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Heroes of the East | 
 enlarge | Director: Lau Kar-leung
Actors: Gordon Liu, Yasuaki Kurata
Studio: The Weinstein Company
List Price: $14.93
Buy Used: $4.24
You Save: $10.69 (72%)
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Rating:  20 reviews
Format: Dubbed, Ntsc, Subtitled, Widescreen
Languages: Mandarin Chinese (Original Language), Cantonese (Original Language), English (Original Language)
Rating: Unrated
Region: 1
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Running Time: 104 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 7046
UPC: 796019809962
EAN: 0796019809962
Release Date: May 27, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Platform: DVD MOVIE Publisher: CELESTIAL PICTURES Packaging: DVD STYLE BOX Rating: RATING: NOT RATED 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 GuideFeatures Featurementary with Hong Kong cinema expert Bey Logan; Spotlight on a Legend: A tribute to celebrated Martial Arts icon Lau Kar-Leung with Hong Kong cinema expert Bey Logan; Hero of Shaolin: An exclusive interview with leading man Gordon Liu; Shaolin Vs. Ninja: An exploration of the legendary Martial Arts weapon forms of China and Japan; Trailer galleryScene Index 1. The Arranged Marriage [6:44]2. Spousal Abuse? [7:26]3. An Overzealous Student [6:05]4. East Vs. East [6:12]5. Secret Weapons [5:22]6. Irreconcilable Differences [7:30]7. The Challenge [9:25]8. Kendo [7:45]9. Drunken Boxing [7:38]10. Karate [6:52]11. Pole & Staff [4:13]12. Yali & Sai [6:48]13. A Slippery Situation [6:01]14. Ninjitsu [1:53]15. Crab Vs. Crane [7:48]16. Accepting the Sword [4:31]Specifications:Actors: Gordon Liu Yasuaki KurataFormat: Dubbed NTSC Subtitled WidescreenLanguage: Mandarin Chinese Cantonese EnglishRegion: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1Number of discs: 1Rating: Not RatedStudio: The Weinstein CompanyDVD Release Date: May 27 2008Run Time: 104 minutes
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| Customer Reviews: Read 15 more reviews...
Surprisingly Good! July 21, 2010
Derek Dean (Monterey, CA)
I ended up buying this based on the other reviewer's comments, and I'm so glad I did. Given the age and nature of this film, the production values are surprisingly high, with excellent lighting and camera technique...... and the transfer to DVD is beautiful... clean, clear, and with great depth to the image as well as top notch sound.
I must admit I fell in love with the leading lady, and the story was so much fun that I've already watched it 3 times. If you are a fan of this genre, then this is a MUST HAVE..... and if you've never seen this type of early martial arts film, then this would be the one to buy for an introduction. Highly recommended!!!
"I'll never marry the Japanese girl with the runny nose." June 5, 2010
H. Bala (Carson - hey, we have an IKEA store! - CA USA)
HEROES OF THE EAST is also known by the more badasss title SHAOLIN CHALLENGES NINJA, but whatever you call this movie, doesn't alter the fact that it is one of the most entertaining vehicle for martial arts ever put to cinema. No one dies in this one, so there's none of that extra gratuitous thrill. Rather, the focus is on the remarkable exhibition of techniques encompassing various disciplines in the Japanese and Chinese martial arts. It's been a while since I saw The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, but HEROES OF THE EAST may be my favorite Gordon Liu flick.
The misunderstandings here get more blown out of proportion than in an episode of Three's Company. Cultural clashes and notions of impropriety quickly surface when an arranged marriage hooks up a proud Chinese man and a willful Japanese woman. It starts at the wedding ceremony when the Japanese bride Kung Zi unwittingly wears white, the color of death in Chinese culture. Ah To, himself a student of kung fu, then learns that Kung Zi is a practitioner of karate, and he promptly contends that her style is brash and unladylike. It doesn't help that Kung Zi while training breezily wrecks the family garden, demolishing those decorative little stone statues and such. When Ah To shows off his Chinese kung fu, Kung Zi scornfully taunts him: "When you practice with it, it's like dancing." When Kung Zi demonstrates her more forceful moves, Ah To lets her know: "All that noise, it's like a beggar driving dogs away." Marital bliss gets kicked to the curb.
Thanks to a pretty stupid scheme of Ah To's cringing tattletale servant, things escalate even further, and before you can say "Can't we all just get along?" seven of Japan's foremost martial artists, each a master of a particular discipline, storm Ah-To's home to challenge him in a series of one-on-one duels.
These challenges play out superbly. Another fun element is that no sooner does one fight end than we immediately learn Ah To's next challenger, and then we watch Ah To, in his allotted time of rest, try to come up with the proper counter. These skirmishes are wonderfully choreographed and hold up spectacularly well today. One outstanding sequence is Ah To versus the kendo master (or, more properly, iaido master) and what Ah To does here actually worsens things. Further highlights are the nunchuk and tonfa versus three-sectioned staff sequence and the sai versus butterfly sword sequence (and I got a kick out of the odd little sai master with his French mustache and his twitchy mouth). Ah To versus the judo master falls out more like a comedy routine, as Ah To bests him in a pretty underhanded (but clever) manner. I did think that the finale which is Ah To taking on the master ninja, while pretty decent, goes on a bit too long. Surprisingly, the ninja's employment of the "Japanese crab fist" isn't as cheesy as it sounds.
Director Lao Kar-Leung, himself an accomplished and highly respected martial artist, has a wonderful cameo as the drunken boxing master whose style Ah To must lift. Lao Kar-Leung also doubles Gordon Liu in some of the tricker moves with the three-sectioned staff.
Unlike films like FISTS OF FURY, HEROES OF THE EAST doesn't portray the Japanese martial artists as evil goons. Legendary director Lao Kar-Leung instills a sense of dignity in the Japanese contemporaries and even though the challengers lose, there's respect there. Gordon Liu was a superstar in the late '70s and '80s and you can see why. Liu not only has the requisite skills of a martial arts icon, but he's got presence and swagger and grace. Even if it's a wig he's got on for this picture (around this time, Gordon Liu was still shaving his head regularly because of his shaolin monk roles). Mizuno Yuko, who plays Kung Zi, is herself a skilled martial artist and she holds up very well when sparring with Liu. What's more, you do get the sense that the two lead characters are genuinely in love, and that lends a sweet emotional core to what otherwise would only have been a technical exercise in Chinese and Japanese martial arts. As it is, HEROES OF THE EAST is one of the finest films of its genre that I've ever seen. And the way it ends, not with bloodshed and gruesome deaths, but with mutual respect after an exhibition of prowess and skills, well, that's pretty much a philosophical linchpin of martial arts, isn't it? Makes me want to go in the garden and practice maneuvers like the "Cripple Li Carrying Water" and chop down innocent garden gnomes. Such an awesome movie.
The DVD from Dragon Dynasty offers up several nifty special features: feature commentary from Hong Kong Cinema Expert Bey Logan; "Spotlight on a Legend" - a tribute to celebrated martial arts icon and director Lao Kar-Leung, hosted by Bey Logan (00:36:08 minutes); "Hero of a Shaolin" - an interview with Gordon Liu as he talks about his career and, specifically, about this film (00:22:13); "Shaolin vs. Ninja" (00:26:10) - this is a really interesting segment with a Japanese Iaido master, a Hung Gar weapons master, and an Okinawan bo master breaking down techniques in their craft; and the original theatrical trailers for HEROES OF THE EAST and COME DRINK WITH ME.
 I must be missing something. December 27, 2009
Dolon (San Diego, CA)
4 out of 9 found this review helpful
I purchased this movie based upon the reviews here at Amazon and although I did enjoy the action scenes I felt more perplexed than (apparently) most other reviewers.
It was difficult for me to discern whether the female lead was actually that; a female. Only after the cleavage shot while sparring with her new husband did I allow myself to trust it was a woman, but only for the sake of creative license.
Although the fight scenes were entertaining it was difficult for me to believe that one "student" had mastered seven different disciplines to the degree where none of the Japanese "masters" were capable of defeating him. The Shaw Brothers are definitely from China which is evidenced in this somewhat one-sided film. I'll hazard a guess but the same probably holds true here in the USA to our older cowboy and indian movies (pre 1979) where the indians did not fare well. I've given this film a three star rating for the well choreographed action sequences, believing it must have been fun to direct. If you are looking for examples of various fighting styles this movie may be for you, if you are looking for substance please continue your quest.
Admittedly, I am spoiled by films such as, The Shadowless Sword, The Warrior, Aragami, Legend of the Black Scorpion, The Restless, Seven Swords, Warriors of Heaven and Earth...(my list goes on and on).
A Favorite Film Gets Even Better December 17, 2009
S. VALE (Northern California)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have already enjoyed "HEROES OF THE EAST" (aka "SHAOLIN CHALLENGES NINJA") for over 15 years, first having seen it on video tape, then on DVD and now on this excellent Dragon Dynasty edition DVD.
IMHO, this is one of their best yet, if not THE best, releases. The movie is finally restored (thanks to Celestial Pictures), to its ShawScope glory, with both Mandarin and Cantonese soundtracks (as well as that good 'ol, clunky English dub, which I doubt I will ever listen to again!), and a bevy of cool special features.
There are so many reviews of both the film itself and the special features here (and elsewhere), I will only add that this movie is one of the great kung fu movies of all time. It is rare in that there are no deaths and not even any serious injuries (except perhaps to an ego here and there!). It is a movie about sharing culture, about the challenges in any marriage, and especially in a marriage where there is a culture barrier. It is a story about being patient and loving anyway (but that message is covert. This is not a romance, nor a "chick-flick" yet, I do believe that many women will enjoy it, even if they are not big martial art fans, and I also think it is good for kids).
The martial arts in this film, directed and choreographed by the great real and film martial arts master Lau Kar Leung (and he even makes a great cameo as the Drunken Master "Beggar Su", in addition to filling in for his adopted brother, student and lead actor Gordon Liu on some difficult moves, most especially with the weapon, Three Sectional Staff. I always knew that the moves behind the back were NOT Gordon Liu, but I did not know, until the commentary by Bey Logan, that it was Lau Sifu) are some of the best ever. It is mostly pretty realistic (and even the exceptions are still pretty cool to watch) kung fu choreography, with little wire work (almost none, if any), few special effects shots, and believable fights (again Bey Logan's commentary helped me, because the few fights that are not completely believable, I always had a little trouble with, and it is nice to hear confirmation about those. E.g. A Chinese straight sword would not and could not stand up to full contact with a Samurai sword. The Chinese sword would break. Period!). THe exceptions are few and as I say, still fun and work within the context of the story.
And the story is a good one. A truly great martial arts movie or action movie of any kind, should have the action help tell the story. And this one does.
The special features on this disc are generous and quality. I loved Bey Logan's commentary and half hour tribute to Lau Sifu and the movie itself. I really like Bey's commentaries. I could almost see myself getting any and all DD releases just for those, even though I might not love the film. But on this one, not only do I love the film, but it is one of his best commentaries. His obvious love and respect for Lau Sifu and for the film itself, is both evident and enhances my enjoyment of the movie itself.
Gordon Liu's interview is also about a half hour (or at least 25 minutes) and also is very interesting. While he repeats some of what he has said in other interviews on other DD releases, there is plenty specific to this movie that makes it very special and interesting (e.g. how he and the Japanese actress who played his wife were able to "bond" a bit on a date before filming and also how they worked out a little code, so they could know when it was their cue, since neither spoke the other's language!).
And the feature about Japanese and Chinese weapons was also interesting and the woman who was the host for this was kinda cute!
This is my favorite DD release thus far by far. It is tremendously entertaining with lots of repeatability for viewing pleasure and I also continue to learn a lot, both from the movie and from the special features.
"HEROES OF THE EAST" was already one of my favorite kung fu movies of all time (and I admit, I am still missing having seen a few classics, such as "THE PRODIGAL SON", and have never seen all of Jet Li's "FIST OF LEGEND"... not more than a few scenes in a video store in Times Square over 15 years ago! I know, I know: I should be ashamed of myself. It is next on my list!). But I have seen a good deal of the Shaw Brothers 70's and early 80's classics and again, this has already ranked up with my favorites (most notably, "THE 36th CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN", aka "THE MASTER KILLER").
Now, with this DD release, I think "HEROES OF THE EAST" climbs up to tie with anything as number one. For me, now, there may be those that are as good, but none better.
I would definitely rate this one as a must buy (especially at the price! But even for twice the price, I would still get it).
Heroes Now In The West! September 10, 2009
Brian Lueth (Chicago, IL United States)
Man, I love this film. Heroes of the East features all types of fantastic martial arts styles including Kendo, Judo, Ninjitsu, Chinese Boxing and weapons battles up the yin yang! This is another absolute Shaw Bros. masterpiece that must be seen and appreciated by anybody and everybody claiming to be a Kung Fu cinema fan. The cinematography and choreography are second to none and the directing, well, the directing is impeccable, just what you'd expect from Lau Kar Leung. He's a master of his craft, no doubt about it.
Dragon Dynasty have released another incredibly cool DVD with a solid, clean transfer, crisp sound, three great audio language tracks (including English for those that prefer dubbing) and some super slick special features. I can hardly say this is Lau Kar Leung's best work but it is definitely amongst his best.
My final word on this release is, "Go buy the movie." It's a classic, it's a masterpiece and if you love good Kung Fu cinema this is a "must-own" film. I'd have to say that this is definitely made my top ten favorite Kung Fu films of all time so don't wait until it disappears from shelves and eventually goes out of print, grab yourself a copy now and marvel at the beautiful filmmaking and tail-kicking, hand-to-hand, fist-to-fist & weapon-to-weapon combat! Heroes of the East is timeless entertainment.
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