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Reviews
xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017)
Adrenaline Pumping Popcorn Entertainment! Once again, Donnie Yen steals the show!
To be honest, my expectations was really low entering the cinema because of some of the reviews I read here. Only to realize many bad reviews where fake..what they said did not even happen in the movie, many Vin Diesel haters putting 1 star ratings to drag the scores down.
I will keep this spoiler free.
The movie is action-packed from start to end, an incredible action scene happens within the first 10 minutes. The dialogues was also really funny, and my whole cinema roared with laughter several times. It is definitely a good popcorn entertainment, just like the Fast & Furious series.
Donnie Yen stole the movie with his role, his screen presence is extraordinary, and audience cannot wait for the next scene with him. His acting is on point, his action scenes are so fast....that it is as fast as 8 years ago when he was in Ip Man/Flashpoint/SPL. It doesn't take much time before you start cheering for the villain - which is him.
Deepika's accent was a little out of place, but her performance was okay.
Of all the female characters, Nina Dobrev & Ruby Rose performed the best, and overshadowed Deepika. Just like how Donnie Yen overshadows Vin Diesel every time both of them were on screen together.
Overall a good movie, with interesting dynamics and a story-line that does not have much flaw.
It is better than the Expendables in my opinion.
My only regret? I did not watch it in IMAX 3D so probably going to re-watch it.
Wo hu cang long: Qing ming bao jian (2016)
A worthy sequel that may surprise even the worst of critics, the true meaning of "Wu Xia" exemplified
I caught the movie in Hong Kong on 21st of February, the 96 minutes version dubbed in Cantonese. Truth to be told, my expectations were very low, because the original was just a classic. The first bad trailer with weird auto-tuned music and English dialogue did not help. But the results surprised me. If you have the chance, watch it in English! =)
Harvey Weinstein and the Weinstein Company finally got the rights to CTHD, and proceeded to work on a script based on Wang Du Lu's 5th book of the series. Iron Knight, Silver Vase, which are actually the names of 2 of the main characters in the movie (just like Crouching "Tiger" and Hidden "Dragon" 2000 the title itself).
The director here is Yuen Woo Ping, best known for his choreography work in Ip Man 3, Matrix and of course the first CTHD. He is also a good director on his own, with critical successful films such as Wing Chun and Iron Monkey. According to interviews, Ang Lee did not want to come back for the sequel because he never does a "repeat" work, but he met up with Yuen Woo Ping and gave him his blessings because he knew that if there was anyone who could helm the sequel, it would be the person he worked the closest with in the first movie, Yuen Woo Ping himself.
The story in this movie is more simple and straightforward (sometimes predictable), and perhaps not as good as the first movie hence this is where a point is deducted.
However cinematography and costume wise, it is on par, if not better than the original. Landscapes of New Zealand and China, and the beauty of nature are better capture than the original, and the elaborated costumes are noteworthy.
Action wise, it is a huge step up, perhaps because of the casting of Martial Arts Kingpin Donnie Yen himself, who has a strong martial arts background compared to Chow Yun Fatt who needed plenty of stunt doubles and still did not look fluid in his sword-wield or movements(it was reported that Jet Li rejected the first film hence it went to Fatt). The action sequences makes it a combination of not just a Wu-Xia film but a Kung Fu film because there is now less "flying-around" or wire-work but more realistic martial arts display by Donnie Yen. Donnie Yen's performance and presence in the film is spectacular, and it makes people want to see more of him after his appearance.
Michelle Yeoh remained in character and is impressive in both the acting and the action department, huge thumbs up for her but unfortunately her performance seems to be slightly overshadowed (surprisingly) by new-comer Natasha Liu Bordizzo who plays Snow Vase.
Harry Shum Junior actually looks good in this movie in fight scenes due to his tremendous Dance Background and pedigree.
As for the English Language spoken on the Netflix version(not here in Hong Kong), I think it is a good move because The Weinstein Company and Netflix they want to show the movie to the whole world, hoping to reach audiences who will never ever watch a swordsmen or Wu Xia movie in their lives. There are many people in the world who will never watch a movie because they hate reading subtitles.
And also because people in China hated the first movie and it flopped and one of the reason is because of Chow Yun Fatt's Cantonese accent and Michelle Yeoh had Malaysian accent in their mandarin dialogue, so please try and understand instead of claiming it should be in Mandarin, the original got mocked because of the bad mandarin accents.
Overall a very enjoyable movie, which really needs heart to appreciate, it may be slow at times but it truly allows audiences to be observant and to look at the minor details in such a major motion picture.
It would be even better if one already read the original book by Wang Du Lu or the new novel by Justin Hill, as it covers more motivations and intentions clearly.
Therefore, do not just view this as a sequel to one of the most successful Wu-Xia films ever made, appreciate this movie and take it as a film of its own, and you will enjoy it thoroughly.
Mei ren yu (2016)
Stephen Chow's trademark style of comedy is evident throughout "Mermaid"
This year's Chinese New Year is packed with Festive Films, from Monkey King 2, Vegas to Macau 3 to Mermaid.
After watching all 3 of them, I have decided to only write a review for Mermaid because it is the only one worth the effort and time.
The great thing about Mermaid is that while it is a comedy that brings the whole family together, it manages to bring in an underlying plot that teaches us important values about ecosystem and a life lesson about money and materialism.
While not on par with Chow's masterpiece like Kung Fu Hustle or Shaolin Soccer, Mermaid is better than Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons. The slapstick style of comedy of Chow is evident throughout the movie, and the laughter by the audiences can be heard echoing throughout the cinema halls.
A number memorable scenes provide some of the biggest laughs – such as when Shan made numerous botched attempts to assassinate Liu Xuan with various means and weapons from the sea.
Newcomer Jelly Lin is the latest in a long line of "Stephen's Girls". Chow has the knack of discovering an illustrious list of talented actresses that include Karen Mok, Cecilia Cheung, and Vicky Zhao. Lin is the latest muse to channel Chow's range of rubber-faced physical comedy and deadpan delivery of killer lines. Jelly Lin is reportedly cast from auditions with over 10,000 hopefuls.
While this film will not play extremely well with critics, it undoubtedly will have a good word-of-mouth as it is an entertaining movie with the right balance of humour, touching moments and good acting.
After watching so many movies is this Chinese New Year, I can say that Mermaid is easily the best movie of them all.
I look forward to Stephen Chow's next movie, and the opportunity for him to step in-front of the camera once more.
Yip Man 3 (2015)
Ip Man 3 is a touching ending to the Ip Man Trilogy, a movie with more depth than the previous two
I will try to keep this spoiler free.
Donnie Yen returns for Ip Man 3, and despite being produced by the same team, the theme that is explored... is that much deeper.
Ip Man focuses on "Survival", Ip Man 2 focuses on Everyday Life and Making a Living, while Ip Man 3 focuses on "Life" itself.
The audience will need to pay attention to details to enjoy the movie fully, starting from the first scene, and really understand how the first scene relates to the whole story. So... REMEMBER the first scene! (The Butterfly Scene)
There are subtle hints hidden in the move, be it Bruce Lee's quote of "Be Like Water" or "One-Inch Punch" where viewers really need to pay attention to the story and choreography to understand.
Ip Man 1 and 2 focuses on grounded action, and realistic choreography. Ip Man 3 has that, but added another layer of beauty to the movie, thanks to Yuen Woo Ping(Matrix, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon)'s choreography. The details of every fight scene can be enjoyed and explored.
While many think that Ip Man 3 will be just a martial arts exhibition, but the team managed to bring in a layer of emotion we have not seen in 1 and 2.
Donnie's Ip Man is now a much more grounded, humble and just that neighborhood family guy we all love.
Donnie Yen's performance here is nothing sort of amazing.
Lynn Hung's performance is also outstanding.
All in all, the movie may not please all critics and fans who ONLY loves hard-hitting action, but if you are looking at an Ip Man movie with Great action, great humour and that sense of touch with a love story, then Ip Man 3 is the best in the series.
Cike Nie Yin Niang (2015)
The Assassin - An Art-house Film for the Iniiatied, Slow and Uneventful
I will write a review without spoiler.
Having watched this in Singapore, and I have checked the box office for it in Asia countries and of course in China, I can see why it flopped.
This is one the the movies which has the highest re-fund rates in Mainland china and highest rate of people leaving the theater halfway.
The director is of course known for his slow-moving and art-house story lines but the truth is the 2.5hours could be spent better illustrating a more fulfilling and eventful story.
The trailers worked as marketing plot as audiences thought it would be like Donnie Yen's WuXia(Dragon) or Wong Kar Wai's Grandmasters. While both the above film are Wu-xia genre films with great storyline, action and eventful plot, the assassin comes across as a boring and slow-moving movie.
I hope that my honest review does not turn anyone off, and it would be wise for you to save your money and your time instead of using your phone in the theaters because the movie is too boring.
Thank you.
Tian jiang xiong shi (2015)
Dragon Blade - One of Jackie Chan's worst movies
If the trailer of the movie did not warn you about how bad the movie will turn out, and you still paid for the ticket money to watch this movie.... No one can blame you, featuring an all star cast such as internationally renown Jackie Chan, Oscar Winner - Adrian Brody.. one would expect a lot from it.
But that's all the goodness there is, famous cast and a good director (Daniel Lee). Daniel Lee previously helm 14 Blades (starring Donnie Yen) and it was a success critically and financial, and it is right to expect that he will emulate his success with Jackie Chan, but we are all dead wrong.
The movie has a very incomplete story-telling with very bad narrative. Simultaneously overblown and underdeveloped, Dragon Blade fails equally at showcasing the talent of its star and resolving its baroque plot.
Dragon Blade is a fractured and often baffling martial "epic" that not even popular star Jackie Chan is likely to be able to save. Narratively confused and confusing, dotted with frequently shoddy special effects and reliant on CGI rather than Chan doing his thing (which proves to be one of the film's more serious failings) Dragon Blade is going to have to work hard to find its audience.
Jackie Chan's stunt doubles are pretty obvious, and one would ask if he has delivered his best on screen performance and should retire now.
Jackie Chan's name above the title will be the primary reason for what success the film finds in Asia, and it will be even more crucial in overseas niche markets. There may be some interest from genre festivals but overall the film is too weak for that highly specialized circuit.
The truth is this, this seems like a movie hurried into production and release, to coincide with the Chinese New Year release date of February 19th, if more effort and time was given for filming and post-production, it may end up much better.
Jackie Chan's movies have been on the decline for the past decade, his best movie in recent years was Chinese Zodiac(2012) in which he announces his retirement, but every year he still comes up with new movies. Fans like us will still pay money to watch him on the big screen, but if he continues to disappoint us, fans will turn away.
For Fans who still misses the old Jackie Chan who does his own stunts such as in Police Story Trilogy(do not include the 2013 failure) and Drunken Master, you will be sorely disappointed.
Gap tung kei hap (2014)
This is NOT your typical Donnie Yen Ass-kicker, but more of a Stephen Chow's Kung Fu Hustle Action movie! Memorable, Intense, Touching.
Honestly, I was tricked by the previous review hence i thought the movie was really bad and I went into the theater with zero expectations. But the results... were simply. Amazing. Another classic Chinese martial arts movie which will continue to be remembered for generations to come.
This movie is not your typical Donnie Yen ass-kicking movie, this is a movie with a lot of feelings, touching yet Comedic. The whole cinema was laughing every few minutes and the actions were impeccable. The last fight scene is easily one of the best action scenes in the past 3 - 4 years of Movies.
Donnie Yen has to pretend to be a Ming Dynasty warrior trying to fit into our 21st century, but obviously he is way too powerful physically and has to learn the ropes of adapting, and this has led to many funny moments throughout the movie. The ending in particular was very exciting, and then..boom, something unexpected happens, a plot twist and it becomes really touching where I can see people in the audience tearing.
Definitely a must watch!
Note: There is a part 2 coming out in October!
Xi you ji: Da nao tian gong (2014)
A Milestone for Asian/Chinese Cinematic History!
4 Years in the making, starring the biggest stars in Asia right now. Donnie Yen, Aaron Kwok, Chow Yun Fatt, Joe Chen, Peter Ho, Kelly Chen, Gigi Leung, and many more.
Highest Budget for an Asian Movie, an estimated, RMB500 million (US$88 million). Invited Avatar, Pirates of Caribbean, Spider-man 3 special effects team to help out with the IMAX and CGI effects.
What is the results? A new height attained in the Chinese Film Industry. Journey to the West is one of the 4 most famous Chinese Novel in the world, and to tackle a classic tale is always a huge risk(see The Sorcerer and the White Snake, a huge critical and box office disappointment).
Many thought that this might be another failure, but the results is actually very surprising.
Donnie Yen's Monkey King "Sun Wu Kong" is so good and Donnie is so into-character that most viewers do not know its him until the end credits. Despite the heavy make-up, his emotions were able to touch the hearts of audience, as we can clearly see this monkey display curiosity, sadness, aggression like never before. This may just be the best Sun Wu Kong we have ever seen, right up there with the one starring Liu Xiao Ling Tong.
Props to Aaron Kwok too, for being such a good villain and making the viewers hate him.
The plot has a little bit of twist and changes from the original journey to the west story, but they were not overboard and the story is kept simple perhaps to introduce worldwide audience to this Chinese Folktale.
The CGI is a new level compared to previous Chinese movies. Watch out for the last fight scene, the CGI is easily Hollywood standard.
A huge milestone is reached on 31st January 2013, on Chinese New Year, we see the rebirth of Sun Wu Kong and Journey to the west.
Asians can finally be hopeful, because its no longer Western Superheroes such as Iron Man and Thor dominating, but our very own Eastern Superhero, the Monkey King is here to stay.