Tag: nick cheung

YesAsia Order #1

CeeFuLeave a comment

Ok, not really the first YesAsia order, but I thought it would make an interesting post to see what I’m getting and why. Also, this presents a nice change from me complaining about how Netflix has completely ruined our relationship by not having my Asian stuff!

First, let’s talk about what I’m NOT getting: the 94-episode Three Kingdoms released in 2010. Thanks, China, for not loving me. Why no subtitles in English? WHY?! Really, why make it region free (not like I care) but not have English subtitles? And I can’t do the various OTHER internet ways of accessing this (read: quasi-legal). Standards are too high when it comes to wuxia series. Can’t do parts.

So, let’s move on to what I am getting:

Reign of Assassins: You can’t be surprised by this. Michelle Yeoh and Jung Woo Sung. Co-directed by John Woo. I’ve been waiting for this, not just for the action but for the domestic story. It could be an interesting twist on the “I don’t wanna fight any more” plot, because it’s a woman saying it. Usually, we see swordsmen become beleaguered by the life of a hero. They retire to some cave, or become a monk on a mountain somewhere. Which is fine, but when it is a female lead, inevitably part of her domestic life is going to involve becoming romantically involved with a guy. Where else would the tension come from when her gang comes looking for her trying to drag her back into the life? The stakes are different for ladies, and I’m interested in how they handle this.

Shaolin: Once again, this is a given, ever since I saw the trailer for it. AND it’s not JUST because it has Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse and some guy named Jackie Chan in it. Corey Yuen does the martial arts choreography and it’s written by Benny Chan. Yeah, I know we’ve seen the destruction of the Shaolin temple many times, but I’m never opposed to revisiting it, especially if someone can bring something new. Plus, it looks like there may be some engagement with the modernization of China. At least that’s what I think of when I see cars and guns versus monks.

The Lost Bladesman: Me, absolutely giddy with delight at the prospect of seeing Donnie Yen play Guan Yu. You had me at Guan Yu. You know he’s your favorite of the Three Brothers. I want Liu Bei to be a better man than he is, and Chang Fei is just cray cray. Now, there is the potential for disappointment here, especially since it will invite comparisons to Red Cliff. You know my aim here is not to tell you what’s “good” and what’s not. I’m just telling you what I like. And I like Donnie Yen. A LOT. Plus, Guan Yu seems to have more potential for exploration as a character. I do want to see him do more than wield the blade and do that move with the beard. I’ve heard some less than stellar things about the actual plot, but hey, I’m getting it ANYWAY!

True Legend: Yes, not just because of Vincent Zhao but because of Zhao PLUS Yuen Wo Ping! Ok, I do have a thing for Zhao and it has everything to do with the emotional roller-coaster he took me on as Chu Zhaonan in the wuxia series Seven Swordsmen. STILL not over that ending! I think that he could be a viable go-to guy for action and wuxia films, but no one seems to go to him. Putting him with Yuen Wo Ping seems like it will be a treat. Yeah, I’ve heard some less than enthusiastic things about it, but hey. I’m getting it ANYWAY! I’m really looking for another treatment of the Beggar So legend than Steven Chow’s stuff.

Ok, so that seems to be a good deal of wuxia-related stuff. But that’s not all I’m getting!

Turning Point: This is has been in my saved cart for a while, and I wondered why I put it in there in the first place. Then I remembered: Michael Tse, of Young and Dangerous fame. You know how attached to Young and Dangerous I am, and I really like this guy. Plus I heard good things about the television show, EU, on which the film is based.. And it has Anthony Wong AND Francis Ng, each with crazy haircuts, which means the potential for their portrayal of off-the-chain characters is high.

Stool Pigeon: I’m always looking for a good crime drama, and given that this is directed by Dante Lam, who also directed Beast Stalker, I’m willing to give it a try.  I always love to see Nick Cheung do serious roles, because the first time I saw him was as the wise-cracking security official in Andrew Lau’s The Duel. Who knew he’d go from that to things like this? Plus it looks like Nicholas Tse isn’t as pretty as he usually is in films. I’ll deal with it.

And to round it out, Don’t Go Breaking My Heart:  Who doesn’t love Louis Koo? And I particularly like him when he’s being silly and romantic. Pair him up with Daniel Wu in a Johnnie To vehicle, and this could be great.

So that’s it. That’s what I’m getting. Once my shipment arrives, I will regale you with my opinions, because I know you are so looking forward to that.

Video Credits:

Reign of Assassins, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i4yVbYX98I

Shaolin, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYV9thH5RhE

The Lost Bladesman, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA2NETUFkc0

True Legend, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNzRP0ZSKzw

Turning Point, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5EMxEVFE2E

Stool Pigeon, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-6NX_ZnCLM

Don’t Go Breaking My Heart, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yh0gGbDf6XM

The Kids Are Not Alright: Beast Stalker (2008)

CeeFuLeave a comment

Ok, time for a brief vacay, but before I go, here’s our film for this month:  Dante Lam’s Beast Stalker.

Now, if you watch Hong Kong film, you know that kids are not safe.  Anything is liable to happen to them, so you won’t be surprised by the first few sequences of the film.  However, I am glad to see, for once, a smart child in a film.  None of that whining, or worst of all, doing obviously bad things that just make your bad situation worse.

But, Nick Cheung steals the show. You have to understand, the first film I saw  Nick Cheung in was Andrew Lau’s The Duel, where he did a really good job of acting the fool, which is what his role called for.  So it’s not without a little bit of pride that I watched his performance in Beast Stalker. It represents his steady rise, with Election and Election 2 as well as Exiled to his credit (we won’t talk about My Wife is a Gambling Maestro–let’s pretend it doesn’t exist, shall we?) And it highlights one of the great things about Asian film in general, namely, the complexity of the villain.  Yeah, we know that Nick’s character has a certain moral bankruptcy, but has he really lost all of his humanity? Really? Are you sure? You know you’ve done a good job when I’m a little afraid of you by the end of the film.  I’m little afraid of Nick–he’s not the person I’d like to see lurking in the shadows under any circumstances.  The same thing happened when I watched Sha Po Lang:  I’m a little afraid of Sammo Hung now.  And while I could make some comments about Nicholas Tse’s performance  (later post on my luv affair with him, really, I’ve watched practically everything he’s been in, I really really like him!), I wasn’t mad at him in this film either.  Plus, this film has several good lessons, including watching out for the elderly if you are trying to commit a crime in your apartment.

Overall, I generally like that gritty, urban cop thing that Dante Lam does, so I’m pretty satisfied.  Interest piqued?  Watch the film and let’s discuss!