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I don't know about other people, but in a good kung fu movie, the main character has to have a burning passion to kick ass. They have to be wronged deeply or have something very important at stake. I just saw two movies that I think exemplify this spirit.
Fighter is about a Muslim girl in Denmark trying to make it as a kung fu fighter. They managed to capture the cultural tension very well, and gave her a really good reason to go out and kick ass. I don't want to spoil too much of the movie, but I have some issues with the fighting. At some points it's rather realistic, at other points its not. Crazy high jumps and flips in the air in a dream sequence are all well and good, but during a tournament fight? Also the setup of the final tournament was a bit odd. In spite of it's flaws, it was a good movie to watch. Maybe it's just me, but the actress really seemed like she knew what she was doing physically. I wouldn't be surprised if she has taken some form of martial art before.
Chocolate, directed by Prachya Pinkaew of Ong Bak fame is about an autistic girl who learns to fight by observation. She lives next to a martial arts studio and obsessively watches and rewatches a copy of Ong Bak. (I liked that little self palgarizing touch.) She then starts going after people who owe her mother, who is dying of cancer, money. As in Ong Bak, the main character does all of her own stunts, which is pretty damn amazing. The locations for the fights are interesting. I won't spoil the ending, but it's definitely not Hollywood. There isn't much of a plot, but a movie like this isn't really about that, it's about the action, which is plentiful, and very fun to watch.
Edit: WIERD COINCIDENCE!!
Independant Lens is on and there's a documentary called Shadya about a female professional martial artist who is Muslim and it's tearing her family apart. Her Dad is so cool.
Life is so strange!
Fighter is about a Muslim girl in Denmark trying to make it as a kung fu fighter. They managed to capture the cultural tension very well, and gave her a really good reason to go out and kick ass. I don't want to spoil too much of the movie, but I have some issues with the fighting. At some points it's rather realistic, at other points its not. Crazy high jumps and flips in the air in a dream sequence are all well and good, but during a tournament fight? Also the setup of the final tournament was a bit odd. In spite of it's flaws, it was a good movie to watch. Maybe it's just me, but the actress really seemed like she knew what she was doing physically. I wouldn't be surprised if she has taken some form of martial art before.
Chocolate, directed by Prachya Pinkaew of Ong Bak fame is about an autistic girl who learns to fight by observation. She lives next to a martial arts studio and obsessively watches and rewatches a copy of Ong Bak. (I liked that little self palgarizing touch.) She then starts going after people who owe her mother, who is dying of cancer, money. As in Ong Bak, the main character does all of her own stunts, which is pretty damn amazing. The locations for the fights are interesting. I won't spoil the ending, but it's definitely not Hollywood. There isn't much of a plot, but a movie like this isn't really about that, it's about the action, which is plentiful, and very fun to watch.
Edit: WIERD COINCIDENCE!!
Independant Lens is on and there's a documentary called Shadya about a female professional martial artist who is Muslim and it's tearing her family apart. Her Dad is so cool.
Life is so strange!