Month: October 2020

Today’s quick review: 14 Blades. As the leader of the Jinyiwei, the Ming Emperor’s secret guards, Qinglong (Donnie Yen) carries out the Emperor’s will outside the law. While on a mission, Qingling is ambushed, his men are killed, and the Imperial Seal is stolen by Tuo Tuo (Kate Tsui), the daughter of the treasonous Prince Qing (Sammo Hung). To get the seal back, Qinglong must rely on the help of Qiao Hua (Wei Zhao), the duaghter of a humble bodyguard.

14 Blades is a martial arts action movie about an elite warrior who must atone for his failure by preventing a coup. Inventive action, a touch of fantasy, and a sprawling plot are the movie’s main draws. However, 14 Blades does not quite manage to follow through on its promises. The fights are more flashy than satisfying, and the plot lacks focus. The result is a modestly entertaining watch that doesn’t stand out from the crowd.

14 Blades’ greatest successes and greatest failures have to do with its action. The fights involve swords, crossbows, and a variety of weaponry. Wire stunts and a dash of CGI help them feel larger-than-life. But the busy visual style of the action makes it hard to invest in. 14 Blades throws out camera tricks and special effects blithely. As such, the action has a fair amount of spectacle but lacks artistry and precision.

As for its story, 14 Blades is a shade more complex than is truly necessary. The conspiracy against the Emperor is a sprawling affair, involving a stolen seal, a corrupt councilor (Law Kar-Ying), a traitorous general (Qi Yu Wu), a desert bandit (Chun Wu), and a fortune in gold. The individual elements are all fine, but the story does not have the dramatic chops to make them all worthwhile. The plot ends up being decent but overblown.

14 Blades is a reasonable pick if you’re in the mood for some action but don’t need to be impressed. It offers enough in the way of fighting to please fans of the genre, while its plot handles the basics well in spite of its frills. But those looking for sharper action, better thrills, or a more focused story would be better off looking elsewhere.

For a martial arts action movie that makes better use of wire stunts, try Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or Hero. For an action movie set in historical Asia with even more explicit fantasy, try 47 Ronin or The Great Wall.

6.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for mixed execution of both its action and plot.

Today’s quick review: Kickboxer: Retaliation. Eighteen months after defeating Tong Po and avenging his brother, kickboxer Kurt Sloane (Alain Moussi) is kidnapped and taken to a Thai prison, where fight promoter Thomas Moore (Christopher Lambert) forces him to fight his champion (Hafthor Bjornsson). Kurt must train with his old master Durand (Jean-Claude Van Damme) and fellow prisoner Briggs (Mike Tyson) to stand any chance against the behemoth.

Kickboxer: Retaliation is a martial arts action movie and the sequel to Kickboxer: Vengeance. The sequel picks up months after the first film left off as Kurt is hauled back to Thailand and forced to fight by a bloodthirsty promoter. Decent stunt work and a couple of familiar faces make Retaliation a credible attempt at an action flick. But poor storytelling, shaky direction, and mediocre fights overall keep the film from gaining any traction.

Kickboxer: Retaliation puts the bulk of its effort into its action scenes but only gets mixed results. The stunts themselves are fine: big hits dished out by trained fighters and embellished for the screen. But the fights don’t carry much tension. Kurt either decimates his opponents or gets flattened in return, and the injuries he receives don’t carry much weight. Overly busy camerawork also distracts from the otherwise adequate stunts.

Nor does Kickboxer: Retaliation have much in the way of story. At its core, the movie is the plain but workable tale of a reluctant warrior forced to fight for his life against a superior opponent. But the plot doesn’t flow nearly as well as it should. What should be a simple progression from start to finish is bent out of shape by spurious plot elements, a needlessly large supporting cast, and scenes whose logic is unclear.

The film’s biggest draw ends up being its supporting cast. Jean-Claude Van Damme, Mike Tyson, and Christopher Lambert lend Retaliation a certain type of star power. While none of their performances are exactly compelling, they do give the movie a touch of goofy charm. But Retaliation never figures out how to capitalize on these lighter moments. The tone remains fundamentally serious, but the film lacks the craftsmanship to make its drama stick.

Watch Kickboxer: Retaliation only if you’re a fan of the budget side of the action genre. Retaliation holds modest entertainment value for the right viewer, but its many shortcomings when it comes to story, character, and even action mean that most viewers would be better off skipping it. For a somewhat better take on the same character, try the original Van Damme version of Kickboxer. For an underdog story with more heart, try Rocky.

5.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 5.5 for decent action held back by a weak story and poor execution overall.