I actually had an OK time with it. The storyline is very derivative. It's your typical "My master's place is getting shut down. I have to fight for money to get it back for him, and end up losing my way storyline" You've seen it all done plenty of times before. While the story won't resonate with anyone, it does just enough to grab your attention for just over 100 minutes or so, approximately. I highly doubt people that watch this movie are looking for riveting storytelling. Chances are you've come for the fights, and boy, do you get it. It's filled with many exciting fight scenes that don't get redundant or boring. I'll give Keanu credit as a director for making sure the fights stay lively. Tiger Hu Chen has some great intensity. I wouldn't necessarily call him a great actor, but he certainly holds his own in that department. He carries a heavy load in the second half of the film as his characters transforms into a beast that is unleashed. It's filled with emotion and anger. I felt Tiger did a decent job at it. As far as his fighting skills are concerned, he wows with his move set. There was always something new and exciting in his arsenal. He did well in my mind. Keanu Reeves is sadly a different story. I actually like Keanu. He'll never be considered among the great actors, but I always admired him for making it to the top of the business, in spite of what others think. He gets some vehement hate from people and it's unwarranted. He is awful here and seems to be phoning it in at times. Perhaps he was distracted due to his directing duties, but he was awful. His stoic facial expressions were laughable. He's always been rather stoic, but it was too much in this one. I got bored quickly of his blasé approach and his "Does it matter?" attitude. If I can give him one compliment, it's his fighting skills. He is Neo after all.
Final Thoughts: It's not gonna resonate long term, but if you're an action or martial arts fan like I am, this will do the job. The fights are so good that it makes you forget the rather unremarkable plot. It's not bad
6/10
Final Thoughts: It's not gonna resonate long term, but if you're an action or martial arts fan like I am, this will do the job. The fights are so good that it makes you forget the rather unremarkable plot. It's not bad
6/10