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I see a majority of everyone like this film and especially the Hong Kong Film fans (like me), but a few of you .. including some of the Hong Kong films fans had panned this movie and shame you, that makes you no better than the elitist "arthouse" critics. You set up such high standards for an action film: some of you complained about the story, the writing, the budget, not every direct to video film that is made is crap, but a good 99.9 % of them are and this and The Boondock Saints are in the .01 percent that aren't. Just because it is made in the Hong Kong style and it doesn't have any big names like Jet Li or Jackie Chan doesn't make it bad either, they have made some real stinkers too and Hollywood has also made some atrocious actions films with 100 times the budget of this movie and they sucked too, money alone doesn't not ensure quality.
Having said that, this is bar none one of the best Hong Kong style action films to be made in the US and it beat Hollywood to the punch this was made 3 years before The Blade and The Matrix and doesn't have those irritating rotating camera gimmicks, ( i like the Matrix don't get me wrong) so the action scenes are much more fluid.
OK this isn't art and everyone isn't John Woo, I don't know about you butI watch action movies to be entertained this is one more than fills the bill. It has a economical plot as a lot of action movies esp Hong Kong films so there all you "elitists" and that is what u want, its just enough plot to hang some framework around some astounding martial arts scenes but not enough to get in the way and slow things down without all that talking crap. This film has breakneck pacing and fight scenes where each scene outdoes the one before.
This film is a Jet Li caliber movie and is better than any of Jet Li's or Jackie Chan's Hollywood films and probably 1/50th the budget.
Why Mr. Dacascos was not hired for the role of Neo in The Matrix is a mystery to me, he already knows martial arts and can act circles around Keanu Reeves or most any action star like Seagal, Van Damme, or Arnold.
If you love martial arts and Hong Kong action films check this one out there is a reason that this film has won many awards at Asian film festivals Because it kicks ass. A great injustice has been done to this film by not being released at the movies, but since they released some of the 90's Hong Kong films like Drunken Master II and Iron Monkey, why not open this one in US theaters. If there is one film that deserves its cult following its this one.
For all you "artsty-fartsy" and extremely picky Hong Kong film fans loosen up and enjoy this film like the rest of us and remember the golden age of Hong Kong cinema has been over since about 95.
score /10
chowyunpat 16 November 2001
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0382614/ |
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27-4-2020 12:05:22