Little Big Soldier

I loved Jackie Chan before I even saw Jackie Chan. I read about his career first and saw a documentary about him before I saw any of his films. I was impressed by incredibly insane stunt work. When I finally got to see his original Hong Kong films like Project A I was not disappointed. I also saw he had a flair for physical comedy not seen since the days of the great silent film stars. For many years his films just got better and better and one became used to seeing Jackie one up himself.

Then he got old.

Actually I wish I could blame Chris Tucker, but even he isn't totally to blame for the fall off in the quality of the work of Jackie Chan. To be honest, Jackie reached that awkward point where he was still trying to cash checks his body could no longer write. Add to that a real push to be an american star so that he wasn't being careful in what projects he was signing up with, and you have a recipe for disaster. Honestly, the words "A new Jackie Chan film," just became too painful to me. I considered just striking him off my list of things to watch and just celebrate his golden age.

Then I saw "Little Big Soldier."

Now, this isn't like the "Gone of the Wind" of Fu films, but it's a good solid film that tells a story that is amusing. Here Jackie is fine comic form. He's a professional soldier, but only so much as he shows up on the field. THere he plays dead and loots around after the battle. This time he looks into an enemy general wounded but alive. He takes the general cross country hoping to present him for a rich reward. Of course the course of true greed never runs true. There are others who want the general and various pitfalls along the mountain pathways.

This is a lovely film, something you don't often say about a Jackie Chan film. It has wonderful color. Jackie as I said is really acting well and his co stars are a fine match. The fighting is good but not overwhelming and film is well paced. Definitely worth a watch and I hope this puts Jackie back in the groove.

True Legend

Cards on the table. I loved this film. It is one of the best martial arts movies I've seen in a long time. It follows the conventions of the genre but there are some curves that will keep you thinking long after the credits.

It's the story of Begger Su, a master of Wushu. Now the story is split basically in two and each half is stylistically different. The first half is very early Shaw Brothers in style while the second is more like recent martial art films like "Assassins and Bodyguards." That the film can have such a schizoid feel and yet hold together is in itself amazing.

In the first half Su is a general. He's a brilliant fighter and leader of man and we meet him as he goes off to save a captured prince. The sets automatically give the reality level to that of about an Indiana Jones film. This first action sequence shows that the martial art is a mix of martial arts, CGI, and wire fu. The sequence is fairly seamless and more importantly the lines of action are always clear. This isn't MTV chop sockey.

After saving the Prince he's offered a high place in government. Su though is humble, and also worried that his foster brother will take offense. He gives his sword to his friend, and then tries to mollify his brother as best he can, and then goes off to have a family. The brother though is having none of it. See, Su's dad killed his dad and then took the boy in to raise as his own, but it never really took. So five years later the brother comes for revenge. Oh, and boy is he a badass. First he took armor and SEWED IT TO HIS CHEST. Then he learned his dead father's technique of the Fist of the Five Deadly Venoms, which basically makes you look like a dead thing but gives you the power to poison others. The Brother kills Su's dad and takes his family. At an incredible fight by a roaring river Su's arm is hurt and he's hurled into the river. The Brother take's Su's son.

Su's wife finds Su and they go to a remote mountain. Su knows he most regain his strength in more to free his son so he practices, practices, and practices. But he keeps getting distracted by a pair of running nuts. Finally one day, he catches up to them. The Old Sage and the God of Wushu. The Old Sage says he'll teach Su all he knows, he just has to beat the God of Wushu. Su gladly takes the challenge and has his head beaten in. When he's healed he goes back again. Practically everyday they fight and he loses. But he is growing strong. His wife is happy, the doctor who treated him is not. She's worried about his mental health. The wife says, he's just stressed cause he's fighting the God of Wushu every day. The doctor reminds her, that they are the only ones on the mountain.

So the wife follows one day and finds out there is no God of Wushu. Her Husband is running around in circles hitting his own head with rocks or head first into the trees. He is clearly barking mad crazy. This is a real game changer. I've seen blind martial artist and drunk ones, but nutty ones is something new. The interesting thing, is that he does seem to have learned new techniques. Is this a commentary on the creative process?

Anyway, it sets the stage for the coming tragedy. The wife not trusting her husband anymore goes herself to get her son. He comes after them of course and beats seven kinds of crap into the creepy brother which is impressive since i've only known five kinds of crap before. Unfortunately, the wife pays with her life. This doesn't help Su's mental health.

So now we are in the second story. Our hero, once a general, is now a bum. His kid is the starving son of a bum. An aside: Su's parenting skills suck wind. It's amazing the kid still has blind hero worship for him. Turns out Su is still seeing things and is in the middle of creating drunking boxing. His old friend sees him and tries to help him, but Su is too far gone really. But Su decides to help his friend because evil white imperialist powers are using martial arts to trample on the chinese. Led by the not yet dead David Carradine, they have a huge slab of meat that's breaking the backs of every chinese fighter that enters the ring. Will Su get his drunk butt together enough to fight for Chinese honor?

Of course he will. This section was interesting but not nearly as fun as the first half. But I do like how the more realistic feel works with the down and out and nutty Su. Whereas the first half feels truly legendary, the second has the "true" part. I can believe a homeless guy who somehow is channeling how to become the best martial artist. The film ends with a happy note. Our hero has cleaned up and travels the land with his son, but we can see that he's still seeing things that are not there. Certainly, makes you wonder what adventures he'd have afterwards.

The Warrior's Way

This film is a big slice of hokey from the get go, and if you can't get behind it don't even bother. This is a modern day version of "Kung Fu," done up Hong Kong style with a side order of Japanoweirdness. Our hero has spent his life learning to be the best swordsman ever. After defeating the previous best swordsman ever, he suddenly feels hollow. Only a laughing baby he was contracted to kill makes him happy. So he leaves his fellowship of assassins and takes the baby to america. There he goes to a ghost town full of circus performers looking for an old friend. The friend had passed on but he finds peace in simple but odd community. Unfortunately, bandits and the assassins decide eventually to rain holy hell down on the town and only his sword can save everybody.

Yes the message is as hokey as any sixties hippy movie. Growing flowers is better than killing people. How profound. But, in the end it works it really does. This film is just five shades of beautiful. It both rocks and rolls and it always has something interesting. I liked how the main female character isn't a "traditional" hollywood beauty, but is just full of life and spunk. The casting is just all around great. I really have nothing bad to say about this movie. Seriously!

Tekken

Well every other fighting game known to man has been made into a movie, so why not "Tekken?" Right, after the terrorist wars 8 corporations rule the Earth. The one that rules America is Tekken which is controled by an asian with weird hair. Typical post apocalyptic future which means cheap looking visual designs... oh future what would we do without chain link fencing? Only in movies is the architech of the future Home Depot.

So in this future our surely, lone wolf hero plies his trade of being quick on his feet. People want him to join the "Revolution," but he blows them off. Still under it all he has a heart of noble goodness (Tell me if you've heard this story before dear readers), and eventually he decides to try out to be the people's hero in yearly manic fisticuff jamboree.

Right so the people's hero, and a bunch of other bruisers with bad hair and attitude now ply for honor and glory not seen since wrestlemania infinity. Ah but the son of the asian with the bad hair has other plans. Not only does he want to take over the company from dear ol' daddy, but he wants to turn this ass stomping party to eleven by making it to the death. The People's Hero is not amused. He is less amused to discover he is the son of this wankturd. Daddy issues are about to be ask kicked to kingdom come and we are all in it for the ride.

Ok, the story is bad, the acting is cardboard, the hair stands out though. The martial arts though aren't bad. Just enough of the real to keep it from becoming like "Double Dragon 2." And really, it was fairly painless fun which really is the best anyone can hope for in an exercise like this. Enjoy!

Legend of the Fist

Right now this his kung fu the way kung should be fu'd. Set when Japan occupied China it's a sprawling story of one man fighting oppression. In a lot of ways it has the graze notes of zorro. By day (and most nights) our hero is stylish half owner of a night club. But when trouble rears up our dandy puts on what looks like Kato's better duds and fights crime as the legendary warrior.

Look this a beautiful film. It's a well acted film. It has an interesting script that weaves history with everybodies spying on somebody plot. But, let's be truth, you want to know about the kung fu. The kung fu is strong. The kung fu very strong.