Xiong Xin Xin Movies

Three stories of life in feudal China come together in this offbeat fusion of comedy, action, and food from first-time director Wuershan. Chopper (Liu Xiaoye) is a butcher who is stout, hirsute, and unrefined; however, when he sees Madame Mei (Kitty Zhang Yuqi), a beautiful courtesan who works at an upscale bordello, he's stricken with love at first sight and is determined to win her hand and prove he's worthy. Under ideal circumstances, this would be a tall order for Chopper, but it just so happens Mei already has a beau -- Big Beard, a master swordsman with a fearsome weapon and the deadly talent to use it. Meanwhile, a master chef (Mi Dan) is given a daunting assignment to prepare an eight-course dinner for Liu (Xie Ning), who has a history of murdering cooks who don't live up to his standards. Rather than risk his life, the chef gives the assignment to his assistant, but it turns out the chef's underling has a secret. And Dugu Cheng (Ashton Xu) is a swordsman-turned-cook who has been given a very special cleaver made by Fat Tang (You Benchang) from the swords of five gifted warriors. Dugu Cheng transforms the cleaver back into a weapon, yet learns that its magical properties are not all they're cracked up to be. Dao Jian Xiao (aka The Butcher, the Chef, and the Swordsman received its North American premiere at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Action hero Steven Seagal goes behind bars -- though don't worry, he isn't really a bad guy -- in this action thriller. Sascha Petrosevitch (Seagal) is an FBI agent working undercover to infiltrate a gangland kingpin's operations. While Petrosevitch is able to gain the trust of one of the gangster's lieutenants, Nick Frazier (Ja Rule), things go haywire during an FBI raid, and Petrosevitch takes several slugs in the back as he struggles to maintain his cover. Eight months later, Petrosevitch and Frazier are serving time together in the newly refurbished Alcatraz Penitentiary, as Petrosevitch secretly continues his investigation. Prison warden Hubbard (Stephen J. Cannell) is arranging for the execution of convicted killer and thief Lester (Bruce Weitz), and U.S. Supreme Court justice Jane McPherson (Linda Thorson) has announced she will attend as a witness. But Hubbard's assistant Donny (Morris Chestnut) has devised a secret plan -- it seems Lester stole and stashed away 200 million dollars in gold before he was arrested, and Donny, along with an underground SWAT team, takes control of the prison and takes Hubbard, McPherson, and the other assembled dignitaries hostage, demanding to be told where Lester has hidden his fortune. Now Petrosevitch must drop his cover and persuade his allies within the prison -- including Frazier and Little Joe (Michael "Bear" Taliferro) -- to join him in a desperate bid to foil Donny and free the hostages. Half Past Dead also features Nia Peeples, Kurupt, Tony Plana, and Claudia Christian. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Two men who have a great deal in common become friends, only to find themselves turned into enemies in this slam-bang action fest from Hong Kong. Tyler (Nicholas Tse) is a man trying to make a career in a rough section of Hong Kong. One night, after several drinks too many, he hooks up with Ah Jo (Cathy Chui), an off-duty undercover cop who has also had a bit more alcohol than usual. Tyler and Ah Jo spend the night together, even though she usually prefers the company of women, and Ah Jo soon finds she's pregnant. Ah Jo has no desire to remain involved with Tyler, but he wants to do the right thing, so he takes a job as a bodyguard for low-level gangster Uncle Ji (Anthony Wong) and sends her his money, all the while wishing he could be in Brazil. Meanwhile Jack (Wu Bai), who once lived in Brazil, is back in Hong Kong with his very pregnant wife Ah Hui (Candy Lo), the daughter of a triad kingpin targeted by Brazilian gangsters. Uncle Ji is in charge of protecting the triad leader, and he makes Tyler one of his right-hand men. Tyler and Jack get to know one another and become close friends, but their friendship comes to an end when the Brazilian mob makes Jack an offer he can't refuse, putting the two men on opposite sides of a gangland war. Seunlau Ngaklau was directed by Tsui Hark, who returned to Hong Kong filmmaking after a brief sojourn in Hollywood. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

When ultra-patriotic Chinese anti-terrorist operative Yan Dong (Zhao Wenzhuo, the martial artist/actor hailed by many as the next Jet Li) disobeys a direct order and continues with plans to stop a dangerous hijacking operation, he is promptly demoted. Despite his good intentions, Yan gets reassigned to the Chinese embassy in Lavernia (a fictional country said to have been part of the former Soviet Union) with his former partner Hong Weiguo (Ken Wong) to stop an outbreak of corruption and criminal activity by arresting and returning to China the troublemaking Keizo Mishima (Andrew Lin), the Japanese leader of the cult of the Red Sun. Mishima's group has dedicated themselves to promoting worldwide anarchy and, unbeknownst to Yan and Hung, have close ties with corrupt officials in Lavernia. Soon after Mishima's arrest, the villains retaliate by blowing up parts of the city. In the midst of the chaos, Yan reunites with his former lover Chen Pan (Shu Qi), who fled China following the Tienanmen Square massacre. When the terrorists kidnap Chen Pan, Yan becomes a veritable fighting machine in his efforts to save her. Filmed on location in Budapest, this Hong Kong actioner brims with well-choreographed and exciting fight scenes. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

With a marvelously convoluted plot and featuring plenty of slapstick action, Chinese Feast is essentially a kung-fu film with a tasty twist: the combatants battle with knives, not to carve each other up but to make exquisite culinary delicacies. The story's impetus comes from a long-standing feud between cooking schools and centers on an upcoming cook-off in which two master chefs compete to present the most delicious version of the Qing & Han Imperial Feast staples -- monkey brains, bear paw, and elephant trunk. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this, the third of what has become a long series of films, Doctor Wong Fei-Hung (Jet Li), a master of the martial arts, defender of the poor, upholder of tradition and a Confucian scholar (in addition to being a medical man) is visiting Beijing during a competition designed to determine what group has the best Lion King dancers. The doctor's father, a member of the Cantonese Association in town, is well known for his ability to turn out the best Lion King, and the many criminal gangs of the city, usually embroiled in rivalry against one another, are of one mind when it comes to wanting to eliminate the threat that this "outsider" will win. However, they had not counted on the intervention of the good doctor and his helpers. Simultaneously, the doctor foils several nefarious plots against the government - one of which has gotten his lady-love, Aunt Yee (Rosamund Kwan) involved. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi