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DEFIANT (2022)
douban.com
Defiant (目中无人), aka Blind Sword, a 2022 Chinese movie, is clearly a rip off of Zatoichi. You know me, I love Zatoichi, I own all of Toho’s films on DVD and Bluray (thanks to the Criterion boxset), and even owning the television series and later stories: Zatoichi (2003), Ichi (Zatoichi’s blind daughter!), and Zatoichi: The Last (the final film in the official Zatoichi series).
Of course, the new Chinese film isn’t the first to copy Zatoichi, in America, we had Blind Fury in 1989, about a blind Vietnam Vet with a cane sword and in Italy, we had Blindman, a Spaghetti Western about a blind gunman.
Defiant is about a blind master swordsman and ex-military general. It has all the traits of Zatoichi, for example you find him in a gambling den at the start of the film. Of course, he has the advantage, despite being blind. Then you have the goons at the establishment trying to rob the blind gambler of his money - big mistake!
The whole thing really felt like a Chinese version of a Zatoichi movie. The only difference is that instead of a pretense of a bumbling blind masseur, the Defiant character is a blind bounty hunter by day. And he seems sure of himself, walking around, with his horse, like a normal person.
I think the writer/director of the film counted on their audience to not know Zatoichi, so when Defiant reveals the swords in the cane, it was no surprise to me… but I bet everyone in China thought that was a really cool reveal.
Defiant has some cool fight scenes, especially the big throw-down finale, but it also has some typical, cheesy moments (any scenes with the young bride).
There’s nothing wrong with Defiant, especially if you know it’s a Chinese version of Zatoichi, but I wish it would do a little more to set it apart from the source material. For example, a few years ago, South Korea released The Swordsman, about the country’s best swordsman, who became blind. No one could accuse the film of copying Zatoichi, as the South Korean film is very different than a typical Zatoichi adventure.
My other complaint about Defiant is that the main character is so sure of himself, so confident in his Kung Fu abilities, that, you, as an audience, never thought he could be in any real danger. Even during the scenes with him being hit with arrows… I never thought he could die. With the original Zatoichi, he let others thinks his blindness is a disadvantage… so he plays the bumbling idiot. It’s only in a real fight does Zatoichi shows his true deadly sword skills… and by that time, it’s too late for the villains.
Maybe it is unfair to compare Defiant to Zatoichi, but given how much material the Chinese film stole from the source, I think it’s fair game to criticize it a little.
douban.com
Defiant (目中无人), aka Blind Sword, a 2022 Chinese movie, is clearly a rip off of Zatoichi. You know me, I love Zatoichi, I own all of Toho’s films on DVD and Bluray (thanks to the Criterion boxset), and even owning the television series and later stories: Zatoichi (2003), Ichi (Zatoichi’s blind daughter!), and Zatoichi: The Last (the final film in the official Zatoichi series).
Of course, the new Chinese film isn’t the first to copy Zatoichi, in America, we had Blind Fury in 1989, about a blind Vietnam Vet with a cane sword and in Italy, we had Blindman, a Spaghetti Western about a blind gunman.
Defiant is about a blind master swordsman and ex-military general. It has all the traits of Zatoichi, for example you find him in a gambling den at the start of the film. Of course, he has the advantage, despite being blind. Then you have the goons at the establishment trying to rob the blind gambler of his money - big mistake!
The whole thing really felt like a Chinese version of a Zatoichi movie. The only difference is that instead of a pretense of a bumbling blind masseur, the Defiant character is a blind bounty hunter by day. And he seems sure of himself, walking around, with his horse, like a normal person.
I think the writer/director of the film counted on their audience to not know Zatoichi, so when Defiant reveals the swords in the cane, it was no surprise to me… but I bet everyone in China thought that was a really cool reveal.
Defiant has some cool fight scenes, especially the big throw-down finale, but it also has some typical, cheesy moments (any scenes with the young bride).
There’s nothing wrong with Defiant, especially if you know it’s a Chinese version of Zatoichi, but I wish it would do a little more to set it apart from the source material. For example, a few years ago, South Korea released The Swordsman, about the country’s best swordsman, who became blind. No one could accuse the film of copying Zatoichi, as the South Korean film is very different than a typical Zatoichi adventure.
My other complaint about Defiant is that the main character is so sure of himself, so confident in his Kung Fu abilities, that, you, as an audience, never thought he could be in any real danger. Even during the scenes with him being hit with arrows… I never thought he could die. With the original Zatoichi, he let others thinks his blindness is a disadvantage… so he plays the bumbling idiot. It’s only in a real fight does Zatoichi shows his true deadly sword skills… and by that time, it’s too late for the villains.
Maybe it is unfair to compare Defiant to Zatoichi, but given how much material the Chinese film stole from the source, I think it’s fair game to criticize it a little.
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FIRESTARTER (2022)
firestartermovie.com
Like Carrie and Pet Sematary, no one asked for a remake of Firestarter… yet, here we are, with the 2022 horror film, based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King.
I actually like and enjoy the original 1984 film starring a young Drew Barrymore, so I was highly skeptical that this new version could be better than the first film. The main problem is that it was produced by one of the worst writer/producer, Akiva Goldsman. Goldsman is responsible for the terrible Batman & Robin, and he’s also responsible for ruining Star Trek. Yes, I used to be a massive Star Trek fan, but the modern Trek stuff is absolutely terrible.
Anyway, due to the pandemic, Blumhouse Productions and Weed Road Pictures put Firestarter on hold until Universal Pictures finally released it in May 2022, simultaneously in theaters and on Peacock.
Naturally, the film received negative reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes, shows only 10% of critics’ reviews were positive.
I think the worst part of the movie are the villains. The new person in charge of the government tracking down Charlie the Firestarter is now played by a woman. While women can be as evil as men, I didn’t understand why it was necessary to make the original white man into a black woman? The bounty hunter is now played by an American Indian named Michael Greyeyes (the original 1984 film featured an assassin named John Rainbird).
Perhaps you’re not meant to “hate” the villains, but, to me, to make the film effective, you have to make the villains evil, so you don’t feel bad when they are nuked by Charlie.
firestartermovie.com
Like Carrie and Pet Sematary, no one asked for a remake of Firestarter… yet, here we are, with the 2022 horror film, based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King.
I actually like and enjoy the original 1984 film starring a young Drew Barrymore, so I was highly skeptical that this new version could be better than the first film. The main problem is that it was produced by one of the worst writer/producer, Akiva Goldsman. Goldsman is responsible for the terrible Batman & Robin, and he’s also responsible for ruining Star Trek. Yes, I used to be a massive Star Trek fan, but the modern Trek stuff is absolutely terrible.
Anyway, due to the pandemic, Blumhouse Productions and Weed Road Pictures put Firestarter on hold until Universal Pictures finally released it in May 2022, simultaneously in theaters and on Peacock.
Naturally, the film received negative reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes, shows only 10% of critics’ reviews were positive.
I think the worst part of the movie are the villains. The new person in charge of the government tracking down Charlie the Firestarter is now played by a woman. While women can be as evil as men, I didn’t understand why it was necessary to make the original white man into a black woman? The bounty hunter is now played by an American Indian named Michael Greyeyes (the original 1984 film featured an assassin named John Rainbird).
Perhaps you’re not meant to “hate” the villains, but, to me, to make the film effective, you have to make the villains evil, so you don’t feel bad when they are nuked by Charlie.
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MEMORY (2022)
memorymov.com
Liam Neeson plays a hitman with a heart of gold in Memory. The hitman, suffering from early stages of Alzheimer, decides to make things right after declining a contract to kill a young girl. The 2022 film is based the Belgian film The Alzheimer Case.
Maybe it is because it is based on the film (turned novel De Zaak Alzheimer by Jef Geeraerts), but I did not like any of the characters in the film (except, of course, the incredibly smart hitman). Guy Pearce plays a really dumb detective/policeman, Monica Bellucci plays a wealthy mother, covering up her son’s crimes.
What I do love about Memory is just how amazing Liam Neeson is on screen. Even though the actor is in his 70s, he was still an action star, to me. For example, his brutal, brutal fight scene with the hitman in the parking lot is just so gritty and real. I really did believe Neeson could destroy a man with his bare hands.
As amazing as Neeson is, he really couldn’t save the movie. The story is predictable, and all the other characters, such as the cops, are portrayed as idiots and not well written.
As a big Neeson fan, I really hope this is not his last film, as his career will end on a bad note.
I’ll just say that Memory is a forgettable film.
memorymov.com
Liam Neeson plays a hitman with a heart of gold in Memory. The hitman, suffering from early stages of Alzheimer, decides to make things right after declining a contract to kill a young girl. The 2022 film is based the Belgian film The Alzheimer Case.
Maybe it is because it is based on the film (turned novel De Zaak Alzheimer by Jef Geeraerts), but I did not like any of the characters in the film (except, of course, the incredibly smart hitman). Guy Pearce plays a really dumb detective/policeman, Monica Bellucci plays a wealthy mother, covering up her son’s crimes.
What I do love about Memory is just how amazing Liam Neeson is on screen. Even though the actor is in his 70s, he was still an action star, to me. For example, his brutal, brutal fight scene with the hitman in the parking lot is just so gritty and real. I really did believe Neeson could destroy a man with his bare hands.
As amazing as Neeson is, he really couldn’t save the movie. The story is predictable, and all the other characters, such as the cops, are portrayed as idiots and not well written.
As a big Neeson fan, I really hope this is not his last film, as his career will end on a bad note.
I’ll just say that Memory is a forgettable film.
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