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Reviews
Star (2001)
A fun ride
This was pretty cool. I am impressed at how each film in this series has been able to take an entirely different spin on the car chase, considering Hollywood's been making these scenes for decades. These shorts should feel repetitive, but the films are short and each director has a very unique style. Here, Clive Owen has a good time talking about how hot Madonna is (a not-too-subtle hint by director and boyfriend Guy Ritchie reminding the audience that he gets to sleep with her) just before tossing her around like a ragdoll in the backseat of a BMW M5. The chase is very cool, although it's more about looking slick and having fun than getting away from any pursuers. And can somebody come up with a new rock song to use in movies other than Blur's "Song 2"? I'm getting tired of hearing it whenever the filmmakers want the audience to get pumped up. Anyway, check it out.
Jui kuen II (1994)
one of my all-time favorites
This is an amazing film. You honestly have to see it to believe it. This has some of Chan's most amazing stunt-work ever; in one scene, he is kicked into a pit of burning coals, in another he is set on fire. IT IS ALL REAL. This movie has some of the best martial arts action ever caught on film, as well as a thoroughly entertaining plot. Definitely Chan's best of the 90s. As Wong Fei-Hung, Chan employs Drunken Kung Fu to dispatch his enemies, and he actually fights better when drunk. An American studio needs to release this theatrically in the states--I don't know what they were thinking with Armour of God II instead of this.
Lung foo fung wan (1987)
Two separate films that should be appreciated as such
I sought out this film once I learned it was a major inspiration Reservoir Dogs, which I already loved. After seeing City on Fire, I have to say I have even more respect for Tarantino now than I did before. City on Fire is a very good film with its own merits, which many people have already mentioned; however, to call Reservoir Dogs a rip-off of City on Fire insults both films. They are two separate films, telling different stories in different ways. Tarantino took the few most compelling elements of City on Fire, and then built an entirely different film around them. This is certainly an inspiration that deserves credit, but it is Tarantino's skill as a writer and director, as well as the amazing actors, that made Reservoir Dogs as great as it is. Even the most directly lifted scene, the Mexican stand-off, is an entirely different experience in each film. The way it is framed, the dialogue, and the resolutions are unique to each. Both films have their own strengths and weaknesses, and deserve to be judged independently. Don't lump them together by criticizing one great film for being inspired by another.
Quan jing (1978)
You'd better really, really like Jackie Chan
Okay, so it's basically a crappy chopsocky movie. There are perhaps hints of Jackie Chan's unparalleled skill and comic brilliance, but not a whole lot more. The action is pretty run of the mill for the period. However, the dubbing in this film makes it pretty entertaining at points, my favorite part being the interaction between Jackie and the the young woman, who is the first girl his character has ever seen. After flirting with her, he tries to show off some of the 5-style fist he's been learning from the white-faced ballerina ghosts (that's a whole other story, but also pretty amusing). Jackie goes into a stance, and the following dialogue ensues: Girl(coy): "What's that?" Jackie(smug): "Oh, you wouldn't know that. That's the famous crane style." Girl(bitchy): "Really? Well, you look like a teapot. Pouring tea!" Jackie(indignant): "You insult my style?! I'll show you!"
They fight, and she defeats him. After consulting with the ballerina ghosts, Jackie waits for a rematch:
Jackie(sly): "I've been waiting for you all morning." Girl(chipper): "Why? To get beat?" Jackie(confident): "I won't get beat. But you will."
He then proceeds to mop the floor with her; poking her in the head with his crane beak/fist, he goads, "A teapot? Is that right?!"
If you found that at all funny, then maybe it's worth checking out. For some reason I thought it was amusing. But you'd better be a pretty serious Jackie Chan fan, 'cause there isn't much else there.
Wo hu cang long (2000)
Great kung fu, but still missing something
I was expecting this to be unparalleled; what else can you expect when you combine Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, director Ang Lee, fight choreographer Yuen Woo Ping, music by Ma Yo Yo... but what ended up happening, I think, is that the picture has trouble supporting its own weight. There's too much going on in the film: a whole subplot that becomes (sort of) the main plot is introduced halfway into the movie in the form of a flashback, and the other main conflicts aren't adequately built up to and then resolved. There's multiple unrequited loves going on, a "I must avenge my master's death" plot, and a very Star Wars-esque "dark side of the force" issue. In any case, the kung fu, the graceful wire-supported floating around, and the amazing setting are more than enough to make this a great film. But it's not absolutely superb. Perhaps my expectations were just too high. To its credit, I've watched plenty of kung fu movies, and there were still times during the film when I was just blown away. 8/10
X-Men (2000)
Very good comic adaptation, but not great
I enjoyed X-Men more than I thought I would, especially after some of the leaked reviews that tore the rough cuts to shreds. My only prior knowledge of the X-Men came from the Fox cartoon, but I was very pleased to see most of the characters make it into the first installment of the movie franchise. Standout performances from Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and Ian McKellen anchored the movie, along with very cool SFX.
Basically, there were a few key problems with the movie, but nothing that stopped me from enjoying it thoroughly. For one thing, the film is at least 20 minutes too short. We could have gone more in-depth with a lot of the background, or the focus of the story, or pretty much anything--the movie was very condensed. Also, the fight scenes, while interesting, were not very impressive on a Matrix/Episode I level. I have to give the film-makers credit, because it's hard to choreograph for somebody who has claws coming out of his hands, making it pretty difficult for an opponent to block realistically. The movie was also definitely PG-13; some of the humor could have been much more adult, but I guess it's nice that the mom sitting next to me with her 9-year old didn't have to worry. James Marsden, Famke Janssen, and Halle Berry all turned in fair performances.
Overall, a good movie worth the price of admission. I look forward to the sequel(s), in which we should get to see the Sentinels, Gambit, Nightcrawler, Colossus... Should be cool. 7/10
Romeo Must Die (2000)
not too good
I'm sorry, but this movie was not very good at all. The fight scenes were few and far between, and when they did show up I was usually laughing at how ridiculous they were. Jet Li has nothing on Jackie Chan--if you don't believe me, rent Drunken Master II. Chan did it without wires or SFX, while all of Li's work involves floating around in the air on wires, which I just find silly. Aaliyah and Li have no chemistry, the scenes are very very predictable, and Li's tough-guy lines fall flat. A big disappointment.
Jui kuen II (1994)
one of my all-time favorites
This is an amazing film. You honestly have to see it to believe it. This has some of Chan's most amazing stunt-work ever; in one scene, he is kicked into a pit of burning coals, in another he is set on fire. IT IS ALL REAL. This movie has some of the best martial arts action ever caught on film, as well as a thoroughly entertaining plot. Definitely Chan's best of the 90s. As Wong Fei-Hung, Chan employs Drunken Kung Fu to dispatch his enemies, and he actually fights better when drunk. An American studio needs to release this theatrically in the states--I don't know what they were thinking with Armour of God II instead of this.