Les fils du vent

5 years after YAMAKASI failed to introduce Les Groupe Yamakasi's brand of Parkour to the wider world, the members are reunited by director Julien Seri for a semi-sequel, this time taking the action to Bangkok for a change of scenery. The group are all a bit more mature, and so is the film - not so much a kids movie anymore. Time does not appear to have diminished their "Free Running" skills - in fact I *think* they've gotten quite a bit better. I have to qualify that observation because it's really hard to tell - the director belongs to that school of thought which says that action scenes are more exciting if you can't tell what on earth is going on :( That was the main problem with the first YAMAKASI film, and I really hoped some lessons would have been learnt and this time they'd leave the camera in one place a bit longer and actually let us see the Parkour the group are performing... that _is_ why you'd hire them all to be in a film, after all.

Sadly, Julien Seri seems to have missed the point entirely, and shoots all the action in the most infuriating way possible. He proudly tells us in the extra features that he used 4 cameras to shoot the action, and he really enjoys "just getting the camera on my shoulder and running about" when he's on set, but "the most creative part is in the editing room". What this means is that as soon as the cast start moving at more than 3mph, the camera starts zooming and shaking and we rarely get a shot that lasts more than 1/3rd of the second before it cuts to another angle. What we do get to see of the action looks amazing... the film mixes up Parkour with Muay Thai and other martial arts styles in a way that could have produced an absolute classic. In the right hands this could have been the beginning of a whole new action film style, as exciting an action film as ONG BAK. Sadly, Seri clearly does not have the right hands :( I suppose some comments about the story are appropriate... it's rather daft. The Yamakasi go to Bangkok to help set up a gym for poor kids, and accidentally get involved in a turf war between the Triads and the Yakuza (who all speak French. In Thailand). A pair of French-Chinese siblings are the catalyst for much of this - a brother who wants to get into the Yakuza because the Triads rejected their mixed blood, and his sister who thinks all this crime is maybe a bad thing.

The film suffers from chronic "orientalism" - the insidious form of racism which certainly doesn't think Asian people are inferior to westerners, no way Jose - in fact it thinks they're great... with their ancient traditions, quasi-mystical religions and mad martial arts skillz - they probably just need a group of westerners to spend a few days with them and sort out their generations old blood feuds (and teach their ladies how to love). The Bangkok setting is beautiful, but it seems to be populated entirely by gangsters, monks, Muay Thai rings and alleyway markets.

LES FILS DU VENT could have been great - the design of the action scenes is brilliant, and Les Groupe Yamakasi really deserve a vehicle that showcases their skills rather than trying to hide them. Again they've been let down by a director who's so in love with himself he's perhaps afraid that if he let us see them in action for more than half a second we'd start thinking it was *their* film, not his. If that was his worry, he definitely shot himself in the foot (actually head), because all he accomplished with his camera work and editing was to make me hate him.

The film still manages to be enjoyable, but you have to look past what you're actually seeing to what was really being done to appreciate it. I'm torn between loving the ideas and the actors and hating what was done with them on screen. That leaves me somewhere around... 6/10.

When I picked up this movie, I was expecting something rather different from what the movie actually turned out to be. The title "Sons of the Wind: Bangkok Ninjas" led me to believe this was a Thai martial arts movie, not some Parkour event movie.

Sure the people in the movie, the ones doing the Parkour, were really athletic and did some rather amazing stuff. But, personally, I think you really need to be into Parkour to find this movie interesting. It was so disappointing for me to sit through, waiting for martial arts, and only seeing Parkour. I must admit that I gave up about one hour into the movie.

And why was everyone speaking French in the movie? It made no sense that the Thai people spoke French as well. Sure, I could understand the Parkour people from France spoke French, but the natives Thai? Come on... Now, I got nothing against French language or movies that isn't in English, but at least keep it proper to the regions in which it take place.

It should be said that the camera work was really nice, it was almost like you were right there in the action yourself. But still, you have to be appreciative of Parkour for this to really be interesting.

This was a major disappointment to me. But it just goes to prove, that you can't always put your trust in the DVD cover.

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.

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.

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.