Gatchaman 2013

There have been a few live action Gatchaman projects over the years-- I recall one commercial for a cell phone company that was pretty slick for its time, with extra SMAP.

Below is the trailer for the latest and greatest, it's not quite The Avengers, but it sure tries. Maybe it's trying too hard? But hey, dig those costumes.


(My favorite moment? 1:10... Bump of Chicken)

Tai Chi 0

Whoa, did you have me at Tai Chi or did you have me at steampunk? The film's creators have an impressive pedigree in and of themselves, and as part of a planned trilogy we can only hope its ambitions won't outpace the potential of a cool hook on a seasoned genre.

The Warrior's Way Redux

Well, looky here. A casual check of what's new at Apple Trailers reveals that Rogue Pictures picked up The Warrior's Way and released a new trailer. Actually, this is the first true trailer for the film as the footage from the previous post about this film was actually a promo reel used at film markets. What's important to note here is the apparent change of tone of the film, at least from the marketing standpoint. Let's leave aside the awful rock soundtrack of the trailer and concentrate on the fact that the relationships Jang Dong Gun's character has with the townspeople appears to have changed. The previous promo reel had this viewer believing that Geoffrey Rush's character was the main foil in that plotline, but the trailer sells a more "partner-in-crime" type relationship and it is he who might be narrating the the story throughout. Gone, also, is the slightly romantic connection between Kate Bosworth's character and there seems to be little remaining of the "freak show" of interesting characters that make up the wayward town.

As trailers go, this is trying to sell a rather straightforward action picture, removing much of the Eastern philosophy that was prevalent in the promo reel and turning the main character in to a "hero" where the original promo reel sold a slightly more ambiguous, repentant "anti-hero." It will be fascinating to see if there will be a different edit for the film internationally as well as how the marketing is handled. For now, however, it is good to finally get a clear glimpse of the visuals which remain gorgeous and engaging. With the troubled history of this production, however, what truly needs to be seen is whether or not the story actually works.

The official site can be found here.

Gallants

Wow, the first entry of June and it's almost the end of the month! Apologies for the lack of updates, but time has been a commodity in short supply recently. However, I had to post this very cool opening title sequence for the recent film Gallants which is a throwback to classic Shaw Brothers film, starring some of the studio's most well-known stars, and giving us fans of old school Hong Kong films a knowing nod that could only bring out smiles. Enjoy!



Find out more about Gallants by clicking here

Palme d'Or Winner

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives by Apichatpong Weerasethakul (SYNDROMES AND A CENTURY, TROPICAL MALADY and BLISSFULLY YOURS) is the first Thai film to take home the top prize at Cannes. It is a poignant film whose themes are elevated by it's fantastical concept reinforced by the effectively still, moody direction.

Suffering from acute kidney failure, Uncle Boonmee has chosen to spend his final days surrounded by his loved ones in the countryside. Surprisingly, the ghost of his deceased wife appears to care for him, and his long lost son returns home in a non-human form. Contemplating the reasons for his illness--he feels his illness must be related with his bad karma. He has killed too many communists--Boonmee treks through the jungle with his family to a mysterious hilltop cave, the birthplace of his first life...

Weerasethakul's acceptance speech was no less poignant, "I'd like to send a message home: This prize is for you." Perhaps this milestone victory in Thai cinematic history will bring a bit of unifying pride to a currently fractured populace. A class act and well deserved win for Weerasethakul.

Reign Of Assassins Footage

The sales trailer for the John Woo (Co-)directed feature starring Michelle Yeoh as well as a promo poster. The official title has also been set as Reign of Assassins.



courtesy of MichelleYeoh.info

Bay Rong (Clash)

Bay Rong is the second film by Vietnamese-American director Johnny Nguyen in which he takes the concept similar to Mr. and Mrs. Smith and exploits it as it should have been in the Hollywood version. This is a high energy martial arts crime thriller pitting two ex-cons and would-be lovers against the gangs that had put them in prison. Nguyen's previous film, The Rebel, has also been highly praised and very well received in Vietnam and Bay Rong has built up on that momentum exponentially. Reports suggest that at least domestically, Bay Rong, has been the hands down box-office hit of 2009. Below is a new 2010 trailer, which seems to hint that Nguyen and his film are ready to tackle the international markets after dominating it at home.



Impeccably well shot, the intense and kinetic fight scenes seem to balance nicely with the character work as well as the overall plot line. That final line also suggests a good bit of humor can be found as resting points between the fist-a-cuffs and fireworks. Let's hope this gets picked up internationally soon.

Merantau

Martial arts films have in the last couple of decades been largely dominated by Chinese style martial arts, namely some form of Kung Fu, either in theme, content, or just action choreography. As I have written before, Kung Fu photographs well, especially the very dramatic kicks and aerials that can be performed. It captures the audiences imagination, and delivers easy to comprehend impacts. This is due primarily to the popularity of Hong Kong films, with Bruce Lee at that popularity's vanguard. The problem is that there are as many types of martial arts as cultures. Does anyone remember what the karate film looks like? Can modern audiences even tell the difference any more? Muy Thai style boxing and mixed martial arts have started to become popular and films featuring these fighting styles, Ong Bak for example, are opening up the door for films utilizing something other than Kung Fu for their action.

Enter Merantau, a film produced and shot in Indonesia. In it, the main character, Yuda, is a practitioner of Silat Harimau, the regional martial art. Playing Yuda is Iko Uwais, a true Silat disciple and instructor. He was noticed by director Gareth Evans when making a documentary about Silat. Both agreed to produce a film that would elevate Silat to the world stage. The premise of the story is effectively basic. Yuda leaves his quiet village in the countryside as part of his "Merantau," a century's old rite-of-passage carried out by young men that aims to mature boys into men by setting them out to face challenges away from home. Yuda goes to the capital city of Jakarta where his idyllic sense of righteousness collides head on with the underbelly of the bustling metropolis. During the production, Evans, Uwais, and the stunt crew intentionally conceived of screen friendly fighting techniques and a shooting style that would enhance the onscreen dynamics of Silat apart from its real world application. If the trailer below is anything to go by, they have certainly succeeded:



Merantau has been making the festival rounds to very good reviews; it has been picked up in several territories. Be sure to keep your eyes on your local listings for the debut of a new martial art style to the cinematic vocabulary. You can find a link to the official site at the footer of this website.

Sasori

This is one of those films that stayed under the radar for almost its entire production and release. News of a Hong Kong remake of the classic Female Prisoner #701 Scorpion starring the incomparable Kaji Meiko (the original Princess Snowblade on which Lucy Liu's Oren Oshii is modeled) leaked onto the internet quite a few years ago. One picture from the production managed to be released (the one above) and then silence. No one was sure whether the film got made or not. Then there was word that distributor Eastern Light, a division of Arclight Films, picked the film up, where it then languished unseen for sometime. The film finally was released in Japan last year to very little if any fanfare despite its pedigree and the talent behind it. The key role is played by Mizuno Miki to whom some will be familiar through the Bayside Takedown series. With a rather popular and reasonably accomplished leading woman, it makes the underwhelming way the film was supported even that more perplexing. Joining Mizuno are the likes of Simon Yam, Sam Lee, Lam Suet and other familiar faces across Asia—certainly not a "marketing nightmare."
Joe Ma's take adheres fairly closely to the original's basic foundation. The original series was one of the quintessential works in the "women in prison" films being made in Japan in the 60s & 70s, paralleling similar exploitation genres found in the U.S. and Europe. The central appeal to the Female Prisoner films is the sight of women in engaged in violence toward one another as well as seeking vengeance on the men who wronged them. Being a Hong Kong film, Sasori certainly does not shy away from the action. It helps that Mizuno is a trained martial artist and stunt woman who belongs to KURATA Yasuaki's (Fist of Legend) Kurata Action Club as she is able to convincingly give and take the punishment required by the genre, probably one of a very tiny few who could and still look alluring in the interim.
The trailer below is for the DVD release. As one can see, it promises nothing more than what it is selling: action and the darkest of man's (and woman's) instincts. One would think that the success of Kill Bill should have lent some momentum to Sasori in theatrical release, but be as it may, Tarantino's film is only being used in an associative--"the series that inspired..."--manner.



It can be said that timing is everything. Whatever delays or inside politics led to Sasori missing the Kill Bill boat not only hurt it, but perhaps similar projects as well. Let us hope that someone will have the courage and force of will to revisit this type of film, anything to ease the deluge of forlorn love films that have outworn their welcome.

Battleships, Monkeys, & CG--oh my.

The first post of 2010 brings some potentially exciting news.

For anyone who grew up on animations of the late 70s and 80s, one should have memories of a series called Star Blazers, the Americanized version of a Japanese anime series "Uchuu Senkan Yamato (Space Battleship Yamato)." It was one of my first exposures to Japanese anime and I still have clear memories of the impact it had on me because of the grown-up nature of the story. It was far far different from "Tom & Jerry" or "Looney Toons." The series has a strong following to this day, especially among men in the late 30s and early 40s—an important demographic for the film industry.

When word broke that a film adaptation of the anime was in the works, I naturally had my misgivings. The story of the series is long and complex, yet its timely message of Earth at a environmental crisis with a group of people heading out to space in a last ditch effort to save it would make a natural draw to contemporary theater-goers. However, there are reasons why anime adaptations have always been difficult; how do you boil down a 24 episode or more storyline down to 2 to 2.5 hours? It is no easy task. What will the filmmakers keep? What will they cut out? What will they add? Peter Jackson proved that an adaptation can incorporate edited, added, and reorganized elements and still hold true to the original source, but he, Fran Walsh and Philipa Boyens spent countless hours writing and rewriting the script, and refining it during the production. This is a practice not found in Japan where the first draft is what usually goes in to production. If they were planning a trilogy of films, I could feel some sense of comfort, but as of this writing, Space Battleship Yamato is a standalone with sequel possibilities depending on box office. I believe this will ultimately affect the quality of the story.
However, some doubts were alleviated with the choice of director: YAMAZAKI Takashi, the man behind SF cult hits Juvenile & Returner as well as the Always: Sunset on Third Street period family drama series. Yamazaki is an expert at subtle uses of CG as a tool to bring the world of his films to life; he is the antithesis of KAZUAKI Kiriya. At least visually, the focus wouldn't be on the FX, but on how the characters live in a world brought to life by SFX. Over the weekend, the first preview CM (commercial) for the film aired:



The production design seems well done, possibly borrowing from the design philosophy of the "Battlestar Galactica" series in the practical realization of the technology. Then there is the CG. On Youtube, it might look fine, but on a 15 foot screen, there is the potential for this space adventure to look immensely artificial. Japan, despite all its technology, is not adept at CGI effects, mainly due to the lack of investment by production companies in the proper equipment and software or to set a portion of the budget to outsource CGI effects to internationally recognized effects houses. In order to save money, producers usually gather a staff using largely off the shelf equipment and software for the duration of the production. In the case of Yamazaki, his production company is also a CGI effects company so he has a slight advantage, but comparisons to even second-tier Hollywood effects houses are not even possible.

Recently, news on the Chinese film news site MonkeyPeaches.com, brought word of a project entitled Da Nao Tiao Gong (Uproar in Heaven), which will be a new live-action film based on the "Journey to the West" fantasy novels. The most important point in the press release is the decision by production company, Filmko Pictures, to contract Weta Digital to animate the Monkey King and deliver other CGI effects. Unlike their Japanese counterparts, Filmko Pictures recognizes Weta Digital's leadership in the type of CG that would be required to bring their film to reality and have decided to earmark a budget to add Weta's expertise to the team.

I have always been of the opinion that Japan could be a leader in CG effects and visualizations. Their long tradition of visualizing fantastic characters, situations, action and effects from manga would be greatly sought after by filmmakers around the world. Sadly, there is no one in Japan's film industry who has vision and courage to invest in creating the infrastructure, training, and environment for CGI effects services. To this day, there are no specialized effects houses in Japan's film industry. There are companies like Yamazaki's, a film production company with a CG department, but a Weta or ILM type company does not exist. This remains one of the Japanese film industry's wasted opportunities...

Little Big Soldier

Jackie Chan, to most of us, needs no introduction. He has been a fixture in martial arts films for so long, he can arguably called one of Hong Kong & China's living legends. It is unfortunate, however, that like many of his brethren from HK, his excursions into the American market has been hit and miss, some would claim more the latter than the former. In recent years, it seems that Chan has been satisfied to accept a "paint by numbers" project for Hollywood to cash a paycheck which he funnels into a project in China or Hong Kong.
Take for example two projects which should be coming out for 2010. There is the Wil Smith produced, China relocated remake of The Karate Kid in which he plays the "Mr. Miyagi" to a young boy played by Smith's son (i.e. "paint by numbers"). Then there is Little Big Soldier a film which, from the following synopsis and trailer, has far more thematic potential:

It was the darkest of times in China, when ruthless warlords waged battles to satiate their endless aggression.  Millions of lives perished, and those who survived had only two choices - kill or be killed.
The battalions of warring states Liang and Wei collided in a bloodbath that lasted from dawn until dusk.  Only two men were left standing - a FOOT SOLDIER from Liang (Jackie Chan) and the rival GENERAL from Wei (Wang Leehom). The Soldier survived because he is an expert in playing dead, with a device strapped on his body which protruded like an arrowhead for added realism.
The Soldier captured the wounded General, hoping to use the enemy as his ticket to freedom - by handing the General to the Liang warlord, the Soldier could be honorably discharged and return home to his peaceful life.  The young General, though taken captive, was condescending towards the Soldier.  The two men were often at loggerheads during the long and winding journey.

It is a shame that the Hollywood seems satisfied with relegating Chan or other experienced martial arts actors like Jet Li to two-dimensional action roles because it is obvious that Chan (and Li for that matter) are as interested in flexing their thespian skills as displaying their already well known martial skills. Recently, Chan took on a role in which he absolutely did no fighting whatsoever (The Shinjuku Incident) and Li will be doing the same in Ocean Heaven. And while the trailer above sells some of the action scenes in Little Big Soldier, something tells me that the majority of its runtime will be spent developing the Midnight Run-esque relationship between the Foot Soldier and the General, and that can only be a good thing....

14 Blades

Daniel Lee's latest film is based on accounts of the "Jinyiwei (brocade-clad army), the Ming emperors' own version of the CIA. The organization was set up in the late 14th century by Ming dynasty founder Zhu Yuanzhang (Emperor Hongwu), first as his own personal guards numbering in the hundreds, and later gaining many more other responsibilities (including intelligence, of course), reaching their apex in the 16th century with a total force around the low six figures." [Twitch Film]. Donnie Yen will be playing one of the Jinyiwei, who were masters of the 14 Blades—eight for torture, five for killing, and the last blade reserved for suicide when a mission failed. The story centers on the Imperial Court being taken over by evil eunuch JIA. The best of the Jinyiwei, QUINGLONG (Yen) and XUANWU, are assigned to steal a list identifying those still loyal to the Emperor. However unbeknownst to Quinglong, the Jinyiwei have fallen under the control of Jia, and during the mission Quinglong is betrayed by Xuanwu and barely escapes with his life. Now as the most wanted man in the land Quinglong must seek out and rally the loyalists to rise against Jia and restore the Emperor to power. In his way are the deadliest assassins in the land, his former brethren, the Jinyiwei.



The above preview gives a glimpse at the stunning cinematography, set pieces, production design (the 14 Blades and the case they come alone is noteworthy!) and action that promises to be more along the lines of classic Hong Kong martial arts films like Dragon Inn (which also dealt with this sect of assassins), rather than the more recent, lush imagery and philosophical wuxia of say, Hero. That's not a complaint. In fact, it is great to see a revival of both styles utilizing contemporary cinematic techniques and technology. With a veteran like Yen taking on a role of a type of "James Bond" complete with "gadgets", we can at least expect the film to deliver on entertainment. Let's hope the fascinating, historically based concept will hold up as well.

Masters Returning to Wuxia II

As stated earlier, there seems to be an influx of Chinese auteurs returning to the fold recently. This time, it's the most auteur-esque of them all, WONG Kar-wai who has not delved into this genre since his debut film Ashes of Time. The prospect of this unique visionary returning to wuxia alone is reason enough to get excited, but what will it be about? Entitled The Great Master, the film will be Wong's take on the story of Ip Man, the legendary Wing Chun practitioner who was Bruce Lee's master. Recently, Donny Yen took on the role of the master in the film Ip Man so it will be fascinating to see what Wong's spin on it will be. Oh, then there is the preliminary (and far from final) cast list: Tony Leung, Zhang Ziyi, Gong Li, Zhang Zhen and Zhao Benshan. Not enough? How about rumors that the goddess Brigette Lin is considering coming out of retirement to appear in this film!
However, we should all be familiar with Wong's well earned reputation for making films at a glacial pace. The film is to start filming this month, but it will be anyone's guess as to when we will see the final product....

Stills from True Legend

Sina.com has posted some gorgeous stills, some in high resolution, from YUEN Woo-pings's upcomingTrue Legend. You can view more by clicking here. This is truly becoming a must watch film for 2010.

Masters Return to Wuxia

There are some exciting projects coming together or already in production in Asia, so I thought it might be time to explore some of these for the month of December. I'll start with two films that are sure to generate quite a bit of anticipation among film fans, particularly of martial arts films.

TRUE LEGEND



Beyond having the incomparable Michelle YEOH and Vincent ZHAO (The Blade) in the cast, what is most remarkable and exciting about this film is that it is being directed by the legendary YUEN Woo-ping, his first in 12 years. Many people will be familiar with Yuen as the action choreographer for some of Hollywood's recent blockbusters, but there are those of us who remember Yuen as the director of some of the martial arts genre's representative films, including Drunken Master starring a young Jackie CHAN. True Legend will be focused on Beggar Su, a popular folk hero who has appeared in many martial arts films, including the aforementioned Drunken Master, portrayed by Simon YUEN. This time, however, director Yuen will cover Su's story from his days as a wealthy man who loses his fortune and reputation through machinations against him; penniless, he devotes himself to martial arts and rises up as a hero for the people, earning the monikor: "King of Beggars." From the teaser trailer below, the production design and more importantly, the action hearken back to the golden age of wuxia films which Yuen helped usher.




RAIN OF SWORDS (in the Pugilistic World) [working title]

With the success of the Red Cliff duology, it seems that John WOO has finally realized that things are certainly better back home after repeated and arguably mixed results in Hollywood (FACE/OFF being his best in my humble opinion). And while several projects to which he was attached to direct have fallen through, it seems project has begun production. The story centers on "an assassin (Yeoh) [who is] responsible for the death of a prominent court official. [She] goes into hiding and meets the slain official's son (Korean actor Jung Woo-sung) and falls in love without knowing his true identity. Assassins eventually catch up with Yeoh and Jung as they discover each other's identity and a tense, three-way standoff ensues." Sounds like classic John WOO themes transported to dynastic China. The Red Cliff saga displayed Woo's ability to employ some of the excellent character dynamics and storytelling he is known for, yet matured and adapted for the material. Add the impeccable costume designs of WADA Emi (Hero), and we could be looking at the renaissance of the Hong Kong action maestro. I, for one, will be more than happy to see John WOO retire the twin .45s and explore the wuxia genre. Below are the first stills from the production courtesy of Sina.com.

Air Doll

Ever since I watched After Life, I have been a fan of director KORE-EDA Hirokazu. His subtle blending of documentary-like storytelling with a simple, yet affectuous narrative left me wanting more. By the time he had made Nobody Knows, it seemed the film world, too, had noticed his remarkable sense and ability of examining humanity in the most unexpected ways. It is a shame, though readily obvious as to why, that he is more highly regarded abroad than in his native Japan. His latest film, Air Doll once again defies easy categorization.
The idea of an inanimate doll coming to life and experiencing human emotions isn't particularly new; one can easily think of films which have used this device. Where Kore-eda differs is that he has chosen an inflatable sex doll to be the protagonist. This alone increases the emotional story potential because of what the lead character is "built" for; her interaction with humans—men in particular—has a context that will most certainly play a role in how she develops emotionally. Cast for this pivotal character is Korean actress Bae Doo-na and you can already see the level of rapturous wonder she is infusing into the character with just her mannerisms and expressions. This looks to be a very charming and unique take on the classic themes of love, humanity, and self-identity. The film will be released in Japan in the Fall.

source: Nippon Cinema

Storm Warriors Full Trailer

It's up on the official website, but embedded in Flash. But you can view it thanks to Trailer Addict.
There is some incredible imagery going on here,and it might be safe to say the the Pang Brothers have certainly upped the potential for the visualization of Chinese fantasy fight scenes. One should also note the lack of the controversial clip I mentioned in the previous post about this film, though elements of that stylization have been used in another scene in this trailer. If the story can be as fantastic as the visuals, this will truly be a worthy successor to the original.

Kamui

This will be the first period, action film from director SAI Yoichi, known mostly for contemporary dramas including the Kitano Takeshi starring Blood and Bones. It is an adaptation of the comic "Kamui Gaiden" or "Legend of Kamui" (don't ask me why the film title is just 'Kamui') by SHIRATO Sampei. Some of you might be familiar with the anime, Dagger of Kamui produced in the 80s. Though there have been various iterations of Kamui's legend, including a 1960s anime series, so it will be interesting to see how much of the story from the manga will be retained in this live-action version. The main thrust of the story is a ninja being hunted by the members of the clan he abandons, an action punishable by death. Constantly pursued, Kamui refuses to build relations with anyone because of the fleeting nature and inherent danger any such relationship would be subjected to. It is a tale of survival, but ultimately, also one of tragedy as over the course of time, Kamui becomes paranoid that everyone around him is a killer. Perhaps it is this dramatic thread which attracted SAI Yoichi to the project.

source: Nippon Cinema

The above trailer sells the film as "action-entertainment." Naturally, you would expect that from a film about ninjas. For a time in the late 80s, there was a significant boom in Ninja films thanks to films starring Kosugi Sho. That genre has almost been forgotten, but recently, there seems to be renewed interest in "shinobi" stories though westerners might be puzzled as to the lack of black-clad masked men in popular manga/anime "Naruto" and films such as Shinobi: Heart Under Blade or this film for that matter. Then again, no one in the original "Kamui Gaiden" manga wore the signature outfit either. Perhaps this is how ninja truly were.

Also of note is the difference between this film and the previously mentioned Goemon. One can see the what actual sets and scenery contribute to the overall feel of the film and how CG-enhanced action is much preferable to CG-generated action. The actors are there, in the moment, taking in their surroundings and letting it shape their performances and reactions. Extraordinary people and action set in ordinary, familiar surroundings seem much more extraorinary whereas, extraordinary people in extraordinary settings just seem "normal." I think that will be a key difference between Goemon and Kamui...at least to this blogger. The film is slated for a Fall 2009 release.

Shinjuku Incident

Marketed as a film that shows of a side of star Jackie Chan that his fans have never seen before, Derek Yee's Shinjuku Incident attempts to feature one of the world's most recognized and popular martial arts star in a role that features not one single fight scene. In fact, there are no signature Jackie Chan "-isms" in this film at all. Instead, Jackie is (gasp) simply acting in this one. The synopsis according to a review on Twitch:

The story is set sometime in the early 90s and Steelhead (Jackie Chan) is an illegal Chinese immigrant in Tokyo. He has come to find work but also to look for his childhood sweetheart, Xiu Xiu (Xu Jinglei). He teams up with a group of Chinese workers, including Jie (Daniel Wu), and numerous familiar faces from Hong Kong Cinema like Lam Suet and Chin Kar Lok, who help him get some manual labour. While cleaning garbage out of sewer drains, Steelhead’s group of workers are chased off by police, and during the scuffle Steelhead inadvertently saves the life of Inspector Kitano (Takenaka Naoto). Steelhead escapes but Kitano now feels indebted to the illegal immigrant. Steelhead also meets bar owner Lily (Fan Bing Bing) and a turf war is brewing in Shinjuku between rival Yakuza gangs and when Steelhead recognizes the wife of mob boss Eguchi as none other than his beloved Xiu Xiu, he can no longer resist the urge to get involved.

Here's the trailer. Apologies for the sound quality, but this is the best version not embedded in a Flash site.



It is certainly different from what you're used to from Jackie Chan; the story is definitely a realistic if only a little overly dramatized plight of immigrant workers in Japan. Of note is that only an edited version was screened in mainland China while an unedited version is what was distributed in Japan despite the unflattering depiction of Japanese attitudes toward immigrants that is obviously a key theme of the film. Reviews have been good, but not glowing. However, any film from Jackie Chan, especially one where he is trying to flex his acting muscles, should certainly be checked out.

The Legend is Alive

Many of you will recognize the name of Dustin Nguyen from his "21 Jump Street Days" and wondered where's he been? Well, for a while, he had to take care of personal matters which hindered him from taking a full load of work. He did appear for a while in the TV show "V.I.P." probably just to pay bills. But he's recently been active in films, primarily in his home country of Vietnam.

The latest work is called The Legend is Alive. In it, Nguyen portrays a mentally handicapped adult who also happens to have fighting prowess. There have been a few films with this type of character lately, most notably Jet Li in Danny the Dog and recently the Thai film Chocolate. However, I think where The Legend is Alive differs from those two examples is that Nguyen is playing up the mental handicap more than the fighting prowess. In Jet Li's film and the Thai film, that mental handicap happened to produce a type "martial autism." In other words, their decreased mental ability is made up by their fighting ability. From what I can gather, Nguyen's character has the ability to protect himself, but it is no more special than anyone who has trained hard to acquire those skills; in the meantime--and while he is fighting--his mental & emotional capacity to grasp the situation is just as handicapped as it is when he is not fighting.

The story really focuses on Nguyen's character, named after Bruce Lee, as he tries to keep a promise to take to America his deceased mother, who gave him his moral foundation and made sure he could handle himself when she was gone. A simple act of asking on the streets whether a certain bus went to America plunges him into the world of human trafficking where he builds new relations with others "being sent" to America. What I think is interesting is that there doesn't seem to be any need on the part of the filmmakers to make Bruce some liberator. He is not and can not rescue everyone from the clutches of the black market. He can, however, reach out to people who have reached out to him; an act of kindness received, an act of kindness returned. Simple morals maybe, but certainly nonetheless effective, especially when Nguyen is expertly playing up the emotional aspects of his character's journey. There just happens to be a little martial arts action in there as well.

I would normally link or embed a trailer with this post, but the quality of the video available online is quite poor. If you're interested in watching it, do a search for "The Legend is Alive Trailer" and you should find it. In exchange, here are some stills from the film.





The film has already been released in Vietnam and won numerous awards at their version of the Oscar's known as the Golden Kites Awards. Let's hope the film will find international distribution soon.