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Director Jingle Ma combines love with action in the the Assassin’s Blade. Also known as Butterfly Lovers, the film stars Charlene Choi, Chun Wu, and Ge Hu. With a cameo from Fan Siu Wong and action choreography from Hero’s Siu-Tung Ching, were all of the pieces put in place for a solid action film that everyone could enjoy?
I’ll go ahead and get this started right off of the bat, I absolutely did not like the characters in this film, especially Charlene Choi. She’s played the “cutesy” character before, but I don’t think it’s ever felt as grating as is does here. She clearly isn’t even trying to pretend to be a man, and her actions would make anyone question her gender. What kind of fella paints butterflies on a big brother’s sword? I guess the guys must have been really dull or turning a blind eye, but I felt like the aspect was very throwaway and shouldn’t have even been in there. The other characters were pretty bland as well, which is especially bad if you want people to care about any love story.
The story itself isn’t bad, but it’s been done to death…literally. There is nothing new here, and it’s really apparent that a lot of thought didn’t go into the story. While the ending ends on a somewhat sweet note (if you’d call it that) it’s not worth sitting through the entire film. A lot of the plot is left unexplained and takes large leaps in logic to even acknowledge. People don’t act realistically and the movie seems to be just going through the motions. However, it felt like a drag even with the moderately-short 1 hour and 45 minute run time.
Action/Choreography
Most people won’t care about the story at all as long as the fights are good. Given the fact that this is the action director for Hero and House of Flying Daggers, it’s easy to set the bar high. Don’t do it. The fights are very sparse and have no weight to them. Groups of soldiers will sit there and wait with their weapons drawn as their leader gets stabbed, and still not act! Characters get wounded and shrug it off like it’s nothing. If you want to see Fan Siu-wong fight in the film, be prepared to feel disappointed as his whole cameo lasts a whopping 5 minutes, if that.
Own it, Watch it, Try it, or Skip it?
This look about sums it up…
The Assassin’s Blade is a movie that I had to force myself to sit though. I didn’t care about anything that was happening on the screen for even a moment. The casting seems off, the characters are bad, the story is boring, and the action can barely be called that. Regardless of why you are considering picking up this film, don’t. It’s not worth your time.
After all of the media attention that came from the fallout of the Special Identity, Vincent Zhao buckled down and started working on his next film. Wu Dang was a film that focused on hand-to hand combat while also implementing a treasure hunting backstory. It also featured Fan Siu-wong, Mini Yang, Jiao Hu, and To Yu-Huang, ensuring that there would be a considerable amount of starpower behind the film. Would the unique story and strong cast keep Wu Dan from being just another basic action film?
The story behind Wu Dang is simple, yet complicated at the same time. Let me explain. The overarching story has to do with a man that is on the search for seven magical treasures that are hidden on Wu Dang Mountain. During this time, a tournament is also being held for fighters around the world, which his daughter is participating in. Mix in a couple “love story” elements, and you can quickly see how this movie tackles too much at once. Things work all right for the film initially, but the ending comes way out of left field and felt forced and absurd at the same time. In the end, I think the film tried to tackle more than it should have.
Characters in Wu Dang don’t fare as badly, especially since there aren’t very many of them to keep track of. Each of the characters has a genuine purpose and it help add realism to the story, even when things get crazy. Everyone has a reason for why they are on the mountain, and it works well. While the story ruined a few tender moments, the characters were relatable enough to have you care about them regardless.
Action/Choreography
Corey Yuen handled the fights in Wu Dang, and they are very different from another film that he recently did with monks in them. Wu Dang has its ups and downs when it comes to the action. There are some “aha” moments sprinkled in, and the overall choreography isn’t really bad. My only real gripe (besides the end fight) is that the action is a bit too floaty for me. Now, some people like fight sequences that are graceful and whatnot, but I felt it was overused and needed to be toned down a bit. Overall, the action is passable and not bad, but the style may be offputting to some.
Own it, Watch it, Try it, or Skip it?
Your enjoyment of Wu Dang will be linked to your personal tastes. It feels weird to say this, but the film is almost like a “kid version” of an action film. With weird villains and all too convenient ending events, that’s what it feels like to me. The action is decent and really will be enjoyable for some, but not others. I never regretted watching Wu Dang, and I would recommend it to anyone that in interested. For most, I’d say give this a watch if you some something fun to pass the time.
Donnie Yen and Wilson Yip team up for the fifth time in Ip Man 2, the sequel to the tremendously successful biographical story of Bruce Lee’s master. The second film promised more of everything, including having Sammo Hung fight as a master instead of just choreographing the film. The story of the film faced a setback when the persona of Bruce Lee was denied for the film, creating a difficult position for writers. This didn’t keep them from making a screenplay, adding bigger fights are more depth to Ip’s character. All of the main characters return for a second round, but is this just one film that should have been left alone?
Following the story of Ip Man, Ip Man 2 tries to follow what happens in Ip’s life after he moves to Hong Kong. One of the biggest things that I cannot overlook, however, is the story to the film. At a glance, it’s decent, until you compare it with the original film. Almost every aspect of the film is simply recycled and reused. From the evil foreign power oppressing the people to the crooked interpreter, everything was done before…in the previous film. Without rambling for too long, I hated the fact that they simply alluded to what happened to Simon Yam and left it at that. It was really jarring and I couldn’t accept what they wanted to be common knowledge at that time. Basically, the story isn’t bad if you haven’t seen the original film, but it’s also very cookie-cutter.
The characters themselves fare a little better. Yes, the foreigners are still jerks, but everyone else sees some form of growth and development. Ip is still the humble master who doesn’t flaunt his skill, and he typically gets into a bind because of someone he takes care of. Since most of the characters are from the previous film, you’ll get a little more insight as to what they are doing since the events in the first one have passed. The newer characters clearly get the short end of the stick, and it’s really a shame. It would have been great to know that Twister had some internal turmoil as a fighter instead of just being a racist loudmouth all of the time.
Action/Choreography
For me, this is what really makes Ip Man 2 stand out. The fights, while basic in setting, are really amazing. I liked the fight at the fish market as well as the classic masters getting their hands dirty for a bout. The only main complaint I have is the use of wirework. The original didn’t have that much, yet this one seems to rely on it more. The final fight was much better than the first, and I think that’s what really sets it apart for me. Of course, that’s if you overlook the obvious adjustment to rules that make no sense in the finale except to raise tension. No matter who you are, you’ll like at least one of the fights (if not all) in Ip Man 2.
Own it, Watch it, Try it, or Skip it?
Okay, this is probably going to be one of the hardest reviews for me. Ignoring the fact that this film is like one of the Rocky movies (because I haven’t seen any of them) and the rushed story, I still find myself liking this movie over the original just a bit. The first movie knocked it out of the park for the most part, but the final fight was really disappointing for me. The sequel is pretty much the exact same film with a better final fight, and I think that’s what makes me like it more. Yes, if the first one didn’t exist, I’d recommend this to everyone I crossed paths with, but the original is a better starting film. Personally, this film inches out the original just a bit. Professionally, it’s definitely worth a watch because it’s still a good film with awesome fights.
I’ve been curious about Wu Dang ever since I saw the first trailer. Skipping over all of the Vincent Zhao drama, Wu Dang looked like a movie that could be hit or miss for me. I thought there was a lot of wirework going on, and I was right. There is a TON of wirework in this film, judging by the making of video that has been released. Sorry, it’s not subbed.
I know that some people out there like wirework, and I typically don’t mind it. It just seems really excessive to me, like every move is showy and exaggerated (like Fan Siu Wong saving those ducks.) If you like that sort of thing, Wu Dang may be your cup of tea.
I don’t think I’ll be rushing out to see this one anytime soon, but I’ll be sure to check it out to see if it’s what I expect and for review purposes.
Wu Dang comes out on July 17th, so there is still plenty of time for Wu Dang to sway my opinion as well.
Wu Dang will be opening debut at the 65th Annual Cannes International Film Festival. I doubt there would be a better time to get promotional work going so people start talking about the movie, right? Which is why I’m puzzled why the promotional posters for Wu Dang look like….this:
To me, this just doesn’t promote anything. First of all, most of the poster is blank, and what is filled is just a rainbow stream across the top. I don’t think this has anything to do with the movie itself (which is a treasure-hunting martial arts film) and looks more like a lazily done project. To be honest, these stills from the film sell the movie better than the posters do.
While I may be coming down pretty hard on Wu Dang, I am still curious to see how it does. You have Vincent Zhao, Min Yang, and Fan Siu-wong in the cast, so it could be pretty good. I’m hoping for a better trailer so that I can see more action, as what they have shown so far is mostly wirework.
With the July 17th release date approaching, I honestly hope that a better poster comes out, cause these are just sad.
So, I guess I was a little out of my element this week, but the new surroundings threw me off a bit. Hope you like the episode regardless. Oh, and I’m serious about that trespassing thing.
