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REWIND - DREW'S PICK OF
THE
FLICKS
 MY
name is
Daniel Lee Drew, although I go by D.L.
Drew or just Drew. I've been training in Directional Fighting Method
for more than three years.
And always having an interest in martial arts films I've been interested in writing reviews for some time. I decided to start off with older movies because I wanted to cover some classics. Now a word to the wise, my ambition exceeds my means, I would love to have them with clearer visuals and better sound. But at the moment my equipment comprises of a laptop and a microphone, plus use of a desk top computer for the movie clips. So, basically I'm operating at the same level of sophistication as some of the film's I'll be reviewing! Part of my goals with this is to bring martial arts movies a little further into the public conciousness, as I feel they are often badly represented in popular culture. I want to talk about the movies but not in a serious manner, after all many of them are supposed to be fun, fun, fun. In future I will be returning to the classics and the more obscure, good and bad and everything in between. Even though I may critiscise them and poke fun, in reality with very few exceptions, I still enjoy then, even the hokey ones... THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS
The Man with the Iron Fists (2012) Starring: Russell Crowe,
Rick Yune, Lucy Liu, RZA Director:
RZA Production: Arcade Pictures, Iron Fists.
As
much as we all love martial arts films it is quite rare,
especially in the wider UK, to see them in the cinema. I had heard very
little
about The Man with the Iron Fists film; so much so that a friend
actually brought it up in conversation,
and it was me not him who seemed oblivious. That's not too surprising
though
because compared to other genres MA flicks don't generally get nearly
as much
marketing. So without knowing much beforehand I and two fellow
moviegoers went
on a little outing to see The Man with the Iron Fists.
The
film is the product of RZA, for those who don't know he's a massively
successful music producer; in particular hip hop as well as other
mediums. It
is co-written by gore guru Eli Roth and stars RZA himself as well
as Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu. It is also presented by
Quentin
Tarrantino, who put his backing to great films like Iron Monkey. Now
though I
do avoid reading reviews for things I intend to critique myself, I did
notice
some mediocre star ratings on the Internet movie database,
but that's not really a deterrent as martial arts movies and
fans
seem to exist in a separate world compared to most other film
genres,
and a film critic of general releases is often not the intended
audience of the
fighting flick.
So
what did I as a fan of the genre think:
There
are very few memorable positives I can recall: one my friend
liked Russell Crowe's gun; one of my friends liked moments
of ultra-violence; I liked the beautiful women led by Lucy Liu's
character, that may sound shallow but that's about all I can
muster
to say positively about the experience. The intent seems to be for the
action
and fantastical elements to give the audience a thrill ride, yet these
manic
elements just felt kind of forced and in-genuine. Like the
film is
trying too hard to be "in your face", "balls to the wall".
Some elements may work if given a strong enough context, this film
however is
without doubt more spectacle than substance. The
converging sub-plots are many but not enough development is
given to
flesh them out, leaving us feeling lost even if we are following every
detail.
There
seems to be heavy use of the concept of chi and manipulation
of ones own energy. I have seen films where body energy has been a key
component in the fighting, but this just seemed to go beyond my
suspension of
disbelief. For instance: Dave Bautista plays a man that turns to
metal
when attacked, an effect so poorly rendered its cartoonish and
completely
removes my connection to the scene. There are the literal Iron Fist
themselves;
which are not metal gauntlets or even mechanical devices,
they are
solid iron attachments to the stumps of amputated arms AND THEY MOVE,
flexing
and manipulating like flesh due to RZA's
Blacksmith characters ability to manipulate energy.
This
film is a largely western production with many western
actors, so I was not expecting dialogue to be in Chinese,
even though
I watch so many Chinese films that hearing characters in that
setting
speaking in un-dubbed English just feels wrong. The principle
characters are of
course speaking in English most the time, yet there are also instances
of
spoken Chinese. I don't mean the western characters talk English
between
themselves and the Chinese likewise talk native with each other, I mean
all the
characters speak English no-matter the nationality, except in a very
few odd
instances where they will sometimes switch for no apparent reason. If
it were
one way or the other I would understand, but this just seems confused.
I
think I know what this film is going for, I really do. It is a
production made by fans of genre, with reference and reverence for the
kung fu
flicks of old, paying tribute to the fun golden days. However The Man
With The
Iron Fists does not work for me. There are films that try to do the
same kind
of homage to the classics and do it well. If I were
to recommend a
film that had similar elements and got it right, it would be Kill Bill vol. 1 and 2, directed by Quentin Tarrantino, also featuring a performance by Lucy Liu and interestingly enough; the soundtrack composed by RZA himself. That film also featured multiple referential nods
and instances of over the top violence, but it had more
practical stunt
work and drama, and it was also well supported by excellent
writing and
good pace which made that an engaging and entertaining watch.
Final
verdict: Though I do not feel comfortable telling anyone not
to see something, this is honestly one of the worse films I've seen
this year.
Its not that its offensively bad, its just uninteresting
and uninvolving,
and judging by my comrades' opinions and what I have subsequently read
from
others, I'm not the only one who thinks so. Watch at your own peril.
D. L. Drew
IRON MONKEY - REVIEW BY
DREW
IRON
MONKEY (Siu nin Wong Fei Hung ji: Tit Ma Lau) 1993 Starring:
Yu Rongguang, Donnie Yen, Jean Wang, Tsang Sze Man
Director:
Yuen Woo Ping
Production:
Film Workshop, Golden Harvest Company, Long Shong Pictures, Paragon
Films Ltd
It would be hard to talk about
this film without mentioning a
little context. Iron Monkey arrived during the 90's Wong Fei Hung
mania. Who is
Wong Fei Hung some of you may ask? Well to get into that subject I
would have
to devote multiple articles, for now let’s just say Sifu Wong
Fei Hung was a
legendary figure in martial arts and in Hong Kong cinema. I have
previously
written about the film Drunken Master 1978 which deals with Jackie Chan
playing
a young interpretation of the master, this film also portrays a younger
Fei
Hung, only this time played by a girl, acrobatic martial artist Tsang
Sze Man. In fact Fei Hung is not the
only similarity between these films.
Both also feature the character of Wong Kei Ying (Fei Hung's father, an
accomplished martial artist and doctor himself) this time played by the
incredibly talented Donnie Yen. Monkey and Master also share legendary
director
Yuen Woo Ping, who among other things is well known for his use of high
flying
stunt wire work. The story in a nutshell is
about a Robin Hood like figure on the
streets, or more correctly the rooftops of Guandong in Manchu China.
Stealing
from the rich and corrupt and giving to the poor and needy, a shadowy
figure
known as the Iron Monkey dispensing justice and bringing hope
to the
unfortunate. The Corrupt Governor Cheng (James Wong) sets out to
persecute the
people and catch the Monkey. Spiraling events bring in Sifu Wong Kei
Ying and
his son, the future Sifu Wong Fei Hung, in an effort to catch the
masked man.
However arriving on the scene is an even greater threat than the
governor, and
Sifu Wong will have to choose which side he is really on. There
are a variety of themes
running through this film which run
through other Wong Fei Hung films from philosophical concepts, such as
justice
and compassion, to physical traits like umbrella fighting and the
"no-shadow kick". Some actors too can be found in other Fei Hung
movies, though playing other characters. Yam Sai Kwoon plays both the
villainous master monk in this and the main antagonist in Once Upon A
Time In
China, which was also directed by this film’s producer Tsui
Hark. Despite the
many connections between this film and other
greats surprisingly; if
you did not know any of this, it would probably not affect your
enjoyment of
the film at all. It essentially acts as a standalone film that
knowledge of the
others only enhances.
The main character is Iron
Monkey/Doctor Wang played by the very talented
Yu Rongguang. Screen time is shared with Orchid (Jean Wang) as well as
the Wong
family. Another not table performance is Fox played by Shun-Yee Yuen,
who
although is a subordinate of the corrupt governor, is also an honorable
man who
bends the rules when he can. The on-screen combat is fast and rhythmic
with
Yuen Woo Pings trademark wire work, though the air acrobatics are well
balanced
with grounded fighting, using empty hand as well as weapons. Comedy
both
physical and social play a large part in the picture but not too far
removed
from western sensibilities or understanding. The
characters, story, visuals
and combat are all balanced and complement
each other well. It never feels like performance or narrative is
repeatedly
sacrificed in order to get to the next fight. To say one more thing
about the
action, the final fight between the good guys and bad guys is one of
the most memorable
and environmentally interesting and dangerous I have ever seen, though
to know
why you will have to see for yourself, and I strongly suggest you do as
this is
one of the most entertaining and fun martial arts movies out there.
A little extra trivia of note;
although this film was originally
released in 1993 in Hong Kong and later dubbed with English (which by
the way
differs hilariously from the subtitles if you play them both), it was
after
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in 2000 that the film was re-released,
with new
subtitles and some promotion from Quentin Tarrantino, in the USA with
wider
success and is probably partly why the film is so fondly recognised
now. So if
you have missed this one so far, go seek it out. Iron Monkey is available
on 2-disc Ultimate Edition on DVD,
released by Cine-Asia.
 THE
RAID - REVIEW BY DREW
The
Raid (Serbuan Maut), 2011
Starring:
Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, Donny Alamsyah I
heard this film mentioned in reviews from across the pond (ie The
United
States) recently but because I had not noticed any real publicity over
here,
though honestly I barely watch television, I was doubtful it was going
to get
widespread UK theatrical release. I was pleasantly surprised to see the
local
complex presenting it in an admittedly small screen but showing
subtitled none
the less.
I
was very much looking forward to the experience because one of my
biggest
gripes, about a lot of recent cinema, is the over use of
computer
generated action as apposed to skilled stunt work. From what I have
heard the
production is very action heavy with real physical pain on display, I
could not
wait. A special police unit go to raid(I know, shocker!) a tower apartment block ruled by a notorious seemingly untouchable crime lord played by Ray Sahetapy. Leading the operation is the silver haired but shifty Wahyu(Pierre Gruno), leading the unit itself is the seasoned and honourable Jaka portrayed by Joe Taslim. We spend the majority of film following new rookie Rama played by the excellent Iko Uwais. The presence of fire arms from the very beginning may deter some of the more physical martial arts fans, but rest assured this is only a tempory safety blanket, as the team soon finds itself in an urban hell.
To
avoid spoiling the twists and turns of the plot, that's as much story
as I'm
giving out. Just know though there are a few plot points but the
majority of
the experience is action and peril. If we skip forward to the credits you may be impressed by the sheer number of stuntmen on the production, so many contributing to the thrills and the body-count, its the exact kind of thing the audiences needs in an age of false looking computer effects and generic, predictable action flicks, a great testament to the work of fight choreographers; Yayan Ruhian and Iko Uwais himself.
Of course even stunning stunt work can lose edge on screen if the leads are not up to that standard, fortunately the cast is superb. Mr. Uwais' role as our primary protagonist, the rookie cop Rama, is well acted and his skills are superbly executed on screen, then again what else would you expect from a champion Silat Demonstrator. All the other cast are excellent in their roles too. Of particular note to me are Mr. Taslim, Mr. Gruno and of course Yayan Ruhian as the violent and sadistic Mad Dog.
This is the first film in some time I have generally enjoyed and felt a part of in the cinema. The experience of watching the action on the big screen was fantastic, real action with real stunt talent. If I had only one minor complaint it would be the shaky cam, on few occasions while I was trying to follow the fight the focus seemed to shift away from some of the actual strikes, making me feel I was missing some thing. However these distractions were very few, and if anything the shaky cam gave the experience a kind of real, rough feel that complimented the setting perfectly.
Though
perhaps not as groundbreaking as Ong Bak was back in 2003, The Raid
certainly
has the same gritty hard hitting brutality about it. Excellent action
with a
good premise that kept me on the edge of my seat, a real cinematic
treat. Welsh
Director Gareth Evans has produced a fantastic cinematic gem and I hope
to see
more from him and Iko Uwais in future. D.
L. Drew LEGENDARY AMAZON - A REVIEW Legendary Amazons (2011) Starring: Cecilia Cheung,
Richie Jen, Liu
Xiaoqing Director: Frankie Chan Distributor: Cine-Asia
Quick name some women
martial arts stars, I'll wait... Done?
OK chances are you
may have thought Michelle Yeoh, Cynthia Rothrock or a more recent
example my be
Jeeja Yanin. Now name some male martial art stars. Yeah I'm not going
to reel
off some examples myself because should you follow the wonderful world
of
fighting flicks you could probably name a good few without effort. In
short,
warrior women have a somewhat less proportion of the cinematic
collection than
their male counterparts.
So
as luck would have it,
if any of you feel a little raw about that, we have a whole film
dedicated to
fighting females. In Legendary Amazons produced by the legendary Jackie
Chan we
have a tale of war set during ancient China's Song Dynasty.
We
follow the
events following the supposed defeat of the warrior Yang Zonbao(Richie
Jen).
His son Yang Wenguang(Xiao Ming Yu) is required by imperial edict to
take the
roll of marshall and lead the army in defence. Wenguang being the sole
surviving male of his clan, his mother Mu Guiying(Cecilia Cheung) and
the warrior
women of the Yang Clan vow to follow and protect him in battle against
the
invading barbarians.
That
is pretty much the
story there, minus a few spoilers. We are introduced early on to each
of the warriors
and their chosen style of fighting in text captions, many text
captions, each
of the fighters playing a role throughout the film, for example
Guiying's
chosen weapon is the Yangling broad sword. The fighting itself is very
well
done having been choreographed by Wu Bin a world renowned Wushu coach
with Jet
Li among his students. As can be expected from such a pedigree the
fighting is
very fast paced and flowing with rhythm and style.
There
is little hand to
hand combat, the action focusing mainly on each weapon of the ladies
choosing,
as well as some good horseback excitement. There are also interesting
visuals
presented in a few scenes of altered perception(one being a dream),
which use
colour and focus to bring about an otherworldly look.
The
story as I have stated
is basic but that does not need to be an issue given other factors.
The acting is very good
with some very dignified performances from charcters like Guiying,
Zonbao and
of course She Saihua played by legendary actress Pei-pei Cheng (whose
career
dates back to "Come Drink With Me" the 1966 kick starter of Wuxia
swordplay films, the precursor to martial arts movies). However
it is also in the
cast where one may find some issues. Not that they are bad, far from
it, its
just the cast is so huge it can be a challenge just keeping track of
everyone.
Now this could be interesting in a 3-hour epic chronicling the
struggles of
each character, unfortunately Legendary Amazons is only around 118
minutes,
even then when I hit the 41 minute mark I honestly felt only 20 minutes
had
passed.
This is sadly the biggest
problem of the film, it’s too short. Average length by usual
standards but the
main cast is so many that with the exception of a few we
barely
get to
know any of them. This lack of identification with the characters means
when
some of them are killed in battle, it barely moved me because
was
not
sure who she was exactly, it also does not help that they all have
shaven heads
and most become practically interchangeable. If there was a longer cut
made
available, with more character development rather than exposition
between the
fighting(which there is a lot of for you action fans), I would very
much like
to obtain that as it honestly feels like we are watching a severely
edited and
condensed serial. Standing
on its own merits,
it is a good film and entertaining enough to keep my attention. The
action is
fast and visually captivating and the production does emanate a kind of
excited
and positive energy. It also has scenes of tragedy, bonding and that
particular
kind of eastern humour, that may leave inexperienced western viewers
with a
sense of uneven tone between goofy and dark, though in itself quite
natural to
the Orient.
Final verdict: Despite
leaving me feeling somewhat uninvolved it is still entertaining and
visually
interesting enough to watch, having an extra hour or so wouldn't hurt
mind... D.
L. Drew
Legendary Amazons is out
now on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD. Extras
include: English
subtitles, audio commentary, trailer gallery and behind the scenes
features.
YAMADA: WAY OF THE SAMURAI
(2011)
My initial reaction being one of awesomeness, as I have recently been adding to my Chanbarra collection. I admit it was with some confusion that I noticed the audio of the film was in Thai, since Thailand is not the first place I think of when I think Samurai. Making the assumption this was Thailand's take on feudal Japan, I was quickly corrected in the opening text (hey I write about movies, not papers on logical deduction). The story is based on events in the 17th century during a time of Siamese/Japanese diplomatic relations, where there was a Japanese presence in what is now modern day Thailand. Yamada Nagamasa, a Japanese volunteer mercenary attached to the Japanese settlement in Siam, is sent on a mission to hunt down the bandits ravaging the countryside. Betrayed, he must seek refuge with the locals of Ayothaya, there he gradually becomes accepted by the community and learns their ways. OK you have heard this story before, we all have. The tale of the outsider assimilating into the natives is an archetypal and well used plot in many narratives(see; Dances with Wolves, Avatar and Last Samurai), what makes this version of the tale different is the very unique cultures of these particular people, and especially in comparing the fighting styles of the Samurai Sword and Muay Boran. Our star Seigi Ozeki displays the quiet restrained dignity of a nobleman and the swift deadliness of a bird of prey. The performances of the beautiful Champa, played by Kanokkorn Jaicheun(Miss World’s Thailand contestant 2007), and the mischievous child Krathin are excellent as is that of the warrior Khaam who emanates a strong and imposing presence throughout. At the centre of the film of course is Yamada combining the ways of his home to and of the land he has adopted, for his new found purpose in serving the King and the people. These merging ways culminating in combat combining the swift energy of the Samurai and the rhythmic power of the Thai Boxer, also manifesting in the symbolic sword of the film(you’ll have to see for yourself). However my only real complaints unfortunately also come from the fighting. Now the choreography itself is great, the combat cinematography is great, there are just certain editing decisions I find questionable. There are certain scenes where it appears to have had a few frames of film removed, this does give the impression of impact and speed in those shots, which is effective if seemingly slightly overused in some parts, leaving me feel more like my DVD was jumping. That’s just a minor pick though. My real issue is what I consider my personal enemy in martial arts movies, inappropriate use of CGI. Now as I have said the fights are brutal and well choreographed, there are only a few instances of computer generated interference during the sword scenes in particular, but for someone who holds films like ONG BAK (a breakthrough film for Thai martial arts cinema and proudly made without CG-violence) in such regard as the absolute best in action film, those few scenes of digitally added stabbing just really stand out to me, especially where practical effects could have been used. My favorite sword fighting scenes actually take place at night and although for much of it things are in shadow, you can still see the fast slicing combat, and in my humble opinion you can still portray the cut of a blade, without actually explicitly showing it. Anyway that’s my only real problem with it, and chances are it would not bother many if not most people. What I will take from this film the most though are the stunning visuals. The Ayothaya setting and the surrounding environment is just breathtakingly beautiful; the physical geography of the land itself, the traditional settlements, the temples and even the composition of the scenes. Everything looks so warm and natural that it is hard to think that cold technology helped form these frames. The land is like a work of art and the sounds are in harmony with the sights. I will be wanting this soundtrack by the way. The story
may seem cliché, though in fairness this is based on a true
story so it may be among the originals. The occasional editing choice
may boil my blood, and the film despite hitting the 1 and ½
hour
mark, still feels a little short for me(I wanted to see more). Never
the less Yamada: Way of The Samurai is a unique venture and another
interesting addition to both Samurai and Thai Action Cinema.
Young
Bruce Lee (2010) Hmm, a Bruce Lee biopic. Last time I saw one of those was 1993's hilarious Bob Cohen film "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story" starring Jason Scott Lee. In that film we discovered the book The Tao of Jeet Kun Do was released before Bruce filmed The Big Boss, and not left incomplete at the time of his death like in our reality. Oh, and the Demon, don't forget the demon curse Lee was fighting. The film was obviously more well informed than the biographies I've owned. Anyway the film I'll be talking/writing about this morning is the recent "Young Bruce Lee" DVD from Cine Asia.The film is based on the book "Bruce Lee: My Brother" by Robert(Bruce's brother) Lee. So judging by that at least we have some expectation of realism. Fortunately for my investigative impulses I have on hand a copy of Bruce Thomas' excellent Lee biography "Bruce Lee: Fighting Spirit". So I have my sources, the big downstairs T.V. and a preview copy of the DVD at the ready, LETS GO! The movie appropriately begins with the birth of the Little-Dragon in 1940's San Fransisco. Virtually straight away I recognise the mother is played by Christy Chung, who I just about fell in love with in the film "Tai Je Quan"(1996). I have to say Christy Cheung's portrayal of Grace Lee is probably my favourite role this entire film, followed closely by Tony Leung Ka Fai as Bruce's father Lee Hoi-Chuen. What some fans of Bruce may forget is that his father was himself a popular performer in the opera. Much of the film is more about Hoi-Chuen and the family dynamics than just his famous son. Through the first part of the movie we see small snippets of the years during the Japanese occupation and Bruce's early childhood. What I really love about these scenes, and repeatedly throughout the film, are the subtle touches. The child actors are great as the Lee siblings, Bruce Lee's especially, you get a sense of his impulsiveness, confidence and courtesy even as a child. I have read one of the biographies, which I'm in the process of re-reading, and what I really loved was seeing the Lee family apartment on screen having imagined descriptions. Later on of course we get the teenage Bruce played by relative newcomer Aarif Rahman. To get back to the subtleties I enjoy, Mr. Rahman effectively channels the mannerisms of Mr. Lee on screen. The confidence, the pointed finger and the energy he projects. There are many instances where events in what I've read are referenced on screen: his starring role in the "Orphan", his training with legendary Sifu Yip Man and the street gangs of Hong Kong, including his own Tigers.
I
don't want to give too much away of the story. Technically I can say without hyperbole that this may be the most beautifully shot film I have ever seen.The cinematography (kudos to Jason Kwan) is gorgeous. The visuals of the 1950's summer seems to glow warmly through the screen. Speaking of the 50's there's a rock and rolling soundtrack and the costume and set design is flawless, though I've heard the dollars used were anachronistic. The acting is top notch and the story moves along at a steady pace. I was enjoying the summer scenery a little too much and didn't want the mood to change. Alas it did, and the last quarter of the film delved into tragedy. Its usually about this point I would talk about the fighting, well this is not really a fight flick in that sense. There is combat, mainly towards the end of the movie, and it is well put together, but the focus of the movie is not so much on the martial art, as it is the artist. If it is not apparent yet by my heaping praise, I loved this film. Sure I am a Bruce Lee fan anyway, but whats really great and surprising about this production is that you could take Bruce Lee out of it, replace him with an unknown character, and it would still be a damn good movie. The film is not so much about a legendary star as it is about family, friendship, show business and life in 1950's Hong Kong. The film may not be 100%accuratete, though to be honest the only thing I noticed was changing at least one of the characters names(I have not read the book by Robert Lee which the film is based on, so I can't comment on anything else). This
is a MUST SEE for any fan's of Bruce Lee or just the world of Hong Kong
Cinema in general. An excellent effort and combination oelementsts with
little to find fault in. SEE IT NOW!
Starring
Andy Lau  OK
Confession time. I was supposed to have this reviewed months ago. I
even had an
advanced preview copy of this and the next article, but I messed up,
got lazy
and now I have fallen behind on many fronts. There
is
a good chance many of you already have this release now, and if you
don't, then
it is now my job to order you to BUY IT! OK,
you
don't have to take orders from me but hear me out, there are reasons to
why you
should be excited. Firstly
this film is directed by a Mr Tsui Hark, a name you should be familier
with
considering that he is arguably one of the most controversial and
successful
directors to come from the Hong Kong film industry (Once Upon a Time in
China
anyone?). Second
we have Sammo Hung on the action, who apart from his own prolific
acting and
behind the scenes career recently had success for choreography in the
Ip Man
movies. Thirdly
we have the cast. Not only do we have Andy Lau, we have a sublime
supporting
cast. Carina Lau as the Empress, Li Bing Bing as her right hand woman,
Chao
Deng as the equally brilliant detective Pei Donglai and not to mention
guest
star Tony Leung Ka Fai. You may have noticed I've talked more of the
cast and
crew of the production rather than the story itself. Well for the sake
of those
who have not yet seen it I'll try not to spoil too much.
The
story is set in ancient That's
about all I'm giving away. The real joy of the viewing experience is
the
intrigue in both the mystery and the agendas of the characters. Being
drawn
into a mystery where you are never sure what turns will be taken is a
rare
thing, mix that with great entertainment, even rarer. A western
comparison may
be Guy Richies' Sherlock Holmes, it certainly is in that same vein. Oh,
and I
would not be forgiven if I omitted the fact this film won six
categories at the
Prestigious 30th Hong Kong Film Awards, I'm just saying. Though I don't
want to
necessarily sound like I'm saying this film has appeal for everyone. Of
course it's a Martial Arts movie, but there are different kinds of
Martial Arts
movie with different selling points. If for example you're more of a
fan of the
brutal bone-crunching action of Bruce Lee, Sonny Chiba or Tony Jaa,
then this
may not be a film for you. That's not to say the action is not good,
its just
more of the exaggerated fanciful styles of films like Iron Monkey or
Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Visually stunning but with more bending the laws
of
physics than realistic grounded fighting. On the
flip side of course, if you loved films like Iron Monkey and Once Upon
a Time
in China (basically a lot of Yuen Woo Ping's and Tsui Hark's work) for
the
action, the visuals and the entertainment, then you'll probably love
this too.
I hope there will be a sequel. REVIEW ON CLASSIC - "DRUNKEN MASTER" Drunken
Master/Jui Kuen (1978) The film begins with the main villain. The audio-dubbing refers to him as "Thunder Leg", while the subtitles refer to him as "Thunder Kick". Since I'm an advocate of the titles we'll go with Thunder Kick, who proclaims himself as "30pc hands. 70pc legs". This
Hitman
inspires
a serious sense of foreboding from the get go. If he does not
intimidate you,
then you should be aware that the man portraying him, popular screen
villain
Hwang Jang Lee, is a 7th degree Black Belt in Taekwondo. If he still
does not
seem threatening then you may also be interested to know he reportedly
killed
an opponent in a duel while training Korean troops in With the opening titles gone by we hear the old Chinese song ""On the Generals Orders" to remind us that this is a Wong Fei Hung film as it features in probably every Fei Hung movie (and is an amazingly catchy tune). So who is Wong Fei Hung? A few of you may ask. I will probably do an entire article on him at some point but the very short answer is: revered folk hero embodying the highest ideals and strength with dignity, though in this film his portrayal by Jackie Chan is that of a young boisterous rebel long before he matured into the Sifu he is renowned as. From
the
moment we see the young Wong he is
pulling
poses, making fools of his seniors and tricking girls into his arms.
The
revelation of the victim of that trickery makes some good awkward
comedy later. Though reckless Fei Hung is still a good soul using his skills to stop thugs stealing from a humble father and son. This of course manifests as one of the trademark fights of the film. The choreography is genius. Yuen Woo Ping's direction combined with Chan's performance bring together the art of combat and perfect comic timing, amusing yet still realistic looking in execution. Fei
Hung just
toy's with his opponent, tormenting him, contorting him and even
fending off
his blades with vegetables. In the end he retrieves the money and pays
the old
seller and his manly voiced son, I say this because there is no way the
English
dubbing for the kid was done by a boy of the same age. Oh,
and
speaking about the dubbing, was the name "Wong Fei Hung" considered
too hard for the English speaking audiences of the 70's and 80's to
comprehend?
They dub our protagonist as "Freddie Wong". Anyway all this action is
merely an appetiser to the main course. Tired of his son getting into
trouble,
the equally legendary Wong Kai Yin (dubbed annoyingly as "Robert
Wong") sends for the help of the infamous Beggar So to discipline Fei
Hung. Again, I don't want too spoil the first meeting between the
rebellious
youth and the "Sadistic" but skilled drunken master, but trust me its
worth seeing. The character of Beggar So is also something of a famous figure in Hong Kong cinema, with inspired creations turning up in other films. He is played here by Siu Tien Yuen (also known as Simon Yuen) the founder of the legendary stunt team: The Yuen Clan, one of the most influential cinematic action groups in the world, whose father is also to renowned choreographer and director of this film Yuen Woo Ping. The
Beggar So
delights in tormenting Fei Hung. Each regime he
imposes
being tough and demoralizing, pushing Fei Hung to attempt numerous
escapes and
being repeatedly foiled. The trials are extravagant and genuinely
painful
looking and you wonder how any other performer, not Opera trained like
Chan and
Yuen, would cope with such demands, and if you are not aware, Chinese
Opera
shares little in common with its western counterpart. Ultimately
it is humiliation through defeat in that brings Fei Hung around to more
willingly subject himself to his Drunken Master's tutelage. Gaining
some common
ground So finally introduces Fei Hung to the fighting styles of the 8
"Drunken Gods", the mastery of self control in combat while being
more that a little bit tipsy, so it would seem there is actually a
valid reason
why So is always at the wine. The demonstrations are surprisingly
effective
looking, though I would not advise attempting such actions on your next
pub
crawl. As you probably expect events conspire to bring the young Fei
Hung
against the hitman ThunderKick in deadly combat. The application of Fei
Hung's
new found "Drunk Kung Fu" is a spectacle not to be missed right up
until
the abrupt ending. Spoilers:
The Good Guy wins. Then again if he didn’t we would probably
have a lot less
Wong Fei Hung movies, and that would be a shame. Very much like Enter The Dragon, Drunken Master is one of those renowned classics of the genre every Kung Fu fan is almost expected to see, and its not just about its legend and its nostalgic value. Watching the film again for the purpose of this review, it’s wonderful to experience how this entertaining production has endured well over all these years since 1978. Interestingly
enough
Jackie Chan
himself has grown somewhat regretful of the apparent glorification of
alcoholism
in Drunken Master, as stated in a recent interview he feels he was not
a good
role model in that performance. Though some people including myself get
a
little put off by his typecasting as a clownish character in many of
his films,
I think we are all in agreement that he is undoubtedly dedicated to his
craft.
I think we can also agree that with his combination of rigorous skill
and
physical comedy expressing itself as its own art form, 1978's Drunken
Master
still kicks ass. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to find my wine... D.L. Drew BOOK REVIEW ON CHINESE MOVIES Once upon a time in China, A Guide to Hong Kong, Taiwanese and Mainland Chinese Cinema Author: Jeff
Yang
DREW: Here's something a little different for the literary minded of Kung Fu Flick fans. Through the last winter I had contracted something nasty for a couple of weeks. I had ordered from Amazon.co.uk this little work and read it trying to keep my mind of the nausea. This book is of course "Once upon a time in China" by Jeff Yang, author of Eastern Standard Time. No, it is not the novelisation of Jet Li's and Tsui Hark's excellent interpretation of the Wong Fei Hung legend. The book, as it says on the cover, is "A Guide to Hong Kong, Taiwanese, and Mainland Chinese Cinema". Mr Yang sure knows his subject and is obviously very passionate though by his own admission there is so much material that the book is "Limited by its size". Volumes upon volumes could and have been written about this fascinating area of the global film experience. This book can be best described as a brief introduction to the many facets of collective Chinese cinema. Starting from humble beginnings in Shanghai, through the highs and lows of the turbulent last century and finally into the new millennium, though I should point out the book is nearly 10 years old so it's not quite up to date but that's hardly an issue. The real joy and fascination brought by this text is the history. The story of Chinese cinema is no simple tale. Originally a medium looked down upon by high brow society, the industry developed into a great way to bring entertainment to the massess, who otherwise would not have witnessed such spectacle because of their station in life. The studio's themselves would become their own arena's for ambition, political conflict, artistic triumph and tragedy, like the sad tale of Ruan Lingyu who took her own life at the height of her fame. The book of course is not about the Martial Arts genre, not entirely anyway. In fact to think that Kung Fu is all Chinese cinema has to offer would be a great mistake. I may have originally bought this book with the idea of background research for my own film reviews, I came away from it with a much greater appreciation of the film world, as well as an expanded "to find and watch" list. The book is blissfully easy to follow and not at all like a heavy academic piece. The chapters follow a chronological order from the late 1800's to the present (well 2003). The text is inter spaced in parts by photo images as well as case studies on significant individuals, themes and other aspects of screen magic. The book is divided into two sections. The first 134 pages is the guide and history part of the text. Then pages 135-269 are a collection of capsule reviews, which I admit I have deliberately chosen not to read too much of, except for films I have already seen, so I can watch them without having already been given an opinion. The remaining 20 pages include a FAQ section, links to useful websites (with the exception of this one of course, well it was 2003), as well as further reading. Perhaps if your interest in martial arts cinema is purely in the practical performance, then this may not be for you. However if you have an interest in the behind the scenes work and the wider world of Chinese cinema, then this may be the just the right place to start. D. L. Drew VIDEO
REVIEW OF ONG BAK
Starring: Tony Jaa Director: Prachya Pinkaew Production Company: Sahamongkol Film
|
There is a pretty basic plot behind
events. Various parties in old
China are after some gold, some to protect it and others to steal it.
However
even this basic premise I kept forgetting about while watching due to
the
multiple, but un-captivating interwoven sub-plots. There is so
much
happening in this film, but so little are the threads developed that we
(me and
my friends) could not get invested in the film at all towards the end,
and in fact started making referential jokes about
a much
better film during the last half. Yes, I know you want to kick me in
the nuts
for talking (of course not too loudly) in the cinema, but its our
natural
defence mechanism when what's on screen begins to repel our
interest.
