Customer Rating:  
Summary: A Simple Pleasure
Comment: In the land of the Amazons, somewhere near China an evil Queen has made men slaves. Her one true love was dupped into betraying her and she has never forgiven him or her sister who dupped him. She made men slaves and has become more sadistic with each year of her reign. Of course there is a prophecy about the man who can take her throne. That man is played with quiet charm and elegance by Jaycee Chan, son of Jackie Chan. I love this movie movie despite it's flaws, the major one being why the evil queen is so darn mad over one simple mistake, he slept with her twin thinking it was her...she's knows he was set up but she hates anyway. Despite many great sacrifices on his part and a lifetime of devotion to earning her forgivness, she just get's madder.
This movie is full of lush colors and simple pleasures. My boyfriend gave it to me and I have seen The Twins Effect part 1, the Twins are the connection in these movies. It's still a delight for the senses.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Inferior Effect: Some Good Actions by Donnie and Jackie (Or If You Like Twins ....)
Comment: Despite its title, the story of `Vampire Effect Part 2: Blade of the Rose' has nothing to do with the first `Vampire Effect' film or any vampires whatever, except that these two films both include popular Hong Kong pop music duo Twins, and the cameo from Jackie Chan. Though `Vampire Effect Part 2' has several good martial arts sequences (one of the film's directors is Corey Yuen, of `The Transporter' fame), plus one fight scene involving Donnie Yen and Jackie Chan, its slow pace and meandering plot with some ineffective special effects do great harm to the film itself.
You should not take the film and its story too seriously. It starts with a fictional country, perhaps many years ago, where a cruel empress (Qu Ying) dominates her country with magic, and all the males must obey to the females. Today one young slave trader Spring (of course, a female) travels to the city, with the slaves in a cage in order to sell them at the country's bazaar. But you know, Spring is played by Charlene Choi, part of the pop singer group. It is like Ashley Olsen playing a pirate, and you should know that the film is only joking.
After the mayhem that provides some decent actions (clearly CGI-enhanced), the film switches to the main story, in which two members of traveling show Char (Jaycee Chan) and Leaf (Edison Chen) set out on a quest for a sword - the only weapon that can beat the empress. Spring and one spy from the government named Blue (Gillian Chung, the other member of Twins) also join in the traveling team.
[JACKIE'S SON] Probably this film will be remembered as the first film that featured Jaycee Chan, the son of the internationally famous Jackie Chan. Jaycee plays the role of Char, one good-natured and timid boy, but he does no martial arts actions like his father. Yes, I know. Not every child of action star can act like his/her parent, but even so, his acting is the weakest among the principal characters, showing that he is not ready for the leading roles.
[JACKIE VS DONNIE] Jackie Chan himself appears briefly as Lord of Armor in one slightly extended action sequence, in which he fights Donnie Yen's General. From the strictly artistic viewpoint, both of their roles are unnecessary in the story. Their fight sequence is a bonus, or a sideshow, but much better sideshow than the main one. The martial arts actions themselves are good, but sadly the film, I think, seems to have failed in fully utilizing the difference between Chan's and Yen's fighting styles. The results are respectable, but could be better with some more original idea.
I was pleasantly surprised at the first `Vampire Effect' film because it offered unique ans successful combination - idol pop singer duo Twins with martial arts master Donnie Yen. Surely its story was weak, and some effects were cheesy, but the film was fun. `VE Part 2' tries to do the same with too many things to do at one time, with so many players and this thin story - even Tony Leung Ka Fai appears briefly - but none of them works except some well-crafted set-pieces.
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