Genre: Action/Thriller
Me rates it: 4.4/5
The piece was a remake of of famous Hong Kong based comic, that was Japanese influenced, which explains the “wrestling element”; as the story develops under the time-line of a chaotically politically unstable town in Hong Kong, the piece magnificently captures the origin. Perhaps knowing this before I went into the dark would be beneficial.
The action filled fight scenes are just right given the settings and even if with Hong Kong’s more than exhaustive cast, this movie doesn’t repel me at all. And just incase you don’t relate to such a thing as an “exhaustive cast” - imagine having the cast that plays “Fast and Furious” play “The Avengers” and “Transformers” not just 1 but 2 and 3 and 4 over and over mixing and matching the same cast into difference characters with similar emotion packages. Yes I know that sounds horrible, a character that plays in the comedy show I watch after news yesterday was casted as a thug today on the big screen and who knows where he ends up next. That’s the sad truth about a small and heavy dominated circle of Hong Kong’s miniaturized Hollywood, but it really is rare to have all the big names no the screen and not have be a complete flop.
Bring the right pair of perception and with the right attitude, you might just be able to enjoy the piece fully.
-NN (Exclusive Smooch Club)
Bias on review:
Expectations: High
Cultural distancing: Mid-Low
Background research: Minimum
Expectations
The anticipation of excitement before entering. This impacts the outcome of the review as higher expectations might lead to higher standards and vice versa.
Cultural distancing
The level of familiarity between the author of the review and the cultural references. This impacts the outcome of the review as it might affect understanding and influences emotional connections.
Background research
Prior knowledge and information about the movie before viewing. This impacts the outcome of the review as it shapes expectations, affects interpretation, and influences critique based on preconceived notions and existing information.
!!Spoilers!!
Condensed spoiled milk:
Thug makes an example of himself to teach us sword swallowing is not a party trick we could just learn on the fly.
Image credits to Youtube @Kushfilms
