HOME VIDEO: ‘Restless,’ ‘Three Kingdoms,’ ‘Fearless’ TV series

New releases out this week (and last week since I missed it) include Daniel Lee’s THREE KINGDOMS, Korean fantasy actioner THE RESTLESS, the FEARLESS TV series that’s based on Jet Li’s Huo Yuan-jia biopic, and lots of reissues of Asian action flicks including the rare Jackie Chan flick THE HEROINE and Yuen Biao’s ON THE RUN. I’m going to let distributors/retailers do the talking in the following borrowed descriptions while I divert attention to a new Home Video Releases Index which is currently under construction. I’ve included video previews when available.

U.S. Releases

ADVANTAGE: THE MASTERS OF MARTIAL ARTS (DVD – BCI Eclipse)

FANTASY MISSION FORCE (1982 – trailer)
During World War II, Japan takes over China and captures a group of Allied generals. The Chinese hire Don Yen (Jimmy Wang Yu – Master of the Flying Guillotine) to round up a group of loners, misfits, and outlaws to rescue the Allied prisoners. Jackie Chan joins the motley crew, ready to fight for freedom and a split of the gold reward. But, the Japanese aren’t the only enemy when things take a bizarre twist.
90 Minutes – NR

YOUNG TIGER (1974)
When the imperial Japanese invade mainland China, their occupation brings oppression, violence, and brutality. Jackie Chan is the young master forced to resist the occupying militia and rebuild the broken spirit of his fellow countrymen.
87 Minutes – NR

THE HEROINE (1973)
When a dying woman climbs into his cab, a taxi driver (Charlie Chin) unknowingly is in possession of a purse containing damaging evidence against a dangerous crime family. Now with the woman’s police officer sister, he must fight against the gang, headed by Jackie Chan, to stay alive and avenge the death of his fateful female passenger.
89 Minutes – NR

KARATE WARRIORS (1976 – video)
Sonny Chiba arrives in a town where two gangs are at war with each other. In a nod to Kurosawa’s YOJIMBO, Sonny pits the two gangs against each other in an all-out battle of flying fists and kicks.
89 Minutes – R

THE BODYGUARD (1973 – video)
This stylish revenge thriller explodes when Sonny Chiba launches a one-man war against the mafia and drugs in a non-stop action thrill ride.
89 Minutes – R

FIST OF FEAR, TOUCH OF DEATH (1980 – video)
In this pseudo-documentary intercut with old Bruce Lee film footage, a reporter interviews promoters and fighters who are competing in the Karate Championship to be honored with the title of successor to Bruce Lee. The catch is that they might also walk away with Lee’s curse.
82 Minutes –NR

THE CUB TIGER FROM KWANGTUNG (1974 – video)
Jackie Chan’s first starring role sees him play a young waiter who also happens to be a kung fu fanatic. Local store owners seek the help of Jackie to protect them from a greedy Chinese extortion ring, which Jackie discovers is behind the extortion scheme that killed his father many years before. Jackie sets off on a one man vengeance trail, featuring some ground-breaking choreography (from Jackie Chan and Corey Yuen). Mandarin with English subtitles.
85 Minutes – NR

CHINESE HERCULES (1973 – video)
Chan Wai Man flees town after accidentally killing his fiancée’s brother. He turns up in a small village working on a dock for a corrupt local man (Liang Tim) whose thugs continually cheat, abuse, and in some cases, kill the workers. Chan can’t continue to turn a blind eye to the injustices occurring everyday and decides to unleash his arsenal of supernatural strength.
90 Minutes – NR

GOLGO 13 (1977 – video)
Based on a popular manga (Japanese Comic Book) and anime series, Sonny Chiba stars as an international assassin with the job of eliminating a drug kingpin in Hong Kong. Detective Smith is hot on his trail along with a legion of other assassins.
104 Minutes – NR

SISTER STREET FIGHTER (1974 – video)
Martial arts expert, Kaoru Lee, is the sister of a missing undercover cop who was trying to bring down a brutal drug lord. Pressed into service by the cops, she travels to Hong Kong to find her brother. But, things take a terrible turn, and she is forced into her sibling search and taking down the dangerous drug lord all on her own!
86 Minutes – NR

THE RESTLESS (DVD – CJ Entertainment – video)

It is AD 924, at the end of the United Shilla Dynasty. Continuous riots sweep the land ruled by a corrupt government. Evil forces are rampant and malicious demons roam the land. Yi Kwak, born with the powers to see spirits, joins the royal demon hunting squad, ‘Chuh-yong-dae’ after losing his fiancée, Yon-hwa to evil demons. Yi Kwak excels as the most talented warrior of Chuh-yong-dae and the royal squad seems to gain momentum as powerful fighters against the forces of darkness. Then one day, Yi Kwak drifts into Joongcheon, the world of the dead through a strange shrine. Joongcheon, the intermediate world between Heaven and Earth, a place souls remain for 49 days, preparing for reincarnation.

LONE WOLF & CUB: VOL. 2 [TV] (DVD – Tokyo Shock – video)

Master swordsman Itto Ogami held the honorable position as the Shogun’s executioner. When rivals kill his wife and handmaidens, it is initially believed that it was to avenge a clan lord’s execution. However, the ghastly deed was designed by the envious Yagyu Retsudo to disgrace and frame Ogami in the eyes of the Shogun, giving him criminal status and forcing him to forfeit his lofty post. With his surviving one-year-old son, Daigoro, Ogami sets off to live as an assassin-for-hire until he can locate and exact revenge upon the Yagyu clan. Based on the manga by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima, the LONE WOLF AND CUB television series began in 1973 and chronicles the journeys and adventures of the fabled duo on their path to vengeance. Tokyo Shock is proud to bring this classic series to the English-language market for the first time ever. This collection contains the following episodes: 6. Brother and sister, 7. The Sakai rifle, 8. Kanjyo style, and 9. Six realms of hell.

FEARLESS: A CHINESE HERO [TV] (DVD – Tai Seng – video)

Ekin Cheng (THE STORM RIDERS) is legendary national hero/martial arts master Fok Yuen Kap in this breathtaking kung fu drama. When China was threatened by the invasion of foreign powers in the late Ching Dynasty, Fok learned kung fu secretly against his father’s wishes and created his own style of fist stances. He eventually succeeded in uniting different kung fu clans in his quest to go against the foreigners and helped China get rid of the derogatory term “The Sick Man of Asia”. Filled with wall-to-wall kung fu fights, FEARLESS: A CHINESE HERO is an exciting retelling of the saga of a fearless leader.

HANA (DVD – Funimation – video)

What happens when those charged with taking life begin to cherish it? From award-winning filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-Eda, Hana deconstructs the legend of the samurai with a delicate mix of laughter and emotion.

The year is 1702. Peace has settled over the squalor of Edo and the swords of the once mighty samurai have been sheathed across Japan. In an era when dogs are more esteemed than the colorful peasants that inhabit the slums, Soza, a young warrior better with books than blades, is on a quest to avenge his murdered father and restore honor to his family name.

As the blood debt looms, sensitive Soza must decide – To kill or not to kill? Amidst growing love, shattered honor and the simple beauty of the cherry blossom… Hana celebrates the joys of even the most difficult of lives.

HOUSE OF FURY (Blu-ray – Tai Seng – video)

With Yuen Wo Ping, action director of KUNG FU HUSTLE, KILL BILL and THE MATRIX lending his genius to the stylish eye of Director Stephen Fung (GEN X COPS), HOUSE OF FURY packs a crippling Bruce Lee punch with the cool flair of a James Bond mission! Chinese chiropractor Teddy (Anthony Wong) is a widower struggling to raise his sullen teenage son Nicky (Stephen Fung) and his wild daughter Natalie (Gillian Chung from THE VAMPIRE EFFECTS, 49 DAYS). Teddy’s kids are deeply embarrassed by their Dad’s outlandish tales of his glory days. What they don’t know is that their father leads a clandestine life protecting retired secret agents. When an evil nemesis reappears and kidnaps Teddy to settle an old score, Nicky and Natalie, along with her boyfriend Jason (Daniel Wu), put their martial arts training into action and pummel the assassins that stand in their way.

SECRET OF THE SWORD: VOL. 1 (DVD – Fusian)

Three Apprentices betray their Master and steal from him the book that holds the Secrets to The Sword. They leave behind their Master to die; however, he is saved by a young man who is later taught the Secret. He is warned by the Master to never let the Secret fall into the hands of evil. Mysteriously, the book is taken from the apprentices while they are sleeping. Can the book be found before evil gets to it!

ZORRO – THE BOLD CABALLERO (DVD – Alpha Home Entertainment)

Zorro the legendary masked hero of old California, battles for the oppressed citizens of Santa Cruz against the vicious commandant, Sebastian Golle. Working the villagers to the breaking point and skimming taxes owed to Spain, Golle is desperate to rid himself of his nemesis. Zorros fight is seemingly finished when newly appointed Governor Palma is murdered and Zorro is falsely arrested for the crime.

The Bold Caballero, the first Zorro adventure filmed in color, features popular cowboy actor Robert Livingston, best remembered for his 29 appearances in the Three Mesquiteers series. Zorro wasnt the only masked hero portrayed by Livingston. He starred as the mysterious “”Eagle”" in the 1936 serial, The Vigilantes Are Coming, and as the Lone Ranger in The Lone Ranger Rides Again (1939). This film was one of just two directed by veteran screenwriter, Wells Root, who wrote over 60 screenplays in his illustrious career, including I Cover the Waterfront (1933) and The Prisoner of Zenda (1937).

U.K. Releases

A BITTERSWEET LIFE [Director's Cut] (DVD – Tartan Video – video)

Sunwoo is no ordinary hotel manager. He is also the ruthlessly efficient right hand man of underworld boss, Kang. But tough guy Kang has a weakness; his young girlfriend. Suspecting she’s unfaithful, Kang orders Sunwoo to take care of the problem. When Sunwoo discovers her with another man, he uncharacteristically grants them mercy.

Kang is furious and orders his gang members to hunt down Sunwoo. With nerves of steel, Sunwoo battles the gang alone. With each kill, he takes one step closer to his final confrontation with Kang.

IN THE NAME OF THE KING (Blu-ray/DVD – Metrodome – video)

Much like cult-favourites LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER and MORTAL KOMBAT, IN THE NAME OF THE KING: A DUNGEON SIEGE TALE is a fantasy-adventure based on a popular video game series, Dungeon Siege. The film follows the simple but heroic and fearless Farmer, portrayed by Jason Statham (THE TRANSPORTER, THE ITALIAN JOB), as he gets caught up in the brink-of-war tensions of King Konraid (Burt Reynolds), his back-stabbing nephew Duke Fallow (Matthew Lillard), and the evil wizard, Gallian (Ray Liotta). The film features similar plot-points to the critically acclaimed THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy (2001-2003), including a sinister beastly army parallel to LOTR’s orcs of Mordor, called the Krugs, responsible for killing members of Farmer’s family and kidnapping his wife, Solana (Claire Forlani). High- adventure follows, as Farmer, and his brother-in-law Bastian (Will Sanderson) and friend Norick (Ron Perlman) pursue the Krugs, which lead them to a vast underground lair of enslaved humans, orchestrated by Gallian, as he seeks to create and rule a hellish underworld with magic and mysticism.

The film also includes John Rhys-Davis (THE LORD OF THE RINGS, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK) as Merick, a noble wizard, and the King’s closest confidante and spiritual healer; and Leelee Sobieski (THE WICKER MAN) as Merick’s daughter, who as the scorned lover of Gallian, has put the kingdom at great risk. Although some of the all-star cast seems a bit out of place in a sword-and-sorcerer epic, video game fans won’t mind much as the majority of the two-hour film contains nonstop action and intriguing fantasy characters.

PRINCESS AURORA (DVD – Tartan Video – video)

When Jung Sun-jung’s young daughter is raped and murdered she is left traumatized and sets about punishing a series of apparently random yet unpleasant people who she feels have wronged society. As the victims begin to mount up, two police officers, one a young rookie, the other, Jung Sun-jung’s ex-husband whose personal involvement threatens to derail the case must track her down before she kills again. As the police close in on her and the real reasons for the killing spree become clear the films reaches its thrilling climax and keeps you guessing right to the very last shot.

Hong Kong Releases

• THE CHAMPIONS (VCD – Joy Sales)
• FATAL MOVE (Blu-ray – Kam & Ronson – video)
• THE HAND OF DEATH (VCD – Joy Sales – video)
• THE IRON-FISTED MONK (VCD – Joy Sales – video)
• LUCKY STARS GO PLACES (DVD – Joy Sales – video)
• ON THE RUN (DVD – Joy Sales – video)
• THREE KINGDOMS: RESURRECTION OF THE DRAGON (DVD – Kam & Ronson – video)

Korean Releases

• GP-506 (DVD – KD Media – video)
• THE WARLORDS (DVD – Enterone – video)

Next Week

• BATMAN: THE MOVIE (Blu-ray – 20th Century Fox)
• BATMAN: THE MOVIE (DVD – 20th Century Fox)
• WALKER, TEXAS RANGER: THE FIFTH SEASON (DVD – Paramount)
• WALKER, TEXAS RANGER: SIX PACK (DVD – Paramount)

Tags: 20th Century Fox, Alpha Home Entertainment, BCI Eclipse, CJ Entertainment, DVD, Fusian, Joy Sales, Kam & Ronson, Media Blasters, Metrodome, Paramount, Tai Seng, Tartan Video, Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon (2008)