For old school HK action fans, Kumite (2003, aka. Star Runner) epitomizes everything that has gone wrong in the commercial HK film industry. From the mid/late 90's, you can count to many reasons for the demise of the rough and tumble days of HK films. But the real strike came when instead of finding the next Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Jet Li, or Yuen Biao, the talent pool began to draw from youthful pretty models, singers, singer/models and films began to cater to a more youthful teen audience. The action films that once defined HK film making, be it kung fu, bullet ballet, or fantasy really began to suffer to the point that the genre film is nearly dead, replaced with glossy PG/PG-13 catering flicks for hormonal kiddies. Kumite tries to straddle the line and appeal to young boys and girls with its sappy romance and obligatory action storyline with vacuous pop star leads. I cannot imagine any self-respecting adult finding any joy or surprise in this predictable, cliched mess.

The film stars Vanness Wu, a pop idol, who while buff has a face that reminded me of the lead kid in Dazed and Confused. He plays Bond, a teen who is constantly falling asleep and half paying attention in school because his real love is Thai boxing. His academic attentions are a tad aroused by his new teacher, Kim, who isn't hard on the eyes. Kim is played by Korean pop idol (the idol love is so great HK has to import their idols too) Hyun-joo Kim. Naturally, since it is catering to the pubescent sect, the film makes light of the fact that this is a taboo teacher-student romance. Affections are kept in check and limited to lingering looks and some dancing. The hookup blockade should be their academic relationship but they also have other reasons: Kim is still hanging on to her affections for a married man she has been having an on and off affair with; meanwhile, Bond is distracted by the martial tournament his gym is entering.

The story slowly builds its focus on Bond and his schools involvement in the Star Runner martial tournament. Bond wants to compete but is passed over for a student who's father gives the gym a loan. Bond seeks out an alternative teacher in a beyond his glory days former fighter turned bitter drunkard (Max Mok). The Bolo Yeung of the tournament is the vicious Tank (Andy On), and after he gives the smackdown on Bond's gym buddies, everyone pitches in to help Bond train to beat him. But, Bond's main hurdle is not having the Adrian to his Rocky, Kim, in his corner as inspiration.

I am out of touch with a large aspect of modern HK films. Aside from being a gwialo, I guess I'm also an ol' coot, because I don't want action films with pop pretty boys who really cannot act. I have no problems with actors act-fighting, but this trend in HK is just have their idols look good and that includes when it comes to action choreography. These are not guys who will risk life and limb, and as far as looking tough, they strike model poses instead of, say, a Jimmy Wang Yu scowl. But, like I said, it must be me. These kind of guys keep getting cast and these films keep being made.

Kumite casts three classic martial filmdom actors, Gordon Lui as the Thai gym owner, David Chiang as Bond's grandfather, and Ti Lung as a Wing Chun master. Inadvertently, the casting actually comes off as a slap in the face to old school kung fu fans. Why? Well, David Chiang's character is bedridden, in a coma, and his one speaking scene is a fantasy voice over. Likewise, Ti Lung has no lines and is simply shown in some montage training clips. It's basically a modern, weak action film trotting out some true talent of old and not even allowing them to do much. Its symbolically kind of fitting their characters are largely muted because they are actors who don't belong in this day and age of HK film making anyway.

Kumite was directed by Daniel Lee, who's credits include What Price Survival?, A Fighters Blues, and probably his most well-known film Black Mask. The romantic elements that take up the bulk of the film are pretty routine, soft focus, smarmy stuff. When it comes time for the contrasting fight tournament storyline and training montages it quickly becomes a hyperactive editing, useless zooming, flurry of close-up combat shots, usually so brief they offer little distinction. It is a problem that I find has plagued every film I've seen from Lee. He's simply too manic with his fight editing and shoots everything so close and fast it is often difficult to know what is going on. The film tries for a big fight scene finale that takes up a good ten to fifteen minute stretch, but it is hampered by Vanness Wu's limitations as an action actor and the fact that the characters technique to win versus his adversary is basically get beaten up so much that the other guy wears himself out.

The DVD: Lionsgate.

Picture: Non-anamorphic widescreen. Lionsgate simply didn't care. Here you get a purely basic, limited source, clearly not intended for any kind of high or even mediocre end big screen display. The print is fairly clean, sharp, a tad grainy, moderately preserving a typical Daniel Lee looking film. Lots of diffused lighting but the contrast could still use some added depth. Compression issues are present leading to some noisiness and shimmering.

Sound: English 5.1 or Cantonese 2.0. Optional English or Spanish subtitles. Of course the limp English dub gets the 5.1 treatment, but really with such a lame film a bad dub is the least of its problems. Both are okay mixes, though the saccharine Mark Knopler Princess Brideesque romantic guitar-noodling score made me want to plug my ears. The subs were well-timed and appeared to be well-translated.

Extras: Nothing. Lionsgate trailers, thats it.

Conclusion: The only extra on this mediocre disc is a Lionsgate trailer. That trailer bills The Kumite as a pure action film, just like the retitling, trying to fool you into thinking this is some modern version of Bloodsport. I can only imagine the poor suckers who watch that trailer on some other Lionsgate disc and then pick up this film only to find out it is about 80% terrible teen romance with some action thrown in. I'm here to tell you that is not the case, and even if you buy/rent it for the action, you wont get anything that great. So, in other words, skip it.