Contour

When it comes to amateur martial arts flicks, this is easily top echelon and delivers a shameful thrashing to the craptakular "Dubbed & Dangerous" movies or the truly lousy "Left For Dead." Still, there's no hiding the fact the fact that these guys were more concerned about putting together fights than a decent movie. The film runs waaaaay too long (107m? Come on!), the acting, writing and comedy are dire, the editing is only good when people are kicking each other, and as good as the fight scenes are-- and make no mistake these guys have a tight game-- nothing can hide the fact that you've seen all these moves before, especially if you've been watching martial arts films for any period of time; things are further hampered by the fact that they couldn't afford any collateral damage outside of the occasional broken crate or blood effect so you have fight scenes that build up to not much really. Still, the film is worth watching at least once, just do it with friends and a keg of beer so you have something to do when nobody's fighting and the "Komedy and Laffs" bits stinks up your DVD player.

Produced on a shoestring budget at anonymous locations in the San Francisco Bay Area, Contour is a powerhouse of amateur martial artists giving their all for the silver screen.

The writing is great because it doesn't take itself seriously. Our dysfunctional heroes are pitted against a cartoony plot centered around the laughable fictional country of Uruvia.

Cinematography. It's really easy to overlook how important this is to a film like this, but the camera-work is superb, framing the fights perfectly.

Editing. As in all martial arts film, sharp scene cuts with split second timing is crucial, and there's spades of it here.

Kick Ass Martial Arts. Oh yeah, these guys are good! There is a well staged stick fight and a brilliant chain fight at the end of the movie.

Kudos to the guys who almost killed themselves making this film.

THANK YOU!

Saw this at Phantasmagoria over the weekend and really enjoyed it. The action and is amazing, truly mind-blowing stuff. Given the budgetary constraints I'm surprised no one got killed! Add to that the characters are likable and there are some incredibly funny moments. The mix of action and humour really works, and it helped that the audience I saw it with was loving every minute too! It's not as polished as a lot of low budget action films and the structure is a bit off but it's a film with a lot of heart and that makes it impossible not to enjoy. Definitely one to see with a group of friends. I can't wait to see what these guys do next!

This movie is horrendous. Decent fight scenes or not, the acting is REALLY bad, like you can tell they're reading their lines from a card. With painful line delivery by everyone in the cast. Think watching a high school play and cringing at the obvious lack of smoothness in the actor's interactions (weird pauses between different character's lines, combined with hurried line delivery by others). If the movie were all action, this might be forgivable, but a lot of the movie includes plot set-up and Family Guy style, irreverent cut aways (Oh, wow, are they badly done). I'm assuming they were attempting to be funny with these, but it again came off as a bunch of high-schoolers/ college entry students goofing off for the afternoon trying to set up a funny Youtube clip.

Now to the fight scenes. They're not too bad, considering the level of quality seen everywhere else in the film. Nothing great either, certainly not anywhere near the same level as other posters have stated (Nothing like Drunken Master). The fights have an overly staged feel, with LOTS of cuts to different angles with blatantly different positions by those involved.

In sum, the only reason to watch this movie is if you were one of the guy's friends involved with this very, very cheap production. Which guy you may ask? Oh, the same guy who wrote, directed, produced AND stared in this Middle School masterpiece.

Contour is a fast-paced, wildly entertaining martial arts action film that punches far above its weight. Made on a shoestring budget by The Stunt People, this indie gem proves that creativity, dedication, and raw talent can outshine Hollywood gloss.

Eric Jacobus (who also directs) leads a cast of skilled martial artists who deliver jaw-dropping fight choreography that's as inventive as it is brutal. The action is shot with clarity and energy-no shaky cam, no rapid-fire editing-just clean, expertly executed stunts that harken back to the golden age of Hong Kong action cinema.

What makes Contour more than just a stunt reel is its offbeat sense of humor and self-aware storytelling. The plot is quirky and chaotic in the best way, blending crime drama, buddy comedy, and martial arts spectacle into a genre-bending ride.

This is DIY filmmaking at its best. If you're a fan of Jackie Chan, Tony Jaa, or just great physical performance, Contour is an absolute must-watch. It's a cult classic in the making and a great showcase for some of the most underrated action talent out there.