Rebecca Opstedahl
I had slim-pickings when I choose my new review for this week, but when I saw “Legend of the Red Dragon” starring Jet Li, I thought that this one should at least be interesting. Interesting, it was. Exciting–not really. Entertaining–occasionally. Comical, definitely. The movie was not meant to be comical I am sure, but given the fact that it’s English dubbed does not help the seriousness of it at all. Not only do most of the voices sound alike; they do not seem to match the actors either. The little boy in the movie sounded too much like a girl, and that really did not help his credibility. For being old-school China, the dubbed dialogue did not fit. I really doubt Chinese warrior women told the opposing men to, “Bring it on!” However, that could just be me. Jet Li plays a man whose entire village has been burned down by the corrupt Chinese government while he was away. He returns to find his 3-year-old son, Ting, as the sole survivor and makes him choose between death and fighting alongside his father. Ting chooses to fight and learn the ways of kung fu from his father. Seven years later, father and son employ themselves as bodyguards to a wealthy businessman and his bride-to-be. Father (Jet Li) does not trust the fiancee, and his instincts serve him right when it’s discovered she’s nothing more than a con-artist. But she is a beautiful con-artist and father cannot help but feel attracted to her. His feelings for her only complicate the job he’s supposed to do and when an old nemesis comes back from the dead, things get complicated. There are a few more subplots, but I have neither the time nor the energy to describe them. The movie can be a bit hard to follow at times due mostly to poor directing and storytelling. Some events I found absurd and a little over the top but the movie has merit in its comedy. Grandma knew how to spice things up. Overall, do not expect much from this movie unless you want to add your own commentary during the film.
STARS: 2
Perhaps one of the best-known and best-loved love stories of all time, “Casablanca,” delivers a stellar performance even in today’s standards. This is the movie that made Humphrey Bogart the leading romantic man in Hollywood, and gave us many memorable lines like “Here’s looking at you, kid.” This movie has been highly criticized not only for its historical accurateness but also for its tightly woven plot and complex characters. It is the beginning of WW2 and Europe is under attack. A popular place for refugees fleeing the Nazi government, Casablanca holds all sort of characters and many of them congregate at Rick’s Cafe American. American Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) owns the cafe which happens to be the place where everything happens; arrests are staged, deals are made and lovers are found. A suave businessman, Rick keeps an eye on his cafe and breaks up fights as needed. His life is quiet until fate reunites him with his former Paris lover, Ilsa, played by Ingrid Bergman. Trouble is she is married to a Resistance-hero fleeing the Nazis, and they need Rick’s help to escape. Although Rick is not known for his help, his strong love for her sees past his own emotions and makes the necessary arrangements. One of the most famous cinematic scenes comes at the end at the airport as Rick puts Ilsa on the plane and tells her that if she does not get on that plane, she will regret it. Always with a calm demeanor, Bogart captures his audience with his solid gaze and quick wit. Bergman does an equal job with her character with her wide eyes and indecisive heart. “Casablanca” includes everything that makes a movie great– awesome acting, solid screenplay and really-good directing.
STARS: 5
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