Shaolin ( 2011 )
There have been a lot of films about the destruction of the Shaolin Temple, which have always taken place during the Qing Dynasty in either the 1600s or 1700s by Qing forces after learning the temple was teaching Kung Fu to rebels. ( this legendary destruction of the temple can not be verified by historic record, and folk legend can not agree on the exact decade the supposed destruction took place. But many martial arts schools trace their histories back to the Five Elders of Shaolin, the five monks who were said to be the only survivors of the destruction of the temple, which forced them to flee into the surrounding country where they eventually spread their Kung Fu, their students eventually opening their own martial arts schools, which produced martial arts masters who opened their own schools, which produced martial arts masters who opened their own schools, and so on down to the recent martial arts masters. ) What makes this film different is that the destruction of the temple takes place during the early years of the Republic of China, in the early 1900s. In the David Carradine series Kung Fu, the destruction of the temple takes place in the middle 1800s, specifically because the producers wanted the series to be a Western with a Shaolin Monk as the hero instead of a cowboy. The spin-off series Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, the destruction of Shaolin takes place in the 1970s, although the temple is described as "A Shaolin Temple" and was located in California. Otherwise this is the only destruction of the temple that I know of on film or television which takes place later than the 1700s. Perhaps the biggest problem with depicting the destruction of the temple within the past 200 years is that it would take place during the era when soldiers had guns. Which is what happens in this film, where a lot of the monks die by being shot to death. There are, however, a few villains who prefer fighting with martial arts instead of firearms. Onn interesting thing about the plot is that the film's hero begins as the film's villain. Andy Lau plays a warlord who invades the temple, and while holding the monks hostage by gunpoint, shoots to death the soldier who took sanctuary there. Lau's second in command ( Nicholas Tse ) attempts to kill him in a coup, but only succeeds in killing his daughter. Andy ends up taking sanctuary at the temple himself, and after eventually feeling guilt and shame for everything he did as a warlord, shaves his head and becomes a monk. Once fully reformed, he decides to rescue the prisoners Tse is using as slaves, eventually leading to an attack on the temple, and a final confrontation between both men. This is a really good film, but not quite the classic as the past films about the Shaolin Temple. Jackie Chan has what is described in the credits as a guest appearance, but has a lot of screen time and is basically a supporting character who does get his own fight scene.
Justice League ( 2017 )
I am finally getting around to the rest of the DCEU films. I last left off with Wonder Woman, but like most people, kept waiting for an extended version or alternate Snyder Cut of this film to be released before buying it. But although there were rumors an ultimate edition would be released for Christmas, which turned out to be false, so far Warner Bros. refuses to even comment on if a Snyder cut exists, or to announce a release of any extended edition or edition containing all the deleted scenes. So I finally broke down and bought the only existing home video release of Justice League. And I just know that there will be an announcement about a new release with an extended or Snyder cut along with the theatrical cut, and I will have to double dip. I hate wasting money on double dipping. The biggest problem with waiting out a Snyder/extended/alternate cut of the movie is that it was preventing me from moving on to the next two films in the DCEU. ( Which is currently imploding with the success of the non DCEU Joker, and will wind up as dead as the Universal Monster Cinematic Universe should the Wonder Woman sequel tank.
But lets get back to Justice League, a film I heard nothing but bad things about. The verdict, I liked it. No, it is nowhere as good as The Avengers, the MCU's first team-up film. But it is still entertaining. And yea, I know that DC comic book fans will have their reasons for hating this film, mostly for what it didn't do rather than what it got wrong. But the DCEU films are actually on the high range of superhero films. Or is everyone forgetting how superhero films were in the 90s?I have seen so many superhero films that are either bland or unwatchable crap that something as good as Justice League is welcome, even if it could have been a lot better. At the least it did set things up for the JLA film everyone really wants, where the Justice League fights the Legion of Doom. The question is if we will ever see that sequel as a DCEU film, or if it ends up happening in the Arrowverse instead.
Topic: What was the last movie you watched? (Read 1787027 times)
