CrazyFrog
02-20-2008, 08:42 AM
Drunken Monkey (2003)
Or Monkey Fist-ish, as the style is annoyingly referred to several times throughout this film.
What's to like? Well, if you're a devoted Lau Kar Leung fan, then this movie is nothing more than a master returning to form in this tale of brotherly betrayal and .... well, that's it. LKL is the star of the film and the action is still good (more on that later). He's quite agile for a man his age and of course his real mastery of kung fu shows throughout the film (despite repeated stand-ins for acrobatics). Gordon Liu is in here too, and I am pleasantly surprised by the gravitas and naturalness he brings to the minor role he plays. He could easily be successful in more dramatic fare. Finally, Wu Jing is the young buck of the bunch and he has talent to spare. His mugging gets a little old but he more or less fits in well as one of LKL's Monkey Fist students. And the girl is cute, if not a totally convincing martial artist.
What's not to like? How about a rather self-serving role by LKL, where his character is made to be rather invincible but yet is a mail courier (ok, he's the lead courier but still...)? Speaking of which, the Pony Express-like mail delivery service that is portrayed in the film may have well existed in China (don't know for sure) but I rather doubt that the couriers looked like they came in off the set of Shane with leather hats, floor-length coats, and handkerchiefs. Where's the guns, then? Seriously, it's a weird mashup and I'm not sure what he was trying to do here, perhaps a homage to Westerns? Then there is the questionable relationship he has with his female student; the way they hang out together, they have to be married, but I never find any reference to that in the film. I know this is a Chinese film but sometimes that May-December stuff is a little creepy.
On another note, Wu Jing's antics with his "nephew" are light-hearted fare but rather boring for my taste. There is a lot of set-up with his character Ah De, but then he fades somewhat into the background until the very end sequences. And unfortunately, the movie in general takes quite a while to get where it's going, with only two "action" sequences to really maintain your interest until the final training/fight piece. Which would be fine in a better made movie or one with a meatier plot but this becomes a real handicap in Drunken Monkey.
Overall, this movie feels like a misfire from a highly talented and experienced director. It just doesn't gel, plus it looks like it was filmed in LifetimeChannelVision, a rather dubious benefit of camera technology that makes everything appear as if it were a state-of-the-art TV show in 1996 instead of a movie (I know LKL is not the only one guilty of this). And to be honest, the action was a little bit of a letdown and maybe that's because he has set such a high bar before.
Best not to watch, unless you are the aforementioned LKL fan or a Wu Jing fangirl stalker.
2 out of 5 jugs of wine
Here's to hoping the next one is better....
Or Monkey Fist-ish, as the style is annoyingly referred to several times throughout this film.
What's to like? Well, if you're a devoted Lau Kar Leung fan, then this movie is nothing more than a master returning to form in this tale of brotherly betrayal and .... well, that's it. LKL is the star of the film and the action is still good (more on that later). He's quite agile for a man his age and of course his real mastery of kung fu shows throughout the film (despite repeated stand-ins for acrobatics). Gordon Liu is in here too, and I am pleasantly surprised by the gravitas and naturalness he brings to the minor role he plays. He could easily be successful in more dramatic fare. Finally, Wu Jing is the young buck of the bunch and he has talent to spare. His mugging gets a little old but he more or less fits in well as one of LKL's Monkey Fist students. And the girl is cute, if not a totally convincing martial artist.
What's not to like? How about a rather self-serving role by LKL, where his character is made to be rather invincible but yet is a mail courier (ok, he's the lead courier but still...)? Speaking of which, the Pony Express-like mail delivery service that is portrayed in the film may have well existed in China (don't know for sure) but I rather doubt that the couriers looked like they came in off the set of Shane with leather hats, floor-length coats, and handkerchiefs. Where's the guns, then? Seriously, it's a weird mashup and I'm not sure what he was trying to do here, perhaps a homage to Westerns? Then there is the questionable relationship he has with his female student; the way they hang out together, they have to be married, but I never find any reference to that in the film. I know this is a Chinese film but sometimes that May-December stuff is a little creepy.
On another note, Wu Jing's antics with his "nephew" are light-hearted fare but rather boring for my taste. There is a lot of set-up with his character Ah De, but then he fades somewhat into the background until the very end sequences. And unfortunately, the movie in general takes quite a while to get where it's going, with only two "action" sequences to really maintain your interest until the final training/fight piece. Which would be fine in a better made movie or one with a meatier plot but this becomes a real handicap in Drunken Monkey.
Overall, this movie feels like a misfire from a highly talented and experienced director. It just doesn't gel, plus it looks like it was filmed in LifetimeChannelVision, a rather dubious benefit of camera technology that makes everything appear as if it were a state-of-the-art TV show in 1996 instead of a movie (I know LKL is not the only one guilty of this). And to be honest, the action was a little bit of a letdown and maybe that's because he has set such a high bar before.
Best not to watch, unless you are the aforementioned LKL fan or a Wu Jing fangirl stalker.
2 out of 5 jugs of wine
Here's to hoping the next one is better....