DVD Movie: Blood and Bone

[mickey]

Greetings,

I saw this movie that stars Michael Jai White and features some MMA fighters.

I saw some serious lifting from the movie Hard Times. There were some additional dynamics to the movie that gave it, in a very strange way, a Spaghetti Western touch. The choreography was interesting; again, incorporating MMA fighting. The ultra brief appearances of Gene LeBell (it appeared to be a stuntman joke) and Bob Wall was hilarious. While the film lacks the nice, brutal, beautiful intensity of Taken, I think y'all might like it.

The film finishes open ended, as if to allow for a sequel.

I do not like to post trailers for decent movies. It takes the fun out of the fresh viewing experience. But for those who really need it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfVra8yKL7s

mickey

[jethro]

I'm hoping to get the DVD soon. I don't like to watch trailers either, it gives too much away, but this looks pretty good from what I've seen on the TV commercials. Some of it looks like the "one person does a spinning high kick and the other peron does a high kick right after" type of choreography, but some of it looks different. Jai White looks like he gets to let loose more than he did in Undisputed 2.

[mickey]

Hi jethro,

While at times there is the kind of kick punch slair that you would see in Jackie Chan films, MJW appears to be working with the MMA angle. He has yet to throw himself into it the way Donnie Yen does. In time, I think that will come. And I can't wait for that day to happen. It will be off the hook.

mickey

[Jimbo]

I saw the ad for this and it looks good. I plan to get it when I can find it. I'd like to see Michael Jai White finally be allowed to show more of what he's capable of. He has great movements but has not been given much chance to "stretch his legs" so to speak, on film.

I really think that MJW would make a good onscreen fight with Donnie Yen.

[jethro]

I decided to get this today, at the steep price of $19.99. I just can’t resist seeing MJW in action. I liked it a lot. Nice to see MJW get to unleash. He didn’t really get to kick in Undisputed 2, but there was at least 10 of his kick combinations in Blood and Bone that had me saying wow. It was cool to see all the cameos from the MMA stars. Maurice Smith has a funny little fight at the start against the guy wearing curlers. Also, how is MJW not a big action star yet? Do people think he doesn't have the acting skills? I can't figure it out. Hopefully he’ll become a big star before 40. Geesh.

[karateguy]

where did you guys get it from, i have not seen it.

[jethro]

I saw it at Best Buy and Wal Mart.

[Jimbo]

I believe MJW is already in his early 40s. Around the same age as Donnie Yen. I thing MJW will remain a cult favorite actor, but it's hard to imagine Hollywood suddenly making him a major mainstream lead after all this time. He had some major lead roles (I forget the name of that '90s superhero movie), and as Mike Tyson in a TV movie; then was wasted in Universal Soldier II. He got to show nothing in Dark Knight and the cut scene against Carradine in Kill Bill. I think MJW is the best American MA film star and a good actor to boot.

[jethro]

Yeah you are right. I was looking at his age on IMDB and my math was off by 10 years. I became a big fan of his when he played Tyson, but sadly he hasn't furthered his career since then. And I agree there is no other American MA film star that can touch him.

[mickey]

Ahhh, somebody likes!!!

jethro, did you get the Gene Lebell and Bob Wall jokes?

Michael Jai White has good acting talent. He played Spawn on the late '90's and I was really surprised that there was no follow up sequel.

What he has to do is invest in himself, get behind the camera, and direct. Nobody is going to do it for him.

mickey

[jethro]

I missed Bob Wall and Gene Lebell. Are they in the movie or is it just jokes? Either way it gives me a good reason to watch it agian tonight.

[mickey]

Hi jethro,

They are in the movie. Pay attention to the last ten minutes. They are both there. Don't forget that Gene LeBell is a stuntman. Check out the stunt he does for a paycheck. That is why it is so funny. Listen to what the international fight promoter says for MJW to get his sword in the last fight scene. That is the Bob Wall joke.

mickey

[oasis]

saw it a few days ago. awesome movie. as others said, it's a shame his skills are not as publicized. one thing that was interesting it was one of the few fighting movies with great fights without wasting any time on lewd scenes. it's also nice to see more traditional jma type of fighting used in the street without making him out as a bjj expert. some of the grappling did seem convoluted though.

[GeneChing]

I enjoyed Hamilton's take on the MA genre, but I think he's overlooked the fact that there's still a gazillion B-grade MA flicks coming out of Asia and Hollywood, going direct to DVD. It's just that they're no longer on the silver screen - from that angle, he makes an excellent point.

...Martial Arts needs a comeback! (http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=28650)
by J.A. Hamilton
After watching Michael Jai White’s new movie BLOOD AND BONE last week, I felt a strange tingle in my blood. I instantly understood this feeling, though it’s one I haven’t felt in a very long time. It made me realize how much I’ve been missing the good ol days of martial arts. Michael Jai White hasn’t lost his edge, if anything, he’s sharper, more elegant and easily one of the world’s best martial artists. Tall order? Watch the movie and see for yourself. I found myself wondering why in hell this didn’t hit theaters? Instead, we get stuff like FIGHTING (a flick I DID enjoy...for what it was), featuring Channing Tatum, a great actor, but it’s clearly obvious he has zero fighting background. Even my father-in-law was quick to point out that the film’s third fight had Tatum squaring off against Cung Le, a world champion Vietnamese Kickboxer who could have easily punched a hole straight through Tatum’s face if he felt like it.

I grew up on martial arts flicks in the eighties, when guys like Sho Kosugi (who I was happy to see score the role of Lord Ozunu in the Wachowski produced NINJA ASSASSIN), Jet Li and Jackie Chan were all kicking ass and taking names. Michael Dudikoff won me over with AMERICAN NINJA, overwhelming my young mind with the idea that I didn’t have to be Asian to become a ninja. I was also a big fan of the BEST OF THE BEST films. Then there was Jeff Speakman who came out of nowhere back in 1991 with one of my favorite martial arts flicks THE PERFECT WEAPON. His theatrical run ended there, but he had a slew of straight to DVD goodies like STREET KNIGHT, THE EXPERT and DEADLY OUTBREAK. Speakman’s a 4th degree black belt in Kempo Karate, and like Michael Jai White, is amazingly quick and agile for a man his size.

My favorite late eighties/early nineties martial arts star is still Loren Avedon. I’ll never forget the first time I watched KING OF THE KICKBOXERS (aka NO RETREAT NO SURRENDER 4). I was blown away by his fighting prowess, attitude and overall presence on film (and that bamboo cage fight between him and Billy Blanks is the stuff of legend). I always joked that Avedon should’ve been cast as Johnny Cage in MORTAL KOMBAT, which would’ve made the film a hundred times cooler and probably saved him from being killed off at the beginning of the sequel. NRNS 3: BLOOD BROTHERS was another favorite as well as TIGER CLAWS 3 (where Avedon was also fight choreographer). And speaking of TIGER CLAWS, the first and second one featured the underrated Bolo Yeung (BLOODSPORT, ENTER THE DRAGON), who was THE villain I loved to hate. I also miss Brandon Lee, may he rest in peace.

These past few years haven’t exactly been void of martial arts films, with guys like Jet Li and Jackie Chan having gone mainstream, but I wouldn’t say they’re being pushed to their limits in most cases (to this day I refuse to re-watch LETHAL WEAPON 4 because I can’t stand seeing Danny Glover and Mel Gibson take down Jet Li when I know he could kill them both five times before they even hit the ground). Jason Statham’s martial arts side took me by surprise in THE TRANSPORTER. I remember watching the trailer and thinking WTF, where were those moves in SNATCH and THE ONE? Seeing Statham break into the “action tough guy” genre was nice, God knows we need all the action stars we can get these days, and it’s for that reason I think martial arts needs to make a comeback. This may not hit a chord with the younger teen generation (who probably haven’t heard of half these guys), but surely I’m not the only one who misses them.

This brings me full circle back to Michael Jai White. If ensemble casts are gonna be the “new thing,” I say we have MJW lead an all-star martial arts lineup unlike anything we’ve seen before (cast-wise anyway). I’m talking Loren Avedon, Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Michael Dudikoff, Dolph Lundgren, Phillip Rhee, Ray Park, Jason Scott Lee, Jeff Speakman, Sho Kosugi, Bolo Yeung, Billy Blanks, Steven Seagal, Jean Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris and anyone else interested. Make the plot a tournament style event with a series of challenges as well as individual matches. Shoot it JCVD style, having all the actors play themselves competing for the title of “world’s best martial artist”, as well as a film contract to headline the next “theatrical martial arts flick” with a tag line like “No one gave them a second chance, until now.” Sure, I'm kinda spitballing here, but a “real-life” tournament for a shot at a comeback? Now THAT is a movie I’d stand in line for!

Extra Tidbit: It was back in High School
that I came up with an “actors playing themselves” tournament idea like that. Hell, I’d write the script right now if I thought it had a chance in hell of getting made

[Jimbo]

Well, I got it and just watched it a second time, and I did catch the little in-joke Enter the Dragon reference to Bob Wall's character (shown very briefly). There's actually a lot going on in the characters that I didn't think much about the first time, esp. in regards to the main villain and his beliefs/mannerisms. Great film! The only flaw I could perceive is that the voices are recorded low on the DVD compared to the soundtrack music. Sometimes you have to turn it up loud enough to hear what they're saying clearly, then the music will blair.

[Stickgrappler]

As it's Gina Carano's 32nd birthday today, I made some GIFs of her appearance from Blood and Bone

Enjoy!

Gina in Blood and Bones GIF’s

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j8oC2XWVBX4/U052xGOpwHI/AAAAAAAAF44/fKgWUNsFnL0/s1600/GinaCarano-BloodAndBones-2-400-sg.gif


5 more GIFs here:
http://www.stickgrappler.net/2014/04/gina-carano-blood-and-bones-gif-set.html