Bulletproof Monk (2003) Reviews

• Silly...fun, but silly.

  TheBabblingFool2003-05-07

  Bulletproof Monk has a plot like it is the Indiana Jones of martial art flicks. You have a monk that is chosen every 60 years to protect a scroll that will give anyone who reads it invincible. The film revolves around The Monk with No Name (Chow) trying to find a new chosen one (Scott) while avoiding a nazi super-villain that he incountered 60 years ago. The film is more of a comedy than an action film and Sean William Scott and Chow Yun Fat play off each other well in a world where they are chased by nazis and run into characters like a British guy named Mr. Funktastic. Sean plays a goofy pickpocket well and Chow is excellent as a calm, smug, nameless monk...then again Chow has always been good at acting smug. Of course there has to be a leading lady and Jamie King is as good looking as they come and plays her character well. The action all involves wire-fu, like that as seen in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", but not as dynamic. Since most of the characters are new to martial arts the fights are a little slow but entertaining and lighthearted none the less. Bulletproof Monk could have been a lot better than it is, with a little more time spent on it, but as it is it is a silly amusing film, which kept me entertained for an hour and a half. I recommend it to martial art flick junkies.

• Well, I liked it!

  vlb2004-06-09

  I thought it was charming. I thought it was fun. I enjoyed it a great deal. I liked the characters a lot too (especially the Monk). Now I'm looking for other movies starring Yun-Fat Chow. I must admit that I did find the underground cavern and the mysterious mind-reading device to be rather over-the-top, but that was the only part of the movie I didn't like. Please keep in mind that this movie _is_ based on a comic book. It's not meant to be Important, World-changing theatre. It's meant to be a fast-paced (it is), interesting (I thought so), fun-to-watch (yes) story.

• I want a sequel! (I mean that!!)

  HighlanderFan2003-08-18

  Being a comics collector, I had to see this movie, since it is based on a comic book. When I left the cinema I was both disappointed and gratified, but looking back on it I found my disappointment waning and my gratification growing. This was - or rather, could have been, if it had been successful enough to spawn a franchise - a new Highlander (which is just about my favorite movie). It had all the elements. Unfortunately, it also had some bad things. That Nazis were the villains is really something I could have done without. It made the movie unintentionally comical (by which I mean laughable, not comic book-like) before it had even gotten well underway. And the Funktastic character has GOT to rate as one of the WORST things in ANY movie EVER (EVER, I say!!). But I think there was enough good stuff in the rest of the movie to make up for these howlers. The cast indeed was very charismatic and did not feel like just another set of interchangeable Hollywood cronies. I expected not to like Seann William Scott, but I ended up feeling he did a great job (and no, I didn't see the ridiculous American Pie movies, what're you, nuts!?). Despite what others may say, I thought his kung fu was convincing, and his character actually endearing. I've never been that big a fan of Chow Yun Fat, because he's more a gangster movie actor than a kung fu movie actor, and I have no fondness for Hong Kong (or, for that matter, Hollywood) gangster movies. But as in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (which I loved and have seen many, many times), he filled his role very nicely here. Note that his superhuman kung fu was explained by his possessing the power of the scrolls; it wasn't just gratuitous. As for Jamie King, she just wowed me totally. She radiated both toughness and beauty (and ultimately, tenderness), and seemed like a believable character. Her being the daughter of a Russian mafia boss made her fighting skills credible. One of the things I appreciated most about this movie was its ending. I'm usually always disappointed with really badly written Hollywood endings, but I absolutely LOVED this one. For both of the young leads to share the power was a great idea (also serving to bond them in their relationship), and it could make for a superb superhero-like sequel, since their fighting skills were radically increased by the power of the scroll. Unfortunately, we'll probably never see it. *Sigh.*

• Fun and entertaining. Don't take it too seriously.

  Rob_Taylor2003-05-30

  It was hard to watch this film and not compare some of the wild action/fight scenes with those in the Matrix or its over-hyped sequel. Whilst the scenes in BPM are not as polished or well done as those in the Matrix, they are entertaining enough and the choreography and use of props showed much more promise and imagination than those in the Wachowski Bros. productions (at least in regard to the Matrix Reloaded, anyhow). But this film did not receive the hype that TMR did and, consequently, my expectations of it were lower. As a result, I was not disappointed in BPM as I was with TMR. Sure, its all silliness, but at least it has the humour to go along with that silliness. In short, it doesn't take itself too seriously, and neiither should the audience. Chow-Yun Fat shows he can play non-serious roles and get away with it, and Sean William Scott shows he can do other parts away from American Pie and its teen comedy clones. But a particular joy to see in this film is the appearance of Mako, whom I haven't seen much of in recent years. He only has a small role in this film, but he steals the show whenever he's on screen. The kung-fu isn't quite as wild as Crouching Tiger's flying escapades nor is the wire-work quite so obvious. All in all a fun movie that should be watched as it was intended, as sheer escapism. There are a few bad points. Watch out for the villain at the end. He should get the "worst villain's hairstyle" award for his mullet. That, and the ludicrous torture machine are the lighter negative aspects in an otherwise entertaining movie, and even they somehow just add to the fun. The only really dire moment is "Mr Funktastic's" atrocious British accent/choice of language. There are some things Hollywood will NEVER get right!

• Very good but light fantasy/action entertainment

  BrandtSponseller2005-02-18

  Chow Yun-Fat is the "Monk with No Name" who protects an ancient scroll. Anyone who recites the scroll can harness unlimited power, utilizing it for either good or evil. The scroll-keeper has the advantage of not aging and not being able to be physically harmed. The Monk has been on the run from would be rulers of the universe for 60 years when he finally runs into a potential new scroll-keeper as promised by prophecies. Bulletproof Monk is a "light" comic book/fantasy/action/martial arts/comedy film in the vein of The Golden Child (1986) and The Medallion (2003). It leans most strongly towards the fantasy genre, but it's frequently funny (perhaps more subtly than one would expect) and loaded with visually poetic, wire-heavy martial arts. Seann William Scott is Kar, a street kid who has a flair for kung fu, which he picked up by endlessly watching and emulating Asian films at the theater where he both lives and works as the projectionist. He has even more of a flair for pickpocketing. The Monk runs into him while both are on the run, and there are a number of cleverly staged scenes where Kar tries to palm a few extra bucks while the Monk attempts to teach him both ethics and enlightenment via koans about things like hot dogs and buns. During these early scenes, they run into a hilarious group of what are effectively CHUDs (Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers) minus the C, headed by a rooster-haired thug named "Funktastic". This is some of the more slyly funny material in the film--the HUDs even have an abandoned subway car turned disco in their underground lair. The kung fu throughout most of Bulletproof Monk is of the variety often mythologized by kids as being akin to "magic". The Monk can defy gravity, move fast enough that he seems to predict his opponent's moves with near omniscience, and dodge bullets. He can even fight and eat a bowl of Cocoa Puffs at the same time. The real aim is to approach a Matrix (1999)-like reality-bending in the film's universe. Although the fantasy, almost dance-like nature of many of the fight scenes may turn off those looking for more realistic action, Troy Liddell also choreographs some parts of fight scenes more traditionally, with Yun-Fat performing something very similar to aikido--he primarily yields instead of blocking or countering, and uses his opponent's moves against themselves. It's an interesting approach that isn't used often enough in martial arts films. The principle flaw with Bulletproof Monk is that too many plot elements and characters seem to flow by too quickly. There isn't a lot of time to delve very far into many threads. This gives the film a more superficial feel that should have been solved by lengthening and tightening the focus to give elements at least a typical James Bond film significance and weight. Aspects of the film may also be a bit too clichéd for some viewers tastes. But you probably wouldn't watch Bulletproof Monk expecting a masterpiece. As a wispy fantasy/action film, geared as much towards adolescents as any other age group, Bulletproof Monk is a rewarding way to spend an hour and a half. I'm a fan of Yun-Fat's work, including this film, and I enjoyed both Scott and Jaime King's performances quite a bit. In fact, I liked the film enough to hope for a sequel.