Dragon (starring Donnie Yen)

It's been a while since I watched a new martial arts movie, and I just got done watching Dragon. [FYI: I saw the uncut, 155 minute version. The US version apparently cut over 30 minutes. Grrr!] In Dragon, Donnie Yen plays Liu Jinxi, a quiet paper maker and family man who lives in a small village. He becomes a hero when he inadvertently defeats some thugs who come to the village looking for trouble. An investigator (played by Takeshi Kaneshiro) looks into the case and slowly unravels Jinxi's past, which is much darker than anyone suspects. Don't worry; no spoilers!

The movie raises a couple themes, such as: Can people change? What is the relationship of mercy and justice? Admittedly, Dragon doesn't tie these questions up too well, but I did find myself watching Yen's character for evidence one way or the other of the answer to the first question. That was rewarding. Plus I was able to overlook the lack of full resolution for a lot of reasons, mainly because Dragon has a strong plot as well great martial arts scenes. This is a pretty rare combination in a martial arts movie. Second, I totally bought into Yen and Kaneshiro's characters. Good performances by the males leads made this side of the film a highlight, especially during some creepy scenes where we're not sure what Yen's character is capable of. All this, plus a great look for the film placed Dragon in the above average category pretty much from the start. Noteworthy that Yen directed the action sequences himself, and he did a top notch job.

On the downside, as the movie progressed it unfortunately tried to up the ante on the quiet, character-driven story through the use of over-the-top melodrama and bat shit crazy violence. As Dragon made Liu Jinxi's past darker and darker and a long-lost person from that past nuttier and nuttier, I found the film less and less engaging. I was actually kind of underwhelmed during the final fight scene, not because the skill or filming was off but because I just didn't buy the situation and characters anymore. It's almost as if the writers didn't have enough faith in their story, so they felt they had to introduce extra flashbacks of cruel violence and dysfunction to compensate. For me, it hurt the film.

Part of my objection is that I generally find martial arts movies that get too dark just don't work for me. The best martial arts movies display great skills from the stars which, of course, entails a degree of violence (and even some 'ick factor' too!).  However, the best films also rarely stray too far from the spirit of the martial arts. Dragon starts out really well along these lines, and it does a great job subtly working in some martial arts/Zen philosophy early on. Later, however, we get bloodthirsty psychos, cruelty to children, and a lightning bolt. That stuff just doesn't fit with the spirit of martial arts, and it falls flat. Of course, this is just my taste, but I doubt I'm the only martial arts fanboy who feels this way. Plus, Dragon did not need to go there in order to work.

Bottom-line: I enjoyed this movie very much but my enjoyment definitely dipped in the last third of the movie. I recommend it as a strong martial arts movie, especially for Donnie Yen fans and those who want a solid plot in their martial arts flicks.

Iron Monkey

This 2002 movie has a lot of potential: The director (Yuen Wo Ping) has done many martial arts movies, and it stars the talented martial artist Donnie Yen. There was also a reasonable cast and plot (about talented martial arts masters playing Robin Hood against a greedy governor) to hold together the many fight scenes.

Naturally, there is some wire-fu since the fight scenes are choreographed by the same people who gave us Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. However, do not expect the fluidity of those fights here; the budget behind Iron Monkey was clearly a lot lower. Even so, the wire-fu is not annoyingly overdone, and there is plenty of skill on display (mostly from Donnie Yen, of course).

Unfortunately, Iron Monkey is so poorly shot that it's sometimes difficult to appreciate the skill of the fighters. There are also too many scenes of 'comic relief' involving the corrupt governor, who is a horny buffoon. For me, this made the movie much sillier than it had to be and detracted from the martial arts.

A lot of people rate Iron Monkey very high as a martial arts flick, but I found it reasonable and not much more. I might watch it again someday, but it's definitely not a 'must-see'.

Ip Man 2

I was really looking forward to Ip Man 2, as I enjoyed the first movie a lot (see Zen Throw Down review: http://zenthrowdown.blogspot.com/2010/12/ip-man.html). Unfortunately Ip Man 2 is a disappointment and a surprisingly weak film. It's a classic case of a martial arts movie getting too slick for its own good while trying to go mainstream. Ip Man 2 lacks the fights needed to appeal to fans of the genre, but it's not strong enough in plot and characterization for mainstream audiences to care.

Ip Man 2 is certainly a well-crafted flick, but I just didn't find any heart or soul in it. The fights contain far too much Matrix-esque wire-fu and some of it is so silly that it makes the film ridiculous. You can't treat it as anything other than a popcorn flick, and yet it's trying to (I think) have some kind of heart. Worse than that, there are tons of fast cuts that prevent the performers from showing off their skills, and this makes you wonder if it's all special effects. Big turn off for a genre fan.

So what about the things mainstream audiences will look for: plot, acting, characterization? Ip Man 2 doesn't deliver any of this. Donnie Yen reprises the role of Ip Man capably enough, but his sincere performance seems lost and out of place in this silly movie. It's almost as though he and his character are beside the point. His student, Lueng, was well-played and interesting, but the character is not developed and goes nowhere. His wife's pregnancy was all front and center but has nothing to do with anything. A close friend of Ip Man is homeless after taking a Japanese bullet in the head and...not sure why that's in the movie as it also goes nowhere. Sammo Hung has great presence, but his character is undefined. First, he's a Hong Kong martial arts mafioso (which is a bit silly all by itself), but then we find he's working for the Brits, but then he changes sides...sort of. Huh??? What's the point of this? The final scene with a young Bruce Lee is dorky and feels tacked on to the end of the film.

The main reason Ip Man 2 will fall flat - for any viewer - is that there is no conflict. Who or what is Ip Man fighting? First we see him trying to open a martial arts school to make ends meet. Then he comes into conflict with Hung, but since Hung's having his chain yanked by the Brits they become allies in short order. Then the rest of the movie is about a boxing match with a British boxer, which Ip Man has to take on and win because...uh, well...I'm not sure why he has to take it on or win. So there can be a big fight at the end of the movie?

I also have to say that this Western fight/match with crooked 'bosses' rigging things was done far, far better in Fearless. In that movie, if Jet Li's character didn't take the match or lost it then his school and people would be shamed. Ip Man 2 tries to mine this vein but lacks the heart and soul to can't make the sparks fly. Ong-Bak worked this angle better, too, and it wasn't even trying to nor were those fights the core of the film (except as awesome displays of skill!). In Ip Man 2, the crooked Brit police chief running the match is too poorly played and laughable to be a real villain. His arrest at the end is corny. The match itself is not very interesting, and I still don't get the 'realization' that inspired Ip Man to open the decisive can of whoop-ass at the end. Lame.

Without much martial arts action and without a central conflict or a reason to care, it's hard to find Ip Man 2 anything but empty and directionless. This undermines the impact of the fight scenes, especially since they aren't being showcased for their own sake. I walked away from the movie feeling as though its only point was to cash in on what I understand is an Ip Man phenomenon in the East. Donnie Yen lost a good deal of credibility with me on this one.

Worth renting if you're a huge Donnie Yen fan or can't live without seeing more of his Ip Man franchise. Even in that case, though, don't expect much.

Hero

The martial arts movie marathon continues....

...although there's probably a lot of people who would call it sacrilege to describe Hero as a martial arts movie. The film relies very heavily on wire-fu, and the martial art performances take a back seat to flashy cinematography and art direction. Think Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with an even greater emphasis on atmosphere and just enough swordplay to qualify for the fringes of the genre.

While Hero will likely fail to deliver on any level for a martial arts fanboy (or girl), there's no question it possesses the 'martial arts vibe' under its high gloss facade. Jet Li and Donnie Yen are two of the stars, yet Donnie Yen's role is almost a cameo. And while the fight sequences are definitely about art over form, the fight between Li and Yen works well very well and it's too bad that it couldn't have been longer.

In the end, Hero would be best described as a martial arts flavored arthouse film. If that description doesn't sound like your cup of tea, I assure you Hero is not for you. Otherwise, enjoy!

Ip Man

I'm off until January 3rd, and one of my projects during this time is to relax with as many martial arts movies as I can fit in. So expect to see a lot of reviews over the next couple weeks. This afternoon, I watched Ip Man for the first time.

Ip Man is a 'biopic' but - from the little I have read - it's probably only loosely based on its subject's actual life. Played by Donnie Yen (also seen in Hero and Seven Swords), Ip Man is a supremely talented martial artist who lives peacefully in Fo Shan, a place renowned for its martial artists. The Japanese invasion of China during WWII destroys his idyllic existence. Master Ip and everyone around him are suddenly poor and life becomes a brutal struggle for existence. In the movie, the former Fo Shan masters have to resort to going to a 'fight club' in order to earn bags of rice to stay alive. The film does a very good job of conveying the harsh existence of the time.


In the title role, Donnie Yen's serene presence works very well. I've noticed in all of his films that he has this calm but powerful vibe emanating from him. It makes him a great choice to play a martial arts master. However, he is also able to convey deep emotion just by very subtle things he does with his face or posture. For instance, when he smiles, it's so rare that it takes on major importance. When he calls the translator Li a traitor, there's a sudden hardness in his face that's just a shade different from his usual stoicism, but it's enough and it tells you everything you need to know. I found myself just watching him very closely because of this, and his performance rewarded the attention.

Admittedly, the plot of Ip Man is rather thin. There are several characters with arcs of one sort or another, but the movie ends up focused mostly on the horrors of life under the Japanese occupation as opposed to any deep insight into Master Ip or his philosophy (though there is certainly some of that to be found here). One big plus to this was that it left room for a lot of martial arts sequences to be smoothly woven into the story.

On the downside the focus on the occupation - especially through the dingy, depressing light in which these scenes are filmed - rendered Ip Man a bit cold and soulless at times. I feel like a good martial arts movie, even one dealing with dark or tragic subjects, should still reflect the spirit of the martial arts (which is not about darkness or post-modern angst). While the movie clearly wants to convey the horrors of occupation, I think it would have been a better move (and more poignant) to rely upon the actors and characters to get this across. For example, the scene where Master Ip confesses to his wife how useless he feels was extremely touching, as was the scene when Yuan opens the mysterious tin box his brother had been searching for. The desperation of the millworkers and that of the bandits who blackmail them was also compelling, but this conflict really didn't go anywhere specific.

Overall, I liked Ip Man and found it very moving, and I guess I'm picking at it because it's good enough to merit that kind of dissection. Most importantly, the martial arts sequences in Ip Man are very good. Much of the close-in fighting is especially tight and furious (and from what I understand the Wing Chun form is more about fighting at close range). Master Ip and Master Liu (another of the former Fo Shan masters) both had moves that make you want to reach for the rewind button. There was also great work from the actor who played the scruffy challenger from the north. A few less cuts would have enhanced the WOW! factor at times, and there is some unneeded use of wire fu. Not dissing wire fu in total, but the fact is that the best martial arts movies are the ones where you can best see the artists showing their skills with 'no strings attached' (that's why we watch!). So if you have good artists in the movie, it should be used sparingly. That said, Ip Man definitely delivers plenty of good martial arts, as well as a great performance from Donnie Yen and very moving story. Excellent movie!