Dragón

DRAGON, a Chinese remake of Cronenberg's A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE with added martial arts action, is a fine-looking film. The period setting is brought vividly to life and the plot moves at a fair old whack, always avoiding cliché in its exploration of a former gangster attempting to lead a decent life as an ordinary family man. Of course, it's a Donnie Yen film, so there are the inevitably lengthy and detailed martial arts sequences which are typically strong and help to lift the movie's entertainment value immeasurably.

Elsewhere, the material does feel a little strained at times and the story seems to fall apart as it progresses. The second half is noticeably inferior to the first, and the film seems to be merely treading water up until the final confrontation between anti-hero and villain. Still, the producers deserve kudos for casting martial arts star and genre icon Jimmy Wang Yu (completely unrecognisable these days, it has to be said) as the chief bad guy.

In addition, there's a serious and finely-tuned performance from Takeshi Kaneshiro as a detective investigating Yen's background. Kaneshiro's character is somewhat incongruous given the provincial nature of the rest of the movie but Kaneshiro can always be relied upon to deliver carefully mannered performances and his role here proves no exception to that rule.

Come the roll of the final credits, I was left feeling mildly entertained by the material, but also slightly dissatisfied, purely because the quality of the action isn't on par with the highs of IP MAN 1 & 2, FLASH POINT and other Yen classics. I've been spoilt by such films, and as a result Dragon felt a little lacklustre, more watchable as an interesting curio than a full-blooded fight flick.

"A Chinese version of A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE (2005)!", which is my immediate response off the top of my head during the viewing at a local cinema, ordainedly a deja vu even banal narrative does undermine the film itself. Also Wu Xia's ostensible propaganda is so-called "microcosmic Kung Fu", which in my opinion, fabricates a promising prologue, particularly leavens the appeal of the detective segments, Takeshi's character is noteworthy for infusing panache into his persistent waywardness, which sounds more intriguing than the hero- hidden-in-a-remote-village plot, unfortunately the mission is unjustly unfulfilled.

Frankly speaking, the overall quality of the film is above average, as Peter Chen's prestige laurels still waver on a high level. The technical job is amazingly done, the acupuncture specifications, the reconstruction of a minority people's village and some canny inventions such as the alarm clock, the ancient condom and the print apparatus are fun to watch, not to mention the ending, which aroused a burst of laughters in the cinema, I must say it is an unexpected and creative one, otherwise, the finale would be more blushing.

Donnie Yen (from the IP MAN franchise), is unquestionably the leading martial superstar in China at present, whilst Jackie Chan is aging and Jet Li put his priority on his charity career. At an abashed age of 48, being the red-hot Kung Fu star, I pessimistically assume that Donnie's heyday will not be protracted too long. This is Takeshi's the third time starring in Peter Chan's films after THE WARLORDS (2007) and PERHAPS LOVE (2005), this time, his thunder cannot be stolen. I am also surprised to see Tang Wei (the budding starlet in LUST, CAUTION 2007) took such a marginalized role in the film, an almost downplayed innocent wife, although solid, her only shining moment is curbed within one cry-scene, to me, it is an inexcusable misemployment. Other two weathered Kung Fu masters are Kara Hui and Yu Wang, as the main villains, both give admirable but a shade monochrome performances.

All in all, the film is a niche under my expectation, but after so many recent disappointments, to name a few, THE LOST BLADESMAN (2011), FIST OF FURY: THE LEGEND OF CHEN ZHEN (2010) (both under the belt of Donnie Yen), Wu Xia show how desperate we need some new blood to inject into the now overheated Chinese Kung Fu genre, which I do appreciate for its effort.

Before watching Director Peter Ho-sun Chan's latest movie, Wu Xia, starring Donnie Yen, I expected to watch a typical martial arts movie. Contrary to my expectations, the movie is a fascinating fusion of a detective story, forensic science, action, humor, politics and family drama.

Wu Xia is a gripping story about the dark side of human nature. There are several intriguing things that are worth nothing. First, Detective Xu Baijiu believes that the law is more important than humanity. His blind obedience to the law contrasts sharply with the corrupt officials accepting bribes, which is a political satire. Please note what happens to the villain at the end, which ridicules the unscrupulous legal system invented by humans. Second, the difference between humans and animals is highlighted. Please note that cows, horses, flies and worms are shown in the movie and respect for animals is emphasized. Moreover, in a fighting scene, Kara Hui's character can be seen through a cow's eye, which symbolically shows her ruthless character. Third, in some scenes, the candles glimmer in the darkness, which symbolically shows the struggle between good and evil in a human being.

Peter Chan and Oi-wah Lam have grasped the key to writing a good story. Indeed, three-dimensional characters are more important than fancy fight scenes, so they take their time developing the characters in the movie. Thanks to the capable cast, the well-crafted script, the restrained costumes and the breathtaking setting, most characters are lifelike. In the movie, Takeshi Kaneshiro gives the most memorable performance, considering his dual role as his good self and his dark self. Detective Xu Baijiu, whose biggest battle lies within, is torn between his conscience and his blind faith in the law. Also, his attempt to speak the Sichuan dialect is comical. As for Donnie Yen, he is charismatic and his action is well-choreographed. Still, he slightly underacts in the crying scene and the one in which he kills the butcher and his children. Playing ruthless villains, Yu Wang and Kara Hui deliver flawless performances. Their characters, albeit monochrome, look eerily menacing.

As for my suggestions for improvement, some insignificant details can be trimmed and Liu Jin-xi's change can be further developed. Despite these minor flaws, the movie grabs me from beginning to end, not only because of the adrenalin-pumping action, but also the well-developed characters that the audience cares about. Featuring a creative mix of different genres as well as a fine balance between drama and action, Wu Xia is so far the best Hong Kong movie I have watched in 2011.

Awesome choreographed fight scenes, rich & deep characters and a great cast to boot, this is a must watch for any fan of the martial arts genre. Donnie Yen has yet another spectacular performance from the acting to the action. But I must say, Takeshi Kaneshiro does some show stealing of his own in his role as the sagacious detective. Suffice to say, both actors delivered riveting performances that kept me glued to my seat. What else can I say about this movie? Just watch it already. It's an entertaining take one man's desire to leave his violent past behind, and start anew. If you want drama, build up and great action then this is the ticket.

This is a very interesting and different martial arts movie. Not revolutionary, per se, but it's innovative, exciting, and an original. I admit, with a title like Wu Xia, which means Martial Hero, I've a preconceived notion of the way plot lines should be unfolded. However, it doesn't follow the tried and true formula and even though I was entertained, I felt a little let down, at the beginning. The first half of the movie is basically CSI, China, Ching Dynasty. I thought it's pretty funny but it lacks a certain epic and mystical quality that good martial arts movies have. Then the second half of the movie complements the first half beautifully; it becomes more like a traditional martial arts movie. But what it lacks in innovation more than made up by the heart-pounding action set pieces. The movie is beautifully filmed, with unusual composition and gorgeous color. The score is unorthodox as well, it's almost like a rock score but not so modern that it becomes incongruous with old China. One small quibble, the stunt people are too easily spotted on many of the death defying scenes. All in all, highly recommended.