Another one from my Jet Li collection. Not one of his best films, plot or action-wise, but I forgive him.Han (Jet Li) was rotting in a Chinese prison when he got word that his little brother was killed. He immediately breaks out (best part of the movie, hands down) and gets to California, where he finds that his father is a gangster controlling half of the Oakland waterfront. The other half belongs to Isaak O'Day (Delroy Lindo) and his gang. The two are competing for properties in order to buy an NFL franchise. O'Day's daughter Trish (Aaliyah) is not in the family business but gets roped in after her brother is also killed. Han and Trish bond while they're looking for whoever is trying to start this street war.
I'm going to take a moment and talk about wire-fu. For those who have never heard the term, it's the really elaborate Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon type of fight choreography that involves putting the actors into a harness and using wires to make them defy gravity. Done well, it can be beautiful and artistic or, used subtly, it can help protect the actors from getting hurt doing difficult or even otherwise impossible stunts. In this movie, it is neither.
You know what, though? I don't even care. I have a huge girl-boner for Jet Li and I have seen this movie about a half dozen times.
No comments:
Post a Comment