Guan yun chang - The Lost Bladesman

Guan yun chang - The Lost Bladesman
Hong Kong (2011)
Starring:  Yu Ai Li, Hong Chen, Siu-hou Chin, Donnie Yen

I just got my hands on this movie and the only subtitles I could find were a re-translation from a Vietnamese sub.  The resulting subtitle I used could have had a serious effect on the story as there are a few things that I seem to be missing - the gist of the movie I know I got fairly well.  My recommendation for those of you in the same situation I am in is to try and find a better subtitle file, but the movie is still good.

The Lost Bladesman was a super interesting movie on many levels.     Guan Yu, played by Donnie Yen, is a true Chinese general that helped bring an end to the Han Dynasty and ushered in the beginning of the Three Kingdoms.  It is still common to see small shrines dedicated to Guan Yu in Chinese stores and restaurants around the world.  The movie also depicts the warlord Cao Cao in a way that I had not thought of him.  In this movie he is depicted as a wise manipulative man and not necessarily the feared man who rained death upon everyone in his path.

With all of that said this is one cool movie.  The cinematography is great all the way through.  Most of the fight scenes use the pudao sword requiring large movements that were gracefully executed.  The history and the story part I'm still a little fuzzy on and I might have to do some reading and then watch it again when a different subtitle file is available.   All in all if you are a fan of epic period martial arts flicks involving kings, generals, provincial leaders, and an honorable hero this is certainly one movie you should be happy to get your hands on as well.

Season of the Witch

Season of the Witch
USA (2011)
Starring:  Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman, Claire Foy

Season of the Witch enticed me for a few different reasons.  First it deals with Templars whom I considered a mystical bunch that were nearly the stuff of fairy tales.  Second because it involves witches, which are the stuff of fairy tales.  And third, unlike many, I like Nicolas Cage as an actor.

The film didn't disappoint me.  I wasn't expecting a whole lot and as such I wasn't quite wowed nor left feeling like I had wasted an hour and a half.

Dominic Sena shot this film in Austria to give it a good backdrop.  I give him props on that move.  There are some really cool scenes that would have been quite a bit different if he had filmed it anywhere else.  The acting was okay and the plot was the stuff of fairy tales.  The scenes were set well which only helped form the shell for this story to be told.  I wouldn't call it one of Nicolas Cage's best movies, but a good one in his line of movies and it did what it was supposed to:  entertain.

San kei hap lui - Mr and Mrs Incredible

San kei hap lui - Mr and Mrs Incredible
Hong Kong (2011)
Starring:  Louis Koo, Sandra Ng, Kwan Yue, and Chapman To

Mr and Mrs Incredible is a funny comedy that had me giggling all the way though.  The story is based on two married superheroes who retire forcing them to deal with some of life's finer points.  From arguments and health issues to acting normal and dealing with small town gossip this couple is plagued by the issues that come with being married for years.  From fertility to infidelity the comical bickering and bantering  was funny all the way through this movie.

Gazer Warrior and Aroma Woman are an inseparable duo that struggle to conceal their super powers and former identities from their friends during retirement.  They are successful, albeit barely, for a good while till trouble comes into their lives again. . .  Yes the silliness in the movie matches their superhero names.

All in all the film was kind of silly, kind of funny, and not super unique.  Foreign superhero movies interest me because they require quite a bit of imagination; I'm curious what types of situations and superhero powers other cultures can dream up.  From that perspective this movie was okay.   With that said, if one were to take Mr and Mrs Smith and cross them with the Incredibles, send them back in time about 900 years the result would be Mr and Mrs Incredible.  This movie really was an Asian fusion of those two movies.  If you youtube the actual trailer it will prove that point in about 30 seconds, though strangely enough the trailer is made with zero percent of the film footage.  It was still worth it just for the giggles.  Not to mention who doesn't like a superhero movie?

Quote:  Drunk carriage driving will be fined 2 dollars, serve six months suspension, and the horse will be confiscated.