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Once Upon a Time in China #1Rating:
Release Date: 09 January, 2001 Retail Price: $9.95 OUR Price: $9.95 You SAVE: $0.00! Cast: Complete Cast (16 total) |
Once Upon a Time in China #1 Reviews
Great Martial Arts Film with Transparent Story and Thin Plot
Although it is the most popular series of six films starring Jet Li about a 19th C. healer and martial arts kung fu expert, it did not impress or thrill this viewer. There may be a serious disconnection with the way Chinese view films and how Americans like them. I need more mystery, a flow of action and suspense with unexpected surprises. I want a twist or two in the plot where hints are given of what may happen but then something else entirely different transpires. I want characters with complex natures who are presented with dilemmas that test their values, where the very core of their being is shaken. None of this is evident which is why I rate it three stars. There were intense superor kung fu moments for this I give 5 stars but that alone does not warrant a 4 star rating ...
The martial arts routines and fighting were phenomeonal, extremely well done, a pleasure to watch. The story and plot were so transparent, it was highly predictable and slightly boring. The lines were clear as to who were the good guys and who were the bad. Having viewed "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" and "House of Flying Daggers" my expectations for depth, creativity, and superb acting are very high. Those two films are like wanting to eat at a 5 star gourmet restaurant because you desire exotic flavors and spices but have to settle for eating at your local mom and pop diner where you leave with a full tummy but know there is a whole other world out there ...
The opening and ending scene of kung fu exercises being done on a beach with the sun either risng or setting is great cinematography. The viewer is teased, hooked, impressed by the dance-like very disciplined movements. As the story unfolds, one sees how the Western influences are pitted against the Chinese traditional culture, with the Americans exploiting the Chinese as slave labor. It turns out, the local authorities are blind to the problems ... Wong Fei Hung (Jet Li) creates a local movement to fight neighborhood corruption. He is challenged by a disgruntled down on his luck kung fu expert, Iron Fist Yim (Yan Kee Kwan) who wants to establish a school of his own and put Wong Fei Hung out of business ... Wong Fei Hung is challenged by a distant gang who cause rebellions for which he is blamed as they establish authority in the area. His honor and reputation are at stake. Aunt Yee, a female relative by marriage but not by blood, returns from England, in Western styled clothes, who appreciates the technology and advances achieved in the West. Unfortunately, it seems each time she uses the camera with tripod to take a photograph, a bomb explodes (it gets to be funny by the second and third time it happens). Ironically, the first time, the pet bird of a restaurante owner is killed. It is a warning to him to pay protection money to the new group or he will die. The next time, a huge explosion occurs where a building is blown up and Wong Fei Hung's Martial Arts School is threatened ... Some rival gang is looking to establish a presence in Canton to exploit local fear, create instability and exploit the local population. Wong Fei Hung discovers Aunt Yee has strong romantic feelings for him - he initially resists but eventially yields to her charms, all of it is chaste and above board. She is captured by the enemy, nearly taken as a female consort to the Chinese slave workers in California who dig for gold. The Americans appear as bumbling one dimensional characters and conquerors with big guns ... The Chinese come off slightly better however their culture is diminishing, nearly dying out as the common people are exploited inwardly by Chinese gangs and indifferent authorities while outwardly Western greedy forces destroy them. A home grown hero with solid values and the courage to act on his convictions is needed. He arises from ancient Chinese soil, his name is Wong Fei Hung who saves the lives of many, including Aunt Yee. There are many themes in this film which could have been explored with a better script and by a better director. Unfortunately this film is mediocre. It lacks passion and creativity. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]
A silly mess
Alright, I'll confess to a slight infatuation with Jet Li, but even that did not make this movie more than passable. The plot is all over the place. It barely made sense - characters would suddenly arrive, locations would develop and then nothing would come of them. The bad guys were just silly - I like real malice and evil in my badies, I like to hate them and enjoy their come uppance. Well the silly twisted bad boy was just pathetic, and Jet Li, ever serene, was so far above the whole mess, so detached and lovely, just going through a very routine job of being Jet Li. The evil imperialist Yankees plotting to capture unsuspecting Chinese immigrants and enslave them were cartoon cuts outs.
Like every other enthusiast of this genre I enjoy the carefully choreographed fights and they were good, but not good enough to redeem this film. Give me Kung Fu Hustle any time - now there is quality!
More Customer Reviews (24 total)
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