I'd like to finish up this celebration of fantastical Chinese cinema with a film that is very much in the vein of Wuxia. As some of you might know, The Evil Cult was one of the last films of the 'boom period' for this style of cinema back in 1993. When this big-budget epic did not do well, the people behind-the-scenes saw the market as a lost cause. It is sort of like how Alexander was the last gasp of the massively-budgeted fantasy/period-piece action films. Now, jump ahead fifteen years to this film, which is an adaptation of a popular comic book over there. While not traditional Wuxia, this film is very much its 'weird cousin.' You know, the guy who looks sort of like you and wants to play with you, even though he looks a bit 'off.' Is this movie worthy of cutting in line to get some cake? Will I end this analogy sometime today? Find out in my review of...
The film begins with a fairly brief narration explaining the basic back-story. Basically, there is a good Dojo/facility that offers training to all of a pure heart that want to learn. Two brothers were being groomed to take over when one of them joined up with the real world instead. The two of them must work together to be a real strong force for good though. Make note of all of this and see how much of it becomes 100% true later.
*
Our story begins with a young woman approaching a giant restaurant right out of Tom Yung Gong. She meets with two older men on the top floor about a seal. Why am I having Ninjas and Dragons flashbacks now? This object is of great symbolic importance as two gangs battle for control of it. No clear reason is given for its value other than this, so let's go with it. Meanwhile, at the bottom, our hero is eating lunch with his friends. A group of thugs from the one waiting for their boss downstairs start harassing some family at their table. Our hero jumps in and kicks their asses right quick. He sends a couple of them flying away in our first- but definitely not last- sign of this movie's crazy attitude. This alerts more of them who attack him one-at-a-time and get their asses handed to them. One great take-down involves a man jumping from the stairs and aiming for a table. He hopes to get around our hero, but he takes one leg out on the object with a sweep, causing the man to crash-and-burn. Another guy emerges from the crowd and can actually hold his own for more than two seconds. The film does not bother to tell us who he is yet though. A complete coincidence causes the seal to fall through a hole in the floor and our hero's friend takes it. Dun dun dun!
*
We cut a bit later to a different restaurant where our hero and his friends are out celebrating. Earlier, we saw the evil business man send the lone tough guy and his wormy lackey out to get the item back, along with about 100 other 'red shirts.' They attack, but our hero's friends prove to be complete wusses in this, one of their only three scenes. We learn that our hero and company were drugged earlier, which makes the other heavy mad. He finally snaps when the lackey threatens him, leading to an all-out brawl. For his sins, the bad guy gets tossed into the ceiling and slammed through a table. Smackdown! All sense of logic and sanity go out the window as two men take on 100 without getting hit, even when said guys have swords. The fight ends up in the next room where an oddly-blond man is sitting. He brings his two nunchaku into the fight as well, sending more men flying. The slimy guy gets away and the seal is returned to its original owner. Our hero goes back to the D.T.G. and tells his master that he met with his brother again. Oh, thanks for holding out on us, movie! In addition, the nunchaku guy shows up there as well, but is refused entry. Apparently, mystique and unnatural hair is not enough.
*
Starting now, the plot gets pretty elaborate and confusing. We are introduced to a lady that is the daughter of the evil businessman that the older brother works for. We also meet a different lady who has a huge crush on the same brother. This is all due to a flashback scene where he caught her falling out of a tree. She seduces him by letting him draw a tattoo on her shoulder- no, really- only to reveal that it was all a trick to keep him away from the businessman. Why? So that he can be assassinated in the middle of a baseball field. Our second hero bolts over- after slapping the lady- and tries to save the day, but arrives too late. He is wounded in the fight however. Meanwhile, we are suddenly introduced to a new villain who is going to battle our heroes. Do they all have to do that? Just look at Kung-Fu Hustle for another example of this. He kills the Master of D.T.G. and beats up his two lead pupils. The first lady takes those two a different great master to heal them, which he eventually does after 'dicking her around.' Meanwhile, the other lady uses some vague mystic arts to heal the other man, but dies after revealing- via another flashback- that the villain attacked her for being too nice. All three of our heroes, fresh with new power, go to fight the man. Oddly, they never fight together. Instead, the two men show up, lose and then the older brother shows up and wins. Way to build up the brothers working together, film. The End.
*
Wow, this movie was just weird. Admittedly, most works that I have seen adapted from manga or anime (i.e. Battlefield Baseball, Riki-Oh, etc) have been odd as well. This film is rich in its mythology and does not do the best job of condensing it all for one film. There are a few too many characters for a film that is usually of this length and style. With that said, the action is great and full of silly CG effects. It is hard not to think of Kung-Fu Hustle here, but the film is slightly more realistic. Of course, I say that about a movie where a man learns a defensive technique for his nunchaku that creates a large 'bell' around him. I would also be remiss without mentioning the Dali-esque headquarters that the evil villain has or the part where he falls hundreds of feet down a passageway. You would think that he would have ended up in America by that point! The mix of comedy and drama is handled pretty well and the film is enjoyable. It is extremely silly, but I really liked it. Fans of fantastical kung-fu will have a good time here.
*
Thus ends Wuxia Week. Up next is a special update for all of the workers out there. Stay tuned...
No comments:
Post a Comment