What's up with the HKMDB? o_O

Just... who ARE these people??? @_@

I wonder who the people are who write the Hong Kong Movie Data Base reviews??

Let me try and explain. To cut it down to the bare bones so to speak: The way I see it, there are THREE types of Hong Kong film viewers in this world:

1) Chinese people (and often other Asians) who just don't understand the fascination that fans from the West have with Asian action cinema.
2) Then we have the kung fu film fans that mostly hail the 1970s films as gold, and regard most "new" stuff (everything after 1981) as crappy modern day stuff, haha.
3) And then finally we have fans like me who discovered HK cinema via the modern day films (i.e. the films the kung fu fans often ridicule, lol).

Now, I often look up films on the HKMDB because I have this notion that credits info is probably much better there than on the laughable IMDb (and it mostly is). But mostly I try not to read any of the reviews because... and here is what I don't get... 99% of all reviews there slag off the films!!! O_O

Even the films that are widely recognised as being awesome. Even fan favourites. I don't get it! I do of course realise not everyone agrees with me on every little shitty trash film that I happen to like - but still!

Is it maybe that the HKMDB is made by people from either of the first two categories and the films I usually look up are modern day horror/action/trashy stuff that they just don't like.

One of my favourite "girls with guns" films is ANGEL 2 (aka Iron Angels 2). It's such a joy to watch if you like that kind of films (girls who... shoot guns... kick ass... and look cute) and in the fan press I don't even remember anybody not liking these films just a little bit. But here's what the HKMDB reviewers have to say about ANGEL 2:

Reviewer #1:

- "just comes off as your run-of-the-mill female-oriented action flick"


Reviewer #2 (the entire review!!):

"5 minutes of enjoyment, 85 minutes of misery
Almost as bad as the original, but slightly more enjoyable. I think I remember this one being shot on location in Malaysia, which was the only highlight of the movie, the location.
See my reveiw for the original and you will see what I mean when I say this is not much better."


Reviewer #3:

"Basically a pointless collection of action scenes strung together with an incoherent plot concerning terrorists. About 15 minutes worth of entertainment total, not really worth wasting time on."


[insert confused smileys]

And this is what it's like with most reviews on HKMDB in regards to newer action and horror movies (after 1980).

Just WHO are these people and why do they watch HK movies when they so obviously don't like them. Personally I would find another hobby.

ANGEL 2 lobbies. xD

One of my ALL TIME FAVOURITE Hong Kong films is ANGEL 2 which I believe is also one of the very best in the Girls with guns genre. You could also call the genre Girls who kick ass and look cute (coined in an old issue of Asian Trash Cinema). But regardless of terminology... I just bought this uber spiffy lobby card set from Thailand! Arrr... (this is where you imagine yours truly doing a Homer Simpson drool, LOL).

I haven't actually bought any lobby cards before (except big Mexican ones but I'd say they're more like posters) but when I stumbled over this set I just knew I had to have it. And yes, it was... pricey. I really need to get myself a new job soon!!!



Anyway, I've written about the ANGEL series before in regards to my having bought the Japanese video versions. The films star Moon Lee, Yukari Oshima, Elaine Lui, and Alex Fong. There are three entries and #1 and 2 are awesome! No. 3 is more of a spy film and fails in the "shoot 'em up" dep. but is otherwise alright. The series became so uber popular that tons of films were released in Hong Kong in the years that followed, films that all had female heroes and had "Angel" in the title. If you're looking for someone to criticise this blatant ripoff mentality you'll have to look elsewhere as you won't find it here. I love all those films! Unfortunately, many of them are very difficult to find nowadays. A lot of them never came out on DVD and the old video tapes and VCDs are rare by now.

Btw, instead of ANGEL 3 you might wanna try and track down KILLER ANGELS instead as it's a much better film (and tons more violent!!). It also stars Moon Lee and is another fave in this house!!! For years I kept watching an unsubbed VCD from HK until I got hold of an English dubbed boot from the UK.



One of the films that fortunately WAS granted a release on a shiny li'l disc is the first ANGEL which (oddly enough) was released on HK DVD under its international title of Iron Angels. Fortunately, the disc doesn't contain the international, English dubbed version but the original Cantonese film. Unfortunately, ANGEL 2 and 3 are only out on crappy DVDs; #2 in Germany (dubbed and cut to shreds) and #3 on an OOP English dubbed, fullscreen DVD in the US.

The best way to watch ANGEL 2 is on VHS from the UK; MIA put it out on an English dubbed tape fully uncut and fully letterboxed! They also put out a fully lbx'ed tape in Cantonese with new English subs which would have been the ultimate release if it weren't for the fact that the bloody BBFC cut out 18 seconds of fun! Boo-hoo. My Japanese tape is also in Cantonese and fortunately fully uncut but sans the subs. You just can't win can you. :-(

Anyway, here's the trailer for ANGEL 2, do check it out!




[ANGEL aka Iron Angels/Angels/Midnight Angels/Midnite Angels/Fighting Madam/Ultra Force, VHS/Japan/letterbox/English dub/Japanese subs]

[ANGEL 2 aka Iron Angels 2/Angels 2/Ultra Force 2, VHS/Japan/letterbox/Cantonese audio/Japanese subs]

[ANGEL 3 aka Iron Angels 3/Iron Angel 3/Fighting Madam 3/Hong Kong Police Madam 3/Return of Iron Angels/Midnite Angels 3/Ultra Force 3, VHS/Japan/fullscreen/English dub]

Ahh, what Angels!

[ANGEL aka Iron Angels/Angels/Midnight Angels/Midnite Angels/Fighting Madam/Ultra Force, VHS/Japan/letterbox/English dub/Japanese subs]

It's common knowledge I'm an old Hongkongese. No, I don't hail from there but I've been an aficionado of their cinema for almost twenty years! And amongst the different HK film genres I enjoy three genres in particular; the dark and nasty horror films of the 80s (Seeding of a Ghost, Black Magic I + II, The Rape After, etc.), the heroic bloodshed films (A Better tomorrow I + II, The Killer, + 6 tons of copy cats), and last but certainly not least; the Girls kick ass genre, also known as the Girls with guns genre. In other words; the "Girls kick ass, shoot guns, and look cute" genre!!! LOL.

There are quite a few entries to the genre but the pinnacle to most fans is the ANGEL series. In their Westernised form retitled Iron Angels, and in northern Europe they're known as Ultra Force.

The first film in the series is great, the sequel is awesome, and the third one is... different, haha (it's more of a Spy/James Bond'ian film than a shoot 'em up extravaganza).

[ANGEL 2 aka Iron Angels 2/Angels 2/Ultra Force 2, VHS/Japan/letterbox/Cantonese audio/Japanese subs]

Unfortunately, until recently all three films were quite difficult to find in proper versions, either they're fullscreen, cut, or dubbed in English. The first film in the series was finally released on letterboxed HK DVD recently. Unfortunately, it's (slightly) cut. Very annoying!!! I have a handful of different version and today I received yet another one, finally a letterboxed uncut version. And the release you ask? Well, Japanese VHS of course! Haha.

I'm also the happy owner of the Japanese VHS for the sequel which sadly is only out on DVD as a cut, German dubbed DVD! For the third entry to the series there is a DVD in the US but it's both fullscreen and dubbed. Boo-hoo. As far as I know the only proper, letterboxed release is the Japanese VHS - which I unfortunately lost on the same auction where I won #1 (more and bigger BOO-HOO!).


[ANGEL 3 aka Iron Angels 3/Iron Angel 3/Fighting Madam 3/Hong Kong Police Madam 3/Return of Iron Angels/Midnite Angels 3/Ultra Force 3, VHS/Japan/letterbox/English dub]

Oh, did I mention these films star fave HK action babes such as Moon Lee (Lee Choi-Fung), Elaine Lui (Lui Siu-Ling), and Oshima Yukari. Well, they do! :D :D :D

PS: Incidentally, another Danish blog wrote about ANGEL just a few days ago.