Les fils du vent

The plot is simple. A French youngsters who are into extreme sports go to China and get in trouble with the local triad mafia. Just because the training ground they use happen to be on their turf. Without really having anything to do with it they get into the gang warfare. And without choosing any sides they try to fight a way out.

The story isn't very spectacular. But the fighting and acrobatics are. The actors are mostly the same as Luc Besson's Yamakasi. And if you have seen that film and those acrobatics and you combine them with martial arts. Then you will understand what makes this film so good. Those men "REALLY" Jump of buildings and "REALLY" climb them barehanded (of course they are protected with cables). But instead of the cable doing all the work it's them. If you want an evening of relaxing and giving your eye some original spectacle without having too much of a plot than this is the movie for you. Enjoy.

After being quite disappointed by the first Yamakasi film, i didn't expect very much. But after watching Les Fils du vent i was literally blown away. First of all, forget about the story. It's an action movie, and not a drama, so a good story won't be that important after all. The director took a free running group from France and added some martial arts artists from Thailand(?). The outcome of the equation were some very impressive action scenes. I gave this movie 8/10 stars, because it fulfills everything i expect from an action movie. So if you like martial arts and/or those little free running clips from all over the net, you won't be disappointed by this movie.

I thought about suggesting that it might be a good idea to watch "Yamakasi 2 / The Great Challenge / Sons Of The Wind" with the sound off (it would at least eliminate the absurd French dubbing of every character in Bangkok, even local small children and Asian mobsters), but then you would not be able to listen to some pretty driving music....I'm not sure if the plot would make any less sense, though. For example, the final battle must have set some sort of record for "highest number of participants", but even our heroes seem confused as to whom they are fighting or why. If you forget about the plot and concentrate on the action, this movie does have some scenes that will have you going "Wow!", although sometimes the cutting is a bit too frantic. All the leads here (from the Luc Besson - discovered group Yamakasi) are obviously gifted athletes, and following Xin Xin Xiong's choreography, they come off as high-level martial artists as well. Special mention must be made of Elodie Yung, who is not only absolutely gorgeous and impressively fit, but a great fighter too. Her scorpion kicks rival those of Cynthia Rothrock! **1/2 out of 4.

This is the second feature for the French stunt acrobat group Yamakasi. They are all very talented but director Julien Seri can't capitalize on this talent to save his life. Granted, this is a bit better than the eyeball killer YAMAKASI (2001) but not by much. The group finds themselves in Thailand and they end up feuding with a local Yakuza (!) gang. Each member is given more to do this time whether it be falling in love or re-connecting with one's long dead mystical father. There are quite a few action scenes but nothing really stands out. Director Seri has an unbelievable ability to shoot stuff in a way that it has so little impact. The only high point is a shot where three guys drop about 5 stories down a series of silos that is shot in one take. Given that Thailand produced their own badass actioner in ONG BAK the year before, it is sad to see these talented guys relying on lots of wirework. I pray that someone will utilize their parkour skills in something in the future that is a bit more engaging like BANLIEUE 13.

This French film sees a group of French parkour specialists heading to Bangkok where they hope to help one of their number set up a gym for street kids. Unfortunately they soon cross paths with a local gang. The gang is led by Kien, who along with his sister Tsu is helping the yakuza in their conflict with the local triad which rejected them because of their mixed Eurasian parentage. Tsu is trying to get away from the gangs and starts to develop feelings for Logan, one of Parkour group. This basis set up leads to confrontations between the various groups; all leading to a massive fight where the parkour group are caught in a fight between yakuza and triad gangsters which will require their skills to escape.

This film might not have the most original plot but that doesn't matter as the plot is just there to give a reason for the action and it is that action most viewers will be watching for. The parkour scenes are very exciting and when they are combined with martial arts fighting the thrills only increase. These scenes look very real with none of the obvious wirework you get in many martial arts films. It is just a bit of a pity that some of these scenes are over-edited with excessive cuts hiding the performers' obvious skills. The romance between Logan and Tsu is a bit of a distraction from the action but just provide some character motivation. The acting might not be the very best but it is clear most of the cast is there for their physical skills and in that department they really deliver. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to fans of parkour or martial arts which aren't too brutal.

These comments are based on watching the film in French with English subtitles.