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Previously filmed in 1933 (as Island of Lost Souls) and 1977, the classic H.G. Wells story was filmed again for this graphic 1996 version. The film was roasted by critics, but it's an utterly fascinating failure, largely due to the performances of David Thewlis, Val Kilmer, and especially Marlon Brando in the title role as a mad (and in this case outrageously bizarre) scientist whose experiments in crossbreeding humans with animals have gone terribly awry. Thewlis plays the wayward scholar who is rescued at sea by Kilmer and brought to Moreau's island to discover the doctor's unnatural "children." Fairuza Balk plays Moreau's half-cat daughter, but it's Brando and Kilmer (in one scene doing a killer Brando impersonation) who steal the show, along with the astounding makeup effects created by Stan Winston. A guilty pleasure by any measure, this movie has definite cult-favorite potential. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (60)

Not terrible, not great
I owned a copy for a while and watched it several times. I did keep thinking it could have been so much more, but I was entertained to a certain extent. The acting was good in places. The bad animal costumes was distracting at times and I'm sure they could do the special effects so much better now. It's worth a rental.

Bad adaptation
The original book by H.G. Wells is perhaps one of the best books I've ever read (not the top, but up there). The visuals I got that book, from the animals chanting the law to the narrator's chase through the forest, chilled me the way no movie could. Speaking of which...

This movie is nothing like the book, except for the fact that a guy is stranded on an island with a man who claims to have the name Moreau and is a doctor. The book had a lot to say about our society and the inner beast, but the movie is basically violence accompanied by a corny love story that was just as unnecessary. It wasn't romantic, you have to wonder why Fairuza Balk looked more human than the other animal-people, and you also have to wonder why Doctor Moreau didn't consider her the "perfect human" that this film claims the doctor was looking for.

The animal designs in general were pretty awful. They're all almost the same - it's basically "Planet of the Apes" with spotted and striped apes. The people in "Cats" looked more feline than the character Cheetah. There was probably very little creativity put behind this aspect of the film.

Making the doctor some thing of a sadist dictator is a bad turn as well. The first film adaptation, "The Island of Lost Souls," portrayed the doctor as a sadist dictator as well. H.G. Wells was alive at the time and hated that portrayal, and I'm certain he would abhor this film version. Much of the doctor's wit and wisdom is lost in the screenplay, which is sad considering Marlon Brando has some amazing acting talent and would have been a perfect choice to play the title character. In fact, most of the actors have amazing potential but are wasted with a bad script. The hero is perhaps the only hammy one of the group, and his character's only highlight is at the end when he turns the villains against each other.

The last five minutes try to make up for H.G. Well's symbolism, as if the writers thought, "Wow that was some badass action, awe darn we forgot the plot!" Sadly, its too little too late. If they had taken out the mutant rats, the catgirl, and the script, they might have had some thing, but unfortunately all efforts are wasted.

Tragically underrated
I can't stress enough how important it is for anyone considering seeing this movie to ignore the heaps of negative reviews here. Most justify their opinions by calling this film strange, grotesque, or both. Both are fitting, but there's alot more to this film than that, and those two things in themselves are not necessarily reason to dislike a film. Quite the contrary, when Hollywood is so overrun with unchallenging, unoriginal fodder.

I could praise the movie on any number of levels. Every actor here carries his or her eccentric role with a perfectly tasteful care not to go over the top or become too cartoonish. The dialogue is free of fluff and carries quite an element of eloquence, which is fitting when considering the overall dramatic intent. On a more basic level, the creature effects used on the half human, half animal hybrid creations inhabiting Moreau's Island are handled by none other than Stan Winston and done very well, and the soundtrack is appropriately eerie, with tribal drumming used in parts to enhance the mood. And, of course, the themes explored here, despite their familiarity (the power of instnct, and the danger of playing God), are driven home with potent efficiency, probably thanks to the extreme and sometimes bizzare nature in which they're handled.

The fact that this movie carries such a human element with it is what I really like about it. It's easy to feel for the man-beasts, tragic abominations intelligent enough to know they're nothing but the waste products of a madman's search for genetic perfection. The protagonist, as well, benefits from the fact that he is very much an introvert and probably speaks less than Val Kilmer, who is less vital to the plot. His quiet observation helps add to the realism and mold a film which could have easily been a silly mess into a moving, artfully crafted piece of work.

If you choose to judge this movie as harshly as most have, then go ahead, but at least see it first with an open mind. I for one feel a movie this bold deserves every bit of respect.

one of the worst movies of 1996
come on people, 5 stars for this junk. yes it has Val Kilmer and Marlon Brando in it but they dont save it, not by a long shot. it starts off good but then when they get into all that beast and grotesque situations..it downs the movie big time and did we have to see that mother beast giving birth I mean come on now!! the only good part is when Kilmer's and Brando's characters die. a mess of a movie

zero stars
Yes folks, it really is THAT bad. Brando is funny playing a loon, but then he gets killed for no good reason. His mini-Brando sidekick is pitifully ugly, too; you feel sad looking at him. David Thewlis is a fine actor, but he has trouble reacting properly to the people in bad make-up and the computer generated mutant rats. Somehow, everything explodes in the end. This is a horrible film, not even so-bad-it's-good (like, say, Showgirls). ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Derivative But Still Effective
AMERICAN SAMURAI is one of those martial arts films that follow the formula of two brothers raised amidst jealousy and disharmony with one telling the other: 'Someday,I must kill you.' This plot has been done a tiresome number of times and is further muddied by odious comparisons to death duels announced by a slimy emcee, most recently in BEST OF THE BEST 2. Directer Sam Firstenberg updates this tale of sibling rivalry with David Bradley and Mark Dacascos as the two brothers who spend most of the movie preparing for their climactic meeting in the Arena of Death. The most pressing problem was the choice of Dacascos as the Japanese brother. Dacascos is not Japanese, yet he is supposed to be a full-blooded Japanese. Dacascos, as Kenjiro, has the requisite fighting skills, but his motivation to kill his brother based solely on jealousy has only the flimsiest basis for justification. One would think that a lifetime of illwill ought to be more clearly defined other than from not receiving the family sword. David Bradley as the adopted American son can fight but can't act. His ability to radiate emotion exceeds only that of Steven Seagal's. Another weak point is Bradley's relation with a female American photographer who accompanies him to Turkey to investigate the sword murder of a Saudi prince. They balk at each other's presence but predictably wind up in bed quickly enough. The real selling point of this movie is the fight sequences. Imagine the Ultimate Fighting Championship with bladed weapons and no referees. Very few viewers probably have seen or have participated in such edged encounters but it seems likely that such duels can not possibly be the ballet-like pirouetted gymnastic slug fests that marked each performance. Still, they are remarkable for their visual audacity. Rex Bryon, as the hulking bearded American competitor, is the good old country boy entrant with a Bowie knife. The movie points toward the final meeting between Bradley and Dacascos, which exits as overly brief and far less interesting than the preliminaries. As a martial arts sword movie, AMERICAN SAMURAI is interesting enough to hold your attention even if you withhold that willing suspension of disbelief at the cutting up of an otherwise honorable history of blade edged fighting.

American Samurai
I brought this movie hoping to see more of Melissa Hellman. I was so disappointed only three scenes. She did not speak english and I do not understand any French ?????? The best part of the movie for me was when she got to slap around the assistant-the photographer. She should have grab her by her hair and slammed her head into the wall or at least kicked her in the guts.... The writing for this movie was very bad - the dialogue was dry. Even better quality of actors would not have helped make this movie a success. The lighting was very bad. There was so much more that could have been done with this movie that would have made it so much better. The director should have had villians that were villians. Villians that wanted to cause great bodily harm. Even the final fight scene between the two brothers was weak - should have had more fencing scenes. That would have been a great climax to the movie. I did like all the different fighting styles even if the american cowboy should have stay in American with his Bowie knife. If you are a martial arts fan you will like this movie

In its sort an excellent movie.
This sort of movie is always a bit difficult to review. I mean, the acting is hardly worthy of the word, the story is threadbare, and it is still very enjoyable. As martial arts movies go, this one is top of the bill. The fighting is spectacular, especially the way different fighting styles got mixed. There is even a bit of a plot even if the usual stepbrothers competing for championship has become a little rusty by now and the score is just great. Mark Dacascos as the villainous brother does quite a good job being evil. Fortunately his rediculous overacting doesn't really matter in this sort of movie. David Bradley as the good guy is less convincing, but once the fighting starts he is quite in his element. All in all this is a treat for fans of martial arts. Anybody else will probably wonder if he isn't accidentally watching some sort of Manga.

A movie for anyone that understands combat and the samurai
This was a movie that chronicled the last encounter for two step-brothers raised by a noble samurai. Drew was found by the Samurai(Sanga) after a plane crash. He was taken into his home and taught Bushido ( the way of the warrior) along with Sanga's blood son Kenjiro. Drew actually became closer to Sanga, and a better student. After a falling out with his family Kenjiro becomes Yakuza (Japanese Mafia) while Drew goes to the U.S. and becomes a reporter. Drew then goes to Turkey to investigate the murder of one of his fellow reporters, and meets back up with his brother who has vowed to kill him. Drew is forced to engage in "live Blade" or mortal combat. This was a great story for anyone who enjoys samurai swordsmanship and the martial arts. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Reviews (332)

Brotherhood Of the Wolf-A Masterwork of Period Horror
Director Christopher Gans (Crying Freeman, Necronomicon)has adapted the 300 year old case of the Beast of Gevaudon into the absolutely brilliant BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF (Le Pacte De Loups). Samuel Le Bihan stars as King Louis the XV's chief naturalist, war veteren Gregoire De Fronsac, sent to the French countryside with his best friend, a Native American warrior named Mani (Marc DeCascos)to hunt and kill a wolf-like "beast" responsible for a series of bloody deaths. Along the way, they encounter political intrigue, a witchy courtisan (the stunning Monica Belucchi) and the Beast itself, with amazing results.
Although compared to The Matrix, Crouching Tiger and Jaws, I found this breathtaking film more in the vein of Tsui Hark's Once Upon a Time in China series, with a dose of Dragonslayer thrown in for good measure. Complete with amazing locations, spot-on costumes and butt-kicking Savate sequences courtesy of DeCascos, Le Bihan and the menacing Vincent Cassel (The Crimson Rivers), BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF was well worth the year's wait (it was released in France in January of 2001). By all means, treat yourself to this truly ORIGINAL film. Within five minutes, you'll forget the subtitles, drawn in by the film's voluptuous beauty and thrilling plot twists.

Magnificent folly, way ahead of its time
BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF (Le Pacte des Loups, 2001): In 18th century France, a brave young naturalist (Samuel Le Bihan [TROIS COULEURS ROUGE]) and his Native American companion (Mark Dacascos [DRIVE]) are hired to trace the origins of a bloodthirsty 'beast' which has been terrorizing the countryside, killing women and children. But their investigations uncover an appalling conspiracy which cuts to the very heart of French high society...

Loosely based on true events, this high-powered Gallic blockbuster - directed by Christophe Gans, hired on the strength of his incredible genre-bending adaptation of CRYING FREEEMAN - wowed French audiences when released in 2001. And no wonder! A high-kicking combination of horror movie, period drama, political thriller and 'Matrix'-inspired kung fu pageant, the film combines the best elements of these disparate sub-genres in a dazzling display of technical wizardry. Photographed in widescreen Super 35 by Dan Laustsen (MIMIC, THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN), and played with solemn conviction by an all-star cast - including relative newcomers Vincent Cassel (LA HAINE), Monica Bellucci (the MATRIX sequels) and Jeremie Renier (LES AMANTS CRIMINELS), and veterans Jean Yanne (most recently seen in BELLE MAMAN) and Edith Scob (the elegant heroine of Franju's LES YEUX SANS VISAGE) - the movie is a riot of action and intrigue, sustained by a multilayered screenplay (co-authored by Gans and Stephane Cabel) which recounts an elaborate fable of class warfare and religious bigotry during a grim period of French history. The fight scenes - choreographed with ruthless efficiency by Hong Kong movie veteran Phillip Kwok (MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE, HARD-BOILED, TOMORROW NEVER DIES, etc.) - are fashioned with elegant grace, and edited to perfection by Sebastien Prangere and David Wu Dai-wai (another prominent HK movie figure, Ronny Yu Yan-tai's current editor of choice). Much of the film's otherworldly visual texture is due to the sumptuous art direction (by Guy-Claude Francois [JEFFERSON IN PARIS]) and costume design (by Dominique Borg), which roots proceedings in a recognizable period 'style', despite Gans' resolutely modern approach to the material. It shouldn't work, but it does, somehow. The 'explanation' for the beast and its murderous activities - which takes into account a wide range of modern research into the story of an animal which really DID terrorize the French countryside during the 18th century - forms the backbone of the entire production, and while much of the film is a rip-roaring joy, the climactic sequences are offset by an element of tragedy and sadness, which thoroughly distinguishes the movie from most of its Hollywood counterparts. All in all, BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF is a magnificent folly, way ahead of its time, and quite unlike anything ever made before.

This review is based on a viewing of the Canadian disc from TVR Films which presents the original French version in its entirety (the international version, including the one released in the US and UK, appears to be shorter by about 10 minutes) and runs 150m 34s, minus the logos which open the video print and weren't part of the original production, and letterboxes the scope frame at 2.35:1 (anamorphically enhanced). The US disc - a region 1 release from Universal - is a no-frills affair which features a letterboxed anamorphic version of the shorter print, and some reviews suggest it's a better-looking transfer than the one featured on the Canadian disc. Captions and subtitles are provided. The Canadian version, however, is a 3-disc spectacular, and features (amongst many other things) an extremely frank documentary on the making of the film which opens with an actress being clobbered during an accident on-set, and proceeds to outline the various obstacles which constantly threatened the production schedule (not least the unpredictable weather during location shooting) and ultimately strained relations between director Gans and co-producer Samuel Hadida. That such a remarkable film emerged from these traumatic circumstances says much about the talent and dedication of these extraordinary gentlemen and all those who helped bring their unique vision to the silver screen. A triumph.

terrible!
i am completely amazed as i read the other reviews of this movie and have to wonder if we saw the same film.
did we?
a movie with no characterization? terrible dialogue? a lot of slow-motion action sequences (trying desperately to copy the John Woo style)? a lot of style and glitz but no plot motivation to back it up? and a SUPER hokey ending?
and don't even get me started on the character of Mani. i'm from the region Mani is said to come from, and all of the displays of Native American traditions which are presented in this film are fabricated and presented to the point that i was insulted!

did we see the same movie?
this is a good movie for cutiosity sake but little else.

Regarding the Beast
From the outset of Le Pacte de Loups, we know that the central beast of the movie is no ordinary wolf. Regarding its identification, however - a point that is never truly elucidated whether you've seen the film or not - there remains debate. My initial and superseding question is, no matter how the beast appears, what makes it impossible to believe in the beast's specificity as a common French wolf? This fact is unmistakable to my intuitions. Many of you might not know French, but I looked it up and "loup" is actually French for "wolf" - not "beast," like many appear to think. First point, the movie title states this so-called mysterious answer from the outset. If the beast was a hyena, the French would be referring to "hyènes," and were it a lion, it would actually be called "lion" (the two languages share this word).

If you need more evidence, there is no lack in the film. Our beast is often seen running with its pack, howling at the moon, and killing people. While Grégoire attempts to denounce the belief in human murders by wolf, one of the final scenes of the movie clearly depicts wolves doing just that: an obvious statement to disaffirm his slander. If you listen to the revealing narrative at the end of the film, it is stated that while visiting Africa Jean-François found the beast and raised her offspring, selecting the largest and strongest to take back with him to France and training it to be more ferocious and cruel than the average wolf.

***WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.
Earlier we learn that this character has been savaged by a lion, which resulted in the loss of his right forelimb. Would you take the same animal that disfigured you and raise it as your own? Neither would Jean-François.

I had to chuckle at some of these reviews!
Wow! Four out of five. Three out of five. You have to be joking don't you? This movie is perfection. Pure, true, honest, stylish. Of course Americans get a bit ruffled when a 'foreign' film shows the good old US of A how 'it's done' yet again. You folk like you're movies with justification, explanation and gradification... all tied up in a bow. This movie is not sugar covered and goes in depth within (I won't give it away for those that have not seen it) an area that goes way back in time and is still happening today (Bohemiam Grove hint hint etc)which has always fascinated me. So why would you not like it? Firstly that pesky 'other' language (yes, it's in French - and so it should be) makes those of less IQ's have to read. Pesky pesky. Secondly it has many layers as a movie and does not always have to explain EVERYTHING that is going on, and instead relies on the intellect of it's viewers and allows us to progress on the journey and make up our own minds as to how, why and who. I will not go into 'explaining' the film as it is done already in the top review and you all seem to explain it over and over again. I am not French as you may all think, and instead an Aussie relieved and satisfied that a certain standard of perfection is retained in some movies in the world. Erotic, scary, action, suspense, intelligent, beautiful. Simply one of the best movies I have seen this year. (I'll put money on it that America will remake this movie very soon... and yet again bugger up another classic foreign film that should have been left well alone! Please don't! I beg you!) ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Oliver Grunner's best!!
Made in 1990, this was the era when low budget Martial Arts movies were excellently produced. Oliver Grunner plays Jaques Fontaine a French student who comes to the US as an exchange student. He boards in a household with an innocent family who continue to be harrassed by a gang of hoodlums. Grunner shows of his Kickboxing style in this martial arts extravaganza. Good Plot with dynamic fight sequences..one of director Eric Karson's best movies.

THAT MOVIE WAS GOOD IT SHOWS YA ABOUT THE BARRIO
I THINK IT WAS A GOOD MOVIE BECAUSE IT SHOWS YOU WHAT GOES ON AIN A MEXICAN GANG AND WHAT HAPPENS TO PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES SO I GIVE THIS MOVIE A GOOD REVIEW ID BUY IT ON DVD AND I HAVE.

the best worst movie
If you are looking for a big Hollywoood production with special effects and great acting this movie is not for you.I have to admit,the movie is pretty bad,but like I tell my friends"it's the best worst movie you'll ever see"(for certain reasons I can't go into detail).Put it this way,if you are kinda picky with your movies,don't buy it.But if you got $20 to blow by all means get this movie.After all,I think a mere $20 is worth paying for a few good laughs:-)

worst movie
dont get i ... Read more

Reviews (1)

DEADLY PAST REVEIW
I think Deadly Past is great, MARK D. did awsome work.
I would like to see this again and have a seqel come out with Mark D. in it.!!! ... Read more

Description

When his daughter is kidnapped and held in exchange for diamonds, the leader of a crew of highly skilled urban thieves (DMX) forges an unlikely alliance with a Taiwanese Intelligence officer (Jet Li) to rescue her. Their race against the clock to find the precious stones ultimately unravels a plot to distribute a deadly new weapon of war. ... Read more

Reviews (69)

Plot finally outweighs the action.
'Cradle 2 the Grave' looks like it would be the typical martial arts action flick. But there is very little martial arts, and I thought the action was rather laid back as well. Seems that the Hollywood people are beginning to realize that there is room in the industry for action films with good stories and plots.

In 'Cradle', DMX portrays Tony Fait--a high-tech thief who goes into a building one expects to be well-guarded and steals fifty black diamonds. Of course, he has help. This is one of the best opening sequences I have ever seen. Perfectly timed.

Jet Li plays Su, an agent from Taiwan. He also wants the weird, black diamonds. So does everyone else. Fait and Su team up when Fait's daughter is kidnapped. All of this leads to the climax--another well timed cut between three fight sequences.

The movie only goes bad during the end credits. But I am giving this film five stars because I really enjoyed Anthony Anderson, who finally tones down and plays a more serious role--and he is able to remain funny at the same time.

Like action flicks? C2G does not disappoint!
Popular rapper DMX has teamed up in an earlier martial arts film with Steven Segal, and has stepped his role in action films up a notch with martial arts superstar Jet Li, who has (to my mind)established himself as one of the greatest martial arts stars of our time.

DMX's role is Tony Fait, a smooth (but somewhat excitable)master thief. He and his crew (including the lovely Gabrielle Union and his partner-in- crime from the afore-referenced "Exit Wounds" Anthony Anderson) break into a diamond exchange, and steal a cache of black diamonds. They were created by the Taiwanese government, and when agitated (kinda like what we saw as the principal weapon in the fifth Bond flick "Diamonds Are Forever") unleash incredible energy. They were originally stolen by the real bad guy Ling (Mark Dacascos), who intends to auction them off to a room full of worldwide nogoodnicks. Ling then abducts DMX's baby girl to ransom them back. And as they say, it is ON.

You cannot have these guys together without great fight scenes, and this movie does not disappoint. Li has an incredible nonchalance about himself, and actually fights (and easily handles, of course) his first few adversaries with one hand in his pocket! He has to use both hands, though, when he ends up in the middle of a brawl with a crew of Ultimate Fighters. Of course, he can, and does, without raising much of a sweat (but he does get around to tossing around a midget as a "weapon").

Just as he did in Exit Wounds, Tom Arnold provides some comic relief (among his best lines: "I cannot read Chinese, but I know cop in every language").

Forget about the folks who dog out this movie. The acting is just fine. This script does not call for Meryl Streep, and neither is it incredibly thought provoking screenplay. It does not need to be. It doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is, a slammin', ultra-violent, retribution filled, sexy action film. While I thought at first that the one-handed fight scenes were a bit much, as another reviewer noted, it does show another side of the virtuosity of Jet Li. And I don't really care whether Kelly Hu (bad-guy Ling's equally ultra-fine sidekick) would have beat down Gabrielle Union in two seconds "in real life". The two of them on the screen is worth seeing, in my humble opinion.

Like action movies? Then this one is for you. Enjoy it for what it is, and you will have spent a great ninety minutes.

yawn............................................
dmx knows his tired rap act is through,so now hes trying to spread his tired image into movies.is it any wonder his movies(AND EVERY MOVIE OF THIS KIND)barely make it to see a second weekend?the saving grace here is jet li(a minimal save).jet li is also in a massive decline and proved that action also needs acting/believable plot.every rapper acts the same way,they are interchangable/easily forgotten.since i rented this,im not so upset.can you imagine how the crowd was during and after movie?rowdy and uncontrollable as if they were on prison leave.to some extent,you can tell the charactor of a person by what entertains them.im pretty sure the males in the audience couldnt wait to be dmx tough and start some nonsense.we all know how tough guys are....tough from a distance and only with alot of backup.typical and pitifull.any monkey can direct movies this horrible,but how can people actually rush to see this?so very sad...............................

dissapointing
Only saw this movie because I'm a Jet Li fan. This is definately not one of his best movies, probably because he is redelegated to the role of sidekick. Some fights were decent but story wasn't very intertaining. DMX is only good at playing one role-gangbanger. Maybe he should stick to his day job.

A Solid Action Film
"Cradle 2 the Grave" stars Jet Li and DMX as an odd couple duo who must get back a package of black diamonds from a rogue Taiwanese intelligence agent. DMX plays Fait, a master thief who undertakes a very high-paying job to steal some black diamonds from a very high security vault. Jet Li plays the Taiwanese intelligence agent Su who has to get them back.

At first Fait and Su are opponents after the diamonds. When they are taken by Ling (Mark Dacascos) they team up to retrieve them. Su wants the diamonds and Fait wants his daughter Vanessa (Paige Hurd) back. Ling has kidnapped her as leverage against Fait.

"Cradle 2 the Grave" also stars Anthony Anderson, Tom Arnold, Gabrielle Union, and Drag-On as Fait's assistants, willing and forced. They stage a raid on a deserted airfield where Ling is holding Fait's daughter and the diamonds.

As far as martial arts movies go, "Cradle 2 the Grave" isn't bad. Many of the fight scenes are too well choreographed though and far too Matrixy in the way the actors bodies seemingly mock gravity. I seriously doubt that Jet Li can throw a 200 pound man about 20 feet through the air. This movie also makes the horrendous mistake of having one guy fight about 15 other guys one at a time. Just once I'd like to see all 10 or 15 guys jump the hero at one time and see how he gets out of it. I know that if I were one of those 15 guys, I'd be looking to take a cheap shot while he's working over one of the other guys.

My only real problem with this film is the title. What exactly are they referring to when they call it "Cradle 2 the Grave". Ususally that term is reserved for discussions about Swedish social programs. At no time in this movie did Jet Li and DMX expound upon the benefits of an all-encompassing social safety net vis-a-vis the social benefits of a low-tax economic policy to foster long-term wealth production and distribution. Then again, the movie producers didn't even have enough time to spell out the word 'to'; so, I doubt they had the time to work such a policy discussion into the movie. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Superb anime version of solid crime-themed Japanese manga
CRYING FREEMAN: PORTRAIT OF A KILLER (1988) is the first of six Japanese anime volumes based on the manga (comic book) by Kazuo Koike and Ryoichi Ikegami about a handsome young sculptor who is forcibly recruited by the 108 Dragons, an ancient organization of Chinese assassins. We see him trained as an assassin and programmed to kill on their orders. His uncontrolled stream of tears after each killing and his yearning to be free give him the name, Crying Freeman.

Things get complicated when Freeman is forced to undertake the elimination of a witness to one of his killings. She is a beautiful, lonely, single Japanese woman and, like Freeman, an accomplished artist. They recognize each other as soul mates and he risks his life'and hers'to convince the organization of her value to him.

This 52-minute animated production is almost a perfect adaptation of the manga story and stands out as the best of the CRYING FREEMAN animated series. The dramatic mood and visual elegance of the black-and-white drawings are surprisingly well-captured by the anime, despite the bright colors and lighting. Daisuke Nishio, the anime director, knows how to pace a scene and establish the proper sense of time and place. It helps that Ikegami's drawings and his sense of cutting and composition are so astutely cinematic in the first place.

The Crying Freeman manga is notable for its high doses of nudity, near-pornographic sex and extremely bloody violence. The anime doesn't stint on these elements either, although it takes great pains to stay within R-rated limits. However, the sheer beauty of their presentation here may win over otherwise hesitant viewers, while fully satisfying the already jaded fans of more hard-edged anime.

The "Crying Freeman" manga has also been adapted, considerably less faithfully, into two live-action films, CRYING FREEMAN (France, 1995), directed by Christophe Gans (BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF) and starring Mark Dacascos, and KILLER'S ROMANCE (Hong Kong, 1990), starring Simon Yam and Joey Wang.

Truly a Work of Art
Crying Freeman is a true work of art ahead of its time. Viewing this great anime is candy for the anime lover's eye. Kazuo Koike and Ryoichi Ikegami wrote the magna that turned into a smash hit. The plot is revolves around an assassin from the Chinese Mafia. Originally, an acclaimed pottery designer, Yoh Hinamura is drawn into a crime ring when he finds film that contains photographs of a murder. Brainwashed to be a killer he murders people and after every person, he kills, he weeps.

When a woman by the name of Emu Hino (age 29 and a virgin) witnesses a murder. They briefly and awkwardly talk for a moment before Yoh flees. Afterward she fears for her life.
When the Chinese Mafia, a drug and arms dealing business, expands into Japan police and a Japanese gang with a following of 26,000 members team up to stop the Mafia. In the first episode "Portrait of a Killer" Freeman, setting the plot into motion, assassinates the leader of the Japan gang. At that crime, by chance Freeman runs past Yoh. Their eyes never meet but she knows it was him.

When Freeman goes to assassinate Emu, she tells him that she knows she will be killed. Her final request is that she does not die a virgin. (Over protective late father kept her from experiencing love). She tells that she is a virgin to Yoh and he states that he is also a virgin. They have sex, revealing Yoh's intricate dragon tattoos. Both experiencing love for the first time, they start to car for each other and speeding up the process, she is shot in a scuffle immediately after they have sex. He rushes her to the hospital. Knowing that she will never be safe, he takes her in.

This anime is not for children or young teens for that matter. Crying Freeman has a mix of mild language with a large amount of upper nudity and several sexual orientations. All of this is heavily coated with pools of blood. This is a graphic anime but as stated earlier, this is geared toward a mature audience.

Recap: Beautiful anime that pushed the boundaries of acceptable anime when released in 1986. Till this day, Crying Freeman is still a crowd please. I loved it. If you are looking an anime with class but still contains a sexual and action packed adventure then you have found the right anime. Five Stars!

5 Stars From Me
I have all the volumes and love each one although the last two aren't as good as the first. The episodes start repeating themselves after a while. In the first, Freeman's origin of how he is turned into an assassin against his will is revealed and he cries each time he kills somebody as a release to his true self. He is sent to kill a woman but she doesn't want to die a virgin so she asks that he have sex with her before he kills her. Being the nice guy that he is, he agrees. He says he's also a virgin. I think he was lying. This guy has sex with pretty much every woman he meets in this series. He didn't start having sex until he met this woman in the first episode? I don't believe it. Anyway, he falls in love with her and marries her. The rest of the episodes go something like this: somebody or some group wants to kill Freeman and take over the 108 Dragons and Freeman stops them. That's pretty much it. Oh yea, plenty of killing, nudity and sex is thrown in. Some lovable characters are thrown in and some die sadly but it's all good. For me, the only let down is Freeman never becomes free. At the end of the series he is still a killer. I was expecting a breakthrough. His soul is obviously being tortured since he cries after he kills. I would have liked to see him break away from that life. But oh well. I still love it. It's a classic

Move over M.D. Geist...
....there's a new Worst Anime Ever in town. I never thought I'd say this, but an anime has come along that is actually worse than M.D. Geist. Those screams you're hearing are probably your own.

Crying Freeman is about a gentle artist who is turned into a merciless killer against his will. He fights to get his life back, as well as fighting for the clan who "adopted" him. The top assassin in the trade, he will always cry after killing, hence the codename: Crying Freeman.

And that's about a much a synopsis as you need for this TOTAL turkey. It borrows some elements from the manga, but takes only the worst of them, and animates (and I use this term VERY loosely) them on the screen.
Wait; did I say this was animated? I guess, in a way it is, but that is if you count those children's tapes that were so low-budget they would take still pictures and move parts of those pictures around to simulate movement as "animation". This is *beyond* yick. It looks like they scanned pictures from the manga (that's -one- way to get the art style faithful...who needs artists?), scribbled them with marker, and had the guy wiggle the page beneath the camera lens just to make it look remotely like it's animated. ("The page is moving, right? Therefore it's animation!")
As if this treatment wasn't enough, they chopped out everything in the story that made you sympathetic towards Freeman. You honestly couldn't give two swats of a guinea pig's tail (yes, I know they don't have tails!) for any character in this series. Well, they didn't take out ALL the content...there's still sex and violence, but the sex is anything but erotic and the violence was anything but graphic. Doesn't that sound -wrong- to you? It does to me too... That I watched six episodes full of this dreck amazes me to this day. Maybe I did it for love of the manga, and I could not accept this hideous abomination of his work as being anywhere near authentic.

If you really, really want to see this video series...have a lobotomy. It will soften the blow. Or better yet, wise up and go buy the manga series instead. The manga is a gripping, disturbing, sad, and ultimately compelling tale that it definitely worth trying out. The video series...is simply disturbing and sad, but not in the same way the manga is. I know now the real reason Freeman always cries...because he's trapped in such a truly awful "anime" series.

I am a saint for giving this thing one star.

I love it!
I'm a huge Crying Freeman fan! I'm so happy it's out on DVD! ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Superb anime version of solid crime-themed Japanese manga
CRYING FREEMAN: PORTRAIT OF A KILLER (1988) is the first of six Japanese anime volumes based on the manga (comic book) by Kazuo Koike and Ryoichi Ikegami about a handsome young sculptor who is forcibly recruited by the 108 Dragons, an ancient organization of Chinese assassins. We see him trained as an assassin and programmed to kill on their orders. His uncontrolled stream of tears after each killing and his yearning to be free give him the name, Crying Freeman.

Things get complicated when Freeman is forced to undertake the elimination of a witness to one of his killings. She is a beautiful, lonely, single Japanese woman and, like Freeman, an accomplished artist. They recognize each other as soul mates and he risks his life'and hers'to convince the organization of her value to him.

This 52-minute animated production is almost a perfect adaptation of the manga story and stands out as the best of the CRYING FREEMAN animated series. The dramatic mood and visual elegance of the black-and-white drawings are surprisingly well-captured by the anime, despite the bright colors and lighting. Daisuke Nishio, the anime director, knows how to pace a scene and establish the proper sense of time and place. It helps that Ikegami's drawings and his sense of cutting and composition are so astutely cinematic in the first place.

The Crying Freeman manga is notable for its high doses of nudity, near-pornographic sex and extremely bloody violence. The anime doesn't stint on these elements either, although it takes great pains to stay within R-rated limits. However, the sheer beauty of their presentation here may win over otherwise hesitant viewers, while fully satisfying the already jaded fans of more hard-edged anime.

The "Crying Freeman" manga has also been adapted, considerably less faithfully, into two live-action films, CRYING FREEMAN (France, 1995), directed by Christophe Gans (BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF) and starring Mark Dacascos, and KILLER'S ROMANCE (Hong Kong, 1990), starring Simon Yam and Joey Wang.

Truly a Work of Art
Crying Freeman is a true work of art ahead of its time. Viewing this great anime is candy for the anime lover's eye. Kazuo Koike and Ryoichi Ikegami wrote the magna that turned into a smash hit. The plot is revolves around an assassin from the Chinese Mafia. Originally, an acclaimed pottery designer, Yoh Hinamura is drawn into a crime ring when he finds film that contains photographs of a murder. Brainwashed to be a killer he murders people and after every person, he kills, he weeps.

When a woman by the name of Emu Hino (age 29 and a virgin) witnesses a murder. They briefly and awkwardly talk for a moment before Yoh flees. Afterward she fears for her life.
When the Chinese Mafia, a drug and arms dealing business, expands into Japan police and a Japanese gang with a following of 26,000 members team up to stop the Mafia. In the first episode "Portrait of a Killer" Freeman, setting the plot into motion, assassinates the leader of the Japan gang. At that crime, by chance Freeman runs past Yoh. Their eyes never meet but she knows it was him.

When Freeman goes to assassinate Emu, she tells him that she knows she will be killed. Her final request is that she does not die a virgin. (Over protective late father kept her from experiencing love). She tells that she is a virgin to Yoh and he states that he is also a virgin. They have sex, revealing Yoh's intricate dragon tattoos. Both experiencing love for the first time, they start to car for each other and speeding up the process, she is shot in a scuffle immediately after they have sex. He rushes her to the hospital. Knowing that she will never be safe, he takes her in.

This anime is not for children or young teens for that matter. Crying Freeman has a mix of mild language with a large amount of upper nudity and several sexual orientations. All of this is heavily coated with pools of blood. This is a graphic anime but as stated earlier, this is geared toward a mature audience.

Recap: Beautiful anime that pushed the boundaries of acceptable anime when released in 1986. Till this day, Crying Freeman is still a crowd please. I loved it. If you are looking an anime with class but still contains a sexual and action packed adventure then you have found the right anime. Five Stars!

5 Stars From Me
I have all the volumes and love each one although the last two aren't as good as the first. The episodes start repeating themselves after a while. In the first, Freeman's origin of how he is turned into an assassin against his will is revealed and he cries each time he kills somebody as a release to his true self. He is sent to kill a woman but she doesn't want to die a virgin so she asks that he have sex with her before he kills her. Being the nice guy that he is, he agrees. He says he's also a virgin. I think he was lying. This guy has sex with pretty much every woman he meets in this series. He didn't start having sex until he met this woman in the first episode? I don't believe it. Anyway, he falls in love with her and marries her. The rest of the episodes go something like this: somebody or some group wants to kill Freeman and take over the 108 Dragons and Freeman stops them. That's pretty much it. Oh yea, plenty of killing, nudity and sex is thrown in. Some lovable characters are thrown in and some die sadly but it's all good. For me, the only let down is Freeman never becomes free. At the end of the series he is still a killer. I was expecting a breakthrough. His soul is obviously being tortured since he cries after he kills. I would have liked to see him break away from that life. But oh well. I still love it. It's a classic

Move over M.D. Geist...
....there's a new Worst Anime Ever in town. I never thought I'd say this, but an anime has come along that is actually worse than M.D. Geist. Those screams you're hearing are probably your own.

Crying Freeman is about a gentle artist who is turned into a merciless killer against his will. He fights to get his life back, as well as fighting for the clan who "adopted" him. The top assassin in the trade, he will always cry after killing, hence the codename: Crying Freeman.

And that's about a much a synopsis as you need for this TOTAL turkey. It borrows some elements from the manga, but takes only the worst of them, and animates (and I use this term VERY loosely) them on the screen.
Wait; did I say this was animated? I guess, in a way it is, but that is if you count those children's tapes that were so low-budget they would take still pictures and move parts of those pictures around to simulate movement as "animation". This is *beyond* yick. It looks like they scanned pictures from the manga (that's -one- way to get the art style faithful...who needs artists?), scribbled them with marker, and had the guy wiggle the page beneath the camera lens just to make it look remotely like it's animated. ("The page is moving, right? Therefore it's animation!")
As if this treatment wasn't enough, they chopped out everything in the story that made you sympathetic towards Freeman. You honestly couldn't give two swats of a guinea pig's tail (yes, I know they don't have tails!) for any character in this series. Well, they didn't take out ALL the content...there's still sex and violence, but the sex is anything but erotic and the violence was anything but graphic. Doesn't that sound -wrong- to you? It does to me too... That I watched six episodes full of this dreck amazes me to this day. Maybe I did it for love of the manga, and I could not accept this hideous abomination of his work as being anywhere near authentic.

If you really, really want to see this video series...have a lobotomy. It will soften the blow. Or better yet, wise up and go buy the manga series instead. The manga is a gripping, disturbing, sad, and ultimately compelling tale that it definitely worth trying out. The video series...is simply disturbing and sad, but not in the same way the manga is. I know now the real reason Freeman always cries...because he's trapped in such a truly awful "anime" series.

I am a saint for giving this thing one star.

I love it!
I'm a huge Crying Freeman fan! I'm so happy it's out on DVD! ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Superb anime version of solid crime-themed Japanese manga
CRYING FREEMAN: PORTRAIT OF A KILLER (1988) is the first of six Japanese anime volumes based on the manga (comic book) by Kazuo Koike and Ryoichi Ikegami about a handsome young sculptor who is forcibly recruited by the 108 Dragons, an ancient organization of Chinese assassins. We see him trained as an assassin and programmed to kill on their orders. His uncontrolled stream of tears after each killing and his yearning to be free give him the name, Crying Freeman.

Things get complicated when Freeman is forced to undertake the elimination of a witness to one of his killings. She is a beautiful, lonely, single Japanese woman and, like Freeman, an accomplished artist. They recognize each other as soul mates and he risks his life'and hers'to convince the organization of her value to him.

This 52-minute animated production is almost a perfect adaptation of the manga story and stands out as the best of the CRYING FREEMAN animated series. The dramatic mood and visual elegance of the black-and-white drawings are surprisingly well-captured by the anime, despite the bright colors and lighting. Daisuke Nishio, the anime director, knows how to pace a scene and establish the proper sense of time and place. It helps that Ikegami's drawings and his sense of cutting and composition are so astutely cinematic in the first place.

The Crying Freeman manga is notable for its high doses of nudity, near-pornographic sex and extremely bloody violence. The anime doesn't stint on these elements either, although it takes great pains to stay within R-rated limits. However, the sheer beauty of their presentation here may win over otherwise hesitant viewers, while fully satisfying the already jaded fans of more hard-edged anime.

The "Crying Freeman" manga has also been adapted, considerably less faithfully, into two live-action films, CRYING FREEMAN (France, 1995), directed by Christophe Gans (BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF) and starring Mark Dacascos, and KILLER'S ROMANCE (Hong Kong, 1990), starring Simon Yam and Joey Wang.

Truly a Work of Art
Crying Freeman is a true work of art ahead of its time. Viewing this great anime is candy for the anime lover's eye. Kazuo Koike and Ryoichi Ikegami wrote the magna that turned into a smash hit. The plot is revolves around an assassin from the Chinese Mafia. Originally, an acclaimed pottery designer, Yoh Hinamura is drawn into a crime ring when he finds film that contains photographs of a murder. Brainwashed to be a killer he murders people and after every person, he kills, he weeps.

When a woman by the name of Emu Hino (age 29 and a virgin) witnesses a murder. They briefly and awkwardly talk for a moment before Yoh flees. Afterward she fears for her life.
When the Chinese Mafia, a drug and arms dealing business, expands into Japan police and a Japanese gang with a following of 26,000 members team up to stop the Mafia. In the first episode "Portrait of a Killer" Freeman, setting the plot into motion, assassinates the leader of the Japan gang. At that crime, by chance Freeman runs past Yoh. Their eyes never meet but she knows it was him.

When Freeman goes to assassinate Emu, she tells him that she knows she will be killed. Her final request is that she does not die a virgin. (Over protective late father kept her from experiencing love). She tells that she is a virgin to Yoh and he states that he is also a virgin. They have sex, revealing Yoh's intricate dragon tattoos. Both experiencing love for the first time, they start to car for each other and speeding up the process, she is shot in a scuffle immediately after they have sex. He rushes her to the hospital. Knowing that she will never be safe, he takes her in.

This anime is not for children or young teens for that matter. Crying Freeman has a mix of mild language with a large amount of upper nudity and several sexual orientations. All of this is heavily coated with pools of blood. This is a graphic anime but as stated earlier, this is geared toward a mature audience.

Recap: Beautiful anime that pushed the boundaries of acceptable anime when released in 1986. Till this day, Crying Freeman is still a crowd please. I loved it. If you are looking an anime with class but still contains a sexual and action packed adventure then you have found the right anime. Five Stars!

5 Stars From Me
I have all the volumes and love each one although the last two aren't as good as the first. The episodes start repeating themselves after a while. In the first, Freeman's origin of how he is turned into an assassin against his will is revealed and he cries each time he kills somebody as a release to his true self. He is sent to kill a woman but she doesn't want to die a virgin so she asks that he have sex with her before he kills her. Being the nice guy that he is, he agrees. He says he's also a virgin. I think he was lying. This guy has sex with pretty much every woman he meets in this series. He didn't start having sex until he met this woman in the first episode? I don't believe it. Anyway, he falls in love with her and marries her. The rest of the episodes go something like this: somebody or some group wants to kill Freeman and take over the 108 Dragons and Freeman stops them. That's pretty much it. Oh yea, plenty of killing, nudity and sex is thrown in. Some lovable characters are thrown in and some die sadly but it's all good. For me, the only let down is Freeman never becomes free. At the end of the series he is still a killer. I was expecting a breakthrough. His soul is obviously being tortured since he cries after he kills. I would have liked to see him break away from that life. But oh well. I still love it. It's a classic

Move over M.D. Geist...
....there's a new Worst Anime Ever in town. I never thought I'd say this, but an anime has come along that is actually worse than M.D. Geist. Those screams you're hearing are probably your own.

Crying Freeman is about a gentle artist who is turned into a merciless killer against his will. He fights to get his life back, as well as fighting for the clan who "adopted" him. The top assassin in the trade, he will always cry after killing, hence the codename: Crying Freeman.

And that's about a much a synopsis as you need for this TOTAL turkey. It borrows some elements from the manga, but takes only the worst of them, and animates (and I use this term VERY loosely) them on the screen.
Wait; did I say this was animated? I guess, in a way it is, but that is if you count those children's tapes that were so low-budget they would take still pictures and move parts of those pictures around to simulate movement as "animation". This is *beyond* yick. It looks like they scanned pictures from the manga (that's -one- way to get the art style faithful...who needs artists?), scribbled them with marker, and had the guy wiggle the page beneath the camera lens just to make it look remotely like it's animated. ("The page is moving, right? Therefore it's animation!")
As if this treatment wasn't enough, they chopped out everything in the story that made you sympathetic towards Freeman. You honestly couldn't give two swats of a guinea pig's tail (yes, I know they don't have tails!) for any character in this series. Well, they didn't take out ALL the content...there's still sex and violence, but the sex is anything but erotic and the violence was anything but graphic. Doesn't that sound -wrong- to you? It does to me too... That I watched six episodes full of this dreck amazes me to this day. Maybe I did it for love of the manga, and I could not accept this hideous abomination of his work as being anywhere near authentic.

If you really, really want to see this video series...have a lobotomy. It will soften the blow. Or better yet, wise up and go buy the manga series instead. The manga is a gripping, disturbing, sad, and ultimately compelling tale that it definitely worth trying out. The video series...is simply disturbing and sad, but not in the same way the manga is. I know now the real reason Freeman always cries...because he's trapped in such a truly awful "anime" series.

I am a saint for giving this thing one star.

I love it!
I'm a huge Crying Freeman fan! I'm so happy it's out on DVD! ... Read more

Reviews (332)

Brotherhood Of the Wolf-A Masterwork of Period Horror
Director Christopher Gans (Crying Freeman, Necronomicon)has adapted the 300 year old case of the Beast of Gevaudon into the absolutely brilliant BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF (Le Pacte De Loups). Samuel Le Bihan stars as King Louis the XV's chief naturalist, war veteren Gregoire De Fronsac, sent to the French countryside with his best friend, a Native American warrior named Mani (Marc DeCascos)to hunt and kill a wolf-like "beast" responsible for a series of bloody deaths. Along the way, they encounter political intrigue, a witchy courtisan (the stunning Monica Belucchi) and the Beast itself, with amazing results.
Although compared to The Matrix, Crouching Tiger and Jaws, I found this breathtaking film more in the vein of Tsui Hark's Once Upon a Time in China series, with a dose of Dragonslayer thrown in for good measure. Complete with amazing locations, spot-on costumes and butt-kicking Savate sequences courtesy of DeCascos, Le Bihan and the menacing Vincent Cassel (The Crimson Rivers), BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF was well worth the year's wait (it was released in France in January of 2001). By all means, treat yourself to this truly ORIGINAL film. Within five minutes, you'll forget the subtitles, drawn in by the film's voluptuous beauty and thrilling plot twists.

Magnificent folly, way ahead of its time
BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF (Le Pacte des Loups, 2001): In 18th century France, a brave young naturalist (Samuel Le Bihan [TROIS COULEURS ROUGE]) and his Native American companion (Mark Dacascos [DRIVE]) are hired to trace the origins of a bloodthirsty 'beast' which has been terrorizing the countryside, killing women and children. But their investigations uncover an appalling conspiracy which cuts to the very heart of French high society...

Loosely based on true events, this high-powered Gallic blockbuster - directed by Christophe Gans, hired on the strength of his incredible genre-bending adaptation of CRYING FREEEMAN - wowed French audiences when released in 2001. And no wonder! A high-kicking combination of horror movie, period drama, political thriller and 'Matrix'-inspired kung fu pageant, the film combines the best elements of these disparate sub-genres in a dazzling display of technical wizardry. Photographed in widescreen Super 35 by Dan Laustsen (MIMIC, THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN), and played with solemn conviction by an all-star cast - including relative newcomers Vincent Cassel (LA HAINE), Monica Bellucci (the MATRIX sequels) and Jeremie Renier (LES AMANTS CRIMINELS), and veterans Jean Yanne (most recently seen in BELLE MAMAN) and Edith Scob (the elegant heroine of Franju's LES YEUX SANS VISAGE) - the movie is a riot of action and intrigue, sustained by a multilayered screenplay (co-authored by Gans and Stephane Cabel) which recounts an elaborate fable of class warfare and religious bigotry during a grim period of French history. The fight scenes - choreographed with ruthless efficiency by Hong Kong movie veteran Phillip Kwok (MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE, HARD-BOILED, TOMORROW NEVER DIES, etc.) - are fashioned with elegant grace, and edited to perfection by Sebastien Prangere and David Wu Dai-wai (another prominent HK movie figure, Ronny Yu Yan-tai's current editor of choice). Much of the film's otherworldly visual texture is due to the sumptuous art direction (by Guy-Claude Francois [JEFFERSON IN PARIS]) and costume design (by Dominique Borg), which roots proceedings in a recognizable period 'style', despite Gans' resolutely modern approach to the material. It shouldn't work, but it does, somehow. The 'explanation' for the beast and its murderous activities - which takes into account a wide range of modern research into the story of an animal which really DID terrorize the French countryside during the 18th century - forms the backbone of the entire production, and while much of the film is a rip-roaring joy, the climactic sequences are offset by an element of tragedy and sadness, which thoroughly distinguishes the movie from most of its Hollywood counterparts. All in all, BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF is a magnificent folly, way ahead of its time, and quite unlike anything ever made before.

This review is based on a viewing of the Canadian disc from TVR Films which presents the original French version in its entirety (the international version, including the one released in the US and UK, appears to be shorter by about 10 minutes) and runs 150m 34s, minus the logos which open the video print and weren't part of the original production, and letterboxes the scope frame at 2.35:1 (anamorphically enhanced). The US disc - a region 1 release from Universal - is a no-frills affair which features a letterboxed anamorphic version of the shorter print, and some reviews suggest it's a better-looking transfer than the one featured on the Canadian disc. Captions and subtitles are provided. The Canadian version, however, is a 3-disc spectacular, and features (amongst many other things) an extremely frank documentary on the making of the film which opens with an actress being clobbered during an accident on-set, and proceeds to outline the various obstacles which constantly threatened the production schedule (not least the unpredictable weather during location shooting) and ultimately strained relations between director Gans and co-producer Samuel Hadida. That such a remarkable film emerged from these traumatic circumstances says much about the talent and dedication of these extraordinary gentlemen and all those who helped bring their unique vision to the silver screen. A triumph.

terrible!
i am completely amazed as i read the other reviews of this movie and have to wonder if we saw the same film.
did we?
a movie with no characterization? terrible dialogue? a lot of slow-motion action sequences (trying desperately to copy the John Woo style)? a lot of style and glitz but no plot motivation to back it up? and a SUPER hokey ending?
and don't even get me started on the character of Mani. i'm from the region Mani is said to come from, and all of the displays of Native American traditions which are presented in this film are fabricated and presented to the point that i was insulted!

did we see the same movie?
this is a good movie for cutiosity sake but little else.

Regarding the Beast
From the outset of Le Pacte de Loups, we know that the central beast of the movie is no ordinary wolf. Regarding its identification, however - a point that is never truly elucidated whether you've seen the film or not - there remains debate. My initial and superseding question is, no matter how the beast appears, what makes it impossible to believe in the beast's specificity as a common French wolf? This fact is unmistakable to my intuitions. Many of you might not know French, but I looked it up and "loup" is actually French for "wolf" - not "beast," like many appear to think. First point, the movie title states this so-called mysterious answer from the outset. If the beast was a hyena, the French would be referring to "hyènes," and were it a lion, it would actually be called "lion" (the two languages share this word).

If you need more evidence, there is no lack in the film. Our beast is often seen running with its pack, howling at the moon, and killing people. While Grégoire attempts to denounce the belief in human murders by wolf, one of the final scenes of the movie clearly depicts wolves doing just that: an obvious statement to disaffirm his slander. If you listen to the revealing narrative at the end of the film, it is stated that while visiting Africa Jean-François found the beast and raised her offspring, selecting the largest and strongest to take back with him to France and training it to be more ferocious and cruel than the average wolf.

***WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.
Earlier we learn that this character has been savaged by a lion, which resulted in the loss of his right forelimb. Would you take the same animal that disfigured you and raise it as your own? Neither would Jean-François.

I had to chuckle at some of these reviews!
Wow! Four out of five. Three out of five. You have to be joking don't you? This movie is perfection. Pure, true, honest, stylish. Of course Americans get a bit ruffled when a 'foreign' film shows the good old US of A how 'it's done' yet again. You folk like you're movies with justification, explanation and gradification... all tied up in a bow. This movie is not sugar covered and goes in depth within (I won't give it away for those that have not seen it) an area that goes way back in time and is still happening today (Bohemiam Grove hint hint etc)which has always fascinated me. So why would you not like it? Firstly that pesky 'other' language (yes, it's in French - and so it should be) makes those of less IQ's have to read. Pesky pesky. Secondly it has many layers as a movie and does not always have to explain EVERYTHING that is going on, and instead relies on the intellect of it's viewers and allows us to progress on the journey and make up our own minds as to how, why and who. I will not go into 'explaining' the film as it is done already in the top review and you all seem to explain it over and over again. I am not French as you may all think, and instead an Aussie relieved and satisfied that a certain standard of perfection is retained in some movies in the world. Erotic, scary, action, suspense, intelligent, beautiful. Simply one of the best movies I have seen this year. (I'll put money on it that America will remake this movie very soon... and yet again bugger up another classic foreign film that should have been left well alone! Please don't! I beg you!) ... Read more

Reviews (18)

THIS MOVIE IS AWESOME DUDES!
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST AWESOME MOVIES I HAVE SEEN IN MY LIFE. IT IS TOO COOL. "DOUBLE DRAGON" BEATS OUT "SUPER MARIO BROTHERS", "STREET FIGHTER", "MORTAL KOMBAT", "MORTAL KOMBAT: ANNIHILATION", AND DEFINETELY "POKEMON: THE FIRST MOVIE". YOU PEOPLE WHO GAVE THIS MOVIE BAD REVIEWS SHOULD BE ASHAMED. THIS MOVIE IS JUST TOO COOL. I LOVE IT. TOO BAD THEY CAN'T MAKE A SEQUEL. I RECCOMEND THIS MOVIE TO ANYONE, EVEN THE NON VIDEO-GAME FAN.

TERRIBLE
This is one of the worst movies I have ever seen in my whole life! Well I didn't actually see it - I watched 20 mins and I just couldn't stand it anymore! It's THAT bad!

NO good
This movie was very boring. It had terrible acting. I was excited to watch it for the first time cz I loved the cartoon show but the movie messed everything up.

"Don't call me Dragonfly!!!"
DOUBLE DRAGON can best be described as America's early introduction to Jackie Chan-style matrial arts movies. The two heroes (played by Mark Dacascos and Scott Wolf) are blackbelts who emerge out of fights unharmed by using there martial arts skils, but also using whatever props and tools they can get their hands on (the parking cone, for example.)

It has just enough comedy in it too. So that's how it is a Jackie Chan-style kung fu flick. It was critically trashed in it's day, and ended up being a box office ghost, but it deserved much better. Make no mistake, It is suitable for family viewing, but it also is enjoyable to martial arts fans and fans of the source video game. There's something in it for everyone.

DOUBLE DRAGON tells the story of the future in L.A. It is now called "New Angeles" after a horrible earthquake has partially submerged the city in water. Evil businessman Koga Shuko (Robert "T-1000" Patrick, who does these roles in his sleep) is seeking to get his hands on a mystical chines amulet known as the "Double Dragon". It was split into two halves, but whoever could possess and unite both halves who attain godly power. Koga already has one halve in his possesion, but the other half belongs to Satori Imada (Julia Nickson), who is the adoptive mother of martial arts expert brothers Jimmy and Billy Lee (Mark Dacascos and Scott Wolf). Koga is hot on their trail, and Jimmy and Billy join to stop Koga and save the world.

The story is one that is more than adequate enough to build a video-game-based-martial-arts-movie on, but that's just one of DOUBLE DRAGON's virtues. The movie is so crammed with action that it's almost impossible to imagine why it was so overlooked in it's day. In their first appearance onscreen, the Lee brothers establish theie martial arts credentials at a tournament, and things only go uphill from there.

Dacascos and Wolf and just as good actors as they are karate experts. They actually not only can act, but also look young enough to be playing brothers who are 17 or 18 years old. If you doubt this, then here's a little FYI. In 1994 (when DOUBLE DRAGON was released) Wolf was 26 years old, and Dacascos was 30!!! This may be the only kung fu movie Wolf has done, but not Dacascos. In fact, he recently played the bad guy in the Jet Li martial arts flick, CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE (which I plan on immediately buying.)

Julia Nickson is also very watachable, playing apparantly the only person who cares enough about the Lees to take them in. She even gets to do alittle fighting in the movie. As for Patrick, This may not go down in history next to his T2 villian, but it does in my book.

That Double Dragon medallion really is something, too. Satori's half gives "power over the body", allowing the wearer to become impervious to injury or death, just take anything and shake it right off. Koga's half gives "power over the soul", allowing the wearer to turn himself into some kind of ghost and take possesion of any human body. If I had that kind of power, I wouldn't even need to study Tae Kwon Do.

In closing, I would just like to say, DOUBLE DRAGON rules baby!!! Buy it, now!!!

Double the fun!
From my point of view this movie is great!It may not be as good as the game but is still good.There are some funny parts and no swearing.Just to let you know that this movie is double the fun and double action.And also this is double dragon! ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Kinda sad when you think about it
I feel that this movie was an okay movie because it is about my favorite thing in the world: Capoeira. I feel that the main character would be better if he was a real capoeira mestre, not some Karate Champion. The only parts worth watching are the first and last 5 minutes where you get to see roda in action. I am a self-taught capoeira student and I can play better than the goofs that they put in the movie. It is a good movie for capoeira newbies, but if you really want to know about REAL capoeira, research and find a mestre near you so that you can experience the exhileration of practicing such a beautiful art.

Axe camaradas!
This is a charming movie with a stupid storyline like those seen in most martial arts movies. But hey, the point is to see the hero beat the bad guys with some sweet moves, right? And this movie delivers just that. So why bother analysing it any deeper?

Mark Dacascos plays a young capoeirista (a guy who practises capoeira) who gets some misfit students onto the right side of the law by teaching them capoeira. Of course this leads to some showdowns between him and various criminal elements. And that's it, really. But capoeira is a beautiful sport to watch, and the movie is a good teaser for the real thing.

But Dacascos isn't really a capoeirista, and the movie misinterprets some of the basic elements of the sport. If you become interested in learning more after watching the movie, look up the nearest capoeira club in the phonebook and try it for yourself. I guarantee it will be an experience well worth your while! I speak from personal experience.

Great Introduction
Years ago I woked at a bookstore and had a customer request a book on Capoeira. I was intrigued by what I read, and wanted to see how it was performed.

I found info about this DVD online when I looked for an mp3 for the "Mazda" Zoom song & discovered it was a (badly mangled) version of one of the songs from this video.

So this is my first time seeing the actual art...the story-line sounds hokey, but it works because everything is beautifully choreographed by Frank Dux. It was a great introduction to an art form that is still little-known in the US.

My husband and I have watched it twice already tonight, it's fun,has great music, and made me wish to learn more about Capoeira.

Unassuming B-movie, great fun
ONLY THE STRONG (USA 1993): Upon returning home to Miami, a former Green Beret (Mark Dacascos) is employed by his local high school to rehabilitate some of its worst students by teaching them the art of capoeira (a form of martial arts from Brazil, using dance-like moves). But his work brings him into conflict with a local drug lord (Paco Christian Prieto), whose operations are threatened by Dacascos' interference...

A predictable B-movie plot is elevated above the routine by virtue of its slick presentation and interesting cast, all of whom turn in creditable performances under the assured direction of Sheldon Lettich (former scriptwriter of RAMBO III who went on to helm some of Jean-Claude Van Damme's most popular entries, including LIONHEART and DOUBLE IMPACT). The script - co-written by Lettich and Luis Esteban - provides a showcase for the visual artistry of capoeira, practised with genuine flair by DTV favorite Dacascos (BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF), whose mastery of the form helps to win over some of the most problematic students at his former high school, now a crime-ridden wasteland whose faculty (led by Geoffrey Lewis, acting everyone else off the screen) is clearly at the end of its collective tether. A faint air of camp hangs over the entire enterprise, as ultra-buff Dacascos flaunts his pumped-up torso through a variety of tight-fitting vests (drool! slobber!) while facing off against ultra-butch Prieto (a real life martial arts instructor, making one of his first screen appearances), though ultra-cute Stacey Travis hovers around just long enough to blunt the film's relentless macho swagger and provide a fleeting romantic interest for Dacascos, thereby reassuring the movie's target audience that his character is entirely heterosexual. The film is naive, obvious and predictable, but it moves at a rapid clip and is well-staged thoughout, and the bone-crunching fight scenes manage to live up to every expectation. Good, catchy music score, too.

Fox's DVD is a no-frills affair, including both widescreen and fullscreen versions of the film, along with a trailer (curiously framed at 2.35:1, though the main feature is correctly framed at 1.85:1). Sound and picture quality are uniformly fine.

95m 52s
1.85:1 / Anamorphically enhanced
[Fullscreen 1.33:1 version also included]
DVD soundtrack: Dolby Surround 2.0
Theatrical soundtrack: Dolby Stereo SR
Optional English subtitles and closed captions
Region 1

Excellent movie, a must see
This is my favorite Mark Dacascos' film. I been trying to find it on DVD for a long time and I'm so glad it finally was relased on this version. If you're a fan of Dacascos and enjoy to watch martial arts, this is a must, trust me. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good work, rather better than I expected
Sabotage came as a bit of a surprise to me. Instead of kicking evrybody inside Mark Dacascos actually plays a reasonably good role, without his usual overacting. The supporting cast does a serious job instead of just fooling around as often happens and the plot may not be very original, but the details have been worked out quite well. This is not a movie everybody will enjoy, but if you like action movies, I think you will find it quite a pleasure to watch.

A must for Martial Arts fans, or Military enthusiasts.
One of Mark Dacascos's greatest films. If you are a die hard action fan, interested in military based pictures, or a martial artist, this flick is great for you. It is not the best martial arts performance by Dacascos, but it is definitely an awesome film. High impact, dynamic action, and a killer plot. Check it out... I am a Dacascos collector my self, and this is the best price I have seen yet. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

It's got Mark....
And that's about it. Yes, it's little more than a display of Mark's abilities as a martial artist and his charm shines through what is basically a lousy movie. There's poor performance everywhere and plot holes even I couldn't ignore. Mark goes to the police after seeing his friend killed and the chief says there's no evidence. NO EVIDENCE???!!! What would you call a first hand account of the murder?

Ok, let's look at the good points. Um...Mark. I loved watching his various workouts, especially the one towards the end where he's standing outside the ranch house. He m