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Thread: Kung Fu Yoga

  1. #46
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    another trailer

    Gene Ching
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  2. #47
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    So many trailers...

    Here's the same trailer as above but with English subs:
    Gene Ching
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  3. #48
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    In U.S. theaters JAN 27



    From Well Go USA.

    Locations & showtimes TBA.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  4. #49
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    Locations and showtimes

    Note that there were additions to the WellGoUSA list with Railroad Tigers, but that came and went in about a week. The remaining showings for the 2nd week were only the last showings. However, there's better press on this project...at least so far.



    KUNG FU YOGA

    Synopsis

    Jack (Jackie Chan), a world-renowned archaeology professor, and his team are on a grand quest to locate a lost ancient Indian treasure when they are ambushed by a team of mercenaries and left for dead. Using his vast knowledge of history and kung fu, Jack leads his team on a race around the world to beat the mercenaries to the treasure and save an ancient culture in this breakneck action-comedy that reunites Chan with acclaimed director Stanley Tong (Rumble in the Bronx, Supercop).

    Director: Stanley Tong
    Cast: Jackie Chan , Aarif Rahman , Lay Zhang , Sonu Sood , Disha Patani , Amyra Dastur , Eric Tsang
    Producer: Qi Jianhong , Jackie Chan , Wang Wei, Stanley Tong , Barbie Tung
    Genre: Action & Adventure, Comedy
    Sub Genre: Martial Arts
    Run Time: 107 min.
    Theatrical Date: Jan 27, 2017
    Original Language: English, Mandarin
    Dubbed Language: N/A
    Subtitle: Mandarin

    US THEATER LOCATIONS

    January 27, 2017
    NEW YORK CITY

    AMC Empire 25
    234 West 42nd Street
    New York, NY 10036

    LOS ANGELES

    AMC Atlantic Times Square
    450 N Atlantic Blvd
    Monterey Park, CA 91754
    (626) 407-0240

    AMC Puente Hills 20
    1560 South Azusa Avenue
    City of Industry, CA 91748

    AMC Orange 30
    20 City Blvd West
    Orange, CA 92868

    BOSTON

    AMC Loews Boston Common 19
    175 Tremont St
    Boston, MA 02111
    (617) 423-5801

    CHICAGO

    AMC River East 21
    322 East Illinois Street
    Chicago, IL 60611
    (312) 596-0333

    PHOENIX

    AMC Centerpoint 11
    730 South Mill Ave
    Tempe, AZ 85281
    (480) 207-2534

    SAN FRANCISCO / BAY AREA

    AMC Cupertino Square 16
    10123 N Wolfe Rd
    Cupertino, CA 95014
    (408) 252-5960

    AMC Van Ness 14
    1000 Van Ness Ave
    San Francisco, CA 94109

    SEATTLE

    AMC Pacific Place 11
    600 Pine Street - Ste 400
    Seattle, WA 98101
    (206) 652-8908

    February 3, 2017
    INDIANA

    AMC Showplace Bloomington 11
    1351 S College Mall Rd
    Bloomington, Indiana 47401

    COLUMBUS

    AMC Lennox Town Center 24
    777 Kinnear Rd
    Columbus, OH 43212

    HOUSTON

    AMC Studio 30
    2949 Dunvale
    Houston, TX 77063
    (713) 977-4431

    SAN DIEGO

    AMC Mission Valley 20
    1640 Camino Del Rio N
    San Diego, CA 92108

    CANADA THEATER LOCATIONS

    January 27, 2017
    TORONTO

    Cineplex Cinemas Markham & VIP
    79 Enterprise Blvd #169
    Markham, ON L6G 0E7, Canada

    Cineplex Cinemas Yonge Dundas
    10 Dundas Street East #402
    Toronto, ON M5B 2G9, Canada
    (416) 977-9262

    VANCOUVER

    Cineplex Cinemas SilverCity Riverport
    14211 Entertainment Way
    Richmond, BC V6W 1K4, Canada

    February 3, 2017
    OTTAWA

    Mayfair Theatre
    1074 Bank St
    Ottawa, ON K1S 3X3, Canada
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  5. #50
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    Win a red envelope from Jackie!

    This quiz is actually kind of tough. Good luck!

    Chinese New Year Giveaway (新年送大礼)
    16. January 2017 ·



    Next year is the year of the Rooster!
    To celebrate this festive time, Jackie will be giving away 100 “lai si” – lucky red packets again!
    Jackie is always grateful for the unconditional love and support that he receives from fans all over the world. Without YOU (his loving fans), Jackie wouldn’t be where he is today.
    The tradition of giving red packets during the Lunar New Year is to give luck, prosperity and happiness to the younger generation and Jackie hopes to give this to you too! There are 100 red packets to give away, and because Jackie’s upcoming new movie, Kung Fu Yoga, will be released in China during the Lunar New Year, Jackie has 5 special Kung Fu Yoga vests that he’d like to give away as well.
    Would you like a chance to win 1 of 100 lucky red packets (and possibly 1 of 5 Kung Fu Yoga vests)? We’ve got a fun general knowledge quiz for you to decipher, so let’s see how well you know Jackie Chan. Below are 10 multiple choice questions; beside them on the right are 4 possible answers to each question for you to choose. (So even if you don’t know the answer, you still have a 25% chance of guessing the right one.)
    The first correct 100 answers will receive a JC lucky red packet. And then out of the first correct 100 recipients, Jackie and his staff will randomly select 5 lucky winners to receive the limited edition Kung Fu Yoga vest (size and color will be chosen at random)
    How to enter:
    Create a new email and in the subject line write: 2017 CNY Giveaway
    Write down your matching answers, for example:
    1 – A
    2 – B
    3 – C…
    Also write down your details:
    Name:
    Email Address:
    Country of Residence:
    Send your email to: competition@jackiechan.com

    It’s that simple!
    The first 100 correct answers will receive a lucky red packet, and 5 winners will be randomly selected by Jackie and his team for the Kung Fu Yoga vest. The competition ends on February 01, 2017. Winners will be announced on February 06, 2017.
    Just like our last giveaway, lucky winners will be notified by email and will also make an announcement on Jackie’s Facebook page and Official Website. Test your knowledge and see how well you know Jackie Chan. Be quick and start emailing your answers today!
    PLEASE NOTE:
    Only one entry per person will be accepted. Multiple entries from the same person will automatically be eliminated. Size, color and style of the Kung Fu Yoga vests will be chosen at random. The JC Group reserves the right to the final decision on the giveaway competition.

    ================================================== ==================================================
    新年送大礼

    又到农历新年了! 为了迎接鸡年, 成龙大哥准备了100封红包送给粉丝们!
    成龙大哥经常提到粉丝们对他的无限支持及热情爱心. 没有你们 (世界各地的粉丝们) 就没有今天的成龙.
    农历春节时, 长辈派红包给晚辈的传统, 表示长辈把新的一年的祝福和好运带给他们, 而成龙大哥也想跟大家一起分享! 为表答谢粉丝们对他的鼓励, 成龙大哥准备了100封红包送给100位幸运儿. 另外, 由于 《功夫瑜伽》 将会农历新年中国上映, 成龙大哥特别安排5件《功夫瑜伽》棉衣背心送给5位答对题目的幸运儿.
    大家想有机会获得红包或《功夫瑜伽》棉衣背心吗? 很简单! 一起来玩个游戏吧!
    以下有10个关于成龙大哥的题目, 每个题目的右边有4个答案可以选择。即使不知道答案, 还有四分一机会猜中!
    首100名全答对的粉丝们可赢取红包一封。另外, 成龙大哥及他的员工们 会在幸运儿之中 任意挑选5位, 获得《功夫瑜伽》棉衣背心一件.
    参加方法:
    1) 在电子邮件主题填写: 2017 – 新年送大礼
    2) 写下您的答案, 如: 1-A, 2-B, 3-C…..
    3) 也记住写下您的: 名字, 电邮地址及现住国家
    4) 电邮发往: competition@jackiechan.com
    这次游戏于2017年2月01日截止。得奖名单将于2016年02月06日在此官网公布。请密 切留意!
    注意: 每人只可发送答案一次。如有发现多次参与, 将被自动作废。 JC Group 拥有最终决定权。

    Jackie Chan Quizz
    How well do you know Jackie Chan?

    1
    What is Jackie Chan’s birth name?
    成龍的真名字是什麼?
    A. Chan Yuen Long 陳元龍
    B. Yuen Lou 元樓
    C. Chan Kong Sang 陳港生
    D. Fong Shi Long 房仕龍

    2
    Which actor has not filmed with Jackie before?
    那位演員沒有跟成龍大哥一起拍戲?
    A. Tony Leung Chiu Wai 粱潮偉
    B.Oliver Platt 奥利弗·普莱特
    C. Takeshi Kaneshiro 金城武
    D. Michael Wong Man Tak 王敏德

    3
    When did the JC Stunt Team officially establish?
    成家班於那年正式成立?
    A. 1976
    B. 1979
    C. 1983
    D. 1995

    4
    What are the names of Jackie’s two golden retrievers?
    成龙养的两只金毛犬叫什么名字?
    A. TJ & Tony
    B. JJ & Jones
    C. Bing Bing & Bingo
    D. Tom & Jerry

    5
    In 1993, Jackie won the Best Actor Award for which movie?
    成龍於1993年, 憑著那部電影獲得最佳男主角?
    A. Crime Story 重案組
    B. Police Story 3: Supercop 警察故事III超級警察
    C. City Hunter 城市獵人
    D. Drunken Master II 醉拳II

    6
    Can you guess who is Jackie?
    猜猜那位是年輕的成龍?

    A. B. C. D.

    7
    What was the name of Jackie’s character in the movie:
    Rob-B-Hood?
    在電影“寶貝計劃”裡面, 成龍演繹的角色名是…?
    A. Jack 傑克
    B. Steelhead 鐵頭
    C. Thongs 拖鞋
    D. Chan Ka Kui 陳家駒

    8
    Which movie does this theme song belong to?`
    以下的歌是屬於那部電影的主提曲?

    Audio Player
    00:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume.
    A. B. C. D.

    9
    In the film “Wheels on Meals” starring Jackie, Sammo and Yuen Biao, who was the main female actress?
    由成龍, 洪金寶及元彪主演的”快餐車”裡面,
    飾演女主角的藝人是…
    A. Lola Forner 劳拉·福纳
    B. Maggie Cheung 張曼玉
    C. Michelle Yeoh 楊紫瓊
    D. Moon Lee 李賽鳳

    10
    What is Jackie’s favourite dessert?
    那个甜品是大哥最喜欢食的?
    A.
    Mango Pudding 芒果布丁
    B.
    Crème Brǔlée
    法式焦糖奶油布丁
    C.
    Dried Bean Curd, Gingko Nuts, Boiled Egg Dessert
    白果腐竹雞蛋糖水
    D.
    Red Bean/Green Bean Soup
    紅豆/綠豆湯
    You got to follow the link to Jackie's site for question 8.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  6. #51
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    Serious dedication

    Good thing her teachers were understanding...

    Fan chooses seeing Jackie Chan over final thesis presentation


    Miss Tamimi Sungkar, 22, and her sister, Miss Tiara Sungkar, 21, came all the way from Jakarta, Indonesia to meet Jackie ChanTNP PHOTO: ELAINE LEE

    Jan 23, 2017 08:15 am

    Jackie Chan willingly goes to extemes in his films. Some of his fans will go to extremes in the hope of meeting him.

    Miss Tiara Sungkar, 21, who lives in Jakarta, Indonesia, postponed her final year thesis presentation just to see the Hong Kong action star at a fan meet held at Plaza Singapura on Friday evening.

    It was also her first time abroad and had rushed to the immigration office to make her passport just ten days before the event.

    "It is my first time travelling out of the country and I was very excited to see him, it was like a dream come true," said the final year Indonesian Institute of Technology university student.

    "I always sing his songs and imitate his moves from the videos I've watched."

    The fan of fourteen years, who travelled with her sister, Tamimi, 22, told The New Paper that she also postponed her Chemical Engineering thesis meeting, where she was supposed to make her final presentation with her lecturer to travel to Singapore.

    "I told my lecturer the truth and begged him for permission to postpone the meeting. He agreed."

    She did not find any resistance from her parents either as they were fully aware how big a fan Tiara is.

    Tamimi added that her sister loves Chan so much that she went to take up martial arts just to feel closer to Chan. Tiara is a first Dan black belt in Taekwondo and plans to start Wing Chun soon.

    "She also has a dream to become his stunt man.", Tamimi confessed on her sister's behalf.

    Tiara's plan is to follow Chan's stunt team next year.

    Though Tiara first saw Chan in Snake In The Eagle's Shadow (1978), her favourite Jackie Chan movie is 2004's New Police Story.

    "I think it has a good storyline and I like how Jackie played Chan Kwok-Wing. He was deeply connected with his role."

    The duo, who spent about $1,000 in total to travel to Singapore, was disappointed when they did not manage to take a photo with him on Friday evening.

    Said Tiara: "We are really sad about it."


    Actress Amyra Dastur, Disha Patani, Jackie Chan, Stanley Tong and Mu Qimiya at the Kung Fu Yoga press conferencePHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES

    Another fan, Mr Sai Shetra, 19, however, was one of the lucky ones.

    The tertiary student, who was first in line, said he had queued since 9am and was hoping to take a selfie and get an autograph with Chan during the fan meet.

    And he did.

    "It was a legit miracle, because Jackie saw me, smiled, and asked one of the security officers there to take my disk, signed it and gave me a thumbs up," said the fan of 14 years.

    "I have been a fan of him since I was five years old and my first movie I've watched was Shanghai Knights but I enjoyed Rush Hour 3 the most."

    Shared Mr Sai, in terms of the comedy and chemistry, he felt that what both Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker shared on screen was really amazing.

    At a press conference held before his fan meet, Chan, 62, shared his harrowing experience about his brush with death while filming in London.

    "I had been feeling unwell, but the pain was so overwhelming that I was rushed to the hospital and had to go through a five hour operation.

    "It turns out that my skin and muscle has rotted and my intestines were out of alignment."

    During the operation, his assistants waited outside, crying.

    But there was no rest.

    "The doctor told me to stop filming immediately but I rested for a day, and then started working the next day," said Chan.

    "I also went to Iceland to film in cold water shortly after."

    When asked if he has given any advice to Heavenly King Andy Lau, who suffered a pelvic injury after being thrown off a horse while shooting a tea commercial on Tuesday, Chan said: "I knew about the incident and have since called him through his manager on Thursday to ask about his condition.

    "I think it is very hard to give any advice, he is also someone who would want to do everything himself if he can.

    "He is now back in Hong Kong for treatment, and if there is any new development, they will inform me."
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  7. #52
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    First forum review

    I saw Kung Fu Yoga last night with Gary, our copy editor.

    It’s silly. Lots of obvious wires, lots of fights with CGI animals (wth?) and the CGI is weak. Jackie delivers a lot of fight scenes but nothing new and it was only a few actions per cut. He does some kicks but they are all waist level. Even his carp kick ups looked wire assisted. He left most of the more acrobatic fight moves to Aarif, again a lot of wire work, and Aarif just can't sell a punch like Jackie.

    Note that as most of you know, I LUV Bollywood flicks. Not to spoil it for you, but what this needed was some more Bollywood dance numbers. The thing about that is if people are breaking out into Bollywood dance numbers, you accept it as all a farce and the silliness is more watchable. It was almost there, but it was like there were too many people trying to check off nods to Yoga and Kung Fu, to give China and India face, and to make sure all the ingredients were included in the formula. The dialog was painfully stilted (although most of it was English so that must be factored in). It's a lavish production, but it just won't fly in the U.S. market. It's hampered by too much Chinese/Indian film sensibilities, and a lot of mediocre CGI. That's alright though because no one in America even knows it's out, except for us. I did enjoy the Bollywood dance number, but it came way too late to salvage the film. Apparently it's doing okay in China. I'll be curious to see how it does in India.

    I thought Skiptrace was weak. I have it on good authority from a Jackie Chan fan that is even more of a fanboy than I am, that Railroad Tigers is weak too, but will refrain from judgement until I see it for myself. But I'm still loyal to Jackie. After all the times he's risked life and limb just to entertain us, I'll stick with him to the bitter end. Maybe the Foreigner will be good? Bleeding Steel?
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  8. #53
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    Now KFY is on top...

    China Box Office: ‘Yoga’ Wins Weekend; ‘Journey’ Heads New Year Holiday Period
    Patrick Frater
    Asia Bureau Chief


    COURTESY OF LIANRUI (SHANGHAI) PICTURES
    FEBRUARY 5, 2017 | 05:44PM PT

    The Jackie Chan comedy “Kung Fu Yoga” topped a bountiful box-office weekend in China that largely shrugged off back-to-work blues after the long Chinese New Year holiday – a festive period that saw Tsui Hark and Stephen Chow’s “Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back” emerge as the biggest winner.

    The holiday period officially ended last Thursday, and many businesses were supposed to reopen Friday. But, inevitably, many people took the weekend as additional vacation or travel days. Cinemas were the big beneficiaries, with daily attendance more than 50% higher than a typical non-holiday weekend.

    For the Friday-Sunday weekend, “Yoga” claimed $49.9 million from some 70,000 screenings per day. “Journey to the West” earned $34.5 million from only slightly fewer screenings, according to data from Ent Group. That included $3 million from 389 IMAX screens, bringing its IMAX total to $15.9 million. (The film also earned $1.2 million from 400 venues in Sony Pictures Releasing International’s seven overseas territories.)

    Han Han’s drama “Duckweed” climbed the rankings to No. 3 with a strong $29.9 million from some 45,000 screenings per day. The second India-themed comedy, “Buddies in India,” earned $12.9 million, narrowly ahead of franchise cartoon “Boonie Bears: Endangered World,” which grossed $12.4 million.

    Those five had all been released Jan. 28, the first official day of the holiday period. The quintet dominated theaters throughout the nine-day period, untroubled by a smattering of small new releases in the second week.

    After a fast start – it broke the record for the largest single day in Chinese box office history – “Journey” had accumulated $182 million from nine days. “Kung Fu Yoga,” in second place, had $146 million. “Buddies” reached $89 million, “Duckweed” $70.5 million and “Boonie Bears” $48 million.

    Although Chinese media hailed the holiday box office bonanza as a return to form for the Chinese theatrical business and for Chinese-language films, there are multiple reasons to question that analysis.

    First, while the six-day official holiday period (Jan. 28-Feb. 2) saw a 13% growth in ticket sales, according to government reports, the number of cinemas in operation has increased by some 30% since 2016. Per screen, ticket sales remain persistently down.

    Second, while January 2017 saw a 25% increase in theatrical business compared to January 2016, last year the Chinese New Year holiday period fell entirely within February. This year a steep comparative drop should be expected for February.

    Furthermore, China’s industry regulators have begun presenting box office data differently. From the first day of the lunar new year (Jan. 28), reported grosses were required to include online booking fees. These are typically between RMB3-5 ($0.44-0.72) per ticket. Given that more than 70% of movie tickets in China are now sold online, the inclusion of the booking fees instantly swelled the overall box office numbers by about RMB4 ($0.58) per ticket, or more than 10%.

    The idea behind the change is to ensure greater clarity of reporting; after all, these are the prices paid by the consumer. But the change means that making comparisons with past performances, whose numbers do not include the booking fees, much harder. And it is the gross revenues measured in the old way that are still to be used for calculating the revenue shares payable to overseas rights holders in the case of imported films.

    Another reason for caution is that the Chinese New Year period was all about local films. A crop of new releases, including Hollywood titles “xXx: The Return of Xander Cage” and the Oscar-fancied “La La Land” will soon grab screens from the incumbents and compete for Valentine’s Day audiences.

    So, while “Journey to the West” scored an opening-day record, its cumulative earnings are still currently outside the all-time top 10. The film stands little chance of getting near the RMB3.39 billion ($491 million) performance, excluding booking fees, of last year’s blockbuster hit “The Mermaid.”
    I saw Journey to the West 2 yesterday. I'll have a review up later.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  9. #54
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    Indian stereotypes

    Jackie Chan's 'Kung-Fu Yoga' Slammed by Indian Critics for Perpetuating Stereotypes
    11:56 PM PST 2/5/2017 by Nyay Bhushan


    Well Go USA Entertainment
    'Kung Fu Yoga'

    The much awaited India-China coproduction has received mostly negative reviews and reportedly a less-than-stellar opening at the box office.
    Jackie Chan's Kung-Fu Yoga may be kicking up some serious box-office numbers in China but in India the film has opened to underwhelming numbers and mostly negative to scathing reviews, particularly for the abundant use of stereotypes.

    India does not officially report box-office figures, but some local reports are indicating that the film has had a less- than-stellar opening when it bowed here Feb. 3. Local media quoted an industry website Box Office Collection reporting that on opening day, the film collected about $588,000 (40 million rupees) reflecting an occupancy rate of 25 to 30 percent, considered average at best. By contrast, the film opened strongly in China with its $38.5 million haul when it bowed Jan. 28 during the Chinese New Year weekend.

    Since it was announced as the first India-China co-production in 2014, just months after the two Asian giants signed a co-production treaty, there has been much anticipation around Kung-Fu Yoga in how it would marry the cinematic sensibilities of both countries. Moreover, expectations were further fueled as the project reunited director Stanley Tong (Rumble in the Bronx) with Chan.

    But Indian critics have been far from impressed with Kung-Fu Yoga, which has received some scathing reviews. “A mangled mess” is what the Hindustan Times newspaper called the film, adding that Tong, who also wrote the script, “is big on simplicity and stereotypes. This isn’t a nuanced take on either culture. It’s designed as a rollercoaster ride.”

    The sight of Chan dancing in a specially staged end-credits Bollywood dance sequence, choreographed by well-known choreographer Farah Khan, has also received a mixed response. Added the Times: “The film ends with the cast dancing vigorously...on the steps of an ancient temple. By which time, some of the reviewers in the show I saw, were laughing out loud. A sort of cinematic delirium had set in.”

    Lambasting the film as an “overdose of cultural stereotypes,” The Wire said in its review that “Tong and his crew, from the film, look like the kind of people who come to India, pay for a 'slum tour,' go back to their countries, patting themselves on the back, claiming to have understood an entire country. Or the kinds who failed cultural studies class in college.”

    Kung-Fu Yoga revolves around Chan as a Chinese archaeologist who teams up with an Indian professor, played by Bollywood actress Disha Patani, as the duo embark on an adventure to find a lost treasure. Spanning locales in China, Tibet, India and Dubai, the film features Bollywood actor Sonu Sood as the villain.

    The Indian Express slammed the film as “a big yawn,” adding that Kung-Fu Yoga was “a cheat title, because it has barely any yoga and a lot of jaded kung fu moves, and does nothing but put you to sleep.”

    The film's depiction of Indian exotica seems to be its biggest flaw, as Mid-Day pointed out in its review that snake charmers and the great Indian rope trick is what “you would imagine featuring in a film with the Brit James Bond, or the American Indiana Jones, back in the eighties/nineties. Except, this is a joint Indo-Chinese production.”

    The Mint lamented that “Kung Fu Yoga could have been a fun mash-up of Chinese martial arts and Indian acrobatics. But for that it would have needed a script, which seems to have been misplaced, and some decent performances.”
    This thought crossed my mind but I disregarded it thinking 'oh, it's a Sino-Indian co-op'. But now that I've thought about it, it's more like Stanley Tong trying to emulate a Bollywood film after only seeing a few. He really missed the boat on that, because it had elements to be a good Bollywood film but it fails. A Bollywood dance number finale does not make it Bollywood in that classic sense. Bollywood dance number should pepper the film like fight scenes season a Kung Fu film, leading up to a climactic finale. Imagine a Kung Fu film with only one fight at the end. Even if it was a decent scene, that wouldn't sustain interest for followers of the genre. But more to this point, the stereotypes in the market were a bit much, although I've seen the same in actual Bollywood films. And I've been to India. Although I've never seen the 'Indian rope trick', I did see snake charmers. I remember having some busker with a burlap sack ask me if I wanted to see his cobra - that was in a crowded marketplace and all I could think was 'what kind of idiot brings a deadly snake into a crowd like this?' I declined quickly.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  10. #55
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    This isn’t a nuanced take on either culture. It’s designed as a rollercoaster ride.”
    They've never seen a Jackie Chan movie before?

  11. #56
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    As happy as I am that Jackie is still alive and active in the film industry, I just can't get interested in seeing any of his newer stuff.

    The 2003 Zatoichi remake starring Beat Takeshi features an out-of-place song and dance number at the end that, in hindsight, was probably an attempt to mimic or spoof Bollywood movies(?).

  12. #57
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimbo View Post
    As happy as I am that Jackie is still alive and active in the film industry, I just can't get interested in seeing any of his newer stuff.
    Same.

    Though I'll probably watch this one because of the cars and hotties in the trailer.

  13. #58
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    Another thing - who was Jackie supposed to be?

    Jackie's character is 'Jack'. He often goes by roles that have his name. In one scene in KFY, he is referred to as 'Jackie.' But was this the same 'Jack' as in the Myth? Was it Asian Hawk aka Condor aka Jackie from Armor of God? Archaeologist adventurer - Indy clones. I gotta start a thread on Chinese Tomb Raiders films because that's totally trending now.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jimbo View Post
    As happy as I am that Jackie is still alive and active in the film industry, I just can't get interested in seeing any of his newer stuff.

    The 2003 Zatoichi remake starring Beat Takeshi features an out-of-place song and dance number at the end that, in hindsight, was probably an attempt to mimic or spoof Bollywood movies(?).
    I feel ya. But I'm still loyal. He's 62 now, 63 in less than two months, and his body is beaten and broken, but he's still at it. He's risked so much of his body for our entertainment, like no other performer in history, so like I said, I'm with him to the bitter end. And I love Bollywood, so I was really down with this idea. As for Beat's Zatoichi, I hated it. The dance sequence at the end, which was more weird Japanese film than Bollywood to me, was the only part that woke me up.

    FEB 6, 2017 @ 01:50 AM
    Why Indian-Chinese Venture 'Kung Fu Yoga' Failed To Impress Bollywood\
    Suparna Dutt D'Cunha , CONTRIBUTOR
    I cover startups & enterprises in India and the UAE.
    Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.


    Jackie Chan and Bollywood actor Sonu Sood at a promotional event for Kung Fu Yoga in Mumbai. (Photo courtesy Getty)

    It cost millions of dollars and took two years to make. Its aim was to meld two great civilizations (read markets) — China and India. In spite of a joint venture between the two Asian movie giants, Kung Fu Yoga, failed to impress Indian moviegoers and critics. By common consent, its story is a mangled mess. However, the movie apparently worked for Chinese audiences, as it was released during the Chinese New Year weekend.

    With a production cost of $65 million, the film, which earned over $145 million worldwide, is only doing average in India, given Chan’s popularity in the country. Released in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages across India on February 3 — a week after its release in China, Singapore and Malaysia, Kung Fu Yoga made a paltry 40 million rupees ($595,000) on the first day of its release.

    In one of the multiplexes in Mumbai, there were only 14 viewers for the first show. It is expected to do better in the southern states of India than the rest of the country, according to a report by box office collection. However, its overall collection in India is not likely to be anywhere close to Raees and Kaabil.

    On the face of it, it’s odd because this archaeological adventure has all the hit elements that would impress the audience. The film was shot in Tibet, Dubai, Iceland and India, and with a line-up like martial arts legend Jackie Chan and Indian actors Sonu Sood, Disha Patani and Amyra Dastur, it's a surprise that it failed to strike a chord with the Indian audience.

    One reason for the poor reception was perhaps the lack of a decent script. The filmmaker, Chan’s frequent collaborator Stanley Tong, seems to have taken Kung Fu Yoga’s plot from the formulaic recycle bin.
 While Livemint describes the film as an “ill-advised mash-up”, Firstpost says Kung Fu Yoga is a “dated tosh”.

    Chan, an archaeologist, teams up with Indian professor Ashmita (Disha Patani) and her assistant Kyra (Amyra Dastur) to locate India’s lost treasure in Tibet. Sood, who starred in Bollywood blockbusters Jodhaa Akbar and Dabangg, plays the villain — a descendant of the original owners of the treasure. 
“From fire-eaters and exotic magicians who perform rope tricks, to multiple cameos by snakes and modern-day princesses, the film shamelessly panders to all manner of stereotypes,” writes film critic Rajeev Masand in news18.com.

    Over a decade ago, in 2005, Tong made a similar kind of film, with Chan and Indian actress Mallika Sherawat, called The Myth, which bombed at the box office. Audience preferences have clearly changed since then.


    Jackie Chan, Sonu Sood and Bollywood actress Amrya Dastur. (Photo courtesy Getty )

    Interestingly, Kung Fu Yoga is one of three Chinese-Indian projects commissioned during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to India in 2015. 
The other two projects are a biographical feature of Xuan Zang, based on the seventh-century monk’s pilgrimage to India, and Buddies in India, which is comedian Wang Baoqiang’s directorial debut. Xuan Zang is China’s official pick for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards although it wasn't nominated.

    Though no match for the success of Hollywood, Bollywood films have gained popularity in China in recent years. They are released in Chinese cinemas and shown on the movie channel of state broadcaster China Central Television. In the past few years, India and China have been collaborating more to produce films. There are joint productions, festivals and exchange programs for artists and students to encourage appreciation of popular culture. Co-production films help Indian film gain access to China by circumventing a quota system for import films and benefit Chinese films as well.

    “India and China should make many films together. Indian actors are working in Chinese films and vice versa, and both countries are gaining from this exchange. The two countries might share a different relationship politically, but cinema is bringing them together. More Chinese filmmakers now want to come to India and make films here,” Sood, who also stars in Xuan Zang, said in an interview with Times of India.

    Maybe the makers of Kung Fu Yoga reckoned that the digital-native audience, who get profuse and intense audiovisual experience outside the multiplex, desire and expect nothing more than mindless spectacle. Certainly, thinking like this seems pretty pervasive in film industries of both China and India. But that needs to change.

    As more Indian-Chinese co-production films are released in the coming years, filmmakers need to keep in mind that an ideal crossover film has to surpass a spectacle and connect emotionally. If that happens, it will stand a better chance of holding onto an audience. There’s no obvious reason why good action and a good story shouldn’t go together.
    But in the end, Jackie makes bank on this without U.S. or India.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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    Gene, I have nothing but respect for JC, and also respect your loyalty. I got so badly turned off by New Police Story, 1911, and others, that it's really hard for me to watch his new stuff.

    As for the Zatoichi remake, I also hated it. I couldn't understand why so many people loved it. They probably hadn't seen any of the original series. Shintaro Katsu WAS Zatoichi. Period. End of story. Beat Takeshi might be a good actor in his own right, but his bleach-blond rendition of Zatoichi lacked the charisma, likability, believability and natural humor that Katsu brought to the role. In short, Takeshi wasn't even fit to carry Katsu's sandals as the Zatoichi character.

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    KFY = $177.9 M < JttW:DSB = $202 M

    Jackie Chan’s ‘Kung Fu Yoga’ Dominates Foreign Box Office
    Brent Lang
    Senior Film and Media Editor
    @BrentALang


    COURTESY OF TAIHE ENTERTAINMENT, SHINEWORK PICTURES
    FEBRUARY 5, 2017 | 01:38PM PT

    “Kung Fu Yoga” dominated the foreign box office, racking up a hefty $51.4 million. The action-comedy with Jackie Chan represents the union of two of the largest film markets — China and India. It was backed by companies in both countries and has resonated with audiences in both places, grossing $177.9 million globally. The film centers on an archaeology professor who goes off in search of a lost treasure in Tibet.

    Another Chinese smash, “Journey to the West: Demons Strike Back,” continued its hot run at the multiplexes, earning $35.3 million to capture second place on the foreign box office chart. The film is a follow-up to the 2013 smash “Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons,” which was one of the highest-grossing Chinese releases in history, earning $215 million. The sequel should top that figure, having made $202 million in roughly two weeks of release.

    China dominated the overseas charts, as “Duckweed,” a drama about a father reuniting with his estranged son, earned $29.5 million to nab third place. That brought its gross to $90 million.

    China has been seen as the key contributor to the movie business’ growth in recent years, but fears were ignited in 2016 after ticket sales in the country began to slow. Last year, grosses in the Middle Kingdom hit their lowest levels in eight years. There’s signs of a rebound, however. In January, the box office was up 25 percent and February is kicking off on a high note with “Kung Fu Yoga” and the “Journey to the West” sequel shaping up to be blockbusters.

    Lionsgate’s “La La Land” sang and danced its way to fourth place on the foreign chart, picking up $20.1 million. The musical is a leading Oscar contender, and the reviews and awards attention have enabled it to translate to foreign audiences. So far, “La La Land” has made $268.3 million globally.

    Sony’s “Resident Evil: The Final Chapter” rounded out the top five, picking up $16.5 million. The latest installment in the long-running action franchise has grossed $117.4 million globally.
    Last weekend, I saw both KFY & JttWSB and have reviewed them for your convenience. I'd see JttWSB again. As for KFY, Jackie is laughing all the way to the bank on that one.
    Gene Ching
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