Shaolin Movie Review

Title: Shaolin AKA: The New Shaolin Temple
Genre: Martial arts, action
Origin: Chinese
Release date: 19 January 2011
Cast: Andy Lau, Nicholas Tsu, Fan Bing Bing, Jackie Chan and Wu Jing

“While the young Republic was in danger of being invaded by foreign powers, turf wars raged among warlords, creating purgatories as their own people suffer…” (Taken from the movie intro)

Hou Jie (Andy Lau) is a warlord fighting for territory of Tengfeng. After almost vaporizing the armies of Hou Long, the war lord of Tengfeng, Hou Jie sends his best man and right hand Cao Man (Nicholas Tse) to find the fleeing warlord, who has found refuge in the closest refugee camp - near a Shaolin temple. Cao Man hunts him down, but Hou Long manages to run into the temple, where he is protected by the Shaolin monks. Hou Jie enters the temple, kills Hou Long, and patronizes the monks.

Back at home, he meets his sworn brother, who wants to talk arranged marriage with his son and Hou Jies daughter. Being paranoid, Hou Jie commands Cao Man to assassinate his sworn brother, but he is betrayed by Cao Man. Hou Jie manages to run away with his daughter in his arms, to the Shaolin temple, but unfortunately the monks aren’t able to save her and she dies. Enraged, Hou Jie attacks the monks, who quickly subdue him. At the same time Cao Man takes all of Hou Jies belongings and kills all of Hou Jies loyal men, and put out a wanted poster of him.

After his daughter is cremated, he begs the monks to take him in so that he can pay for the sins he has made. Soon he comes to understand the principles of the Shaolin, and decides to be part. But the Cao Man is informed about Hou Jie being alive…

First of all, sorry about the review, I know it spoils a lot. Secondly, I have been wanting to express this movie with amazing words and just give you something wow to read, but I find myself mind blown so I probably will only blabber for the next 200 words.

This movie is one of my favorite Asian movies, which I have to say I somewhat of an accomplishment, since I am very rude to Asian movies, mainly because I prefer dramas and I rarely see a 5 star movie (Some other Asian movies I love: 71: Into the Gunfire, Blind, Never Ending Story, Secret Reunion, Silenced and now Shaolin). Tbh, I really expected a lot from this movie, and it didn’t let me down, in any way. The most brilliant storyline, mixed with the greatest material arts makes this movies unique and awesome!

It doesn’t have romance, not really, but the tiny amount it does have, is more than sufficient. Now the main part of the movie: the fights. I’ll sum it up in three words: oh my god. Even for a “material arts blind” person like me who doesn’t really bother with those, or really cares, I was out of my mind. Like damn!

I 100% recommend, go watch it! NOW!

☆☆☆☆☆ / 5 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Warrior Baek Dong Soo Review

Title: Warrior Baek Dong Soo
AKA:Musa Baek Dong Soo / Honorable Baek Dong Soo
Genre: Period
Episodes: 29
Broadcast period: 2011-Jul-04 to 2011-Oct-10
Cast:Ji Chang Wook, Yeo Jin Goo, Yoo Seung Ho,
Park Gun Tae, Yoon So Yi, Lee In, Shin Hyun Bin, Nam Ji Hyun, Choi Min Soo, Jun Kwang Ryul, Park Joon Gyu, Lee Jin Ah, Oh Man Suk, Yoon Ji Min, Park Chul Min, Jun Gook Hwan, Geum Dan Bi, Lee Won and many more!

Warrior Baek Dong Soo , a real-life legend in Joseon Dynasty during King Jeongjo's reign. Around the King many traitors do whatever they can to get to power and wealth.
A little baby boy is born, Baek Dong Soo, the son of a great man who risked his life for the Crown Prince. Baek Dong Soo lost both his parents and was raised by his father's friends, all men dedicating their lives to protecting the Kingdom. Baek Dong Soo grows to an young man and we follow him as he is experiencing a lot of different things and learning martial arts along with his very good friends Yeo Un and Cho Rip so that they can serve the King. Yeo Un is also the son of one of Dong Soo's father's friends and they develop a close friendship however Yeo Un is having a really hard time as the Sky Lord, an assassin, uses him by making him believe that his fate is to be an assassin. Friendship, brotherhood and loyalty is what this drama is all about.

Writing a review is not an easy thing because we follow Baek Dong Soo through 25 years or so.. But that is what makes you so immersed in the drama, you follow the characters for so long and get a really good understanding of everything that happens. I really really liked this drama, when I started it I didnt think I would finish it that fast (29 episodes is not an easy thing for me !) but it went really fast and I have never cried this bad while watching a drama! Its not because it was like one of those really sad melodramas but because of the friendships and how those people were willing to give their everything and didnt think twice to sacrifice themselves for a greater cause. What was a bit new for me in drama was that we follow the same people for 25 years or so, it worked really well for this drama and if it was another story I dont think it would work out, but here it did and it only made it better. If you like historical dramas and dramas about friends and loyalty I definitely recommend this drama 100 % , I was crying so badly through the last few episodes but I am not gonna say more because Ill end up spoiling everything. BUT, i was gonna give 5 stars as well but im gonna give 4.5 just because the technical-director or whatever he is called could do a better job. The fighting scenes are good for a korean drama, really, but still, it could be better!

☆☆☆☆½ / 4½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥♥ / 5 out of 5 hearts

Bunji's verdict

Hmm… It took me over 2 years to finish this drama, and it is the only drama I have left from that time – which I started and hadn’t finished. It was quite a long way to get by, and I am proud of my accomplishment.

That said, I am more than disappointed. Well, not so disappointed that I would say I hated it, but more that I really can’t find much in this drama which would make me recommend it, anytime, anywhere or at all. I’ll just say the good thing first: the two dudes and the girl (and her life/story): Great acting and good interpretations of the characters. Besides that I really felt I spent 29 hours of pure jawing and wrong storytelling. Just saying: don’t ruin history by making something as ridiculous as a group of assassins. Eish, I don’t understand why Oh Man Suk would agree on such a badly written storyline – at least try to keep the facts straight. And I don’t get why these assassins were as political as well. Also there was a lot of sitting around and thinking a lot – I wonder if the really did that then.

As said before, a lot of ‘meditating’ and a lot of talking – I am usually a fan of talking, but this was just a way to keep the story going I guess, but it felt very repetitive.

The love story was just plainly put bad, though they tried to fix that with a bromance – and it works, for the first 12 episodes; because they don’t really have much screen time together later on. The lead actress (the one who loves Dong Soo but is one sided) has a great backstory and I enjoyed her character the most, but when they make a dumb ending it kind of just disappears in the horizon.

I am sad to say I believe I was way too late to watch this, as it isn’t a classic, it’s a momentary drama which only works while hyped (meaning not everyone – like me – will enjoy it). But yeah not all bad.

Okay summing up: an action period drama with (very bad and few) links to the historic part of Crown Prince Sado’s death – and the legend (who by the way lived around the time of King Jeongjo not Sado) Baek Dong Soo. But if you are a fan of those boys you might like it more than I do. (I like them, but they will never affect my rating)

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥½/ 2½ out of 5 hearts