and only one hero will emerge as the greatest kung-fu master of all.

FEARLESS 2006


Storyline

Martial arts legend Huo Yuanjia became the most famous fighter in all of China at the turn of the 20th Century. Huo faced personal tragedy but ultimately fought his way out of darkness and into history, defining the true spirit of martial arts. His self-discovery, and the choices he made, inspired his nation. The son of a great fighter who did not wish for his child to follow in his footsteps, the bullied Huo Yuanjia resolves to teach himself how to fight - and win. Years of training enable him to ace match after match in his home region of Tianjin. But as his fame as a martial arts master grows, so does his pride. After an ill-advised fight leads to another master's death, members of Huo's family are slain in revenge. Grieving and ashamed, Huo wanders the country in shock. Near death, he is rescued by women from an idyllic village, and is offered simple kindness and generosity that help him heal and regain his equilibrium over a period of several years...

THE REBEL 2006


Story:
Cuong (Johnny Nguyen) and Sy (Dustin Nguyen) work for the french colonial leaders in Vietnam. During the assassination attempt of the vietnamese revolutionaries on a french politician female freedom fighter Thuy (Ngo Thanh Van) gets caught. Sy tortures her in order to get the information where her father, the head of the resistance movement, is hiding. But Cuong's conscience no longer allows him to just stand and watch, therefore, he helps Thuy to escape. Although Thuy, for apparent reasons, doesn't trust Cuong, the two from that time on are on the run from Sy and his men, who are always just one step behind them, together.
Cuong, who couldn't keep standing on the sideline watching unnecessary bloodshed and thus decided to turn his back on the french, starts to understand the true scale of his countrymen's suffering and is determined to help Thuy. In fact, the two get closer as time goes by, but Sy uses all his resources to find the two, since he hopes to be the successor of his boss when he manages to get them. In the end, he can corner the two, leading to a bloody encounter...

dinsdag 26 april 2011

A Better Tomorrow 2010






Synopsis :

“A Better Tomorrow” is a remake of the 1986 film “A Better Tomorrow” by John Woo, it’s a co-production between South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan.Kim Hyuk (Joo Jin-Mo) lives the fast life as a high ranking mobster in the port city of Busan, South Korea. His closet friend is fellow mobster Lee Young-Choon (Song Seung-Heon). Even though Kim Hyuk seems to be on top of the world, he is haunted by the memory of leaving behind his younger brother Kim Chul (Kim Kang-Woo) and mother as they attempted to flee into South Korea from North Korea. Kim Hyuk’s mother was beaten to death and Kim Chul imprisoned after they were caught by North Korean authorities.Kim Hyuk then travels to Thailand with new gang recruit Jung Tae-Min (Jo Han-Seon) for a meeting with Thai gangsters. The meeting turns out to be a set-up, planned in part by Jung Tae-Min. Kim Hyuk is able to shoot his way out the meeting, but he is later caught by the Thai police and imprisoned. When good friend Lee Young-Choon hears of what happened to Kim Hyuk in Thailand, he goes to the Thai gang’s holdout in Pusan to kill their boss. During the shootout Jung Tae-Min is shot in the leg.Three years later, Kim Hyuk is finallly released from prison and travels back to Busan. He finds his close friend Lee Young-Choon washing cars now and has a limp leg. Jung Tae-Min, the man that betrayed him, has climbed up the mob ranks and is now a feared crime boss. Furthermore, Kim Hyuk’s younger brother Kim Chul has arrived in Busan and works for the Busan Police Department. Meanwhile, Kim Chul keeps close tabs on Jung Tae-Min as he attempts to take down their gang.When Jung Tae-Min attempts to take out Kim Hyuk’s younger brother.

HERO 2002



Storyline :

In ancient China, before the reign of the first emperor, warring factions throughout the Six Kingdoms plot to assassinate the most powerful ruler, Qin. When a minor official defeats Qin's three principal enemies, he is summoned to the palace to tell Qin the story of his surprising victory.

DUELIST 2005




Plot Summary forHyeongsa

Set years ago in the era of the Joseon Dynasty, the story follows a young police officer named Namsoon (Ha Ji-won) who, along with her fellow officers, discovers a counterfeit ring operating out of the area they've been assigned to protect. However, as the criminals aren't just printing up their own money, they also plan to use it to topple the economy and take down the government. As her investigative work continues, Namsoon soon makes the acquaintance of a young man known only as Sad Eyes (Gang Dong-won), for the way that he looks out at you from underneath his hair - he doesn't say much, but he's got that look and that's all it takes to pique Namsoon's interest in him, even if she shouldn't be thinking those thoughts about someone she might have to toss in jail. Of course, Namsoon can't deny her feelings even if the object of her affection belongs behind bars, and it's not long before she's starting to act on her emotions.

maandag 25 april 2011

1724 HERO 2008


Synopsis / Plot
Korea, 1724. Once upon a time in the Joseon Dynasty, Chun-doong (Lee Jung-jae) meets a beautiful woman while in the middle of a fight in an old market. Having fallen in love at first sight, good fortune is with him and he finds her once again. Her name is Seol-ji (Kim Ok-bin) and she works as a gisaeng, a Korean traditional singing and dancing girl. They spend a memorable night together but Chun-doong loses her again when she moves to work at another bar. When he finds her new hiding place, however, he is warned away by her new manager, Man-deuk (Kim Suk-hoon) who has connections in the city’s underworld.
One day, while still despondent without Seol-ji in his life, he accidentally knocks over and kills the boss of the Jjak-gwi gang. Before he knows it, because of his fighting skills Chun-doong becomes the replacement boss. Soon, there is a gathering of the region’s gang bosses at the bar where Seol-ji now works. In the middle of the meeting, Chun-doong causes a disturbance to steal Seol-ji away under the nose of Man-deuk. The meeting turns into chaos because of the incident and ends abruptly. A furious Man-deuk teams up with rival gangsters to plot the downfall of the Jjak-gwi gang…

KAMUI GAIDEN 2009



Storyline:
Once a powerful ninja, Kamui walks away from his violent and murderous ways. His travels bring him to a seashore village where he meets Hanbei, a fisherman who shares the former ninja's sense of honor. Though Hanbei's wife is wary of the stranger, the fisherman and Kamui become good friends. Life at the seaside seems idyllic but Kamui doesn't get to enjoy the peace for very long when, one day, a band of pirates arrive... It seems that his past life is catching up on him, and everything and everyone is not as it seems. Now he must draw upon his shadowy arts if he hopes to escape with his life.

THE STORM WARRIORS 2009



Storyline

Based on the comic book series "Fung Wan" and directed by The Pang Brothers comes the incredible story of two friends, Wind and Cloud, who find themselves up against a very powerful warlord intending to invade their country. In order to protect their land these two friends seek the help of the all-powerful master. Through extensive training Wind and Cloud expose themselves to the "evil" ways to increase their powers of element. When the intensive battle begins their friendship will be tested when one finds it hard to be righteous and easy to be evil.

zondag 24 april 2011

WHEAT 2009



Synopsis
It is year 260 B.C. in the town of Lu Yi, under the kingdom of Zhao. Lady Li (Fan Bing Bing) marries Lord Ju Cong (Wang Xue Qi) in a period when the Zhao kingdom is being threatened by the Qin kingdom. After their marriage Lord Ju Cong and other men leaves to fight for their kingdom. While the ladies’ husbands have left to fight for the war, their wives are busy harvesting wheat and waiting for their husbands’ return.

Meanwhile two enemy fighters from Qin kingdom decide to abandon their troops and return to their village. Xia (Huang Jue) and Zhe (Du Jia Yi) decide to hide in the wheat fields to avoid themselves from getting their head chopped off by fellow Qin soldiers. They jump into the river and later floated to the nearby town of Lu Yi by accident. Since they know the have arrived in their enemy’s place, they pretend to be Zhao soldiers.

Lady Li and female shaman (Wang Ji) are not convinced of their claim to be Zhao soldiers and the soldiers’ claim that Zhao is heading for victory. Then there is bad news for the duo; Lord Chong (Wang Zhi Wen) from Qin kingdom have arrived in the town with his men, believed to be searching for the duo and they must think a new way of escaping before they get caught and their heads chopped off.


THE ROBBERS 2009



Plot:
Set during the Tang Dynasty, The Robbers tells the story of two robbers' adventures in a seemingly peaceful Bitter Bamboo Village, where they encounter a beautiful woman, a group of soldiers and a village head scheming to kill the duo.

THE SWORD WITH NO NAME 2009



Plot

Mu Myeong (Cho Seung-Woo) is a Joseon dynasty headhunter who meets and falls in love with lady Ja Yeong (Soo-Ae) who will become the future Empress Myseongseong. A few years later, Ja Yeong enters the royal palace to marry King Gojong. Mu Myeong still having feelings for Ja Yeong and in an attempt to get closer to her becomes her personal body guard.
Ja Yeong, now as the Queen of Joseon, becomes involved in a power struggle with Russia and Japan who are attempting to colonize Korea. Furthermore, King Gojong's father (Cheon Ho-Jin), who wields true power in Joseon, works with the foreign interests which causes Ja Yeong to stand up to him and the foreign diplomats. The king's father then gives his implicit approval for the Japanese to assassinate Queen Je Yeong. Mu Myeong must now fend off these threats to protect the woman he loves ...

MULAN 2009



Plot :
Hua Mulan is a heroine who joined an all-male army, described in a famous Chinese poem known as the Ballad of Mulan. The poem was first written in the Musical Records of Old and New from the 6th century, the century before the founding of the Tang Dynasty; the original work no longer exists, and the original text of this poem comes from another work known as the Music Bureau Collection, an anthology of lyrics, songs, and poems, compiled by Guo Maoqian during the 12th century. The author explicitly mentions the Musical Records of Old and New as his source for the poem. Whether she was a historical person or whether the poem was an allegory has been debated for centuries—it is unknown whether the story has any factual basis.

zaterdag 23 april 2011

BLOOD RAIN 2005


Plot
Director Kim Dae-seung brings us a shocking historical thriller set in 19th century Korea. Blood Rain tells the story of a slew of grisly murders plaguing a small, fairly isolated island village. However, it’s not just the mounting death toll that’s causing residents to worry, but the sadistic, methodical way in which the victims were killed. With the killer still on the loose, the government sends in special investigator Wong Gyu (Cha Seung-won) to crack the case. While conducting his dogged investigation, he soon uncovers a myriad of hidden secrets, tracing the murders back to an incident that occurred some seven years earlier. The previous owner of the village’s paper mill was executed as a Christian. Does that mean that the murdered man’s spirit has come back to seek bloody retribution? The real truth, Wong Gyu learns, may be far more terrifying ?

THE WARRIOR AND THE WOLF 2009


Plot:
General Zhang is the commander of a northern border's army camp which repels the attacking barbarians every year. When snowfall make the support of the base with supplies impossible, the troops return home.
Lu Shenkang is a newly recruited soldier who was a shepherd, has no courage and tries to flee the army on several occasions. Lu bonds with General Zhang and when the barbarians attack and take him hostage, Lu exchanges him with a captured tribal prince.
The wounded General Zhang returns home earlier and Lu stays in charge.
When the winter's snow arrives, he leads his men on the trip home. Due to the harsh weather they take refuge in the Harran tribe's village where Lu takes a hut and woman for himself.
Shortly before the soldiers leave the village to continue their return home, the woman tells Lu that legend says that being intimate with outsiders leads to them becoming wolves.
The army marches on and are attacked by wolves. A following sand storm kills all but Lu who returns to the village.
Years later the barbarians surrender to Imperial China and General Zhang returns to the region to deliver the court's messages.
Two of his men shoot at wolves and are found dead in the morning.
General Zhang is bitten to death by two wolves after riding out to a deserted fortification.

 

TAJOMARU 2009




Plot

Set sometime in the late Muromachi period, Naomitsu Hatakeyama (Shun Oguri) is the second son of the distinguished Hatakeyama family. His lifelong friend and and love interest is Ako-hime (Yuki Shibamoto). When Ako-hime's father dies, Yoshimasa Ashikaga (Kenichi Hagiwara) elicits a decree that will forever change their fates.
Soon afterwards, Naomitsu is betrayed by his very own brother Nobutsuna Hatakeyama (Hiroyuki Ikeuchi), who plans to forcibly take Aho-hime for himself. Naomitsu loves Ako-hime so much that he is ready to give up his life and flee into the mountains with Ako-hime. While travelling through the mountains, Naoitsu soon faces another betrayal, this time from retainer Sakuramaru (Kei Tanaka), a man Naomitsu once saved from death and took care of like a brother.
Naomitsu Hatakeyama then comes back as Tajomaru ....

vrijdag 22 april 2011

SHINOBI 2005


Plot:
After more than four hundred years of war between the Shinobi warriors of the Manjidani Koga and Tsubagakure Iga clans, the Lord Hattori Hanzou decrees that they must live in peace. Both clans live hidden in the woods and mountain without confrontation and without training ninjas in the shadow art of Shinobi. In 1614, the Lord of the Lords is convinced that the clans are dangerous threats for keeping peace in his lands, and his advisor plots a Machiavellian plan to destroy their best warriors in a contest. Meanwhile, the young Iga Oboro and Koga Gennesuke fall in love for each other. When Oboro's grandmother and leader of Iga clan Ogen and Gennesuke's father and leader of the Koga clan Danjo kill each other, Oboro and Gannesuke must lead their warriors in the ultimate battle of the Shinobi clans.


MERANTAU WARRIOR 2009




Plot :
In Minangkabau, West Sumatera, Yuda a skilled practitioner of Silat Harimau is in the final preparations to begin his "Merantau," a century's old rites-of-passage to be carried out by the community's young men that will see him leave the comforts of his idyllic farming village and make a name for himself in the bustling city of Jakarta. After a series of setbacks leave Yuda homeless and uncertain about his new future, a chance encounter results in him defending the orphaned Astri from becoming the latest victim of a European human trafficking ring led by the wildly psychotic Ratger and his right-hand man Lars. With Ratger injured in the melee and seeking both his "merchandise" and bloody retribution, Yuda's introduction to this bustling city is a baptism of fire as he is forced to go on the run with Astri and her younger brother Adit. With escape seemingly beyond their grasp, Yuda has no choice but to face his attackers in an adrenaline charged, jaw-dropping finale.



woensdag 20 april 2011

THE ANIMATRIX 2003




Storyline
Anthology of nine short anime (Japanese animation) films tied in to the 1999 blockbuster "The Matrix" and its sequels. "Final Flight of the Osiris": The crew of the hovercraft Osiris attempt to warn their city of an imminent attack. "The Second Renaissance, Parts 1 & 2": The story behind the war between man and the machines, how mankind scorched the sky, and the creation of the Matrix. "Kid's Story": A teenager is contacted by Neo, and manages to escape the Matrix. "Program": Two warriors battle in a samurai training simulation when one decides to betray his crewmates and re-enter the Matrix. "World Record": A champion sprinter manages to break free of the Matrix by sheer physical effort during a record attempt. "Beyond": A young girl searching for her cat discovers a haunted house caused by a glitch in the system. "A Detective Story": Private investigator Ash tracks a hacker named Trinity through the looking glass...


BANG RAJAN 2000




Storyline:
Set right before the fall of Thailand's old capital, Ayuttaya, Bang Rajan draws on the legend of a village of fighters who bravely fended off the Burmese armies. With no support from the Royal army, the villagers drives the invading Burmese away many times until their names have become legendary during the time. As each subsequent battles becomes fiercer, the villagers tries to forge a canon to battle the enemy in a final battle where everyone, women and children included, die in combat.


dinsdag 19 april 2011

JODHAA AKBAR 2008





Jodhaa-Akbar (Hindi: जोधा अकबर, Urdu: جودھا اکبر) is an Indian epic film released on 15 February 2008.It is directed and produced by Ashutosh Gowariker, the director of the Academy Award-nominated Lagaan (2001). It stars Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in lead roles. This film also marks the debut of newcomer Abir Abrar. Extensive research went into the making of this film which began shooting at Karjat.

The film centers around the romance between the Muslim Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great, played by Hrithik Roshan, and the Hindu Rajput Princess Jodhabai who becomes his wife, played by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. The music is composed by acclaimed music composer A. R. Rahman. The soundtrack of the movie was released on 19 January 2008.The film has won the Audience Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the São Paulo International Film Festival,two awards at the Golden Minbar International Film Festival,seven Star Screen Awards and five Filmfare Awards, in addition to two nominations at the 3rd Asian Film Awards.The Charlotte Observer ranked Jodhaa Akbar at #2 in its list of top ten films released in 2008 from across the world.

BLADES OF BLOOD 2010




PLOT :
In the 16th century in Chosun dynasty, HWANG Jung-hak and LEE Mong-hak create the “Grand Alliance” with the united dream of a better world. While the new leader LEE dreams of eradicating this world of all its corruption and becoming king himself, the legendary blind swordsman HWANG who had once been his comrade goes after him with the loss of his good friend at the hands of LEE. Just as the king abandoned his kingdom from Japanese invasion, the two come face-to-face inside the empty palace and begin their last battle they were destined to fight.

14 BLADES 2010



14 Blades is a 2010 Hong Kong wuxia film directed by Daniel Lee and starring Donnie Yen, Zhao Wei, Wu Chun, Kate Tsui and Qi Yuwu. The film was released on February 4 in China and February 11 in Hong Kong. It received mixed reviews with critics focusing on their praise on actor Donnie Yen and Zhao Wei.

dinsdag 12 april 2011

WATER MARGIN 2011 TV


No English subs yet

The Water Margin is a Chinese television series adapted from Shi Nai'an's classical novel of the same title. The series is directed by Kuk Kwok-leung and features cast members from mainland Ch