Plot: What’s it about?
For six decades, an ancient scroll has been protected by an unknown monk, a man who has powers like few others. He has enhanced speed, strength, and senses, not to mention a mastery over the basic laws of physics. This enables him to keep the scroll safe from even the most skilled enemies. Which is good news, since the ancient scroll has some powers of its own, powers it could grant to whomever has possession. If the scroll should fall into the hands of someone with evil intentions, it could mean doom for the world. The scroll offers the key to endless power, the kind of power someone could use to take control of the world and perhaps even cause its demise, if the scroll were abused. But this monk has kept it safe all these years and now, he must find a suitable replacement. As he travels through San Francisco, the monk almost finds himself captured, but a street punk named Kar (Seann William Scott) saves him at the last second. The two soon strike up a friendship and the monk reveals a little about his magical past. At the same time, an evil kung fu master named Strucker (Karel Roden) is seeking out the scroll and in truth, he is perhaps the most dangerous threat to the artifact to date. Can the monk and his new friend manage to keep it safe, or will the end of the monk’s tenure signal the end of the scroll’s safety?
I love fantasy cinema, all the magic and chaos can provide some true entertainment, if the material is handled well. If you want to see how not to handle a comic book style fantasy film, then look no further than Bulletproof Monk. Yes, it has moments of wonder and fun, but not enough to balance out the poor elements to be seen. The lead role is given to Chow Yun Fat, a master action star with talent burn, but the producers make the mistake of teaming him up with bozo teen stars Seann William Scott and Jamie King. I know the movies tend to kneel before the teens these days, but come on, this is supposed to be an action movie. And sorry, but both Scott and King come off as weak and ineffective in the action sequences. Scott needs to stick to airhead jocks and King needs to look into low rent horror, where all she needs to do is remove her clothes to succeed. The action is low end here too and not just because of the perky teen idols present, but because of the poor wirework and special effects. A little wirework can go a long way, but it is overdone here and really detracts from the experience. The terrible computer visuals and other special effects don’t help either, so there’s not much to praise here. I’d recommend just about any other martial arts fantasy film over this one, but if you have to see it, just give it a rental.
In Asia, he is one of the biggest stars of cinema, but here in the United States, Chow Yun Fat is just another action star. At least that is how American filmmakers have treated him, since he has been cast in films that don’t make good use of his skills. In his Asian films, he was able to elevate even the lowest end productions. His mastery of action was obvious and well known, but his range as an actor didn’t begin & end in that genre. No, he was gifted in all areas of cinema, from the most dramatic roles to the silliest of comic characters. This is because he is a great actor of course, but also because he has screen presence and charisma to burn. His infectious passion often made those bad movies a little better, which is a testament to his presence. But in his American films, you can tell he is either bored or displeased, as he isn’t the same performer. Its isn’t age either, as he was excellent in the recent Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Maybe someday, some American filmmakers will present him with a movie that deserves his immense talents.
Video: How does it look?
Bulletproof Monk is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. The film’s dark and drab visual scheme doesn’t allow much room for spark here, but this presentation is about as good as the material can look. The print is clean from debris and marks, but grain is present in most scenes, though usually only to a minor level. The contrast is stark and consistent, which is good news, as this movie has a lot of darker tones. I would have liked more color in the visuals, but the movie relies more on greys and blacks, so the hues aren’t that vivid. Even so, this looks much like it did in theaters and of course, that is what matters. Not quite up to the level we expect from new releases, but still a more than solid presentation.
Audio: How does it sound?
I had high hopes for the audio here, but the included Dolby Digital 5.1 option simply doesn’t supply the needed firepower. This is an over the top action movie after all, so I wanted an over the top soundtrack. In other words, I wanted a loud and in your face audio experience, but that isn’t what I found here. There is some spark at times, but even the most action packed scenes, the audio is less than impressive. You’ll hear more presence than a comic film would provide, but this is an action movie, so I had higher expectations. This is by no means a bad soundtrack, it simply doesn’t have the kind of punch the material seems to need. The dialogue is crisp and well handled though, while the musical soundtrack provides some solid presence. This disc also includes Spanish and French language tracks, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, and Cantonese, which is a lot of subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
A pair of audio commentary tracks is up first, one with director Paul Hunter and producers Douglas Segal and Charles Roven, the other with writers Cyrus Voris and Ethan Reiff. These are your basic studio sessions, as the participants pat each other on the back, overstate their talents, and comment on their masterpiece. I laughed often in these tracks, as it is hard to believe none of these people know how bad this film is. A slew of lame, promotional featurettes can be also be found here, if you can stomach all the hype and nonsense. This disc also includes some deleted scenes, as well as the film’s theatrical trailer.
