Escape to the Movies: Man of Tai Chi

[AdagioBoognish]

Keanu Reeves saying "Finish him!" in Mortal Kombat style? Okay.....

That's actually what sold the movie for me.

 

[Salad Is Murder]

Seriously, Movie Bob
try READING the bible before claiming you know what's in it 'cause over half that BULLSHIT you talked about being there...

isn't

uh, which version? Thing is there are a LOT of different versions of the Bible and the Nephilim aren't in SOME of them, but are in others. Those elements of the Bible tended to be edited out for PR reasons due to how weird they were.

~SNIP~

And on top of that, some of the apocryphal texts are canon in different sects of the same base religion.

 

[K.ur]

Saw it, it is an surprisingly calm movie for one with martial art as focus.

 

[chozo_hybrid]

I've always liked Mr Reeves, so I'll give this a shot. I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan, but he's never been so bad as to piss me off, so he's good in my book

 

[Rabidkitten]

Reeves is a pretty interesting guy for sure and has an almost amazing talent for picking movies that have good scripts. Its almost safe to say that if he's in a movie there is a damn good chance there is a reason to see it for some not obvious on the surface reason.

 

[gphjr14]

Saw this movie a few month ago and as Bob stated if you're a fan of martial arts films this one is worth a watch.
Iko Uwai was shown in this review and he's the main character in The Raid Redemption which is also good.

 

[Mumorpuger]

NOAH!

What?

I WANT YOU TO BUILD....AN ARK!

Riiiiight. What's an ark?

I didn't want this to go unnoticed. You win my allotment of internet points today.

What's a cubit?

voo-bah
voo-bah
voo-bah...

 

[Metalrocks]

lol, moved last week back to hong kong. im sure this movie will be shown here. might be worth watching.

 

[JCAll]

Seriously, Movie Bob
try READING the bible before claiming you know what's in it 'cause over half that BULLSHIT you talked about being there...

isn't

uh, which version? Thing is there are a LOT of different versions of the Bible and the Nephilim aren't in SOME of them, but are in others. Those elements of the Bible tended to be edited out for PR reasons due to how weird they were.

Anyway, it doesn't surprise me that Reeves took a more Hong Kong bent. His most action-oriented role in Neo took cues from Asian cinema rather than Western sensibilities. Definitely not bad for a debut.

As for Jonze and Ellison, the latter would be amusing, but I have a feeling he's gonna take one look at stuff like Suda 51's catalog and realize that abstraction and weirdness is nothing new to the medium. As for Ellison, she's a producer so I don't really know what sort of games she'd latch onto.

Suda51 has been open for team-ups recently. Maybe they should give him a call.
Lollipop Chainsaw turned out pretty good.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Did he actually say "Finish Him!" Mortal Kombat syle? Oh shit that's cheezy. I might have to check out this movie.

 

[Rawbeard]

Why did I have to skip over some bible bullshit? Just put that shit at the end, so we can easily avoid it.

 

[sleeky01]

Seriously, Movie Bob
try READING the bible before claiming you know what's in it 'cause over half that BULLSHIT you talked about being there...

isn't

Why did I have to skip over some bible bullshit? Just put that shit at the end, so we can easily avoid it.

Oh fantastic. The entertainment from this upcoming movie is beginning early.

 

[drthmik]

Seriously, Movie Bob
try READING the bible before claiming you know what's in it 'cause over half that BULLSHIT you talked about being there...

isn't

Genesis 6:4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days?and also afterward?when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

Numbers 13:33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.?

You might want to go and actually read the entire Bible from front to back before accusing other people of being ignorant of your own religion. And that's without even so much as dipping my toes in the truly weird waters of the Apocrypha.

MEN of Renown
WE seemed like grasshoppers in OUR OWN eyes, and we looked the same to them.?
So the Nephilem have multiple arms or something because WE look like Grasshoppers to THEM? the MEN of renown?
and don't try any of that "Read the Bible" on me
I have
more than once
In Hebrew as well as English
and there is nothing in the bible that allows "Sons of God" to mean Angels as it would contradict the Teachings of Both Jesus and Moses on the nature of Angels
rather "sons of God" refers to the descendents of Seth (those who feared and worshiped God) and Daughters of Man refers to the descendents of unbelievers (Cainite) and while the progeny of these people were "Mighty Men" it never claims that they were in any way MORE than Men

 

[Grabehn]

I googled the names and still don't see why I should get excited about that, can someone explain it a bit better for me?

 

[Paradoxrifts]

Seriously, Movie Bob
try READING the bible before claiming you know what's in it 'cause over half that BULLSHIT you talked about being there...

isn't

Genesis 6:4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days?and also afterward?when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

Numbers 13:33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.?

You might want to go and actually read the entire Bible from front to back before accusing other people of being ignorant of your own religion. And that's without even so much as dipping my toes in the truly weird waters of the Apocrypha.

MEN of Renown
WE seemed like grasshoppers in OUR OWN eyes, and we looked the same to them.?
So the Nephilem have multiple arms or something because WE look like Grasshoppers to THEM? the MEN of renown?
and don't try any of that "Read the Bible" on me
I have
more than once
In Hebrew as well as English
and there is nothing in the bible that allows "Sons of God" to mean Angels as it would contradict the Teachings of Both Jesus and Moses on the nature of Angels
rather "sons of God" refers to the descendents of Seth (those who feared and worshiped God) and Daughters of Man refers to the descendents of unbelievers (Cainite) and while the progeny of these people were "Mighty Men" it never claims that they were in any way MORE than Men

A view that depends entirely on whose translation of the Bible you happen to be reading, whether or not you're a biblical literalist, and whether or not they're willing to believe in a race of half-angelic giants once existed without the slightest shred of physical evidence. But Movie Bob is still largely correct. A majority of ancient Christian sects did interpret the references to Nephilim in the Bible to refer to a race of half-angelic giants. And that is by no means the craziest thing that their written records would suggest that they believed in at the time.

Not too sure on what he was referring to when he mentioned the dude with lots of arms though.

 

[Kargathia]

Reeves is a pretty interesting guy for sure and has an almost amazing talent for picking movies that have good scripts. Its almost safe to say that if he's in a movie there is a damn good chance there is a reason to see it for some not obvious on the surface reason.

I watched it a second time because I had the impression a couple things passed by the first time around, and yes, the script is surprisingly sophisticated.
There's a couple of themes and motifs floating about, not all of which are directly obvious - the more so because it's inspired heavily by both western and asian culture, and the resulting clash of when those philosophies collide.
I also harbor the sneaking suspicion that its antagonist features more than a slight sprinkling of the supernatural - borrowing mostly from Chinese mythology.

Besides that: mad props to its choreography - it's both excellent martial arts on display, and great story-telling.

 

[grumpymooselion]

I was sold at "Finish Him" . . . seriously, the Mortal Kombat music just erupted from some dormant memory cage in my brain the second I heard that. No way am I not going to see this.