Month: December 2014

Released: July 2011(China)

Movie Trailer

Director: Peter Ho-Sun Chan

Run Time: 98 Minutes(American Release)

Rated R

Cast:
Donnie Yen: Liu Jin-Xi
Takeshi Kaneshiro: Detective Xu Bai-Ju
Wei Tang: Ah Yu
Yu Wang(Jimmy Wang Yu): The Master

Of all the genre’s in film that I enjoy, there is one sub-genre of action that has always appealed to me: Martial arts.  I grew up watching Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan movies as did many people.  Like many people, Lee and Chan were my inspiration for taking up martial arts myself.  There’s a number of reasons why I love martial arts movies.  It is absolutely amazing to see what the human body is capable of.  Yeah, some of these films utilize wires and special effects, but the way some of these actors move can only be accomplished by someone who has been trained as a martial artist.  There is a sub-genre within the martial arts film world called wuxia.  Literally translated, wuxia means “martial hero.”  While the term wuxia is actually fairly new, stories about Chinese heroes goes back over 2,000 years, so it’s not a new kind of story.  In the film world, wuxia films generally take place in during the time when China was an empire.  A hero in the wuxia world generally comes from a lower class citizenship and serves no lord.  He or she fights for righteousness, removing tyrants and bringing retribution for past misdeeds.  There are a lot of wuxia movies out there right now.  Among the finest are the Once Upon a Time In China films starring Jet Li, 2000’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Hero.  One of the largest characteristics of a wuxia film is its fantasy setting which incorporates the use of wires during action sequences, giving the action a very exaggerated yet spectacular flair.  For some people, a lot of wuxia films are just too similar.  Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon didn’t garner much attention in China, because they see those movies all the time.  A few years back, a nifty little kung-fu movie came out which changed things up a little bit.

Set in the backdrop of the waning days of the Qing Dynasty, Wu Xia follows a man by the name Liu Jin-Xi, as he makes his way to a nearby village as a paper-maker.  Shortly after, his shop is attacked by two high-way robbers.  An ensuing scuffle ends up with the two robbers dead and Jin-Xi with just barely a scratch.  A local detective, Xu Bai-Ju, is brought in to ascertain what had happened.  After interviewing Jin-Xi and inspecting the crime scene, Bai-Ju comes to the conclusion that only a skilled martial artist was capable of killing the two robbers who happened to be trained killers themselves.  Suspecting Jin-Xi of being that martial artist, Bai-Ju follows Jin-Xi around observing him and his behavior.  As it turns out, Jin-Xi may not be the person that everyone thinks he is.

One of the first things I noticed was that we see the opening fight scene happen twice.  Once as it was actually taking place and when it was being analyzed by the detective.  When it first happens, we see Donnie Yen’s character just grab a hold of one of the assailants while he’s being swung around.  It’s pretty funny actually.  When we see Takeshi Kaneshiro’s character analyze the situation, we see the fight differently.  Instead of the bumbling oafishness that Jin-Xi described, what actually happened was that the two robbers never had a chance.  We see Jin-Xi for the martial artist that he is, and it is spectacular.  That brings me to interesting observation:  There really aren’t a whole lot of fight scenes in the movie.  Odd, isn’t it?  This is a movie starring Donnie Yen, one of the greatest martial arts actors of the past 3 decades and it only has 3 fight scenes?  Here’s the thing: Wu Xia is just as much a kung-fu movie as it is a police procedural drama.  One could say that this is CSI: Qing Dynasty.  You wouldn’t necessarily be wrong.  There’s a lot of elements in the film which look like they have been borrowed from CSI.  That makes it fairly unique, because this isn’t just a straight-up fight movie.  There’s more to it than that.  While there only three big action set pieces in the film, each one is hard-hitting and brutal.

Donnie Yen, who I would consider to be my favorite martial arts actor today, not only serves as the main actor, but is also the action director and fight choreographer.  Instead of utilizing MMA-style fighting like he has in some of previous films, Yen opts for a more traditional kung-fu style of fighting.  Make no mistake about it, Donnie Yen is fast.  In fact, I would consider him to be one of the fastest martial artists in the world.  His choreography is unique and very elegant and spectacular, especially when he takes on the two assassins.  But that’s not only his real contribution to the movie.  Wu Xia also gives Donnie Yen room to flex his acting chops, and he does extraordinarily well.  His character is not only a husband and father, but when faced with revealing what he is capable of, Yen really gives Jin-Xi a very sympathetic quality.  Takeshi Kaneshiro is the detective with a past of his own, but is sworn to uphold the law no matter what.  The character is very detail-oriented, and he has a way of correctly deducing what happens in situations that involve Jin-Xi.  It’s kind of a cat-and-mouse game between the two characters, and it’s not only humorous at times, it’s also very compelling and convincing.  Kaneshiro is just absolutely fantastic.  So, who’s the villain of the film?  He’s simply known as The Master, the leader of the  72 Demons, a bloodthirsty gang.  The Master is played by the legendary Jimmy Wang Yu who’s known for his role in The One-Armed Swordsman and Master of the Flying Guillotine.  He’s got the physical presence and stature to be a fantastic villain, and while he doesn’t appear that often in the film, he’s memorable and ruthless.

If there’s really a downside to the film, it’s that there is only 3 real fight scenes, but each sequence serves a purpose and helps drive the story forward.  There’s definitely some wire-fu in here, so for people used to seeing martial artists like Tony Jaa, Scott Adkins, and Tim Man do their stuff without wires, this may be a little off-putting, but I feel it’s appropriate, because it’s a wuxia movie at it’s core.  It’s a surprisingly thoughtful and well-made film that attempts to add something different to the kung fu formula.  Donnie Yen is one of the go to guys for martial arts movies, because he’s extremely talented.  Not only is he a fantastic martial artist, but he’s a pretty damn good actor too.  That’s a rare combination to find.  When it’s all said and done, Dragon(Wu Xia) is a very solid film in every respect.  It’s got humor, great acting, a compelling story and some awesome action sequences that will satisfy most kung-fu junkies.  I’m giving this one a 9/10.  Highly recommended.

Released: March 2010

Directors: Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders

Run Time: 98 Minutes

Rated PG

Cast:
Jay Baruchel: Hiccup
Gerard Butler: Stoic
Craig Ferguson: Gobber
America Ferrera: Astrid
Jonah Hill: Snotlout

Animated pictures have been a staple of cinema for decades.  From Disney’s old hand-drawn films like Snow White to fully CGI-animated pictures like Toy Story and Wall-E, we have seen animation change and evolve throughout the years.  Sometimes, the best stories and films are the animated ones.  I say that, because with animation, there is no limit to the human imagination.  You can come up with something fairly realistic, or go totally over the edge crazy.  While we saw a combination of hand-drawn animation and cg in films like Beauty And The Beast, and Aladdin, it wasn’t until 1995’s Toy Story that we got our first fully CG film.  Today, the technology has gotten to the point where it almost looks like the hand-drawn films of old.  Disney’s Tangled is one such movie.  In 2010, Dreamworks Animation Studion released a film based on a children’s book entitled, How To Train Your Dragon.

How To Train Your Dragon takes place on the Viking island of Berk, where it snows 9 months out of the year and hails the other three.  It seems like the biggest pests they’ve got is dragons, so the Vikings have trained to kill dragons.  That’s pretty much their lot in life.  Except for one: Hiccup.  The smallest of the Vikings, Hiccup can’t throw an axe or do anything that most Vikings are able to do.  He has an imagination and is an inventor.  So when the village comes under attack from dragons, Hiccup gets an opportunity to test his newest contraption.  While everyone else is fighting the dragons, Hiccup uses the opportunity to sneak out of the blacksmith’s shop and actually manages to to take down a mysterious Night Fury, a dragon that no one has ever been able to see or kill.  Sadly, his escapade goes unnoticed because he inadvertently interferes with battle, causing the captured dragons to go free.  Stoic, the head Viking and Hiccup’s father gets Gobber to take Hiccup home, not believing Hiccup.  Sneaking out of the house, Hiccup manages to find the Night Fury and befriends the dragon.

I never thought I would see a movie that had so much…personality.  How To Train Your Dragon is one of the most visually unique and touching movies that I have ever seen.  In some ways, it’s a kind of a coming-of-age kind of story where Hiccup is trying to find his place among his peers, and fails often hilariously.  For an animated film, Dragon has a surprising amount of depth and heart to the whole endeavor.  We have Hiccup, who’s trying to make his mark.  There’s Stoic who is the head-strong leader of the Viking community and Gobber, the sarcastic blacksmith who happens to be missing an arm and a leg.  He also has a rock for a tooth.  I wasn’t lying when I said this movie had personality.  Each of the characters in the film has a very unique personality attached to it.  What helps is the voice talent which really brings out those qualities.  I will say that I do not believe a Viking should be without a Scottish accent.  Gerard Butler goes full on with his natural accent and gives Stoic a very strong yet vulnerable stature.  Butler has become one of my favorite actors over the past several years because he’s very flexible as an actor.  Allowing him to just use his voice for a character frees him up to be the tough guy he portrays in his movies.  Comedian Craig Ferguson is a riot as Gobber.  In the toughest and life-threatening situations, this guy always finds a way to lighten the mood, and Ferguson delivers every line with that awesome Scottish snark.  Jay Baruchel has become one of the most unique actors in the industry because his talent seems so natural.  He brings his trademark deadpan humor to the role which makes Hiccup genuine and a very relatable character.  Every actor associated with this movie brings their A-game.  I’ve never been a big fan of Jonah Hill, but he’s absolutely hilarious as Snotlout.  Astrid is a very strong female character who tries to be the best but gets sabotaged by Hiccup’s clumsiness.  America Ferrera gives a fiery performance that rivals some of the best female characters in film.

The whole personality thing isn’t just for the human characters.  The dragons in How To Train Your Dragon are some of the most unique creatures I have ever seen.  They are of all varying sizes and shapes, and each one also has it’s own personality.  The one that steals the show is Toothless, the Night Fury.  The creature, while obviously a reptile, has some very unique qualities.  Toothless is probably one of the most expressive characters in film.  The way he’s animated kind of reminds you of a cat or dog.  Toothless is extraordinarily detailed.  His eyes will go from a slit-pupil showing that he’s angry to big and round showing that he’s curious and trusting.  The relationship between Toothless and Hiccup is one of kinship.  Hiccup sees a little bit of himself in Toothless, and as the movie progresses, their bond gets stronger.  You can’t help but like these characters.  They are absolutely unique and colorful and helps the movie stand out from the rest.  One of the most important characteristics of an animated film is its writing.  How To Train Your Dragon is surprisingly well-written and clever.  The way each character relates to one another is amazing.  The movie is genuinely funny.  It’s also a very thrilling film.   There’s a lot exciting scenes here.  One of the best is when Hiccup is riding Toothless for the first time.  It is intense.  The final battle is nothing short of epic, but I won’t spoil it for you.  The action is awesome with humor thrown in, which makes the movie that much more compelling.  The musical score by John Powell gives the film  it’s unique sense of playfulness and excitement.  I have the soundtrack, it’s that good.

There are scenes in the film which may be kind of scary for the youngsters, hence its PG rating.  In conclusion though, this is a film for everyone to enjoy.  It’s heartwarming.  It’s funny and its exciting.  It’s a perfect combination with some of the best animation that DreamWorks Animation Studios has delivered to this point.  It’s become a very popular film that has various spin-offs and sequel that’s already available on home video.  If you have a Blu-Ray player and an HDTV, I highly recommend getting the Blu-Ray version of the film.  The detail is amazing right down the hair strands.  I don’t think I can recommend How To Train Your Dragon enough.  It’s a great ride from beginning to end, and it has something for everyone.  9/10 is my final verdict.

Released: May 1983

Director: Richard Marquand

Run Time: 134 Minutes

Rated PG

Cast:
Mark Hamill: Luke Skywalker
Harrison Ford: Han Solo
Carrie Fisher: Leia
Billy Dee Williams: Lando Calrissian
David Prowse/James Earl Jones: Darth Vader
Ian McDiarmid: The Emperor
Alec Guinness: Obi-Wan Kenobi

When Star Wars was released in 1977, it sent shock-waves throughout the entertainment industry.  Nobody had ever seen a movie like this before.  Influenced by 1930 serials and Akira Kurosawa films, Star Wars had the perfect balance between humor, action and intelligence.  It was a fairly smart movie that came out of nowhere and took the world by storm.  George Lucas changed the way movies were made with that one movie.  He felt that the methods and technology at the time weren’t really good enough for what he had envisioned, so he crafted his own.  Nobody had used the camera the way George did or used models the way he did.  The result, along with an amazing musical score by John Williams, was a movie that became a phenomenon.  It shattered records and won several Oscars.  In 1980, the follow-up film, The Empire Strikes Back was released.  To everyone’s surprise it actually ended up being a better film than the original.  It took the best elements of Star Wars and dialed it up.  It was a darker and more mature film.  It was proof that a sequel could outdo the original film in every possible way.  In 1983, a third and final film would bring the epic saga to a close.  Return of the Jedi was released, and while it wasn’t as good as the first two, it was still an amazing film in its own right and gave the audience a very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy.

Return of the Jedi begins on Luke Skywalker’s home planet of Tatooine as R2-D2 and C3PO are making their way to the palace of the notorious gangster, Jabba The Hutt.  They’ve been sent by Luke Skywalker to secure the release of Han Solo, who was given to the bounty hunter Boba Fett in Empire Strikes Back.  Infiltrating the gangster’s hideout is Leia, who after freeing Han from his carbonite prison, is enslaved by Jabba.  Enter Luke who attempts to negotiate the release of Han but ends up being tossed into a pit with a ravenous monster.  Killing the monster, Luke and his allies are taken to the Dune Sea.  They are to be thrown to the Sarlacc, a voracious monster that lives in the desert.  Successfully rescuing his allies and killing Jabba, Luke makes his way back to Degobah to resume his training under Jedi Master Yoda.  At the same time, The Emperor is paying a visit to his new Death Star which is still under construction.  He plots with Darth Vader to turn Luke to the dark side of the Force and destroy the Rebel Alliance once and for all.

When Darth Vader revealed that he was Luke’s father, it shocked audiences to their core.  The most evil villain is the hero’s father?  Nobody saw that coming.  Most of the crew and cast members had no idea.  It was a well-kept secret.  It’s regarded as one of the most surprising twists in a movie.  Because of that, there’s a lot more at stake than just freeing the galaxy from the Empire’s rule in Return of the Jedi.  Luke believes that there is still some good left in his father, and he wants to save him.  The film gives a little more background on who Darth Vader used to be before he fell to the dark side.  His name was Anakin Skywalker and was regarded not only as one of the greatest pilot in the galaxy but was also one of the most powerful Jedi that had ever lived.  Return of the Jedi has a twist of its own: Leia is Luke’s sister.  Unfortunately, you can’t really look at Empire Strikes Back the same way again.  Now that you know that Leia is a Skywalker, seeing her kiss Luke in the previous film comes across as a little creepy.  One of the big things that makes these movies work are the characters, and that’s where the Original Trilogy shines.  The characters are unique and compelling.  Luke may have come off as a little whiny in the first two movies, but he wasn’t unbearable.  In fact, in Return of the Jedi, he’s a Jedi and he’s behaving like it.  Mark Hamill’s performance is fantastic.  Now, you can’t forget Harrison Ford as Han Solo.  I don’t know if there’s anything I can say about Harrison Ford that hasn’t already been said.  He’s one of my favorite actors, and he’s headlined two of the biggest movie series in history.  Han Solo isn’t as much of a rogue in Return of the Jedi as he was in the original, but he’s still awesome.  Carrie Fisher is a revelation as Leia.  She’s actually given a lot more to do in this one, both emotionally and physically.  Fisher balances Leia’s strengths with her vulnerabilities with ease, making for an incredibly compelling performance.  Billy Dee Williams IS Lando Calrissian.  He’s as charming as ever, but also given more responsibility.  One of the new characters is The Emperor played by Ian McDiarmid.  We finally get to meet the brains behind the Empire.  McDiarmid is one of the most underrated actors of his generation.  He knows how to play a bad guy, and The Emperor is a vicious son of a gun.  He’s a Sith Lord and master of the dark side.  He and Darth Vader are responsible for the near-extinction of the Jedi Order and the destruction of the Old Republic.

These are story-driven movies, so it also helps to have the story drive the action.  The action in the film is simply put: Epic.  Luke’s rescue of Han Solo towards the beginning of the film show’s the character’s growth as a Jedi.  He’s far more comfortable with it and a lot more powerful, and we get to see what Luke can do as a Jedi.  The scene is reminiscent of the old pirate movies where people are boarding each other’s ships.  It’s very much a swashbuckling adventure at this point.  It’s not just Luke that gets to show off, but Leia gets to show what she’s made of too.  Leia was NEVER your typical damsel-in-distress.  She could always handle herself.  It’s the climactic battle between the Rebels and the Empire that’s the centerpiece of Return of the Jedi.  It’s actually three different battles taking place at the same time.  The first is the war on Endor where the Ewoks are involved.  The Ewoks are kind of a divisive subject even today.  People often compare the Ewoks to The Phantom Menace’s Gungans.  I don’t think that’s a fair comparison, because the Ewoks are furry and somewhat adorable.  The Gungans?  Not so much.  It is kind of silly to see storm-troopers get pelted with arrows.  But it’s still an exciting sequence.  The next one is the gigantic space battle.  Take the space battle from the original film and crank it up to a thousand.  It’s one of the best battle sequences I’ve ever seen, and it’s done without CG.  It’s incredible thrilling because you get to see the battle from the pilots’ perspective.  It’s crazy-awesome.  The last one is the lightsaber duel between Vader and Luke.  People argue that the lightsaber battles from the Prequel Trilogy are better.  In terms of choreography, I would agree.  When it comes to pushing the story and focusing on the characters, the Original Trilogy has the upper hand.  When Luke fought Vader in Empire Strikes Back, he was fighting his father’s killer.  In Jedi, he’s fighting his father.  It’s far more personal then any of the other duels in the series.  This is a father and son fighting it out.  The choreography is still solid.  It’s probably my favorite lightsaber duel ever.

The film isn’t perfect however.  The one character that people really thought was cool was Boba Fett, the bounty hunter.  He isn’t given much screen time, but he is pretty awesome.  Unfortunately, he goes out like a punk.  That’s not very becoming of one of the galaxy’s most notorious bounty hunters.  The other issue is the musical number that George Lucas thought would be funny to have.  It’s not.  It’s irritating.  The Special Editions make it worse with poorly-done CG and ham-fisted delivery.  Stuff like that doesn’t belong in Star Wars.  One of the most egregious additions to the Original Trilogy happened for the initial DVD release of the films.  This a spoiler alert, so if you haven’t seen the film, unlikely, stop reading.  You still here?  Good.  In the DVD release, the ghost of Anakin Skywalker was initially played by Sebastian Shaw.  For the DVD release, he was digitally replaced by Hayden Christiansen, the actor who played the actor in Episodes II and III of the Prequel Trilogy.  George Lucas’s explanation for that is that Anakin was fairly young when he fell to the dark side, and Anakin essentially died when that happened.  It’s a retarded explanation to be honest, and quite frankly it was a needless addition to what is otherwise a very solid finale.  I tend to be a bit more forgiving of these additions, but I can understand why people prefer the pre-Special Edition films.  Return of the Jedi gets a strong 8.5/10.  The whole trilogy gets a perfect 10/10, simply because it is one of the best trilogies out there.

On a side note, I’m writing on Christmas Day, so I hope everybody has had a safe and happy holiday.  So, happy holidays and be safe out there.