Manhunt

[Drunk Monk]

Remember John Woo?  How could you forget?  Manhunt is his latest and proof that he hasn't progressed a single frame from what he was doing in his heyday, only now it feels really dated because he's been so often imitated.  This is almost an homage, or self parody, of Woo's former style.  There are all of his signature trappings: gratuitous slo-mo with billowy capes, balletic gunplay with two-fisted pistol action while sliding across the floor, sappy melodramatic musical interludes, homo-erotic undertones, and white doves - so many white doves - they hit you like bird poop in the eye - there's a great drinking game in taking a shot every time a white dove appears (the first white dove scene would put the best of us under the table).  That being said, this isn't un-entertaining.  It's just a bit of a throw-back, a postcard from films gone back, back when ultravi was just innocent sanguinosity.  It's a classic plotline - hotshot lawyer wakes up next to a dead hottie and the 'manhunt' ensues.  I will give massive props to the opening scene, which was quite the grabber and did catch me off guard - perhaps the only original concept in the film.  But I wouldn't really recommend this unless you are a die hard Woo fan.  He's doing what was tried and true for him, but he really needs to move on.  Netflixable.

[Drunk Monk]

Almost forgot to mention that large portions of this is done n English - horrid English - so bad you have to read the subtitles. It’s some dumb ploy to be more global and it fails miserably because none of the actors can manage the proper emphasis. Only one of female assassins speaks gooder engrish.

But there is a sword fight. For no particular reason at all. And we’re grateful of that.

[cranefly]

I'd seen other reviews that warned me off this.  Still, from your little teaser, I might queue it up and at least watch the opening.

Then I'll move on to an early Sylvia Kristel flick (something I won in a contest at the 366weirdmovies.com site).

[Drunk Monk]

What can I say?  I'm forever loyal to HK filmmakers and Woo was once a king, especially when it came to HK gangster flicks.  He needs to make something with Chow Yun Fat again.  Both of them have lost each other, consequently losing each other as muses.  

Manhunt is way too long.  Some judicious editing would have made this so much tighter.  Lately PRC flicks have been going the way of Bollywood, averaging 2.5 hours, and that's too long without a dance number.

[cranefly]

What can I say?  I'm forever loyal to HK filmmakers and Woo was once a king, especially when it came to HK gangster flicks.  He needs to make something with Chow Yun Fat again.  Both of them have lost each other, consequently losing each other as muses.  

I'm currently reading The Dragon Behind the Glass, about the Asian Arowana "dragon fish" -- the world's most expensive aquarium fish.  The author is this young blonde who got virtually unrestricted access to the kingpins and their operations throughout Asia likely by her own exotic looks.

Anyway, she just toured this huge showroom of Arowana, each in its own aquarium.  Arowana come in three main types: red, yellow, and green.  There's only one green one in this showroom, labeled as having once belonged to Chow Yun Fat.

FYI.

[Drunk Monk]

Cool.

Oh so random, but still cool.