Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

Randomly chanced to see this on the television while waiting so I could go on my morning run (not so morning now though...)

Typical Kung Fu fare, methinks. When I first watched "Iron Monkey," I was super impressed (in a way I wasn't with "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"), but my parents have seen it all their lives (they're from Taiwan), so they said it's just a typical Kung Fu movie lol...

I would say "Kung Fu Hustle" is a bit reminiscent of "Shaolin Soccer" except with a 40's noir/gangster film overtone.

Like "Shaolin Soccer", it's got some comedic moments (it's meant to be a comedy + Kung Fu).

There's a scene where they emulate Spiderman (the version I saw was dubbed) "With great power comes great responsibility" but it was with an Asian accent/mis-speak.

Like--"he is off his rocking chair" lol

I enjoyed it, though. Fun flicks with action peppered in (any Bruce Willis action flick and some Arnold Schwarzzenegger [although he tries a bit too hard] flick that's supposed to be comedic) are really the best. You don't have to be too invested, and it doesn't require too much deep thinking, so you can just enjoy it for the fluff and mediocrity that it is. And when you do (go in w/this mindset), you find that it's a quite enjoyable story.

[meanwhile, random Baby Bullet ads peppered in make me want one!! And the real thing, too...]

- - - - -

I'll make this more complete soon...

Red (2010)

RED (2010) starring Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, and John Malkovich--also co-starring Julian McMahon and Brian Cox (and Richard Dreyfuss!) stands for "Retired, Extremely Deadly" and is a pretty funny movie.

John Malkovich's paranoid character reminds me SO MUCH of Walter Bishop of "Fringe" (on Fox, Friday nights--if you haven't started watching, GET THEE TO HULU or FOX.COM and WATCH IT!!).

Oh yeah, Mary-Louise Parker is also in it. Although I was slightly disappointed by her performance. She is so much Nancy Botwin from "Weeds"--which works for the show, but kinda annoying for the movie.

She's what we would call the "Kate" character of the movie--she gets the "Kate" (Austen, of "Lost") treatment--pretty, but useless in the sense of sympathy, empathy and point. (I personally liked Kate, but many other viewers of "Lost" found her annoying and pointless) <<>

RED is entertaining, action-packed, but long. There are moments where it is slightly slow.

With that said, the plot twists were believable, and the most important part was that every scene mattered. (i.e. when introducing a new plot element, or a particular scene, it is relevant, and you WILL remember it when they bring back reference to it)

This brings me to "Amadeus," which I had to watch for a Music Appreciation class, and I never actually completed the movie (I've started it a few times and seen middle sections). I'll review that later.

If you like old people kicking ass, and the youth who disrespect the elderly getting theirs, RED is for you.

The lines are pretty witty, and the characters all have their moments (except for Nancy Botwin--I mean, Sarah).

The premise of the story can be gotten from the trailer, found here.

The general gist of the story is that Bruce Willis, who plays Frank (Francis) Moses, a retired CIA Senior Analyst (as the story goes), who is suddenly under fire--someone wants to kill him. He goes to some old friends, does some digging, is courting/kidnaps Mary-Louise Parker (all this happens within the first 10-15 min., I promise!!), and the movie ensues.

Karl Urban is great as the upstanding, well-meaning, straight-laced, by-the-book young CIA man. (I forgot to mention he was in the film)

From the top of my head, I can grab that he is Eomer in "Lord of the Rings," the doctor in "Star Trek," and the main villain along w/Thandie Newton in "Chronicles of Riddick."

Overall, I'd give this movie a B. I know it seems I give middling grades--that's somewhat where all movies stand.

Oh yeah--it did what it was supposed to do. (o;

Enjoy!