Swordsmen

An attack on a butcher's shop in a small rural area, unleashes all hell for those involved, the authorities and our screens.

The story unfolds after an police investigator becomes perplexed as to how an ordinary shop worker fends off an orchestrated attack by two ruthless criminals. Being unprepared to simply accept that the quiet family man, simply got lucky he tries to dig deeper and reaches a point where the revelations is more than he could even handle.

Beautifully made and nicely told, this a film with hidden might, where the audience goes from one surprise to another between scenes of true human warmth as well as spectacular fighting sequences. Yes, they go over the top but it is done in such a refined manner that you could forgive them.

What's strongest in this film isn't the martial arts action sequence, or the much talked about Sichuan accent that versatile actor Takeshi Kaneshiro adopts in his role as a detective seeking to unearth the truth behind a peasant paper maker Liu Jun Xi played by Donnie Yen. Rather it's the art house sensibilities that director Peter Ho-Sun Chan fuses in the film that makes it a cut above the average martial arts movie, pretty much focused on characters, motivations, and plenty of drama about family and karma hidden behind an investigative narrative providing a more scientific approach to fantasy.

The opening shot establishes Peter Chan's intent to want to be different, with little nuances put into roles, and a painstakingly beautiful set design and art direction to introduce us to Liu and his family, with wife Ayu (Tang Wei) and two children, living quiet, almost anonymous lives until two robbers enter their village to rob a provision store, and Liu finding it hard not to lend a hand to a fellow villager in need. It's the classic top pugilist whose retirement plans of tranquility getting cut short no thanks to circumstances that spell trouble where trouble got attracted to them like bees to flowers, and for that innate chivalrous spirit to be unleashed, with expected consequences. Yes some quarters equate this to History of Violence, and to a certain extent, it undeniably does possess parallels.

Elevated to a folk hero in the village where praises get sung in his name, the detective Xu Bai Jiu (Kaneshiro) enters the scene for an autopsy and to examine the crime scene, only for his suspicion to be piqued that Liu may be more than meets the eye, perhaps even one of three most notorious wanted men he had been pursuing. Here's where the story shows off its flash of brilliance, with flawed characters providing added depth to characterization and story, keeping your interest level up as we discover how Xu's a little schizophrenic in his investigative approach, constantly communicating with his alter ego and we get to see some CG animated body internals sort of like the way Guy Ritchie treated his Sherlock Holmes, with dalliances to the question of is Liu or isn't Liu the powerful pugilist as Xu's investigations have made him out to be.

Takeshi Kaneshiro continues in similar vein with his Zhuge Liang character in having to form an uneasy camaraderie with his skilled counterpart, where in Red Cliff was with Tony Leung's Zhou Yu, here it's with Donnie Yen's Liu as investigations gets underway to try and coax something out of the latter. Yen has ample time producing some rarely seen acting chops thanks to a role that requires duality, and also showing he's no pushover when it comes to fighting in front of the camera, and taking on the directing responsibility to choreograph the action as well. And to balance the testosterone level of the movie, Tang Wei takes on the role of a demure wife who also bore some dark secrets from her past, but unfortunately this aspect remained largely vague and not as well explored, as is Kaneshiro's detective when he goes back to seek assistance from his estranged wife (Li Xiao Ran) in a one scene wonder/wander.

In a tale of two jarring halves suddenly remembering that it needed some cornerstone token villains, in come the legendary kung fu stars such as Wang Yu (the one armed swordsman being paid an obvious homage in this film), and Kara Hui who has seen a renewed lease in her career after an award winning turn on Ho Yuhang's film At the End of Daybreak. Both return to their martial arts roots which were hallmarks of their heydays, and it's really a pity how as villains they don't get much of a respect they deserve having to come back to the silver screen (especially for Wang Yu), portraying mean looking, ass kicking caricatures to give our heroes a run for their money.

Both were severely underutilized, but there is little doubt about their screen charisma when they finally appear to further the plot. Kara Hui was there solely for some of the set action pieces like a rooftop chase (not again), and between the two, it's of course Wang Yu who got the better deal portraying a Bane like brute, and I thought his heft with age provided plenty of gravitas and weight as the gangster chief who's not to be trifled with, providing the film a much needed climax and proceeding at breakneck speed toward the finale fight which pitted science against fantasy, in some ways how modern day mechanics trounced martial arts, though you get the idea employed here, the execution left much to be desired, since all it could elicit wasn't a sense of brilliance, but unintended comedy involving the much dreaded Deus Ex Machina, yet in some ways keeping in line with the notion of karmic retribution, albeit very literally.

Perhaps it was the weight of expectations that a movie titled Wu Xia would provide something more from an action front, and some may have gone to the extent to call this a redefinition of the martial arts genre through scientific methods and explanation. I thought that would really be stretching it, with big battles few and far between, the spotlight clearly centered on its story and characterization instead.

Awesome choreographed fight scenes, rich & deep characters and a great cast to boot, this is a must watch for any fan of the martial arts genre. Donnie Yen has yet another spectacular performance from the acting to the action. But I must say, Takeshi Kaneshiro does some show stealing of his own in his role as the sagacious detective. Suffice to say, both actors delivered riveting performances that kept me glued to my seat. What else can I say about this movie? Just watch it already. It's an entertaining take one man's desire to leave his violent past behind, and start anew. If you want drama, build up and great action then this is the ticket.

DRAGON, a Chinese remake of Cronenberg's A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE with added martial arts action, is a fine-looking film. The period setting is brought vividly to life and the plot moves at a fair old whack, always avoiding cliché in its exploration of a former gangster attempting to lead a decent life as an ordinary family man. Of course, it's a Donnie Yen film, so there are the inevitably lengthy and detailed martial arts sequences which are typically strong and help to lift the movie's entertainment value immeasurably.

Elsewhere, the material does feel a little strained at times and the story seems to fall apart as it progresses. The second half is noticeably inferior to the first, and the film seems to be merely treading water up until the final confrontation between anti-hero and villain. Still, the producers deserve kudos for casting martial arts star and genre icon Jimmy Wang Yu (completely unrecognisable these days, it has to be said) as the chief bad guy.

In addition, there's a serious and finely-tuned performance from Takeshi Kaneshiro as a detective investigating Yen's background. Kaneshiro's character is somewhat incongruous given the provincial nature of the rest of the movie but Kaneshiro can always be relied upon to deliver carefully mannered performances and his role here proves no exception to that rule.

Come the roll of the final credits, I was left feeling mildly entertained by the material, but also slightly dissatisfied, purely because the quality of the action isn't on par with the highs of IP MAN 1 & 2, FLASH POINT and other Yen classics. I've been spoilt by such films, and as a result Dragon felt a little lacklustre, more watchable as an interesting curio than a full-blooded fight flick.

Despite starring in seven movies over the last three years, Donnie Yen has had difficulty trying to top his iconic performance in the 'Ip Man' movies. But as the enigmatic paper-maker in a small idyllic town with the unassuming name Liu Jinxi, Donnie has finally delivered a performance which equals that of 'Ip Man', one that showcases his best as a dramatic actor and as a martial artist.

For this, Donnie has to thank director Peter Ho-sun Chan, who makes his return to the director's chair after a four year hiatus since 2007's 'The Warlords' for an intriguing and innovative spin on the period action epic genre. Indeed, while its title may suggest similarities to Ang Lee's 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon' or even Su Chao-pin's 'Reign of Assassins', Peter Chan's 'Wu Xia' is less akin to a typical 'wu xia' movie than to Tsui Hark's 'Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame'.

Like 'Detective Dee', this film unfolds like a procedural- the investigation here headed by one smart 'bespectacled' county detective Xu Baijiu (Takeshi Kaneshiro), sent to the town where Liu has resided over the past ten years to investigate the death of two wanted criminals killed 'accidentally' in a brawl. Xu's methods are scientific, and his superior knowledge in forensic science leads him to suspect that Liu is more than who he says he is. After all, Xu surmises, how can the lowly and unassuming village person Liu defeat two highly skilled martial arts pugilists?

The first half of the movie is essentially a battle of wits between Liu and Xu, as the former attempts to conceal his true identity that the latter so doggedly pursues. But more than just a cat-and-mouse game, the script by Aubrey Lam (who also wrote 'The Warlords') exhibits surprising depth in setting up these two opposing characters- Liu is the man with a dangerous past who has eschewed his former life in favour of a simple and peaceful life; and Xu is the law enforcer whose own traumatic experience has led him to respect the law over humanity.

Aubrey's story raises a number of moral dilemmas, in particular whether a man can truly start anew without having to atone for his past sins, and whether there is a place for humanity in a world governed by laws and regulations. This is at the very heart of the complex intertwining relationship between Liu and Xu, and a fascinating one which Peter Chan explores with panache. There is no hero or villain between the two per se- rather, both are simply pushed up against each other by their past and the circumstance by which they had made their mutual acquaintance.

This attention to character and drama means that fans of Donnie looking for some action will have to be patient. Instead, Peter gives room for Donnie to flex his acting chops, and Donnie's method for understatement works perfectly for a subtle and nuanced performance of a man fighting to protect the life he has built and family he loves from his own destructive past.

Takeshi is a surprisingly good complement for Donnie, the former the source of the film's humour and wit with a droll Sichuan accent. The multilingual actor shares a nice rapport with Donnie, but he also shines when forced to confront his own moral assumptions about the wisdom of upholding the law without compromise. His character is not without his own demons, and Takeshi turns in a multifaceted performance that allows the audience to empathise with his predicament.

Nonetheless, Takeshi is mostly sidelined in the second half of the movie as Liu's past catches up with him. Action fans will be pleased with the introduction of gongfu legends Kara Hui and Jimmy Wang Yu, both of whom play characters closely- in fact intimately- related to Liu Jinxi's past life. By this time the action pretty much goes into overdrive, and Peter shrewdly leaves Donnie in charge. In turn, the latter, who also serves as action director, delivers some truly outstanding action choreography that is pretty much on par with the 'Ip Man' movies.

The highlight of this is no doubt Donnie's extended fight with Kara, which begins in the village's open square, progresses to a foot chase across the rooftops and culminates in a cattle pen where the confined space adds to the thrill of watching them go at each other with knives and later on pure fisticuffs. The climactic showdown here is between Donnie and Jimmy, and comes after a very late plot development which pays homage to Chang Cheh's classic One Armed Swordsman series (starring Jimmy). Paradoxically, while it certainly is thrilling to watch, Donnie's one-armed swordsplay somewhat pales a little compared to the sheer exhilaration of his two-armed fight with Kara.

Still, Donnie's work here as action star and choreographer is clearly at its peak, and the fight sequences here will probably go down as one of the best- if not eventually the best- that you'll find in a martial arts film this year. Peter Chan keeps the pace of the movie moving along with a thumping rhythm, so the film does not lose its momentum between these elaborate fight sequences- even though it does feel like two distinct halves.

Because of both cast and crew's excellent contributions, 'Wu Xia' is more than just another addition to the surfeit of period action epics that is bound to be a fixture in this Hong Kong- Mainland co-production climate. It isn't a 'wu xia' movie in the traditional sense of the genre, but the creative liberties that scripter Aubrey Lam and director Peter Chan have taken with the material are the very reasons why it stands high above its peers. That and of course the fact that us Donnie Yen fans here have been rewarded with his best performance since the 'Ip Man' movies.