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Jing cha gu shi 2013 (2013)
A Poor Imitation of The Raid
Police Story is Jackie Chan's second biggest franchise next to Rush Hour. The first entry in the series is one of his finest films ever; one that helped define his entire career. It's only natural a new Police Story movie would be released in 2013 to capitalize on the series' fame, even at the expense of everything that made the other movies so entertaining. Though to say that is to generalize too much about a franchise that has so many tones it's hard to pinpoint the one that truly defines it.
Police Story Lockdown finds our hero reuniting with a daughter who has grown quite distant from him. She's dating the owner of a ridiculous nightclub, has tattoos, and wears her hair in a punk style. Jackie's character is, of course, a police officer. Seeing his daughter in such a state makes him rather angry, though those feelings quickly change when he learns the entire situation is a setup for a hostage situation. A case in Jackie's past is connected to the owner of the club and he's used the officer's daughter as elaborate bait.
Suspension of disbelief is usually a must in a Jackie Chan movie. He's not known for well-written scripts or unique plots. The idea that a guy opens a club, stalks a guys daughter, and then exacts revenge is a little out there. And on top of that, the layout of the club is so ridiculous. It apparently used to be a factory of some sort, meaning the only reason it looks the way it does is for visual appeal and the thought that it would work as a great action set piece.
I could attempt to suspend disbelief if that was true. But instead the action of the first half of the film is lame and underutilizes Jackie's unique style and humor. It's too gritty for being so stupid and when there are hand-to-hand fights, the level of brutality isn't there. Which means that the edgier tone isn't justified. In a martial arts movie, if you want to be dark and edgy, you need to be brutal and violent. Holding back on that leaves a sour taste in the mouth.
I liken the main idea of this movie to The Raid, which I assume was the inspiration. And I believe the mood was meant to emulate the inspiration. But, I can safely say, Lockdown is nowhere close to as good as The Raid.
As the film went on I grew more and more bored, realizing that this supposed "action" film was rather light on the action. Even the final battle felt rushed, lame, and underwhelming. It, truthfully, doesn't ever feel like a Jackie Chan movie. There's no humor, no outstanding action
about the only way you can tell its a Jackie Chan film is the outtake reel during the credits.
None of these things are Jackie's fault though. As he grows older, he's going into more mature roles and, of course, can't do all the stunts and action he used to. He's still damn impressive though. One of the failings of the action sequences comes not from the choreography or lack of intensity, it comes down to the editing and directing. The editing of this movie is awful and spastic. It's that modern summer movie style that takes you out of the action by relying too much on camera movement and changing angles every five seconds to keep the viewer visually occupied. Something I always enjoyed about Chan's movies was that the editing during the fights allowed you to see the hits and reactions.When editing so haphazardly the intensity of the violence is quelled and we're instead treated to questioning what the hell we're watching. There's a "dream" sequence at one point where SWAT breaks in and everyone is shooting at each other. It is put together so slipshod that I couldn't tell what the hell was going on. And that sums up the entirety of the film sadly.
So in the grand scheme of things do I feel like this is a movie worth sinking your teeth into? Not at all. This is a poor attempt at a cop movie, a martial arts movie
just a movie in general. There's really no redeeming factor to it aside from the club set looking neat (though its underused). Not even Jackie Chan fans will find this a palatable watch; leaving me with the sad decision to give Police Story Lockdown a measly one and a half stars.
Deadpool (2016)
An Immature, Unremarkable Romp
Reviewing anything comedy related tends to lead to disgruntled readers and accusative comments. Comedy, as a rule, is not supposed to be exceptional or even good by most accounts. In Roman times, humor stemmed from jokes about genitals and bowel movements just as we laugh at the same today. There's really no such thing as high-brow humor and so I find it disturbing when people mistake my dislike of humorous movies or cartoons or such as the complaints of someone high and mighty about himself. I love a good dick joke as much as the next guy, but humor for me comes from execution, pay-off, and unexpectedness.
Deadpool from a humor perspective has very little of that. I chuckled occasionally at Marvel's latest superhero flick, but I never found myself laughing out loud. The opening credits roll making jokes of the producers and director set the tone of the films humor stylings: blatant, crass, and occasionally funny.
Deadpool is the tale of a man named Wade who contracts a serious form of cancer. In order to combat it, he accepts a proposal to become a superhero and winds up instead in a miserable situation, tortured by a mutant named Ajax (Francis). It's a revenge/love plot that was a surprisingly perfect fit for the Valentine release.
Deadpool tells its story in a segmented and awkward way, throwing us into the action immediately, cutting back to the past, then cutting forward again, then back again. It kind of works at first but the third flashback is long, boring, and ultimately kills the middle of the film. This was the point I was struggling to stay awake.
I don't mind plot in a movie contrary to what I'm saying, but the origin story of Deadpool is nothing spectacular and in a film that relishes violence with an almost sexual passion, I felt that the pacing was poor and killed the entire experience. After you get past the flashbacks and get to the current action, you'll probably be too bored to care any further what happens.
And for me, even trying to stay attentive of the movie through the final act, I was still bored. The villains were boring, Deadpool's hero companions were dull, and the final fight was not epic or well-directed or choreographed
nothing stood out to me. And despite a gory, violent opening, the ending seemed relatively tame.
And that's where Deadpool fails for me. It's an R-rated movie that feels like it doesn't particularly have to be. The cursing, the gore, and the sex are all self-indulgent, the entire movie a middle finger to traditional superhero movies. And I respect that and went into the film expecting an enticingly adult-slanted Marvel movie. But what I got felt more like something a middle schooler would write. The cursing was middle-school level, ,many of the jokes were juvenile (there were some decent mature jokes in there too)
it just didn't feel organic, much of it felt forced. And as I looked around the theater at the kids watching, their parents irresponsible enough to allow eight and nine year old's entrance, I realized that maybe this WAS meant to be "Babies First R-Rated Film".
This movie is doing exceptionally well at the box office and I'm guessing this mature action/comedy is being talked about in many a schoolyard. Deadpool is a technically poor movie with bad pacing, a lackluster set of characters, and humor that just wasn't my style relying too much on obscene one-liners than jokes with actual buildup and payoff. But, I guess, it's an okay film and probably one Marvel fans and Deadpool fans especially will enjoy. But aside from a good opening action sequence and a couple chuckle-worthy jokes here and there, Deadpool was a dud for me.
Serbuan maut (2011)
One of the Best Action Movies Ever Made
In my lifetime of watching martial arts movies, I had never come across a movie that struck me as much as The Raid Redemption. In a genre full of niche subgenres it was hard for me to find that one movie that was impressive throughout. While some seventies historical martial arts films have good fight scenes, the majority were garbage movies. Jackie Chan has great fights in Wheels on Meals and Who Am I? but both movies aren't exactly great. Ong Bak was a great film but never reached the brutal levels I wanted to see in such a visceral combat style. Ip Man is a great franchise but is more for mainstream audiences as far as violence goes.
Then The Raid Redemption came out and it was like a heavenly light shone upon it. A movie lacking much of a budget, much style, but chock full of some of the most brutal violence in a martial arts film. It seems a rather divisive movie to some, though has become a cult classic. Roger Ebert's review of it was dreadfully low and it seemed many agreed. One review said it was a stupid movie for millennials who haven't seen Die Hard and Hardboiled (both great films). But those movies are so different.
As Mad Dog says: "I never liked using guns. It's like ordering takeout." And I wholeheartedly agree and find that's my reason for loving ultra-violent martial arts films. The visceral impacts, the bodily harm, the five minute fights that get increasingly more brutal and desperate. That's why The Raid Redemption succeeds for me.
A twenty man SWAT group goes into a decrepit apartment block to arrest the denizens as well as take down the man in charge. The building has been a no-go for police and a safe haven for crooks of all sorts. A screw-up leads to the entire building learning the cops are there and leading to a desperate fight to escape. Our hero, the rookie Rama, uses a form of martial arts called Silat to survive.
The plot is paper-thin to allow maximum action without all the pesky dialogue. The characters are also just there with little explanation of who they are. We know Rama as a father-to-be whose brother lives in the apartments. He pretty much has every generic plot imaginable tossed onto him. But I don't think it matters given the context of the film. Because the context is: sit back, relax, and watch some awesome action.
And that it is. Aside from some poor CG gunfights early in and the occasional CG blood, the battles are brutal. The final fight, a five minute two-on-one, is worth the price of admission alone.
With all that said, I'll throw out some complaints just to sound like I'm not a huge fanboy. The budget constraints mean that the movie does look cheap as far as the sets go. I'm guessing they reused apartments and hallways and most of the action, being as it is set in a building, is not open enough to seem like it's not a set. So if you're looking for a visually interesting movie aside from the fights, you'll be unimpressed. Gareth Evans, the director, does what he can with what he has and I believe used all his assets well.
Another minor nuisance comes from the editing. I complained about constant cuts in my previous review of Police Story Lockdown and I'll say the same here. The hits are hard and look brutal, but there is a lot of cutting during some fights. There are stretches where that doesn't happen, impressive to behold, but I don't want to knock the movie too much for cutting around the action. Because no matter the fact, it's still impressive.
Watching The Raid last night for the fourth time was a rush that left me with a smile on my face throughout. The ninety minute runtime blew by. It's a film for action fans and especially martial arts fans. It's set up to be open for a second film and, spoiler alert, that second film is one of my favorite movies of all time.
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
A Flawed but Entertaining Time at the Movies
The inaugural summer blockbuster of 2016 is Marvel's Captain America: Civil War, the third film in the Captain America franchise and the umpteenth in the Marvel cinematic universe. Being as I'm not particularly well-versed in the universe and have only seen a handful of the films that comprise it, I'm going to be writing this review from the perspective of a guy with slight knowledge of the characters and action taking place. Despite the plethora of heroes that are found in Civil War, I'd consider it a fairly friendly place for a beginner to watch. The references to past events are easily discerned without extra explanation and even a person who isn't into comic book movies will know the archetypes and arcs of some of the heroes.
In this film, the Avengers are being made to sign an agreement to be under the supervision of the UN after their actions result in the death of innocents. While some agree with the bill, others don't. Furthering the divisions is the resurgence of Bucky, who has been connected to a bombing of the UN. While Captain America works to clear Bucky's name and find the real villain, Tony Stark believes Cap to be a criminal and wants to stop him to prevent heroes from falling further from grace.
While the film works on a thematic level (more on that later) it doesn't feel organic in how it assembles its heroes. Of course, if you've seen the trailer, then you know that there's a big epic showdown among the heroes. It's why you came to the movie. But some of the assembling was not very natural. Antman is there
just because. Spiderman makes an appearance, though he feels shoehorned in. Some of the allegiances make sense but the scope of the action may be larger than it should have been.
But who the hell cares? Boom! Pow! Damn this is fun! The action of Civil War is stellar. An early chase sequence and the airport melee come to mind especially. It's a celebration of superhero excess that works because it throws aside the deeper themes and gives us what we want: fun. It's like playing with action figures, only with more explosions and better quips.
The theme of the movie may be the most commendable part about it. It seems to play off the complaints that have come with the superhero genre; perhaps the biggest flaw of all these films. The final giant action sequences have buildings exploding, heroes crashing into everything
civilians are dying. Civil War addresses this in a way that isn't too heavy but still feels thoughtful. At least for the first hour, then the heroes destroy a suspiciously abandoned airport and I'm left wondering if these guys are really proving themselves.
A final commendation: the introduction of Black Panther is perfectly executed and his motivations are much easier to follow than those of the other heroes. I really look forward to seeing more of him in the future.
And now let's get my biggest complaint out of the way. This film is way too freaking long. Despite being peppered with enough action sequences to keep you glued, it's a film that stretches itself almost to an unwelcome degree. The airport fight sequence felt like it should have been the finale, but no, it continues for a good thirty minutes more. And in that final thirty minutes we get some of the biggest problems of the movie.
The revelation and battle at the end are emotional and heavy, as they should be. It's a smaller scale fight with a lot more heft. But the bad guys motivations, while nailing the theme home, are pretty lame and impossibly mundane for a guy who has caused as much of a ruckus as he has. It made the whole movie feel kind of ridiculous and stupid. "You guys are fighting because of THIS GUY?" Then again, it may also be showing how weak heroes actually are, even compared to a normal human. Nonetheless, a meh reveal.
Captain America: Civil War's enjoyability will boil down to how familiar you are with the universe, how much you like the Avengers, and the action scenes. I wouldn't go so far as to say this is the crowning achievement of Marvel's cinematic endeavors (I still prefer Guardians) but it's an entertaining romp with enough humor, heart, and action to make a general movie going audience satisfied. It's not a film I, personally, would watch again. As a one-and-done popcorn flick it works. But I don't think it has enough of what I look for in a film to warrant watching a second time. Thus, I award it:
Serbuan maut 2: Berandal (2014)
One of the Greatest Films I've Ever Seen
The Raid 2 is, if not my favorite movie of all time, my favorite action film. A higher budget continuation of its' predecessor, this second outing is so different in nearly ever technical aspect, you'd swear Gareth Evans had been replaced between films. But no, with more money and an amazing amount of professional development from Evans, The Raid 2 shines not only as a martial arts masterpiece but an instant classic of gangster films and an erection-worthy piece of artistic mastery.
Rama returns after the events of the first film, this time going undercover to take down all the corrupt police in Berendal. But, along the way, he becomes the shadow of the son of the local gang lord, gets caught up in intrigue as a new entity moves into the area, and ultimately winds up in the middle of an insane gang war.
At two and a half hours long this film is daunting. And unlike the first that fills its runtime with nonstop action, Evans, having the budget he always wanted, made the movie he wanted the first film to be. We see more emphasis on dialogue (though much of it is terse, only there to build characters and push the plot forward). Character development is there as we watch the son, Uco, betray his father. The plot is pretty straightforward and Evans' script is beautiful in how little it explains things. It forces the viewer to pay attention and follow along. It's a movie that doesn't treat the audience like idiots.
The first hour or so of the movie could potentially be a drag. Many fans of the first film despise this second outing because it's not the pure action movie that Redemption was. Compared to the grungy, low budget sets and directing of the first, The Raid 2 feels more art house and experimental. It opens on a long wide shot of a field with a car stopping in it. That sets the dark mood as well as the directorial angle. If you find that first shot pretentious and would prefer the more claustrophobic approach the first had (which denotes a sense of tension and fear that this film really doesn't need), then you won't be able to sit through this.
As far as camera work goes, I think it is brilliant. Aside from the wide shots, the camera tends to follow the action in a way that I don't recall any other action film doing. When a person walks down the street, the camera follows (from the side usually, a tracking shot). When the action goes to the floor, the camera drops. When a person's head is slammed against something, the camera turns to the side. It's a neat way of keeping the viewer visually interested, as well as making the hits more impactful.
And on that note, the editing and camera-work for the action is much better than Redemption. Longer sections of time go by without a cut and, especially in the prison yard fight, the shot feels like it is one continuous take. It's an editing trick where the camera moves from focusing on one point to another quickly and during that quick jerk of the camera, the cut is put in. In the final product, it all appears to be one take.
Another thing that struck me immensely about this film is the set design. Pretty much every room in the film is very spartan. The sparse furniture tends to be modern and the colors tend to be blacks and whites. In many of the rooms, there's immense contrast. Take Bejo's restaurant for example. The red carpet clashes with the white linens on the tabletops. And the natural lighting emphasizes the contrast. Another scene where this is very prominent is the final kitchen fight. The spartan white kitchen is peopled by two marital artists in black. And the two spill blood everywhere. The contrast makes the fight scene that much more effective. The blood splattering everywhere makes the battle seem more gruesome than if it had taken place, say, in Bejo's restaurant proper. The same thing happens on the subway with Hammer Girl wearing a white dress. It's all about contrast.
And one more little thing: there are a lot of mirrors and reflective surfaces (i.e sunglasses). Whether this is meant to reflect the inner turmoil of the characters or just another visually appealing design choice is up to the viewer.
I can't rave about The Raid 2 enough. It's the kind of film I as an action fan and a snob have always wanted to see. It's a neon-lit, dark, gritty film that hits nearly every note it needs to. It reminds me a lot of 2011's Drive, another very stylistic action film. And I do think Gareth Evans took a lot of inspiration from that movie but he also seems to have bloomed into his own director.
The Raid 2 is plodding without being boring, it's action packed without forgetting to tell a story, and it's brutal in a way so many movies avoid. With the open ending, lord only knows how Evans can top this masterpiece.