FIGHT CLUB

Prediction? Pain ...\nBy Peter Chen\nMr. T fighting Stallone, plus "Eye of the Tiger"? How much better could it get? Rocky goes soft and consequently gets pulverized by T's Clubber Lang, with some film of the most vicious hits you'll see in a boxing movie. Sure, the montage with Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed is the "Rocky" by which others should be judged. But unlike the first two Rocky films, "Rocky III" spends more time in the ring, which means more punches, more crunches and more pitied fools.\nBruce Lee's finest\nBy Brian J. McFillen\nThe single greatest martial arts film ever made, "Enter The Dragon" not only created a global audience for the genre, it has influenced countless films, television shows and video games in its wake. As a martial artist recruited by police to infiltrate a smuggler's island via a fighting contest, Bruce Lee shows how a relatively small, quiet guy can nevertheless tear through thugs like a force of nature. It's an inspiration to this day.\nSweep the leg, Johnny!\nBy Doug Evans\nWho didn't grow up wanting to be Daniel LaRusso (played by Ralph Macchio), a.k.a., the Karate Kid? Under the tutelage of Mr. Miyagi (the role that garnered a nomination for Pat Morita for Best Supporting Actor in 1985), arguably the greatest mentor/martial arts instructor in film history, LaRusso became a karate master, capable of waxing on and off, picking up the lovely Elizabeth Shue and defeating the meanest of bullies with a mere swoop of his crane kick. The tournament at the conclusion of part I saw LaRusso come back from certain defeat to achieve victory over his arch nemeses, notably the vile Johnny. LaRusso's finishing move, the crane kick, became so popular it has its own Wikipedia page.\nRight 'Bak' at you\nBy Chris Pickrell\n"Ong Bak" is a flavor explosion of pain, agony and Muay Thai. Being a fan of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, Tony Jaa provides a great mix of humor and ass kicking. With scenes showing Jaa flying through the air and ending with a polite knee in the face, "Ong Bak" started a new trend in martial-arts action films tending towards rarer forms like Muay Thai. The DVD is worth it just for the scene where he flies through a fire with his legs covered in gas, just to turn into a flying, kicking fireball.