Gordon Liu Movies

Jeffrey Lau's epic, mythological fantasy adventure A Chinese Tall Story unfurls in the distant past, when a small band of travelers - monk Tripitaka (Nicholas Tse) and his (human) companions Monkey King (Chen Bo-lin), Piggy (Kenny Kwan) and Sandy (Steven Cheung) - embark on a lengthy, danger-filled quest through the Himalayan foothills to retrieve some Buddhist scriptures. En route, they encounter all manner of obstacles, such as being sabotaged by The Tree Demon and attacked by a band of cannibalistic lizard men. In a more realistic episode, Tripitaka must grapple with the unrequited love that a homely outcast, Yue Meiyan (Charlene Choi) feels for him; he then ultimately winds up in the midst of an elfin storybook village where he encounters an empathetic waylaid princess (Fan Bingbing). Throughout, director Lau plays aggressively with the film form, packing in everything from witty puns to cinematic allusions to postmodern cultural asides. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

The action-filled supernatural fantasy Shaolin vs. Evil Dead stars martial arts superstar Gordon Liu (of Kill Bill fame) as Brother White, a roving priest and maestro of all things supernatural. During his latest mission - one that involves accompanying several vampires to their burial site - he stumbles across his old nemesis, the vile Brother Black (Louis Fan), whose modus operandi involves annihilating the souls of the dead in lieu of guiding them to a higher plane of reincarnation. Black's intense envy of Brother White drives him to the point of summoning a towering, seemingly unstoppable evil which White must draw on all of his resources to combat. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Action maestro Lau Kar Leung helms the martial arts saga Drunken Monkey - the tale of a bitter feud that erupts between two siblings. For years, Biao and his brother have co-run a security company - until Biao discovers that the latter is engaged in illegal, underground activities. When Biao disappears for a short time, everyone thinks him dead; he soon turns up again, however, determined to take on his wayward brother in a grueling battle-to-the-death. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

When May, a singer at a ballroom, reports to the authorities the illegal dealings going on in the lounge in connection with the Triad-the Chinese Mafia-she is murdered. Her death may not have been in vain, however-two taxi drivers who shared her convictions had plotted with her to assassinate the local gang leader, and they have every intention of carrying out the plan. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide

Hong Kong filmmaker Yau Kar-hung directed this standard Shaw Brothers historical action-comedy released at the tail end of the famous studio's mid-'80s decline. It tells yet another story about the oft-filmed heroes Hung Hei-kwun and Fong Sai-yuk, played here by Lo Mang and Wong Yue. Hung gets in trouble for offending the Ching chieftain Chih (genre veteran Lo Lieh), so he and Fong seek refuge in the Shaolin Temple, where they join the newly arrived South Pupils to learn the martial arts disciplines. Many of the students seem more interested in chasing girls and fooling around, upsetting the North Pupils (the Shaolin monks). Chief Chih shows up looking for Hung and Fong with fighters in tow, and the obligatory battle scene results, with the men of the Shaolin emerging victorious. Afterward, however, the monks come to the conclusion that Hung should be expelled from the temple because his primary goal in coming there was not to study, but to hide from Chief Chih. Naturally, Hung affirms his devotion to the ways of Shaolin and they let him stay, setting up yet another raid by Chief Chih and the obligatory final battle. Some interesting fight sequences are dragged out to feature length with extended comic scenes featuring the students playing pranks on the monks, but genre enthusiasts will still find enough to keep them interested. Also released in a drastically cut 84-minute version as Enter the 36th Chamber of Shaolin, the film co-stars Gordon Lau, Chin Siu-ho, and Phillip Kwok. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

Considered one of the finest kung fu films made by the Shaw brothers, this film was directed by master choreographer Lau Kar-Leung. Three years after the Yim Ho clan sends ace fighter Lei Kung (played by the director Lau) to Yunnan to set up a branch there, headquarters learns that their man has spurned clan loyalty and closed down the group's southern outpost. Boss Li Lien-ying sends a trio of assassins independent of each other out after their renegade brother: Lei Ying (Lau Kar-wing) is skilled in the magical arts; Tieh Hon (Hsiao Hou) is a skilled killer; and Ti Tan (Lau Ka Fai) is the master at kung fu. Lei Ying hires a bumptious petty thug, Wu (Alexander Fu-Sheng), to pose as assassin, hoping to smoke Lei Kung out of hiding. Meanwhile, Tieh Hon becomes convinced that a wizened lumber salesman is the missing clan member. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

Shaolin Vs. Evil Dead star Gordon Liu headlines this lost martial arts classic that mixes blood-curdling horror with pulse-quickening kung-fu. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A Chinese kung-fu master is put in the precarious position of having to salvage his honor after inadvertently insulting the family of his new Japanese bride. His loyalty on the line, the dishonored martial artist attempts to regain his in-laws' trust by dueling with seven Japanese ninjas. With each round, the stakes get higher, the fighting styles alternate, and his opponents grow increasingly fierce. Which style will ultimately prove more effective, and what will it take for the hapless groom to admit that he's finally met his match? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Perhaps the most highly anticipated film of 2003, Kill Bill Vol. 1 marked the return of renowned filmmaker Quentin Tarantino after a six-year hiatus. Re-teaming the director with Uma Thurman for the first time since 1994's Pulp Fiction, the film was originally the first half of what was to be a three-hour-plus movie before being split into two films. Thurman stars as The Bride, one-fifth of a team of assassins called DiVAS. When The Bride opts to leave the outfit for a life of marital bliss, it doesn't sit well with her boss, Bill (David Carradine), so he has her former cohorts, played by Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Daryl Hannah, and Michael Madsen, show up at the nuptials, leaving behind a blood bath. Miraculously, The Bride survives a bullet to the head and, four years later, she sets out for revenge against her four assassins and their employer. The story is concluded in Kill Bill Vol. 2, released six months later. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

Star David Chiang is but one of the Five Masters of Death. They've got a cartel of evil emperors angry at them. Violent clashes are inevitable, and frequent. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide