Pestilence, they name is Wire-fu (452 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.25 on 8 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Chief_Rugger (View user info) at 2004-07-06 15:21:04 EDT
I was trolling the local Hollywood video last night, picking up a copy of Ichi The Killer and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla 4 (BIG G MOTHA FUCKA!). I was just browsing and looking at new releases when I noticed something weird: almost all the new action releases seemed to be a Wire-fu flick. Granted, this is the response to a successful new idea used in a movie, but the matrix has been out for a LONG time, so why not move on?
I think I should start off by defining what I consider Wire Fu: Any deliberately uber-exaggerated, physically impossible, or completely CGI produced effect for martial arts combat in a movie. Sometimes a little exaggeration goes a long way, such as with the first Matrix or even the first Blade, but as more and more directors abuse these new processes/technology in movies, the fights tend to loose that authentic flavor of actual combat. You begin to think that you're playing the latest version of Mortal Combat instead of watching an epic fight to the death.
Personally I prefer Bruce Lee and old-school Jackie Chan movies when I hit the Action section. They do some of the most incredible, verging on almost impossible, moves naturally without the aid of a wire team. This is action, when you can see the finesse and artistry that these men and women put into their respective style. Action isn't levitating and blowing up your enemy 30 times with energy balls, that just helps the myth of "Super Secret Ninja Powers" that most people seem to have about martial arts.
Why are we doing this? Why do we continue to support and rave about these kinds of movies? Are the only good action movies being made underground/indie in Japan?
That said, I should also mention that it's not only the fights themselves that make the movie, but the plot, story, and characters that make it work. The fights are a means to an end, but they can reflect the tone of the movie even more than the actors or setting. This is why I'm bitching, because a great art form is being even more prepackaged and mass produced for more uninspired knockoffs so that they can have an inkling of depth.
The only recent movies/actors I can think of right now that haven't followed this trend have been Jet Li with his Wushu style in Kiss of the Dragon, and Jason Statham in The Transporter. There are great martial arts/action films out there, and yes the good ones aren't going extinct, but I think we should do ourselves a favor and just watch what we watch. We're at the top of the food chain, we should be entertaining ourselves with the highest quality violence we can find and not settling for some studio's get rich quick scheme! Can I get a Hallalute!
And yes, I do see the hypocrisy of a guy renting a Godzilla movie bitching about authenticity.
User Reviews
Submitted by WRECKER (user info) at 2004-07-07 16:14:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Just for that last line. hahahaha
Submitted by The_taste_of_Monkeys (user info) at 2004-07-07 16:07:39 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Agreed.
Submitted by sunjunkie04 (user info) at 2004-07-06 16:26:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
+2, as promised. It was good at any rate.
Submitted by reallybored (user info) at 2004-07-06 16:21:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Brotherhood of the Wolf had some good, realistic fight scenes. Too bad its in fucking french.
Submitted by NetProphet (user info) at 2004-07-06 15:46:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
+2 for a well spoken, decent point.
That said, as long as these movies are made for the ENTERTAINMENT industry, they will go with what entertains people. Right now, that's super hoodoo-vexing ninja powers.
Submitted by hank_scorpio (user info) at 2004-07-06 15:38:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
What?
Submitted by euripidestrousers (user info) at 2004-07-06 15:25:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
I liked 'we should be entertaining ourselves with the highest quality violence we can find'.