Kate (2021)

[Drunk Monk]

--tg

Yeah, about Kate...

‘Hard pass’: Netflix’s ‘Kate’ criticized for having a white protagonist who’s out to ‘kill Asians’
Carl Samson
August 10, 2021


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[b]A number of social media users are saying no to a new action-adventure film from Netflix after learning that its white protagonist is headed for an Asian murder spree.[/b]
[b]What’s it about:[/b] “Kate,” which releases on Sept. 10, centers on a “ruthless criminal operative” who was poisoned and left with less than 24 hours to exact revenge on her enemies. In the process, she forms an “unexpected bond” with the daughter of one of her past victims.

• Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who received praises for her performance as Huntress in the film “Birds of Prey,” will play the lead role. As per [url=https://www.indiewire.com/2021/08/kate-trailer-mary-elizabeth-winstead-netflix-1234655673/]Indie Wire, Netflix’s official synopsis states that Kate “uncharacteristically blows an assignment targeting a member of the yakuza in Tokyo,” which leads her to being poisoned.
  
  
• The film also stars Woody Harrelson as Kate’s handler. Other cast members include Miku Martineau, Tadanobu Asano, Michiel Huisman and Jun Kunimura.
  
  
• The action-adventure is helmed by French film director and visual effects artist Cedric Nicolas-Troyan. It is written by Umair Aleem and produced by Bryan Unkeless, Kelly McCormick and Patrick Newall, according to Entertainment Weekly.
  

[b]What critics are saying: [/b]“Kate” has received more positive comments as of this writing, with many thrilled to see the involvement of Japanese rock band BAND-MAID and Winstead’s return in an action role. However, some laid out reasons why the film is problematic, and they’re all based on the idea that the lead character — a white person — is killing Asians.

• One Twitter user accused the film of Asian fetishization: “Shame on Netflix for this. After this past year especially, to then release a film that is literally white people murdering Asian people based on stereotypes and fetishization??? Hard pass.”
  
  
• Another called out the presence of white lead characters in Asian settings: “Love Winstead. But stop putting white leads around Asian culture in an Asian city while every antagonist is Asian. And what’s Hollywood’s obsession with the Yakuza, like, damn.”
  
  
• Meanwhile, one simply wrote: “#StopAsianHate. That’s it. That’s the tweet.”
  

I would've enjoyed this more had I not read the review above. The review is spot on and that's one of those niggling issues about our woke era. Had the protag Kate been Asian, this would've been fine. But it comes off like Year of the Dragon, with a white lead laying waste to Asian gangs - just not what I need to see right now.

Sadly, Winstead is good in the role as a raised from childhood assassiness. She carries merciless action well. David Leitch is attached to this, so the ultravi is sanguineous and fresh. 

Asano is a saving grace. He carries his role with his usual panache. It's got style, some interesting camera work in the beginning. And the Band Maid driven soundtrack is unique. 

Woody is Woody. The 'twist' is predictable from scene one. Kate is betrayed, poisoned with a radioactive material that will kill her in a day, so she walks the road of vengeance. There's a kid, and you already know what her deal is, and that almost makes it into a buddy film in the middle, but the kid's character is too unbelievable and the ending is rather cliché. 

This is a total fast forward to the fight scene flick. 

There is a sword fight. It's rather good. 

I'm on the fence about the D00M rec - if you can unsee the Asian fetishism and stereotypes, the action is decent. That's impossible for me, but maybe not for some of you. I'll be interested in your take on it should you watch it.