Hero is a 2002 wuxia film directed by Zhang Yimou. Starring Jet Li as the nameless protagonist, the film is based on the story of Jing Ke's assassination attempt on the King of Qin in 227 BC.
Hero was first released in China on October 24, 2002. At that time, it was the most expensive project
and the highest-grossing motion picture in Chinese film history.[citation needed] Miramax Films owned the American market distribution rights, but delayed the release of the film for nearly two years. It was finally presented by Quentin Tarantino to American theaters on August 27, 2004.
In ancient China during the Warring States Period, a nameless prefect of a small jurisdiction arrives at the Qin state's capital city to meet the king of Qin, who has survived an attempt on his life by the assassins Long Sky, Flying Snow, and Broken Sword. Therefore, no visitors are to approach him within 100 paces. 'Nameless' (Jet Li) claims that he has slain the three assassins and he displays their weapons before the king, who allows Nameless to sit closer to him and tell him his story.
Nameless recounts killing Long Sky at a weiqi parlor; later to meet Flying Snow and Broken Sword at a calligraphy school in the Zhao state, where he set them against each other until Snow killed Sword and was herself slain by Nameless. As the tale concludes, the king expresses disbelief and accuses Nameless of staging the duels with the assassins, who surrendered their lives to allow him to gain the king's trust and take the king's life....
Nameless admits that he is a native of the Zhao state and that his family was killed by Qin soldiers, confesses that he defeated Sky without killing him and asked Snow and Sword to cooperate by taking a pseudo duel as well. Sword waited for Nameless on his way to Qin after his false duel with Snow, and told him that the only way to achieve peace was to unite the states under a common dynasty; namely that of Qin, which alone has the ability to do so, thus revealing why Sword gave up his earlier assassination attempt.
The king, affected by the tale and by Sword's understanding of his dream to unify China, ceases to fear Nameless. He then tosses his sword to Nameless and examines a scroll drawn by Sword, and understands that it explains the ideal warrior, who, paradoxically, should have no desire to kill. When Nameless realizes the wisdom of these words, he abandons his mission and spares the king.
Meanwhile, when Snow learns that Sword had convinced Nameless to forgo the assassination, she furiously challenges Sword to a fight and unintentionally kills him when he chooses not to defend himself so that she would understand his hopes for universal peace. Overwhelmed by guilt, Snow then commits suicide. At the Qin palace, the king reluctantly orders Nameless executed, being urged thereto by his court. As the film ends, Nameless receives a hero's funeral and a closing text identifies the king as Qin Shi Huang.
Traditional
英雄
Simplified
英雄
Mandarin
Yīngxióng
Cantonese
Jing1 Hung4
Directed by
Zhang Yimou
Produced by
Zhang Yimou
Written by
Feng Li
Bin Wang
Zhang Yimou
Starring
Jet Li Tony Leung Maggie Cheung Chen Daoming Zhang Ziyi Donnie Yen
Music by
Tan Dun
Cinematography
Christopher Doyle
Editing by
Angie Lam
Studio
Sil-Metropole Organisation CFCC
Elite Group Enterprises
Zhang Yimou Studio
Beijing New Picture Film
Distributed by
Miramax Films (US)
Beijing New Picture Film (China)
EDKO Film (Hong Kong)
Contraband is an American action crime thriller film directed by Baltasar Kormákur, starring Mark Wahlberg and Kate Beckinsale. The film is a remake of the 2008 Icelandic film Reykjavík-Rotterdam that starred Kormákur. Contraband was released on January 13, 2012, in the United States, by Universal Pictures.
Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg) is an ex-smuggler who now has a peaceful life with his wife, Kate (Kate Beckinsale), and their two sons in New Orleans. They learn that Kate's brother Andy (Caleb Landry Jones) was smuggling drugs, but dropped them into the Mississippi River during a surprise inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (C.B.P.).
Andy's boss, ruthless mobster Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi), threatens to kill Chris' family if Andy doesn't pay $700,000. Chris decides to raise the money by running contraband, working with his best friend and former smuggling partner, Sebastian Abney (Ben Foster), who has also gone legitimate and now owns a construction company. He promises Kate that he will not run drugs, joining the crew of a cargo ship in order to buy $10,000,000 in fake bills in Panama and smuggle them into the U.S. He is joined by Andy, good friend Danny Raymer (Lukas Haas), and gets help from fellow crew mates. Briggs breaks into Chris' house to scare his wife and kids, so they move into Sebastian's house for safety.
In Panama, Chris discovers that the bills were not printed on starch-free paper (meaning they could easily be found as fakes) and refuses to accept them. The only one who can provide good quality bills is crime lord Gonzalo (Diego Luna). When Briggs calls Andy and threatens to kill one of Chris' sons, Andy takes Chris' money and uses it to buy the cocaine Andy wants. With the money gone, Gonzalo lets Chris and Danny help in a dangerous armored car heist as payment for the fake bills. They are successful in stealing a painting – little more than a paint splattered unframed tarp – in the heist, but Gonzalo and his men are killed, along with numerous police and security officers.
Chris and Danny make it back to the ship yard in a van containing the fake bills and the paint splattered tarp. They load the contraband-laden van into a container which is loaded onto their cargo ship. Chris assaults Andy for stealing the money and buying cocaine.
It is revealed that Sebastian has been working with Briggs, as gangster Jim Church (David O'Hara) threatens to kill Sebastian if he doesn't repay money he borrowed to save his fledgling construction business. When Sebastian calls Chris, Chris tells him that he might drop the drugs Andy bought into the ocean—angry that Andy had done the cocaine side deal. Sebastian tells Briggs, who assaults Kate and warns her to tell Chris to not dump the "package".
Kate calls Chris and tells him what Briggs said to her. Chris is surprised that Briggs knew about dumping the drugs, realizing that Sebastian had to have told him. Kate does not know and goes back to Sebastian's apartment to retrieve some personal items. When Sebastian tries to force himself on her, he accidentally bashes her head against a bathtub. Sebastian thinks she is dead and throws her (unconscious) body in a yet to be poured foundation.
Sebastian contacts the cargo ship's Captain Camp (J K Simmons), tells him that Chris is smuggling on his ship, and promises him a share if he makes sure Chris doesn't throw it overboard. When Chris does not give up the contraband, Camp calls the C.B.P. to meet the ship in New Orleans. The C.B.P. agents find the container with Chris' van, but the van is empty save for the paint splattered tarp.
Once Chris is on shore, Briggs and his thugs demand the drug package. Chris takes Briggs to Camp's house, having made a duplicate key while on the ship, and knowingly activates the security system. Chris opens Camp's personal carpet cleaner, which Camp had aboard the ship, and retrieves the cocaine from the carpet cleaner's water tank. While Briggs and his gang sit in Camp's living room with the cocaine, Chris sneaks out in Camp's car. Camp awakens to the noise and comes into the living room as the police arrive. Both Briggs and Camp are arrested, in possession of the cocaine.
Chris goes to Sebastian's construction site and brutally beats him, demanding Kate's location. When Sebastian tells Chris that she's dead, he tries calling her cellphone and hears the ringtone in a building foundation where cement is being poured and rescues her. Sebastian is arrested and sent to prison, where he has to answer to Chris's prisoner father.
Danny retrieves the fake bills, which we learn Chris had dumped into the Mississippi River before docking in New Orleans. Needing a vehicle to transport the bills, Andy buys the escape van, which the C.B.P. had confiscated from the cargo ship, at a C.B.P. auction. Church pays Chris $3 million for the fake currency and asks if he knows anything about a Jackson Pollock painting stolen from an armored car in Panama, telling him that it's worth $140 million and can be fenced for over $20 million on the black market. Chris, Andy and Danny find the painting – the nondescript paint splattered tarp – still in the van.
Following Chris and Andy's involvement in multiple killings, drug smuggling, trading in counterfeit currency, framing the ship's captain for a crime he did not commit, and selling a stolen art masterpiece, the film ends with Chris, Kate, Andy and the kids living a comfortable life in a waterfront house.
Directed by
Baltasar Kormákur
Produced by
Tim Bevan Eric Fellner
Baltasar Kormákur
Stephen Levinson
Mark Wahlberg
Screenplay by
Aaron Guzikowski
Based on
Reykjavík-Rotterdamwritten by Arnaldur Indriðason Óskar Jónasson
Starring
Mark Wahlberg Kate Beckinsale Ben Foster Giovanni Ribisi
Music by
Clinton Shorter
Cinematography
Barry Ackroyd
Editing by
Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir
Studio
Relativity Media Working Title Films Blueeyes Productions
Leverage Entertainment
Closest to the Hole Productions
Drive Angry is a 2011 American supernatural action film starring Nicolas Cage and Amber Heard, and directed by Patrick Lussier. It was released on February 25, 2011. Shot in 3-D, the film was met with a mixed reception and grossed almost $30 million.
John Milton (Nicolas Cage) is an undead criminal that has broken out of Hell to kill Jonah King (Billy Burke), a cult leader that tricked Milton's daughter into joining his followers in the wake of Milton's death, only to kill her and her husband and steal their daughter - Milton's granddaughter - to be sacrificed in a Satanist ritual.
After interrogating some of King's followers, Milton discovers that the ritual will take place in Stillwater, a prison in Louisiana. He heads there, but stops by a diner, where he meets Piper (Amber Heard), a waitress who is withholding sex from her boyfriend, Frank (Todd Farmer), so he will marry her. Milton's car is damaged, so he sabotages Piper's car, a 1967 Dodge Charger R/T 500 and follows her to fix it in exchange for a ride to her home (a motel room), which is on the way to Stillwater.
Entering the room, Piper walks in on Frank having sex with another woman and grabs her by the hair dragging her outside, punching her out, and later fighting with Frank, getting knocked to the ground. Milton in a phonebooth nearby, hears the commotion and comes to Piper's aide, kicking Frank in the face as he is about to continue beating Piper, and punching Frank repeatedly, with Frank's head hitting an A/C causing it to fall out of the window onto his face. Milton steals his car, taking Piper along with him driving to Stillwater. Meanwhile, a supernatural operative of Satan, The Accountant (William Fichtner), arrives on Earth with the mission to bring Milton back to Hell. After interrogating Frank, he discovers that Milton and Piper are heading to Louisiana and tricks the police into helping him by impersonating an FBI agent.
At a shady hotel, Milton is attacked by King and his men, who heard about his return, but he kills most of them. The Accountant appears with the police and chases after Milton and Piper, who are chasing after King's Van. Milton uses a gun labeled "The Godkiller" to shoot the Accountant out of the road. They then follow King to a church, only to find it filled with King's followers. They are ambushed and captured. Piper is kidnapped and Milton is shot in the face and left for dead, but he awakens and kills King's men before pursuing his RV once again. Inside, Piper breaks free and fights King before jumping out of the RV and onto Milton's car. King then disables the car by repeatedly shooting its engine.
Milton and Piper then meet Milton's friend Webster (David Morse), who provides them a new car. Piper discovers that Milton is literally undead (demonstrated when his eye regenerated back after being shot by Jonah at the church) and had to abandon his daughter to protect her from his former companions and that's why she was so easily manipulated by King. She also discovers that the Godkiller was stolen by Milton from Satan himself and has the power to completely destroy one's soul, preventing it from going to either Heaven or Hell. Meanwhile, the Accountant discovers that Milton is trying to save his granddaughter from being sacrificed and decides to help him due to Satan's distaste for people that sacrifice innocent people in his name.
Piper realizes that Milton has returned from Hell to rescue his granddaughter. Milton tells Piper that he can not guarantee her safety and that she should leave, but she assures him that she has never had a worthy cause to fight for until now, and that she is with him regardless of the consequences. They then set off to Stillwater, evading the troops of Sheriff Cap (Tom Atkins) with the help of the Accountant and finally arriving at Stillwater. The Accountant captures Piper and forces Milton to give up the Godkiller before he can engage King, but he allows Milton to go into battle against King and his followers to save his granddaughter, noting that Satan is more of a warden for a very large prison rather than the master of Evil, and is actually against the sacrifice of children in his name.
While Milton slaughters King's men before they can sacrifice the child, Piper escapes The Accountant's clutches with the Godkiller. King eventually gets the upper hand on Milton and savagely beats him. Piper fires the Godkiller at King, but misses and hits one of his few surviving men instead. She is knocked out by the gun's recoil. King orders one of his female servants to murder the child. However, the woman, who had been caring for the baby ever since King stole her, finds herself unable to carry out the deed, allowing Milton to grab the Godkiller and shoot King, destroying his soul. The Accountant retrieves the baby. He allows Milton to say goodbye to her, and Milton gives the baby to Piper, and makes her promise to care for and protect her. Webster arrives and looks on as Milton "dies".
After both Piper and Webster have left, Milton is revealed to be still alive (because he is already dead) and with the Accountant. He agrees to go back to Hell, but warns that if he is punished too severely for his actions, he will escape again. The Accountant claims that he looks forward to it, insinuating that chasing Milton is the most fun he has ever had. The Accountant then wiggles with his keys and manifests a black 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air, before throwing them to Miltion. They then drive off into the gates of Hell.
Directed by
Patrick Lussier
Produced by
Michael De Luca
Written by
Todd Farmer
Patrick Lussier
Starring
Nicolas Cage Amber Heard William Fichtner Billy Burke Charlotte Ross Katy Mixon
Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li is the second live-action film based on the Street Fighter series of video games. It follows the quest ofStreet Fighter character Chun-Li, who is portrayed by Kristin Kreuk. The story follows Chun-Li's personal history and her journey for justice. The film co-stars Neal McDonough as M. Bison, Chris Klein as Charlie, Michael Clarke Duncan as Balrog, and The Black Eyed Peas member Taboo asVega. The film was released on February 27, 2009 to extremely negative reviews and poor box office numbers.
Chun-Li moves from San Francisco to Hong Kong with her family. While practicing to be a concert pianist, she learns Wushu from her father Xiang, a businessman. For a while, her life is perfect until one night, Xiang is attacked and abducted by M. Bison's henchmen in front of Chun-Li.
Years later, Chun-Li grows up and becomes a talented pianist. At the end of her concert, she receives a mysterious scroll written in ancient Chinesetext. Shortly after, she loses her mother to cancer.
Meanwhile, at Shadaloo headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, Bison announces his complete control of the organization before he has the other shareholders executed by Vega. It is also revealed that Xiang is still alive and working for Bison.
The next day, Thai detective Maya Sunee meets Interpol agent Charlie Nash, when both are called to investigate the murder of several crime syndicate families in Bangkok. Nash informs Maya that this is the work of Shadaloo.
Back in Hong Kong, Chun-Li has the scroll translated by a wise old lady, who tells her she must travel to Bangkok and find a man named Gen. Chun-Li then leaves her home and travels to Bangkok, living homeless and searching for Gen for several days until a fight with thugs leaves her exhausted and unconscious, and Gen appears and brings her to his home. Gen informs her that he was once comrades with Bison and he knows how to find her father, and for the next few days, he teaches her his style of martial arts. Chun-Li also learns more about Bison, who is operating Shadaloo publicly, and is holding the families of property owners hostage in order to force them to sign their property over to him. While spying on Bison's henchman Balrog, she overhears that a property owner is asked to hand over the rights to a docking harbor, allowing the shipment of the "White Rose".
Later that night, Chun-Li goes to a nightclub and confronts Cantana, one of Bison's secretaries. She obtains information on the location of the White Rose before escaping from Shadaloo's thugs and Nash and Maya. As a result of this incident, Cantana is used as a punching bag by Bison the next day.
Gen tells Chun-Li more of Bison's origin. The son of Irish missionaries, Bison grew up an orphan and lived his entire life as a thief. Many years later, as a means of becoming completely evil, he killed his pregnant wife and transferred his conscience into their prematurely born daughter. After telling Chun-Li to go and fetch some food, Gen is attacked by Shadaloo soldiers before Balrog uses a RPG to blow up his house. Chun-Li runs off when she is attacked by Vega, whom she soundly defeats and leaves hanging by the side of a building.
The next day, Chun-Li interrogates a harbor employee into telling her the arrival time of the White Rose. She returns to the shipping yard that night, only to fall into a trap as Bison and his soldiers capture her. Tied up and brought into an undisclosed house, she is reunited with Xiang, only for Bison to break his neck. After Bison and Balrog leave the house, Chun-Li uses her skills to defeat the guards and escape. During the escape, she is shot in the arm by Balrog, but is reunited with Gen, who heals her wounds and continues with her training.
Despite being taken off the assignment, Nash is secretly asked by Chun-Li to back her up in taking down Bison. Nash and Chun-Li, along with Maya and her SWAT team, arrive at the shipping yard, where they engage in a shootout with Shadaloo forces. Maya is wounded in the shootout, but her SWAT team manages to dwindle Shadaloo's numbers. Meanwhile, Chun-Li enters a ship and discovers a girl who speaks Russian before leaving her to continue her search for Bison. On the other side of the ship, Gen faces off against Balrog until he impales him with a liquid nitrogen pipe. Bison takes the girl - who is revealed to be his daughter Rose - and flees the scene by helicopter.
Chun-Li, Gen, Nash and a SWAT officer arrive at Bison's headquarters, where Nash and the officer take Rose out to safety while Chun-Li and Gen face Bison. After a long battle, Chun-Li hits Bison with a bamboo pole and drops sandbags on him, stunning him. She then charges up a Kikoken and shoots it at him, knocking him off the scaffolding before she jumps and twists his neck with her legs. Nash tells Chun-Li to leave the scene as Thai police arrive.
Chun-Li returns to her home in Hong Kong and settles down when Gen pays her a visit. He shows her a newspaper ad for an upcoming Street Fighter tournament, telling her that a Japanese fighter named Ryu might be a recruit for their cause. She declines the offer, telling him she is home for now.
Shaolin Girl (少林少女 shōrin shōjo?) is a 2008 Japanese film inspired by the 2001 Hong Kong film Shaolin Soccer. Unlike the original film, the movie focuses on women's lacrosse. It starred Japanese actress Kou Shibasaki and Hong Kong actors Lam Chi Chung and Tin Kai Man return from the original film. The film was released in Japan on April 26, 2008. Stephen Chow, director and star in Shaolin Soccer, was the producer, but is not credited as writer or director.
Dragon Eyes is a 2012 American martial arts action crime drama film directed by John Hyams, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Peter Weller andCung Le. In New Orleans, a mysterious man who looks to unite two warring gangs against the lawmen who have been using them to advance their corrupt agenda.
St. Jude Square is a neighborhood living in fear and despair. The dueling gangs of local kingpins, Dash and Antoine, terrorize the streets, and the citizens live without a shred of hope until mysterious stranger, Ryan Hong (Cung Le) arrives. He begins to play one gang against the other, by calling on the teachings of his mentor, Tiano (Jean-Claude Van Damme), to find the strength to battle back. However, just as he begins to bring the community under control, Hong is confronted by Mr. V (Peter Weller), the town's corrupt police chief. At first Mr. V is impressed by Hong's skill, but soon sees Hong as a threat to his regime and the two are locked in a head to head battle, pitting the fear and corruption of Mr. V's regime against the new beginning Hong represents for the people of St. Jude Square.
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