The 2012 Golden Horse nominations were recently released, so I figured I would let you guys know about what’s been nominated. (For the sake of everyone’s sanity, I’ll just focus on the martial arts nominations.)
BEST DOCUMENTARY
HAND IN HAND
VOYAGE IN TIME
CHINA HEAVYWEIGHT
MONEY AND HONEY
BEST NEW DIRECTOR
Yang Yi-Chien, Jim Wang (CHA CHA FOR TWINS)
Fung Kai (DIN TAO: LEADER OF THE PARADE)
Hero Lin (SILENT CODE)
Tsai Yueh-Hsun (BLACK & WHITE: THE DAWN OF ASSAULT)
Chang Jung-Chi (TOUCH OF THE LIGHT)
BEST LEADING ACTOR
Nick Cheung Ka Fai (NIGHTFALL)
Lau Ching Wan (LIFE WITHOUT PRINCIPLE)
Joseph Chang (GF*BF)
Chapman To Man Jat (VULGARIA)
Nicholas Tse Ting Fung (THE VIRAL FACTOR)
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Kent Chen, Horn Hsu (CHA CHA FOR TWINS)
XIAO Yang, Chang Song, A LAW, LI Ming-Hsung, LI Jin-Hui (STARRY STARRY NIGHT)
Wook Kim, Frankie Chung, Josh Cole (FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE)
Frankie Chung (BLACK & WHITE: THE DAWN OF ASSAULT)
Koan HUI, Chang Hongsong (PAINTED SKIN: THE RESURRECTION)
BEST ART DIRECTION
HUO TingXiao (WHITE DEER PLAIN)
Penny Tsai (STARRY STARRY NIGHT)
YEE Chung-man, LAU Man Hung (FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE)
Lin Mu (DESIGN OF DEATH)
MAN Lim Chung (THE SILENT WAR)
BEST MAKEUP & COSTUME DESIGN
Fang Chi Luen, Li-Wen Hsu (LOVE)
Stanley CHEUNG (THE BULLET VANISHES)
Lin Mu (DESIGN OF DEATH)
Tim YIP (TAI CHI 0)
MAN Lim Chung (THE SILENT WAR)
BEST ACTION CHOREOGRAPHY
XU Haofeng (ARROW ARBITRATION)
CHIN Ka Lok (MOTORWAY)
YUEN Bun, LAN Hai Han, SUN Jian Kui (FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE)
Cyril Raffaelli, LEE Chung Chi (BLACK & WHITE: THE DAWN OF ASSAULT)
Sammo HUNG (TAI CHI 0)
BEST SOUND EFFECTS
Kinson TSANG, Lai Chi Hung (NIGHTFALL)
Phyllis Cheng (THE BULLET VANISHES)
Dong Xu (DESIGN OF DEATH)
Frank Cheng (BLACK & WHITE: THE DAWN OF ASSAULT)
Traithep Wongpaiboon, Nopawat Likitwong (THE SILENT WAR)
As you can see, there aren’t a ton of martial arts films this year. The Viral Factor, Tai Chi 0, Flying Swords of Dragon Gate and Black and White seem to be the only ones that really got any nominations. I’m curious about China Heavyweight, as I’ve only seen the trailer for it, but haven’t heard how much people liked it.
To be honest, I don’t know how many victories the martial arts side of things will see, as I don’t really think Flying Swords was even that strong of a contender.
Anyways, I’ll post the results when I find them out, but feel free to speculate until then!
Source: Nomination List
Background Info
Dante Lam is known for creating powerful stories with strong characters that leave a lasting impact on audiences. The Viral Factor focuses on the story of 2 brothers that are on opposite sides of the law. Would Lam be able to bring something new to the tired genre while getting the most out of Tse and Chou, or would this movie fall short of its mark?
Story/Characters
The Viral Factor’s story is basic enough. While some setpieces are a little too coincidental, I felt like a lot of care went into making sure things didn’t happen just because certain characters needed to meet. The film doesn’t do anything to break any molds, which is a shame since Lam has created some truly gripping stories before. When compared to his other films, the story in the Viral Factor is lacking, but still gets the job done for an explosive action film.
What makes the story so great is how believable the characters are. Things don’t always wrap up nicely when it comes to family affairs, and the reason why the brothers are separated is grounded in reality enough to seem logical. However, this seems to only extend to Jay Chou and Nicholas Tse’s characters. There are several other characters whose motives are simply ignored. For example, there are some characters that are not “good” and the film tells you as much, but never why they can’t be trusted. It feels like a missed opportunity for even deeper characters for a richer story.
Action/Choreography
I was looking forward to the action sequences in the Viral Factor, and I’m happy with the result that I got. While I personally would have wanted more fight choreography, the pacing of the fights along with the shootouts and explosions are sure to satisfy those that want a solid action film. Andy On plays a great villain once again, though he didn’t get much time to showcase his talents as a fighter.
Nicholas Tse and Jay Chou exchange blows from time to time, and it’s very apparent that they both know what they are doing. Chou’s action in the Viral Factor far surpasses what he did in the Green Hornet, and I’m glad that I don’t have such a negative image of him anymore. I would like to point out that I’m a little tired of seeing people get suplexed through things though. It was cool in Flash Point, but now everybody does it.
Own it, Watch it, Skip it?
The Viral Factor suffers because there was so much more that could have been done with the story. Chou and Tse played their roles well and the action is solid, but deeper characters and less linear plot would have made this film superb. This isn’t Dante Lam’s best film, but it isn’t a waste of time either. If you want to see a good action film or see what Jay Chou can do with a good character, you should definitely check out the Viral Factor.
Watch it
So I actually waited to post some stuff on the Viral Factor, but a lot of media has come out to promote the film. Linked below is a new video clip that has been released, showing some of the more explosive elements of the movie. I wish there was some fighting, but I guess you can’t always get what you want.
Twitch also found a few short US TV Spots, which don’t show anything new but remind us that it is indeed coming to the states.
Now, I am slightly curious as to why it says it will be playing in AMC theaters, as I heard it was just select cities. I still think this is the case, which sucks because it’s not showing anywhere near me. Still, I’m really eager to get my hands on this movie and see if it lives up to the hype.
The Viral Factor will be out on January 20th.
Sources: Chinese Films and Twitch
