Lao pao er

I didn't expect to like this movie. The premise sounded dull and Feng Xiaogang was always known as a director rather than an actor. So imagine my surprise when I thought to myself after the credits rolled that wow, this is definitely one of my favorites of 2015.

I love everything about it, I am familiar with Guan Hu as I have watched two of his films which I also liked and I thought this would be the first movie of his that I would hate. Turns out it'd be one of his best.

Mr Six is not meant to be a hero or a sympathetic character even. He's an old guy set in his ways and stubborn to a great fault. Which is why the ending was fitting in all its symbolic glory.

The character that really stayed with me was Xiao Fei, the spoiled brat turned sympathetic kid who looks up to the values of old and yearns for a father's attention. The interesting thing about this movie was that it also had the story of a father and son but the more compelling story was the one between a father and another man's son.

I would recommend this movie to anyone. Brilliant and well-executed filmmaking.

Mr. Six was a Beijing crime boss who still has the respect of his hood despite being long retired, but he gets back into the game when his son gets into some trouble, owing rich privilege kids some money.

It's not as action packed as I thought it would be from the plot line, Yet it's still very appealing as if you are watching an action movie.

It's a lot like Unforgiven, as Mr. Six spends the film trying to reconnect with old ties in order to help his son. It was interesting seeing him handle himself ageist a foe that does not care about his past. The actor who played Mr. Six was very successful in his low key style of acting.

It was funny and charming and dramatic perfectly at the same time.

Not an action movie by any means but an interesting drama concerning traditional values versus new free-market attitudes seen from the perspective of an older criminal element trying to deal with the new-money, corruption-based variety.

The movie does a nice job of showing community life in the laid back old hutongs that still exist in Beijing and while the plot is a little slow it develops well. Since this film was designed to appeal to a domestic audience a lot of the nuance will be lost on foreigners. It emphasizes relationships, loyalty and honor in contrast to the quest for individual wealth, power and exaggerated regard of face. It also reinforces the notion that you can trust the Party to do the right thing but not the police.

Some ask "what's happened to Chinese cinema?" I guess the answer is that it is booming and delivering a wide variety of product. If you want a big budget action film with lots of CG you'll find it in Mo Jin - The Lost Legend. I enjoyed Lao Pao Er more though.

I wanted to write a review just to let cinema goers know that this is a well made movie, with a lot to like about it - but action is not one of them - because quite simply there is none - ZERO. Now don't get me wrong, i love all sorted of Asian cinema, drama, action, martial arts and thriller, but i am sick & tired of being mislead. It shouldn't be in the category of action and whilst the trailers showed "glimpses and promises of knives, swords and a few sensational stare downs" thats where the action ends. It was actually very well paced for the first half, but there is a scene in which the movie comes to a grinding halt and never recovers. It is a movie about redemption, father & son relationships and Mr Six being a man of principle which is rarely found in today's society. It was beautifully shot and acted, but shame what started out promising so much at a decent pace ended up grinding to a halt and delivering none of the action it promises in description or in the trailer.

This movie is really a cultural thing and it's for the people that grew in Beijing. Gladly, I am. Even a lot of Chinese people can't understand it since it contains a lot of Beijing dialect. As a guy born in Beijing and lived there for 15 years. I can't understand all the dialect in the movie. So it is impossible for foreigners to have a perfect experience on this movie since the dialect is the part that makes it a good movie (unless you're really good at Chinese and actually lived in Beijing for many years).

Although I admit there is some bad acting choice or bad filming, but it is a realistic represent of those Beijing "Lao Pao er". It appeals a lot to Chinese. Right now, we're losing a lot of these dialect and culture, this movie is about help us to recollect those tradition.

My advise is: Don't watch it. If you are interested in it and going to watch it, take it easy, don't have any thoughts like "this movie is gonna be amazing" before you watch it. The target consumers is Chinese (and mainly some of the Chinese). Asking foreigners to truly understand this movie is like asking a man to use a sanitary napkin.