Yesterday was full of images, but today I’ve got 3 brand new trailers to show you guys. Keeping with the Donnie Yen theme, let’s start off with the teaser trailer for the Iceman Cometh.
It looks like this film will be epic in every sense of the word. The fights look well done and intense, while the effects don’t look all that bad. Yes, the 3D is still gimmicky, but I can live with that. It’s easy to see why it’s taking so long to get everything completed, though I don’t know how this film will really be after it’s split in two. The Iceman looks like it’s going to deliver on all fronts, and I can’t wait to see more.
Next up is the film that has been getting mixed reception from audiences, Badges of Fury.
Personally, I’m not really feeling this film anymore. The first trailer was awkward, but this takes it to a whole new level. It’s clearly a comedy before anything else, and not a well done one at that. While I’ll still check it out, I’d rather see Jet take more dramatic roles than do something like this. It’s a shame since the premise sounded so cool, but it would take a lot to win me back over for this one.
Lastly, let’s end the post with a trailer for Dustin Nguyen’s Once Upon a Time in Vietnam courtesy of Beyond Hollywood:
Once Upon a Time in Vietnam is one of those movies that comes out of nowhere and demands attention. It’s got a solid story, interesting characters, and action that will please anyone. It will be curious to see how people respond to this film, but it may help put Vietnam on the map.
All 3 movies are very different and will garner different reactions. What did you guys think? Which one are you most excited for?
Didn’t get enough Badges of Fury yesterday? How about some new images from the film? Let’s start with a vastly different poster image. One that shows off the film’s quirky side…
The trailer just released yesterday, so be sure to check it out if you haven’t yet. Otherwise, here are some great new images that were released for the film.
So, what are your thoughts on the film? Is it going to be one you look forward to, or just one you’ll wait and see about? Feel free to sound off in the comments below!
The official trailer for Badges of Fury came out, and it’s kind of a mixed bag. It gives you a solid idea of what the film is about, but it brings another theme that’s prominent in the film way too late in the trailer, muddling the overall vibe. Check out the trailer to see what I mean:
I have no problem with an action/comedy movie, but I’m really puzzled at how they bring the comedy into the film. It’s really abrupt and jarring, leaving an impact that probably isn’t the best one. There are quite a few random moments sprinkled in with weird facial expressions as well as a spoof of the Expendables. On the other hand, the action looks solid with the fight between Jet Li and Wu Jing looking very slick. If you weren’t expecting wires, I don’t know what types of Jet Li movies you’ve been watching up to this point.
I think the story is really what’s going to make or break this film, as the action and comedy can go either way. If the story is smart and gripping, the action will be that much better. While the comedy seems a little out there, I’m gonna wait for a new trailer to see if it’s the film I’ve been looking for.
Ok, I’ll be the first to admit this may not fall into the “martial arts” category, but there’s still a chance that it will. I think that Luc Besson is a pretty creative guy, and he’s always coming up with unique characters that make the action genre interesting. He wrote Jet’s part in Unleashed, and we all know how awesome Taken is (the first one, at least.) Well, it looks like Besson is at it again with Lucy, his next directing project.
Lucy will star Scarlet Johansson and revolves around a woman who is forced to become a drug mule. However, an unfortunate turn of events cause the drugs to enter her system, giving her a number of different “traits.” She is able to move objects with her mind, process information at lightning-quick speeds, and also feels no pain. I don’t know what kind of drugs give you the ability to do this, but I don’t really care either.
Johansson has proven she’s a capable fighter through a number of big action films, and I think Lucy will take her to the next level. I’m curious to see where this film ends up.
Jet Li turned 50 yesterday (sorry for being a day late!!!) What can we do to celebrate Jet Li hitting the big 5-0? Well, I thought it would be a cool thing to showcase some of his highlights in his electrifying film career.
Jet Li starred in his first film, Shaolin Temple back in 1982 to great acclaim. He then starred, in the film that gained him even more stardom, as Wong Fei-Hung in Tsui Hark’s Once Upon A Time In China series and even faced off against Donnie Yen in OUATIC 2. Later on, he starred in his very first Hollywood production, as the bad guy in Lethal Weapon 4. In 2004, he became the star of his very own video game for the Playstation 2 entitled Jet Li: Rise to Honor. He then starred alongside Jackie Chan in The Forbidden Kingdom in 2008 and will once again team up with him in the upcoming Expendables 3. In 2011, he starred in The Warlords and his performance earned him his first Best Actor award at the 27th annual Hong Kong Film Awards (Donnie Yen and Jackie Chan can’t say they have won an award for Best Actor — even though Jackie’s been nominated like a billion times for the award).
That’s just a very small tidbit of information regarding Jet’s amazing film career. Jet Li is now 50 years old and still doing what he does best. Happy Birthday Jet Li, good luck and best wishes on all your future projects. Your past, present and future contributions to film will always be appreciated.
It’s been known for a while that a third entry in the Expendables franchise (because let’s face it, this is going to be around for a while) was coming out after the expected success of the second film. We did tell you news that Mel Gibson’s name had been floating around to be a possible candidate to direct The Expendables 3 and even John Woo’s name had been mentioned (Stallone himself even tweeted about it recently saying that he loves Woo but he’s working in China) but now we have the news that Stallone has chosen the new director for the third entry.
Up and coming Aussie director Patrick Hughes has been chosen by Stallone to take the director’s chair which Hughes, I’m sure, must be ecstatic with this decision. It’s not every day that you get to direct such big names in the world of action films like Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Jet Li, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren and confirmed new (new?) comer Jackie Chan with the huge possibility of directing Clint Eastwood, Wesley Snipes, Harrison Ford and Jean Claude Van Damme as well. Wow, such a big cast of names especially for a new director.
Stallone tweeted with a guessing game to see if anyone could guess who the new director was and you can see below some of the tweets concerning this story.
Stallone sounds like a big fan of Patrick Hughes and obviously believes he can bring in fresh ideas and a new touch to the Expendables franchise. As you can see in one of Stallone’s tweets, he says that you “…should go look at Patrick Hughes short film…called SIGNS…” so, go check out the short film for yourself below.
It’s nice to see Stallone bring in a new face to direct the film and while Hughes’ will definitely have his hands full, I believe if Stallone has his faith in the guy, Hughes will do just fine. So, are you excited for The Expendables 3? Are you looking forward to seeing how Hughes can bring in some fresh air into the series? Let us know in the comments below!
Jackie Chan and Jet Li are two of the biggest names in the action industry. It had been hotly debated as to who would come out on top if the two were to ever cross paths, and several attempts were made to pit the two against one another. However, no script was able to maintain the two for any period of time, and it appeared that fans would never see the two icons share the screen. Then, out of seemingly nowhere, Rob Minkoff stepped up and made it happen. While the original plan was to have an Asian-American travel back to learn about their culture and history, Chan and Li decided it would be better to have a “fish out of water” plotline. Fans were skeptical of the fact that the director of the Lion King would be helming the project and that it was a Hollywood film. Would the Forbidden Kingdom be able to overcome all odds, or is this just another Hollywood disaster?
The story to the Forbidden Kingdom is a combination of typical plotlines. You have the story of the Monkey King mixed in with a kid that travels back in time. Since there’s really no great way of explaining a time slip, the story mainly relies on the tale of the Monkey King to carry it forward. For many Western audiences, it’s a good introduction to the tale, though some aspects are not explained as well. There are a few neat twists interwoven into the story, but everything mostly plays out exactly as you’d expect. The Forbidden Kingdom doesn’t break any new ground, but it treads over familiar ground with a fresh step. Of course, fans of the genre will see several nods to other films here and there as well.
Characters in the Forbidden Kingdom are varied and likeable, to a degree. Golden Sparrow talks in the third person for a reason I will never understand, but everyone has a unique characteristic to them. Come to think of it, a lot of them have really strange dialogue. It’s easy to see this group of individuals banding up together for a fun journey. Even the evil emperor is fun to watch just to see what he will do next, even if he feels like a family-friendly villain. While none of the characters are necessarily deep, they offer enough banter and personality to feel like nobody is the same. While some “actions” are questionable during the initial viewing of the film, they make sense after more of a certain character is revealed.
Action/Choreography
You know why you’re watching this movie. It’s because you want to see Jet Li and Jackie Chan exchange blows on the big screen, right? Well, you’ll get that and much, much more with the Forbidden Kingdom. You’ll be able to see Jet’s trademarks moves along with Jackie’s famous Drunken Boxing. You’ll see Yuen Woo-Ping work his magic creating exciting fight sequences and Collin Chou play the evil emperor. It’s clear that this movie was created to please fans, and it hits all of the right notes. While those looking for more than one fight between Li and Chan will be disappointed, everything is worked out creatively and is designed for repeated viewings.
Own it, Watch it, Try it, or Skip it?
If you are a fan of Jackie Chan or Jet Li, this movie is a no-brainer. However, even those that typically don’t like action films will find something to like here. Given the fact that there are a few winks to past films, it’s better to know more going in, but it’s not a deal breaker. Whether you know who Yuen Woo-Ping is or can’t tell Tiger style from Bear Style, you’ll enjoy this movie. The main turnoff would be the family-centric atmosphere of the movie, but it’s handled well and appeals to a wider audience that way. The Forbidden Kingdom is a great film that is entertaining time and time again. Fans of the genre need to have this film.
