Asian Action Cast
177 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 months ago - ★★★ - 5 ratingsYour number one source for Asian Action films and jokes about the perils of Hong Kong stuntmen!
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Episodes
Zom 100: Bucket List of The Dead
October 14, 2023 11:33 - 1 hour - 109 MBZom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is Netflix’s latest 2023 foray into live-action-ime, adapting Haro Aso’s Manga and anime of the same name. We at the Asian Action Cast could not help but compare it to the (better) anime but still found sparks of joy to warm our zombie hearts. The perpetually optimistic and effervescent Akira Tendo (played by an equally diabetically sweet Eiji Akaso) revels in a zombie apocalypse, giving him a much needed break from his toxic workplace. We discuss everything ...
Crippled Avengers aka Return of the Five Deadly Venoms
September 30, 2023 22:29 - 1 hour - 89.3 MBThe Crippled Avengers (also known as Return of the Five Deadly Venoms and Mortal Combat!) smashes its iron limbs into your brain this week on the Asian Action Cast, ironically spreading the crippling they received. This 1978 Shaw Brothers. martial arts schlock action fest is exactly what the Kung Fu movie genre needed to get it back on its legs.
Bastard Swordsman
September 17, 2023 12:30 - 1 hour - 73.5 MBBastard Swordsman! This Shaw Bro’s 1983 Wuxia extravaganza packs it all in, epic sword fights, trademark jaw dropping sets, costumes and unforgettable cast of characters. But this is not a drill, this is a movie imbued with love, care and the iron will to deliver a fatal fist of wonder straight into your cerebral cortex. Rarely well-paced for a Wuxia epic ‘Bastard’ has truly wondrous and plentiful choreography. Norman Chiu storms his way onto the screen and secretly into your hearts as the a...
Shin Kamen Rider
September 03, 2023 00:00 - 1 hour - 85.3 MBGrasshopper Power – Activate! The Shin Kamen Rider returns in Hideaki Anno’s 2023 love letter to the original Kamen/Masked Rider, starring pouty Sosuke Ikematsu as titular rider, Takeshi Hongo. Take a journey through visceral action and ambiguous self loathing as the Grasshopper avenger tears apart his enemies as much as he tears apart his soul.
Organised Crime and Triad Bureau
August 19, 2023 13:26 - 1 hour - 64.6 MBWhat happens when Triads and Organised Crime run rampant on the mean streets of 90’s Hong Kong? You call the ORGANISED CRIME AND TRIAD BUREAU! No nonsense hard-boiled, grizzled cliché tough-as-nails Cop-Man Danny Lee leads a semi-shirtless Fan Siu-Wong on a crusade to catch…an even harder, wily, ice-cold Anthony Wong! Kirk Wong’s cat-and-mouse caper is hardly cerebral with contrived stand-offs, convenient escapes and manufactured machismo in almost every frame. But damn me if Anthony Wong ca...
Punish Evil
August 06, 2023 04:50 - 1 hour - 61.3 MBThe Asian Action Cast Punishes Evil with Colin Chou’s 2022 crime thriller from director Jiang Xiaotong. A violent cat and mouse with Chou’s unhinged thief leading Zhao Da’s Detective Song Hai on an increasingly frustrating and violent goose chase. The tension builds but the action is sparse and spaced out, don’t expect Colin Chou’s trademark crisp martial arts choreography here. Where fists fly it is a drawn out dog fight between ragged breaths, with tired arms and swollen ankles. The star...
Samurai Reincarnation
July 23, 2023 02:29 - 1 hour - 63.4 MBSonny “The StreetFighter” Chiba? Hiroyuki “Duke” Sanada? Ninja’s, swords, magic, samurais and exploitations? AN EYEPATCH?!?!! Yes folks, take our money indeed. We revelled in this gem from the 1981 SHOUT! Sonny Chiba Collection from Director Kinji Fukasaku starring an impossibly young Duke Sanada and his mentor Sonny Chiba, grizzled one eyed samurai Jubei. No question this film was ‘homaged’ almost wholesale in modern samurai and ninja cinema and anime with more than one scene being recreate...
Blonde Fury/Lady Reporter/Righting Wrongs 2
July 08, 2023 12:12 - 1 hour - 71.8 MBMang Hoi’s 1989 Action Adventure Thriller BLONDE FURY (plenty blonde, not so much fury) kicks a lot of ass, and with style! Cynthia Rothrock’s she-devil (sporting hilariously unflattering nicknames throughout the movie) demonstrates why she is the foreign queen of the Hong Kong Action Box Office. Rounding out her F.R.I.E.N.D’s are Chin Siu Ho’s less capable sex pest, Elizabeth Lee’s sweet but window dressing Judy and the director Mang Hoi’s bumbling comic relief journalist. Together they tak...
Dreadnaught
June 24, 2023 13:38 - 1 hour - 56.8 MBThe criminally unknown film, Dreadnaught, is one of Master Yuen Woo Ping’s most underrated films. An ensemble cast with a young Yuen Biao taking the everyman role, everyone from Bryan Leung’s Foon to Yuen Shun-Yi’s truly unhinged villain White Tiger just chew up every scene they’re in. The legendary Kwan Tak-Hing’s Wong Fei Hung delights in all the right ways and very wisely and sparingly used for great effect, around which the simmering slasher type thriller on the loose story revolves. The...
The Young Master
June 11, 2023 06:27 - 1 hour - 57.8 MBThe Young Master (1981) is the genesis of Jackie Chan in what in hindsight is the prototypical seed of kinetic action cinema he’s known for today. Dragon (Jackie naturally) leads an all-star cast including Yuen Biao (The Biao!), Shih Kien (Mr Han!) and Pai Wei and one of the best bad ass villain introductions in Master Hwang In-Shik, western showdown style. Jackie’s gold standard action choreography here is light years ahead of the competition at the time, punctuated with his trademark c...
The 18 Bronzemen
May 27, 2023 21:00 - 1 hour - 66.5 MBWhat has 36 legs, is covered in paint and will beat you half to death in your quest to become a monk? 18 Bronzemen! In this episode we journey back to 1976 to watch the story of 3 (potential) monks in a 70 minute training montage. The tragic story of Shao Long (masterfully played by Tien Peng) being sent to a Shaolin monastery safehouse as his family is brutally murdered is completely upstaged by no nonsense, no shirt Brother Wan (angry Carter Wong). Joined by Chiang Nan, we watch the 3 stud...
Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars
May 14, 2023 00:00 - 1 hour - 68.6 MBIn honour of the great Richard Ng, we dive in to one of his most popular roles as Sandy in Sammo Hung’s sketchy 1985 comedy, Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars. Richard’s trademark expressive face and physical comedy are sprinkled throughout this uneven action comedy. With more stars than the milky way, it somehow still delivers on all fronts for kinetic action putting behemoths Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, Sammo Hung, Dick Wei, Andy Lau, Richard Norton, Yasuaki Kurata, Chung Fat, Sibelle Hu and many o...
Raging Fire
April 29, 2023 15:27 - 1 hour - 87.4 MBIf Donnie Yen is the good cop in Raging Fire, bad cop Nicholas Tse is so cool you’ll want to start a fan club. Director Benny Chan’s last film is a blaze of good and evil tropes, gun fights and lingering shots of Donnie Yen waterworks. Holier than thou cop Bong (Yen) set off a chain of events that led to ex-cop Ngo (Tse) to swear revenge on him and the police force. Making a great case for perms, Ngo sneers and slashes through his enemies. Meanwhile Bong has police business to attend to, inc...
Supercop 2
April 15, 2023 21:00 - 1 hour - 86.9 MBMichelle Yeoh's character from the original Supercop kicked so hard, that when the studio recovered they ordered this 1993 spinoff. Supercop 2 is stuffed to the brim with plotlines, but we 'aint complaining! Inspector Yang (Yeoh) has boy problems but has a new crime to solve in Hong Kong. Trash boyfriend Chang Fung (Yu Rongguang) just so happens to be making his new life there, and HK cop Emil Chau is knocking on the door of this love triangle. Cringe at the casting but get ready for the nev...
Chinese Zodiac CZ12
April 01, 2023 21:00 - 1 hour - 61.2 MBJackie Chan goes all Armour of God on us twenty-six years later in Chinese Zodiac, also known as CZ12. Jackie's now with some younger pals to make him feel cooler on his European vacation. Not just content on stealing and returning relics, the film also attempts to lecture us on ethics. At least there's one genuinely funny sequence once we've finished cringing at the green screen action. Ken Lo makes an appearance as a hilarious Thai pirate and Oliver Platt chews the screen whenever he appea...
RRR
March 18, 2023 11:46 - 1 hour - 64.2 MBRise! Roar!! Revolt!!! The AAC takes a look a S.S. Rajamouli's epic fantasy blockbuster, *loosely* based on historical Indian revolutionaries. Terminator cop Raju (Ram Charan) and humble Gond tribal leader Bheem (N.T Rama Rao) meet through a chance encounter, well actually saving a child from an exploding train wreck. Through this encounter they forge a friendship to die for. However both men have a hidden agenda that will drive a wedge between them. Oscar award winning, motorcycle throwing,...
Legacy of Rage
March 05, 2023 23:54 - 1 hour - 80.8 MBThe Asian Action Cast presents: Brandon Lee's greatest (and only) Hong Kong martial arts movie of all time, Legacy of Rage! This 1986 tragic-heroic-violence-romanti-buddy-prison flick showcases the strength of Brandon's emo acting range that would go on to make him the best Crow. Bolo Yeung is criminally underused in this film and director Ronny Yu shows his horror chops in turning a bumbling good looking Anthony Wong into a lethal sex pest chucky doll.
Revengeful Swordswoman
February 18, 2023 21:46 - 55 minutes - 76.2 MBThe Asian Action Cast dives into Artis Chow’s 1978 Taiwanese Martial Arts odyssey REVENGEFUL SWORDSWOMAN. It is as literal as it is accurate a title, there is indeed a woman Ling Chia, played by spunky Hsiang Yang, who indeed has a sword and is very much revengeful. Whether it’s avenging her fathers death, or misuse of her name, she is revengeful. Incredibly schlocky effects with some decent martial arts, if you can put up with some dark scenery check this out!
Royal Warriors
February 11, 2023 21:30 - 1 hour - 64.6 MBOscar nominated Michelle Yeoh has proved she can do it all. And in 1986's Royal Warriors, she does her own stunts, fights and even turns down Michael Wong's advances! Hiroyuki Sanada is a great partner in crime fighting, and his stunts are unbelievable. There are more bullets flying in this film and glass breaking than you thought could be possible. A goldfish also gives the performance of a lifetime acting with Wong. Surprisingly shot well (2nd Unit Director Johnnie To, is that you?), and w...
Wira
January 28, 2023 23:45 - 1 hour - 57.9 MBThe Asian Action Cast casually strolls into Wira - Adrian Teh's 2019 Malaysian action-drama which shows how crime, corruption and safe sex can tear families and communities apart. The only cure for such evil is carefully manicured facial hair, incredible chiselled abs and unbending sense of righteousness. Starring Malaysian action eye-candy Hairul Azreen and featuring the Raid's Mad Dog himself, Yayan Ruhian, the martial arts action does not dissapoint. It doesn't quite hit hard enough to br...
The Big 4
January 14, 2023 14:07 - 1 hour - 86.5 MBOne of the biggest fun, most bombastic martial arts action extravaganza's in recent memory explodes its way into our brains. Asian Action Cast takes on Timo Tjahjanto's 2022 Netflix foreign language juggernaut 'The Big Four', and after our last episode on Timo's 'The Night Comes For Us', we were not dissapointed. Just as brutal, visceral and violent, but now with a massive dollop of marshmallow, brownie and assorts chunks of comedy and fun to make this a delicious rocky road deluxe. This mov...
End of Year Wrap Up
December 10, 2022 17:42 - 1 hour - 79.7 MBThe Asian Action Cast wraps up another year of the best (and worst) of Asian and Hong Kong action cinema. All movies reviewed go into a tournament, and only one movie can be crowned number one. Which movie will reign supreme? Which island does our favourite character come from? Thanks listeners, for your support this year. As always, stay for the remix!
The Supreme Swordsman
November 26, 2022 20:11 - 1 hour - 60 MBWelcome to the 100 Swords Mansion, where Qin Wu-Xin (Jason Pai Piao) stores his huge wardrobe and the swords of the 99 swordsmen slain. The 100th sword currently belongs to the Black Magic clan, but not if Yan Bei (Derek Yee) can stop him! Get ready for lots of evil laughs, sped up fights and great characters too, including Colonel Sanders (Lung Tien Hsiang), the man who knew too much (Yuen Bun) and coffin man (Wong Lik) in this epic 1984 Shaw Brothers film.
Asian Action Cast Trailer/Preview
November 15, 2022 01:13 - 22 seconds - 400 KBYour number one source for Asian Action films and jokes about the perils of Hong Kong stuntmen!
Skinny Tiger Fatty Dragon
November 13, 2022 05:19 - 1 hour - 98.3 MBSammo Hung and Karl Maka star as pair of incompetent cops in this 1990 comedy where nobody escapes a beating. Gangsters, women, cops and robbers all get a slapping from the long arm of the law. Your ears will also cop a beating from Karl Maka's original karaoke tune! Props to Lau Kar Wing as a gangster boss, setting up for a great final fight. It's patchy and inconsistent, but it's the 90s, baby!
The Seventh Curse
October 30, 2022 11:06 - 1 hour - 92.1 MBIf you know the writer Ni Kuang then you know his prolific works on the Wisely and Dr. Yuen series have long been adapted into Hong Kong action adventure films. The Seventh Curse is the 1986 star studded Golden Harvest entry leaving nothing on the table in terms of action, dangerous stunts and horror special effects. Chin Siu-Ho stars as the hero Dr. Yuen with Chow Yun-Fat as Wisely in a Frankenstein meets the Wolfman type crossover. With Maggie Cheung, Dick Wei, Sibelle Hu, Elvis Tsui and to...
Mr Vampire II
October 15, 2022 16:02 - 40 minutes - 38.7 MBMr Vampire II is Ricky Lau’s 1986 follow up to the incredibly successful Mr Vampire capitalising on the massive Jiangshi chinese horror movement in the 80’s. Bringing in some incredible names like Yuen Biao, Moon Lee and of course the super star of the series Lam-Ching Ying, it is a star studded comedy horror affair. Part 2 of our October Halloween series!
Bio-Zombie
October 01, 2022 14:59 - 53 minutes - 51.3 MBIt's time for Hong Kong Zombie fun as we watch the 1998 horror/comedy Bio-Zombie. Jordan Chan and Sam Lee are the bumbling, wannabe gangsters that lead our trope ridden flick set in (of course) a small shopping mall. The world is ending but there's still plenty of time for people to freak out and show their true colours right? Listen and find out.
The Killer
September 17, 2022 23:30 - 1 hour - 67.1 MBJohn Woo's 1989 heroic bloodshed masterpiece, The Killer, sits at the pinnacle of the genre. Danny Lee's grizzled cop Li vs. Chow Yun-Fat's equally grizzed assassin Ah Jong exemplify the deeply unique kinship only men who live in violence share. Beautifully shot, written and executed by all involved - this movie is all Killer no Filler.
Carter
September 04, 2022 07:45 - 59 minutes - 81.1 MBNetflix’s 2022 international Korean spy-with-amnesia thriller CARTER is a non-stop chase sequence escort mission. Jung Byung-gil helms the fighty flick as a showcase for Joo Won’s physical abilities as a martial artist as he stumbles his way through an odyssey of action and realisation.
Moon Warriors/戰神
August 20, 2022 14:08 - 1 hour - 104 MBDid someone say 1992 all star Wuxia? Moon Warriors (aka God Of War) is your ticket! Andy Lau, Anita Mui, Maggie Cheung and AAC favourite Kenny Bee are all under one Sammo Hung directed roof. Unrequited love, drama and swordplay: It's a whale of a time!
Don 2: Return of the King
August 08, 2022 12:30 - 1 hour - 73.4 MBThe Bollywood phenom Sharukh Khan oozes charisma in director Farhan Akhtar’s 2011 blockbuster, Don 2. King Khan plays the titular Don 2, an aggressively sensual crime lord and master thief who is equal parts mysterious as he is untouchable.
Buddha's Palm
July 24, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 106 MBShaw Brothers’ 1982 effects extravaganza Buddha’s Palm is a laser sword through the eyeballs straight to the brain. Star Wars and Kung Fu is like Peanut Butter and Chocolate and boy what a decadent treat this movie is.
Wu Xia/Dragon
July 09, 2022 15:19 - 1 hour - 101 MBDonnie Yen’s 2011 reinvention of the one-armed swordsman, Wu Xia, does indeed have a sword and someone with one arm; it also dazzles with the unbridled charisma of a late, great Jimmy Wang Yu. Crisp martial arts with only a hint of Donnie’s artificial speed tampering makes this some of the most enjoyable and visceral choreography of Donnie’s recent works. If only Donnie would push the fast forward button on his long-suffering dramatic moments. Also featuring action icon Kara Hui alongside D...
Armour of God
June 26, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 63.3 MBWhether you know it as Armour of God or Operation Condor II, this 1986 Jackie Chan behemoth of a film is a smorgasbord of action, comedy, adventure and love triangle drama. Director, producer, writer, star (and probably caterer as well) Jackie Chan throws everything at you and leaves you gasping for air.
Tiger Cage 2/ 洗黑錢
June 11, 2022 23:59 - 1 hour - 66.8 MBYuen Woo-Ping’s 1990 Hong Kong action thriller Tiger Cage 2 features a cringe inducingly uneven Donnie Yen performance as divorcee ex-cop opposite the gorgeous owl-eyed Rosamund Kwan. This film also features an incredibly young and perfectly cast villain Robin Shou (Liu Kang of Mortal Kombat fame) who is comically evil and invincible to everything but pipes.
Lupin III: The First
May 28, 2022 14:59 - 1 hour - 70.3 MBMonkey Punch's ever enduring Lupin the Third character sees a new 2019 adventure directed by Takashi Yamazaki. Always a fun romp with tight storytelling, colourful and vibrant characters and compelling action, the Asian Action Cast find so much to enjoy and roundly recommends you commit your eyeballs to it.
The Fable: A Hitman Who Doesn’t Kill
May 15, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 90.4 MBKan Eguchi's criminally understated 2021 action flick, The Fable: A Hitman Who Doesn’t Kill, sees Junichi Okada's 'The Fable' navigate what is both a more intimate, and more tensely action packed story than the original Fable. Listen as to why the Asian Action Cast recommends this for asian action viewing.
Future X Cops
May 01, 2022 12:45 - 57 minutes - 55.6 MBWho wants a Sci-Fi Andy Lau special effects laden Wong Jing directed film? Turns out not many people. Future X Cops is Wong Jing's 2010 seemingly rehashed Future Cops script with more CG, less fun, charisma, plot and pretty much everything else.
An Heroic Fight
April 17, 2022 01:15 - 59 minutes - 82 MBWhen dangerous criminal thugs run out of control, the only ones that can stop them are a team of stuntmen and special effects wizards! This 1986 martial arts gadget fest starring ‘female Jackie chan’ Hsiao-Lao Lin is bananas in the best way.
Naughty Boys
April 03, 2022 02:45 - 1 hour - 57.4 MBWhen the world needs a hero and Bruce Lee is gone, Jackie is busy and budget is tight, who do you call? Super Stunt man and all round action hero MARS! Wellson Chin's 1986 action comedy stunt circus Naughty Boys is a Jackie produced action spectacle starring Mars, Carina Lau and Kara Hui. Amazing fights (expect no less with Jackie behind the scenes) and nonsensical plot, it is HK action at its finest.
The Mission / Cheung foh
March 20, 2022 01:30 - 1 hour - 85.1 MBJohnny To's '99 artistic bodyguard crime thriller eschews explosions and gore for sylistc character studies into themes of brotherhood, masculinity and kinship. Set on the backdrop of an elite (haha) triad bodyguard outfit which includes (inter)national treasure Mr Anthony Wong you get tension in spades, splatters of action and brothers-in-arms comeraderie.
Fistful of Vengeance
March 06, 2022 07:30 - 1 hour - 126 MBIko Uwais! Lewis Tan! Some other less famous people! Netflix's 2022 spiritual and actual sequel to Wu Assassin's - Fistful of Vengeance is a breathtaking odyssey of plot mediocrity, poorly filmed and edited action sequences and flat character moments. Saved in part by the natural beauty and scoping vista of Thailand's tropical locales, this Roel Reiné directed curiosity is perhaps worth your time if your time is cheap and you like gratuitous violence and nudity (honestly who doesn't).
Furie/Hai Phuong
February 20, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 91.5 MB2019 bring’s the sound and the FURIE with Lê Văn Kiệt’s desperate kidnap quest with a martial arts Mother smearing gangsters against the pavement in search of her daughter.
The Kick (2011)
February 06, 2022 03:30 - 1 hour - 97.9 MBPrepare to be DAZZLED by THE KICK! 2011’s Prachya Pinkaew’s kinetic family comedy blends Korean Taekwondo tricking with fish out of water Korean family comedy set in Thailand.
Space Battleship Yamato
January 22, 2022 13:37 - 45 minutes - 42.8 MBThis edtion of the AAC has the crew viewing the 2010 live adaptation of the legendary anime series Space Battleship Yamato. With Earth ravaged by radiation due to relentless Gamillas assaults, a battleship is sent to locate our last hope. With rebellious Kodai (Takuya Kimura), spunky Yuki (Meisa Kuroki) and the stern captain Okita (Tsutomu Yamazaki) on board what battles await them? A huge box office hit in Japan at the time, how does it hold up in 2022? And how many times will we mispronou...
13 Assassins (2010)
January 09, 2022 02:25 - 1 hour - 75 MBThe 2010 Takashi Miike remake of 13 Assassins. A group of samurai are tasked with killing the Shogun's sadistic half brother before he can attain true political power. One of the director's more subdued films with little of the directors kinetic weirdness, but a lot of his trademark ultraviolence. Spoiler, we all kind of liked it, maybe at some point we will watch the original.
End of Year Extravaganza!
December 05, 2021 00:19 - 1 hour - 80.4 MBIt's the Asian Action Cast's end of year special show, where all movies watched this year go head to head. There only can be one... two... three winners! Find out who also wins the Bolo Yeung Big Buff Baby award for 2021. P.S. Bolo not dead yet. Also stay tuned for the remix at the end!
Blood Brothers/Bloody Dynasty
November 21, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 139 MBShaw Bro.’s 1973 Chang Cheh film, Blood Brothers (AKA Dynasty of Blood), brings together the charismatic David Chiang Da-Wei, the immortal legend Ti Lung and dynamic Chen Kuan-Tai as brothers of fortune.
The Pedicab Driver
November 10, 2021 16:00 - 1 hour - 149 MBSammo Hung’s self-directed and self-starring 1989 tragi-ballad, Pedicab Driver, mixes young love and heartbreak with the biggest bone crunching Hong Kong action choreography on film. Featuring Sammo’s trademark all-star ensemble cast, this is as good as old school action cinema gets.