|
Directed by: Siu-Tung Ching, Stanley Tong Starring: Jet Li, Brigitte Lin, Michelle Reis *Note* There is another version of this film titled Legend of the Swordsman that is cut a bit shorter and has incomplete dialogue (from a poor dubbing). If you want to see this, make sure you get the version called Swordsman 2, which is the original version of the film. I often find that after I see a film that I really like, I start searching around for other movies of the same genre and/or cast and crew, which is how I originally discovered Swordsman 2, when my thirst for martial arts films grew out of watching Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I was only familiar with Jet Li from action films placed in a contemporary setting, so seeing him in a fantasy sword-fighter movie sounded like an interesting change of pace, especially given that he was rumored to have turned down the role of Li Mu Bai in CTHD. To say the least, Swordsman 2 defied all expectations I had. Instead of the dramatic and lyrical Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, I found a bizarre mix of wild swordplay and supernatural action, and instead of his typical stone-faced, morally upright hero, Jet Li played a philandering drunk, far more animated and personable than normal. Even with the small piece of exposition that sets up the film, I quickly found myself feeling confused and unsure of what I was watching. It wasn’t really until a horse flew apart in pieces after being cut in two that I began to realize what kind of movie I was watching. Swordsman 2 is, as you probably guessed from the name, a sequel. However, the entire cast involved in the making of the film is different from the first, and as far as I can tell, there isn’t really anything of importance from the previous outing that you need to know in terms of plot or set-up before diving in. The story follows a group of warriors who are planning to retire to a mountain sanctuary, but after one of their friends disappears the night before their big reunion, they decide to go one last mission, to find her and bring her back. From their, they get themselves involved in a power struggle between different factions, and the leader of the group, Ling (played by Jet Li) finds himself involved with a mysterious woman (Brigitte Lin). Pretty much anything that can go wrong for the plucky adventures does, and even after they succeed in their original plan, they find themselves drawn in deeper into the plot that is unfolding around them. While this movie has the same kind of wire-fu as CTHD, it probably has more in common with a Shaw Brothers’ Venoms flick than Ang Lee’s film, or even something like Hero. The action is completely over-the-top, and the violence is beyond cartoonish. Body parts fly off after a blindingly fast sword stroke, and entire torsos are propelled apart by the force of bizarre attacks like “the flying bomb.” The humor is pretty goofy as well, and the characters are often one-dimensional and more focused on delivering one-liners or setting up a gag than meditating on concepts like loyalty or honor. That’s not to say that Swordsman 2 is a bad film; infact, it’s pretty drat good, and a hell of a fun ride for fans of martial arts movies. It isn’t without its flaws, but there’s an energy behind it that’s easily contagious, and it’s fun to see just how ridiculous things will get before it ends. During the fight scenes, characters will often yell out the names of their personalized attacks, which makes it seem a bit like an anime. Some of the special attacks are pretty wild, and I was left scratching my head as to how they pulled some of them off. It was all in good fun though. Though a lot of the characters are pretty shallow on the surface, many of them are developed from interesting concepts or archetypes, so they’re still engaging and their stories remain fascinating. There are ninjas, life-stealing martial arts masters, and best of all, a transgender demi-god. There’s defiantly a strong influence of mythology present in some of the characters, which also makes it easy to identify with them even if there isn’t much back-story provided. I wonder what Joseph Campbell would think of this movie if he ever saw it? The use of music and song throughout the film definitely has a quality similar to some of the themes he wrote about in The Hero with a Thousand Faces. The filmmaking behind the movie reminded me a lot of early Sam Raimi or Peter Jackson, with lots of wild camera movements and tight framing to carry along the action. Though the film itself is pretty colorful (sets and characters included), the cinematography is somewhat primitive, which is especially bothersome during the scenes that are set at night (which are unfortunately plentiful). It might have just been the image quality of the DVD I watched it on, but it seemed like there wasn’t much put in the way of lighting or filming equipment. Maybe the entire budget was spent on the stunts, costumes and sets so there wasn’t anything left over. If you’re in the mood for a fun movie, check this out. The action is pretty outrageous, but it’s fun to see all of the characters running around with superhero like abilities bashing each other apart. It’s pretty funny as well, though the humor is a little on the goofy side, so make sure you’re in the mood. Blue Phoenix is seriously hurt! RATING: 4.0 PROS: crazy action, fun characters and sense of humor CONS: lackluster cinematography ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103295/
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2004 05:49
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 27, 2024 10:30 |
|