Danny the Dog

Found this movie very entertaining.

I was riveted to my seat and totally absorbed into the movie.

It really tore me up to see how badly he was treated by his captors and I was overjoyed each time he escaped. Also enjoyed seeing Morgan Freeman again. He's a classic. I hadn't seen the previews of this movie beforehand and thought it was "just another action film" ---- until I saw Morgan Freeman come on the scene.

The story line was unusual and the acting was great --- for an action film. Wish that more action films were directed at this level.

Jet Li is fabulous and he can act. I wish him a lifetime of successful films and hope to see them all.

The film concerns about Danny(an incredible Jet Li) a young man who lives like a slave . He is treated like a dog by his proprietary Bart(a magnificent villain Bob Hoskins)a nasty mobster from Glascow who raised him since child like a savage animal . When Bart unleashes his collar Danny is behaving like a rabid dog and starts hitting and knocking people practicing his natural talent for martial arts.His amazing slickness united to a risk sense converted him in a tournaments champion.Later a car accident is executed by an opposite gangster(a tough Vincent Regan) and Danny flees and shelters at home of a blind tuner of piano named Sam(as always an excellent Morgan Freeman) and his stepdaughter(a charming Kerry Condon).Danny is haunted by the musical sounds which remember him his anterior life.

The picture gets frenetic action, impressive fights with bound and leaps and no stunts but the same actors are the fighters.The struggles are well staged with spectacular choreography in charge of the specialist Woo Ping Yuen(Kill Bill and Matrix).But not only fights but the film has an interesting story(well written by Luc Besson) where a violent Danny is attracted for a familiar feeling .In spite of the crude violence the picture has its agreeable moments here and there narrated with ductility and delicacy and developed with great sense of fairness and sensitivity.The music with a bit of go by Massive attack.The film is produced by the French producer Pierre Spengler with a long career and by the same Jet Li(Cradle 2,Hero,The one,Kiss of dragon) .The motion picture is well directed by Louis Leterrier(Tansporteur I and II). The movie will like to Jet Li fans and martial arts enthusiastic. Rating Better than average, well worth watching.

DANNY THE DOG

(USA/UK: Unleashed)

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Sound formats: Dolby Digital / DTS

Raised as a fighting machine by thuggish Glasgow loan sharks, a young man (Jet Li) finds happiness after falling into the care of a kindly old piano teacher (Morgan Freeman) and his musical-protégé granddaughter (Kerry Condon). But Li's past catches up with him, threatening the safety of his newfound family...

Terrific combination of heartfelt drama and bone-crunching action scenes (choreographed by Yuen Wo-ping), anchored by strong performances (including Bob Hoskins as Li's brutal 'mentor') and a finely-tuned script by French action maestro Luc Besson. Grainy filmstock and an excess of closeups (typical of the ghastly Super 35 'widescreen' process) render it less cinematic than it ought to be, and the narrative is predictable, but the movie works on a visceral level whilst simultaneously pulling the heartstrings. Li's best non-HK film since KISS OF THE DRAGON (2001).

(English dialogue)

This film, circulates around a purity, and a rage entwined around each other. It's beyond timeless, Jet Li is perfect and more. It portrays the sick people in this world, and what they do for the most pathetic tools everyone needs. It shows Love, and Death. And it shows Need for the Truth. Its far to obvious that anyone that opposes this is simply out of their own mind in egotistical attention. The question is, is this movie portraying the actual real world we live in, or is it not? This movie floods your mind and heart with power and love. It was perfectly articulate, and balanced between life and death. This movie was never over-advertised, showing that it was made for the intent of impressing, rather then selling, and getting money... Its perfect.

The style of this movie and how the story unfolded makes me rank this an 8. As a fan of massive attack I was taken by how dark and edgy the texture of the movie became due to their soundtrack.

It's obvious that the production team of Luc Besson's has a larger budget to work with. And they are exploring ways to tell an action story. Transporter 1 was better than 2 because of the soundtrack. And here again the music compliments the emotional content.

Granted, some of the characters and scenes did appear amateurish, but the pieces are being put together. If the production team keep going, they'll strike the right chord.

And yes, Jet Li is beginning to evolve as an actor, which I suspected after watching Lethal Weapon 4 again. He's the best thing in that movie.

However, this movie does require an appreciation for the medium and not just a need for escapism.