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Bulletproof Munk (2003)

Bulletproof Munk
" . . . and then I'll go like this, and you kinda lean back . . . "

Starring:

Chow Yun-Fat and Seann William Scott

Released By:

MGM Pictures

Released In:

2003

Rated:

PG-13

Reviewed By:

Adam Mast

Grade:

D

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Why is it that American film-makers insist on destroying Chow Yun-Fat's career. This guy is an amazing talent, yet most of his American films have been complete crap (see The Replacement Killers). Bulletproof Monk is yet another film that is unable to show Fat for the true talent he is, despite the use of a barrage of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon style effects. They can't even let the guy carry his own. Instead, they team him with Seann William Scott, presumably to create the sort of magic that developed between Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in Rush Hour, and Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson in Shanghai Noon. Sadly, there is zero chemistry in this picture.

In the comic book inspired action film, Fat plays a magical monk whose life long mission is to protect an ancient scroll. While in the big city, he crosses paths with pick pocket Scott, an underachiever who works for a movie theater in his spare time. Not surprisingly, the two develop a bond while trying to fend off a plethora of bad guys who desperately want the scroll.

Firstly, I've never read the comic on which this movie is supposedly based. Secondly, this movie doesn't make me want to. If anything, I now fear the source material, for this film has no rhythm nor does it make much sense.

Fat and Scott appear clueless in this mess of a movie, lumbering along from one scene to the next. Fat has proven to be a commanding screen presence, but here, his docile monk is a complete bore. Scott is obviously trying to break out of comedy mode, and while he isn't much to watch here either, at least he has shed that wannabe Jim Carrey thing that has plagued him in movies like American Pie and Road Trip. He even goes for a little bit of drama in Bulletproof Monk, but the scene is so cheesy and horribly written, that it can't at all be taken seriously..

Quite frankly, it is the direction that dooms this production. The movie has no flow, even in it's self concieously "don't-these-visually-stylized-fight-scenes-kick-ass" martial arts sequences. Their completely boring, and quite obviously their supposed to be the big draw in this picture. Director Paul Hunter has no sense of rhythm. Bulletproof Monk is chalk full of scenes that don't make sense, and it's overflowing with characters and sequences that don't even need to be in the picture.

By the time Bulletproof Monk came to an end, I was angry. I wanted my money back. This is the first picture since last year's Rollerball that I have absolute contempt for. The big difference is that Rollerball was a press screening so I only paid with valued time. Bulletproof Monk not only cost my time, it also cost money.

There will, no doubt, be worse movies this year, but Bulletproof Monk will be tough to beat. When it comes out on video don't rent it.

:: zBoneman.com Reader Comments ::

Stiffy

Stiffy

I have only one word that describes and sums up everything about this film - why?

Side Kick?

Side Kick?

Seann William Scott occasionally evinces actual charm and talent, but as a side kick in this film and what was it--the Rundown. Please. It's like "Dude, where's my money back?"

APDZ

APDZ

The Scroll of the Ultimate is the world's most powerful artifact and whoever reads it has ultimate power and could change the world into a land of peace or destroy it. A group of Buddhist monks from Tibet are its guardians and its is there job to make sure it never falls into the wrong hands. Every 60 years a new chosen one is selected as the scrolls guardian and gives up his name and commits himself to its safety for the next 60 years tell a new chosen one is passed the burden. In 1943 a young acolyte takes on the chore but just after accepting the roll a group of power hungry Nazi's storm the monastery and try and take the scroll. Now 60 years have passed and the madman who led the Nazi's has not given up his desire for the scroll nor has he stopped hunting the monk with no name. The monk with no name has come to New York City where he is about to meet the most unlikely of prospects to be the chosen one. A pickpocket named Kar shows his compassion by helping the monk and now the monk must learn if he really is to be the next chosen one. So he takes to following him and imbedding himself in all aspects of Kar's life which includes a job as a screen projector at a Chinese movie house, a bad girl named Jade he has the hots for and a vast potential that he doesn't realize he has. But along the way gun-touting mercenaries will chase them both down and now they must team up together to protect the scroll and defeat the bad guys out to get it.

This movie incorporates a lot of action with a lot of humor, in fact it reminded me a lot of Shanghai Noon where east met west. But I thought William Scott was a lot better and more clever than Owen Wilson could be in his dreams. He has more of a style of panache and excitement then the goofball Wilson. Also Chow Yun-Fat is just as good of a martial artist as Jackie Chan but without all the crazy items that Chan likes to use. That is not to say that this movie did not have its own little style and twist ala The Matrix at times with their bullet time camera effects and the fact that the monk can walk on air like it was a stone and sail through it like water. Still the action was superb and all the comedy and one liners helped to give the movie a break in the tension and entertain the audience at the same time. My favorite had to be Jaime King who just seemed to add to the movie with her wittiness and her ability to interact with both characters so well. The movie has it all lots of action with some really cool fight scenes, funny characters that show great screen presence and make you laugh, and a great climatic final battle. The movie does get a little hokey at times and some of the plot lines are left unresolved but still the movie is a great action/comedy film that everyone should go out and see.

marian

marian

Salut, which in my language means a load of garbage - Salut that.

adam murray

adam murray

the best movie out this year

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