At 'Dem Flicks w\ Malcolm - Jet Li's Fearless

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Malcolm
Posts: 32040
Joined: Fri May 21, 2004 1:04 pm
Location: Minneapolis

Post by Malcolm »

Synposis :
At the beginning of the 20th century, some westernized folk come to China w\ the intent of showboating the western fighters against the Chinese fighters. Their best go up against Huo Yuanjin. This film tells his story.

Review:
According to the previews & buzz, this is the last kick-ass kung-fu role Jet Li will take. There were two strikes against this film -- the director & fight choreographer.

Ronny Yu has directed many martial arts films, but every time he tries to make his films accessible to American audiences (Freddy vs. Jason), they seem to rely more on wacky-ass wire-laden fight scenes & special effects & less on characters & story. & the first scene in this flick only further cements that status in my mind. He starts from the end of the story which immediately jumps to the first fight scene. Most of the film is a glorified flashback of the protagonist's life in the moments right before the climactic match. Thus, to some extent, the ending is already known. & it's also Jet fucking Li, so you've a decent idea what'll probably happen during that match. Furthermore, any knowledge of kung-fu flicks will allow a veteran of the genre to observe certain shit. Once the flashback begins, one can observe significantly different shit. From inferring the resolution of those differences, one can nearly predict the entire film from that point on, ruining virtually any surprise or tension that could be produced. & it's all cos Ronny & his writers wanted to start at the end.

The fight choreographer, Yuen Wo Ping (I think), is the same dude that did the shit from "The Matrix." Hence, I don't like him. Too much computer animation & WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too much motherfucking wirework. However, all that notwithstanding, the fights were fucking nice.

The intervals between the fights do have some merit, but that's where you find out that Ronny doesn't've a lot of tricks in his bag to keep you riveted once the fists & feet stop flying. & if you're a kung-fu fan, then you already know what will happen.

This flick is not one of the best martial arts flicks ever made, it's not Jet Li's best film. The archetypes are cliched, the story is sprawled out over too massive a canvas, so by the time your brain adjusts to the latest act, it's changed again. The fights look too artificial in what's supposed to be a story based on historical fact.

Verdict : 2.5 stars. Go see it if you're a Jet Li or fight fan of monstrous proportions. Otherwise, this is another renter.




Edited By Malcolm on 1159724236
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
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