Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

I'm not sure if there is actually a form of martial arts called Chessboxing, because I don't know how a person can mimic the elements of a chess board. It has got to require some fast logic and the brain works of a crack addict. Because let's say that I wanted to devise some devilish techniques, and to do that I would want to move my Queen piece from d1 to a5, then castle my king and rook, and then attack with my Bishop. Now how the hell am I supposed to register all this information in my brain before my opponent has already gone Wing Chun style on me? But anyways, anything in the realm of martial arts is an alternate universe in itself so I guess questioning it won't do me any good. All I know is that this film has fight scenes so furious they will make you explode. All the actors here are shown as the echelon of killers and assassins. The main fighting style used is the Five Element Fist, and it works to disarm the defense of the opponent and hit him in his fatal points, in which death comes immediately. That's why everyone uses a more of a walled and defensive technique than anything, rarely does anyone get hit, but once they do, it's pretty much a wrap for them folks.


The man who has uses the Five-Element-Fist is a guy who goes by the name of The Ghostface Killer. That's right, and I'm not sure if they made up this name in the English dubbed version (to give it more "Hip-Hop" feel) or if this was original. But it raises fear in the audience as they watch Ghostface track down the members of the rebellion and dismembers them one by one, thus "Bringing Da Ruckus" and serving some "Severe Punishment". And the only thing that can weaken and maybe even destroy the Five-Element-Fist is a technique called Chessboxing. And these two shook Chinese guys dig into the science of Chess and devise a deadly coalition before Ghostface Killer finds them.


The Ghostface Killer is played by Mark Long, and I have never quite seen an Asian man that is this heated in any other movie. His face burns red with hatred, and his eyes view everyone with blazing anger. This could only lead to an unparalleled inner vision and an extreme dedicated focus to bringing out the pain and beating the crap out of everyone he sees. And this is what Ghostface delivers, f*cking up Chinese n*ggaz and crackas (no racist) into oblivion and back without even being touched or hit. The best part is always the end of the fight, when he breaks their un-armored defense with one of his Five-Element-Fists, and then drops a Ghostface plate to the ground; it's like adding extra-amounts of salt to an already open wound. Ouch.



This even leaves the audience feeling mightily insulted. There's nothing quite as maddening as watching our heroes and protagonists get slapped in the face like little b*tches and then getting urinated on like wh*res, as they lay prostrate on the ground smelling the ugly stench of their defeat (and p^iss). So by the time Ghostface gets to his third victim, you will begin to hate him. Really, really hate him. Because it seems impossible for anyone to even come close in terms of skill against this man. I mean, for most of the film, this guy doesn't even get hit.



But still, the martial arts in this film are very detailed and quick. You get to see every stance, every blow and attack. The camera constantly shifts to give the viewer a personal and clear look at the invigorating and long action. One of the most stimulating scenes is an eye-popping fight towards the climax of this movie where Ghostface had to terminate another martial artist, except this time, the man has a pole. And we know that every time a guy has a stick in his hands, something creative happens. What ensues is probably the second-best fight scene in the film, and what's even more amazing is how Ghostface avoids, parries, and crushes every single offensive attack with nimbleness, and then land a crushing palm to the man's temple.



So this was pretty much what I got while I watched this movie, it is basically about 85 minutes of Ghostface running around and killing all the people he doesn't like, and then dropping a plate by the victim at the end. Of course, there is a reason as to why he chooses to display this form of shocking violence, but it is stupid enough to disregard the entire thing. I figured the plot works, just have a villain go around beating people up, and sooner and later he's going to meet his match. It is a horrible thing when you have mistaken luck for overconfidence, or confidence for luck, and that came to bite him hard in the end. But for the time that he was on the screen, I'd say that it was all worth it. The directors and writers (I can't believe they needed a writer to make some banal plot like this) invented one of the dirtiest, evilest villains ever seen in martial arts, and that is valid enough for anyone to go see this movie.

Random things in this film:


The rice training scene is one of the coolest real things displayed on film.

Sam Seed makes a cameo as a rice cooker.


Chinese people eat like pigs.


For you Wu-Tang fans, the beginning of the song "Poisonous Darts" was sampled from this movie ("Ha, I’ll let you try my water technique!!!")



The Five-Element-Fist need to hit the opponent five times to kill them.



A guy drinks urine in this movie.


Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12