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The most expensive Vietnamese film ever (it cost USD3 million to make - probably the lunch budget of Stallone's Rambo) is a rousing action/romance expertly directed by the Vietnamese/American filmmaker Charlie Nguyen. The old-fashioned story is about the 1922 rebellion against French colonialists and follows a familiar but pleasing path. However, if you are a martial arts fan, the film will be of particular interest for its excellent action scenes featuring little known Vietnamese martial art, Vo Thuat. Originally based on Northern Chinese Wushu (Chinese were the first superpower to invade this luckless land), Vietnamese martial arts system has developed incorporating the elements from the fighting styles of neigbouring countries. For many centuries it was the main form of defense for these people because their invaders (Chinese, French, Japanese) stripped them of all weapons. Both leads Johnnie Nguyen and the gorgeous actor/singer/model Vo Thanh Thuy are accomplished practitioners of the style and their prowess is obvious in the film. Dustin Nguyen (no relation, every second person is called Nguyen in Vietnam) makes a worthy villain with his own expertise in various Asian styles.

A must for martial arts fans. It will also be enjoyed by those who like a rousing action/romance.

I'm half Vietnamese and a fan of Johnny Nguyen. I was looking for a really good Vietnamese movie and I found out about "The Rebel". I was blown away. Johnny Nguyen gave an excellent performance in this movie, as well as Ngo Thanh Van, and showed his true abilities as both an actor and a martial artist. Between fast paced action sequences (which specialize in the Vietnamese martial art of "Vovinam") and the powerful emotional scenes depicting the struggles of Vietnam during the French Colonial rule, this movie definitely delivers a punch.

(Fun Fact: Johnny Nguyen, Dustin Nguyen, and Ngo Thanh Van all dubbed their own voices in English on the 2-Disc DVD.)

How is this for a change of pace - a martial arts flick from Vietnam! Johnny Nguyen (TOM YUM GOONG) stars as a Lieutenant enforcer for the French occupiers in the 1920s. He ends up sympathizing with the indigenous rebels and helping their cause when he falls for the leader's daughter (Thanh Van Ngo). This is a really entertaining film because it balances fantastic martial arts sequences (choreographed by lead Nguyen) against some good drama. The real standout here is former 21 JUMP STREET-er Dustin Nguyen as the main bad guy. He has a real Simon Yam-like presence and appears to do a lot of his own fighting. My only complaint would be the film does tend to drag during the middle section set in a work camp.

Action movies generally can't deliver much in the story department. So even a slight/slim story as shown here, that is decent enough is a pretty good deal. A good one to watch and enjoy so to speak. The main actors do their dramatic parts convincingly enough and the action scenes are pretty good too (which of course it the main selling point here too).

You might recognize the main actor here from other movies. Especially if you have watched a few Thai action movies. He's doing a great job here, being likable, even when he shouldn't be the one to cheer for. This movie delivers on it's premise, the only question that remains, does this premise suit your taste?

I'm a huge fan of martial arts movies and I'm trained on it a bit myself, so I know good genuine action when I see it. While this movie may not be a Hollywood blockbuster it surely holds its own which cannot be matched by most other action movies. Johnny Nguyen is at his best in this movie. Incredible display of martial arts from him which looks even more convincing than Tony Jaa on screen. They made sure the opponents also have good amount of fighting skill which makes it a real treat to watch the fight sequences. The girl also shows what she can do and wow, can she fight or what.

This is a must watch for martial arts fans out there.