LAND OF NEW MOVIES

Soi Cheang, the director behind the nihilistic hit Dog Bite Dog, veers into even more extreme territory with the unique comic adaptation Shamo. Based on a manga by Hashimoto Izo, Shamo assembles one of the coolest casts in recent memory to tell a dark, funny, and exceptionally violent tale of madness, revenge, and the will to survive. The ubiquitous Shawn Yue adds to his diverse filmography by taking on the demanding lead role, and is joined by Francis Ng (The Mission), Bruce Liang (Kung Fu Hustle), Annie Liu (Exodus), Dylan Kuo (Taiwanese drama The Outsiders), Japanese kickboxer Masato (Lethal Ninja), and Terri Kwan (Turn Left, Turn Right). An extreme manga movie told with skewed angles, unexpected art direction, and more than a little creative craziness, Shamo is as entertaining a mix of Japanese and Hong Kong pop culture as you'll find. Convicted of murdering his own parents in a fit of insanity, Ryo Ishibashi (Shawn Yue) is thrown in a harrowing juvenile detention center, where he's physically and sexually assaulted, pushing him to the brink of suicide. But Ryo is rescued from the abyss by Kenji Kurokawa (Francis Ng), an eccentric karate teacher who instructs Ryo how to become a human weapon. The training gives Ryo the will to live, and once he leaves prison, he decides to test his skills in the extreme fighting tourney Lethal Fight, challenging reigning champ Naoto Sugawara (Masato) to a winner-take-all match. But Ryo is still searching for his missing younger sister, Natsumi (Pei Pei, Dog Bite Dog), who descended into prostitution after Ryo was jailed. During his search, Ryo chances upon another prostitute, Megumi (Annie Liu), who comforts him and gives him the strength to move forward, leave his past behind, and battle for his ultimate goal: defeating Sugawara in the Lethal Fight championship.~yesasia~