Legendary Assassin - Wu Jing directorial debut
ok i been staying nyumb about this film mainly because no one really talks about new kung fu films on this bored and then it gets thrown to the back and i feel like i just wasted my time. but screw it, i'll do it anyway. so here we go.
jacky wu jing who we all know from tai chi master two the series that came after and of course as the total badass assasin in Sha Po Lang(USA Title: Killzone). so wu jing is back and this time he is a co director with nicky li(fight choreagrapher for wu jings last three films) executive produced by paco wong(fatal contact). the synopsis can be read over here
the film stars canto pop star celina jade, who is beautiful(after the whole edison thing i'm kinda over alot of these pop stars, i think they all need to be schooled on what a freaking wax is, gross) as a low level police officer and wu jing as yet another assasin. the story is typical actually, but the fights seem interesting check out the international trailer: Legendary assasin
to me this film seems similar to donnie yen's film ballistic kiss.
You got that all wrong, Doug
It's not that we don't talk about new kung fu films. It's that we don't all know about them. I didn't know about this one at all, but I've always respected Wu Jing's work, so I watch everything he's put out and am now looking forward to this.
Now this thread probably will fall to the back of the forum until the film gets released and we all review it. That's just the way it works around here. I post dozens of films that never go anywhere. But some of them do, and those thread get ttt-ed with reviews. And then you get mad props for being the first to bring it to the board's attention. So keep posting the coming soons. It's not a waste of your time at all. Many of us really appreciate it. I'm certainly looking forward to this one now. Thanks Doug!
Legendary Assassin Trailer
until the film gets released and we all review it
I liked it. It wasn't a big film, not something to catapult Wu Jing into the spotlight that he so deserves, but it's a decent action drama. It has a low budget indie feel, which actually works to its favor. Instead of building artificial sets, they simply shot the natural environment of the island, which is intrinsically interesting from a cinematographic standpoint, especially for Western viewers who have never really been exposed to this part of Asia. It's an assassin-Romeo and a cop-Juliet tale, parsed with some fine actions scenes, predictable in plot for the most part. The story arc comes together well in the end - again, not mind-blowing, but satisfying. Celine Jade channels Sandra Bullock but that charm failed me in the wake of the Edison scandal. Wu Jing pulls some fine fights, including the crazy last one-against-a-bazillion rain fight scene finale and the monster-giant-fight echoing the Lee/Jabbar (both are teased in the trailer). Wu Jing has crazy kicks and excellent timing, just what you'd expect from a former Beijing Wushu champ. He exudes a cool 'I can kick your ass' confidence with smiling eyes and an understated physical power. The film gets a little melodramatic, especially in the training/flirting scene between Wu and Jade (how many of us have lived that scene out for real? ;)) but the pacing didn't get too slow between fights and there was enough natural environment footage to keep things visually interesting. A modest effort overall, worth the attention of any Wu Jing fan, not his greatest work to date, but as always, it's interesting to see where he is now.
yeah i didnt see this yet
idk why, mainly because i been watching all the award films like the wrstler, slumdog millionare etc. but i got my copy so ill get around to it. wu jing is still in my **** list for the unwatchable fatal contact.