Product: The Evil Cult [Region 2] (2005)
Rating: 3.0
Fantasy Kung-Fu Parody
This disc is not the best in the world, but it was interesting. Obviously transferred from a video source, the disc is extras-free and not brimming over with quality processing. The overall appearance is rather muddy, and the subtitles are both duplicated in English and Chinese, and very hard to read most of the time. No chapter access, either.On the other hand, the DVD is Widescreen, so I give credit for that. Also, this is a very different style of kung-fu film. I refer to it as a parody because that's what it reminded me of more than anything else; a parody of fantasy martial arts films. Characters not only fly and leap like superheroes, they can also blast opponents with energy bolts, lightning, magical swords, and fantasy kung-fu strikes.The story is a bit hard to follow. Basically, bad guys looking for a magic sword cause the death of Jet Li's parents, and attack their child with with a slow-killing strike. The result is that Jet Li cannot learn kung-fu -- if he tries, he'll die! Eventually, he is cured and becomes the Master of all kung-fu by learning the secret of the "Solar Stance" technique from a powerful kung-fu teacher. Then, Jet can take revenge on the people who killed his parents.Along the way, he meets up with a kung-fu mistress who helps him learn even better kung-fu, another evil kung-fu mistress who wants the handsome young Jet Li for herself, an a bad kung-fu mistress who now controls the magic sword. He also runs into a confusing array of kung-fu masters, enemies, and armies. I admit that I got a bit lost trying to follow who was fighting who, and why. The ending was also left kind of up in the air, as if the film was meant to be the first chapter in a series.Still, the fights are spectacular. Not quite up to the "Once Upon a Time in China" standards, but spectacular nevertheless. In one scene, Jet is attacked with harp strings by the evil mistress, and in another, an army is devestated by an underground assault!Overall, the film is a lot of fun, mostly because it takes itself seriously (albeit with tongue firmly planted in cheek). Despite the shoddy processing, the disc is definitely worth the low price for Jet Li fans, or for "Crouching Tiger" fans with a sense of humor.