Good movie, great fun, Michelle Yeoh, enough said.
This is a nice movie even for casual fans of martial arts movies and more serious fans should definitely grab it. It is a period piece, but i feel that it is rather far from being a costume drama. For some excellent Chinese/HK drama, go check out "Raise the Red Lantern" or even some of John Woo's earlier work like "Last Hurrah For Chivalry" (John Woo with swords!). That said, this is an EXCELLENT action flick, fast and humorous with a plot significantly stronger than most Jackie Chan movies. I love the tofu fight scene and although some of the fight scenes verge on the fantastic (i.e. "The Executioners") and are clearly enhanced with cutscenes and camera trickery, the vast majority is good old single-shot martial arts mastery. Michelle Yeoh rocks hard and is finally allowed to look cute at the end of the film (her looking like a man is a running gag most of the way through) but the actress who plays the young widow is just plain beautiful. As...
Half-a-loaf of Wingchun!
As a pure Kung Fu movie, if you enjoy the more comedic, wire-fu style, Yuen Woo-Ping (choreographer of the Matrix) delivers. Both Donnie Yen (a trained film fighter who plays Leung Bok-Cho) and Michelle Yeoh (not a trained fighter but a dancer who's consistently given great action on screen, who plays Yim Wing-Chun) personify their legendary characters with charm, grace, and ferocious martial intent.
If you're looking for a Wing Chun movie that showcases the actual Wing Chun style, however, you're better served by Sammo Hung's Prodigal Sons and Warriors Two. This movie uses the characters and style mostly in name only, with a story drawn, but far removed from, any of the traditional versions, and a style far more high flying and stunt based.
Still, I can think of no fan or exponent who wouldn't thrill just a little to see the beautiful landscapes and settings, and see the characters brought to life, and imagine what it might have been like in the days of legend.
An action movie that women will love
For those of you who still don't know who Michelle Yeoh is, this is THE movie to be introduced to her.
For those of you who thrilled at watching Yeoh in such movies as "Tomorrow Never Dies" (with Pierce Brosnan as James Bond), "Supercop" (with Jacky Chan) and "Tai Chi Master" (with Jet Li), this is THE action movie where she is the star rather than a man's sidekick.
Having said that, WING CHUN is more than a star vehicle for this former Miss Malaysia turned Action Woman, with an ensemble who have charms of their own even if their names are not as well known; and more than just kung fu fighting.
Rather, this is a surprisingly sweet (and innocent) "gender-bending" "period piece" action-comedy out of Hong Kong. Marvel at such as "the fight over tofu" and -- of course -- the climactic showdown between Wing Chun (Yeoh) and "Flying Chimpanzee" but also delight in the camaraderie and charm evident in...
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