just out-right fun

winner55

Although the American made martial arts films of Jean Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal can be quite good, most American made martial arts films are cheap imitations of Van Damme and Seagal films. They are usually marred by several presumptions on the part of their producers, for instance, that martial arts are best appreciated as a sport - hence the overwhelming number of such films set in a professional fight world that doesn't happen to exist. The stars of these movies are usually champion fighters in some sport association or other, but, unfortunately, none of them know how to act. Finally, although Van Damme and Seagal know what the Hong Kong martial arts film is really all about, their cheap imitators haven't a clue; so we end up with what are really cheap imitations of Rocky, only with increased brutality and bloodshed, as well as increased cynicism - the producers of these films think kung fu is just a sport of ignorant thugs; of course, the term, "kung fu" actually means "discipline" (specifically, a kind of self-discipline), and has traditionally been respected as the physical culture of the educated.

So I wasn't expecting very much from this film, although I did know Wang had made the cult sci-fi film, The Guyver, as well as an amusing, but very uneven, martial arts parody, Kung Fu Rascals. I still expected this to be an 'American' style martial arts film, that is, a cheap imitation Steven-Seagal-does-Rocky.

What a pleasant surprise Drive is! This is the closest I've seen an American film get to the pace and skill of a Hong Kong action film. Director Wang and star Dascascos have clearly studied Jet Li films very carefully; they fashion a simple chase plot that is still complicated enough to allow for intelligence on the parts of the characters, the actors, and the audience, while at the same time providing enough time for some of the fastest, wildest fight stunts ever made in an American martial arts film. Further, the film has a strong cast - Dascascos demonstrates that he can act, and can do so with some charm, as well as a sense of humor (often so lacking in American martial arts films). The rest of the cast performs strongly yet they are careful not to distract from Dascascos at the center of the action. Finally, unlike many American martial arts films, the budgeting here is adequate enough to allow Wang to produce strong imagery underscored with elegantly crafted editing - what do I mean by that? I mean, it doesn't draw attention to itself, it allows us to savor the action, momentarily forgetting that we are watching a movie.

On top of all this - it's just out-right fun.

A very fast-moving action film, great stunts, great performances, well-made. It's a pity it didn't receive the notice it deserves when first released. When you find this, grab it; and spread the news - perhaps we can elevate this to cult status - it's well deserving of it.

score 9/10

winner55 1 November 2006

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1511868/