I'll try my best to make this a brief warning for both fans of Chow Yun-Fat and films in general. Bulletproof Monk is not the film for either of you.
Bulletproof Monk is movie that wants to be about martial arts coolness, and just can't pull it off. Chow Yun-Fat can be as stylish as he wants, but if the director can't film him, then his art is lost to the viewer. Paul Hunter cannot direct action, if this film is evidence. The film's most stylish scene in this "martial arts film", is a massive and likely producer John Woo inspired, Replacement Killers knock-off. I'll just say this, peaceful monk Chow Yun atop a car with dual pistols. You can figure the rest out, I would imagine. Seann William Scott and Jamie (no longer James) King quite clearly, from the way the film was shot, could not come close enough to being able to pull off their choreography to be filmed doing it. The result is the typical American pop cinema fight scene that consists of rough, jagged jump cuts that hint at action, rather than display it.
On the plus side, Chow Yun-Fat is charming and likable in his role. He obviously is enjoying himself and Scott is inviting. The two have a breezy and attractive chemisty and some genuinely humerous moments together. However, some buddy karma does not a quality flick make.
The film is smattered with scenes that are at once confusing and entirely unneeded for the plot of the film. And some odd production elements, as in, late in the film when, I swear to you, they forgot a sound effect. I won't say much beyond this: they're sneaking into a building and make a distraction by throwing a rock that, near as I can tell, never lands.
On a final note, the villains are where the movie really falls apart. They're Nazis, okay. And that's cool. Every Indiana Jones fan loves seeing a Nazi get his- but come on, really. The villain's lair is archaic and clunky in its old comic-book styling that is totally out of place and Nina, the villainesse of the film, is a laughable caricature of a female character. No self respecting actress would accept this part, trust me. Ask any real feminist, she'll tell you. Nina's character manages to be at once needlessly and mindlessly evil, without a shred of motivation for her actions, but she is at the same time hypersexualized. Someone on this crew seems to have had issues with Mommy.
Bulletproof Monk is a movie about opposing forces. Well, I'm still waiting for the stylish film yin to this disappointing clunker's yang.
Bulletproof Monk is movie that wants to be about martial arts coolness, and just can't pull it off. Chow Yun-Fat can be as stylish as he wants, but if the director can't film him, then his art is lost to the viewer. Paul Hunter cannot direct action, if this film is evidence. The film's most stylish scene in this "martial arts film", is a massive and likely producer John Woo inspired, Replacement Killers knock-off. I'll just say this, peaceful monk Chow Yun atop a car with dual pistols. You can figure the rest out, I would imagine. Seann William Scott and Jamie (no longer James) King quite clearly, from the way the film was shot, could not come close enough to being able to pull off their choreography to be filmed doing it. The result is the typical American pop cinema fight scene that consists of rough, jagged jump cuts that hint at action, rather than display it.
On the plus side, Chow Yun-Fat is charming and likable in his role. He obviously is enjoying himself and Scott is inviting. The two have a breezy and attractive chemisty and some genuinely humerous moments together. However, some buddy karma does not a quality flick make.
The film is smattered with scenes that are at once confusing and entirely unneeded for the plot of the film. And some odd production elements, as in, late in the film when, I swear to you, they forgot a sound effect. I won't say much beyond this: they're sneaking into a building and make a distraction by throwing a rock that, near as I can tell, never lands.
On a final note, the villains are where the movie really falls apart. They're Nazis, okay. And that's cool. Every Indiana Jones fan loves seeing a Nazi get his- but come on, really. The villain's lair is archaic and clunky in its old comic-book styling that is totally out of place and Nina, the villainesse of the film, is a laughable caricature of a female character. No self respecting actress would accept this part, trust me. Ask any real feminist, she'll tell you. Nina's character manages to be at once needlessly and mindlessly evil, without a shred of motivation for her actions, but she is at the same time hypersexualized. Someone on this crew seems to have had issues with Mommy.
Bulletproof Monk is a movie about opposing forces. Well, I'm still waiting for the stylish film yin to this disappointing clunker's yang.