True Legend (2010, R)

This Chinese film is almost like two separate movies (as I guess the title implies a sort of dichotomy).  The first half plays out like a legend of a great military fighter and a supernaturally powered despot.  The second half is the true story of the man who created a new style of martial Wu-Shu fighting (Drunken Fist, like in Legend Of The Drunken Master with Jackie Chan, though I think this film is far superior), both about the same character/actor.  I really liked both parts and think they were very well done.  The visual quality (film stock, etc) was very good for a foreign film, and the special effects were for the most part seamless (there were a couple parts where a bird or carved mountain was obvious CG animation, but otherwise solid).  Much of the fighting was done with wirework, but it still looked clean.  The fighting was a treat to see, and reminded me of some Dragonball Z fights minus the fireballs and aliens (I mean this in the best possible way).  The story wasn't overly complex like Dune or Watchmen (the graphic novel more so than the film), but that's fitting for a legend/fairy tale and for a true story.

This film includes appearances by Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, 007: Tomorrow Never Dies) and David Carradine (Kill Bill, the Kung-Fu tv series), both of whom performed their roles very competently but did not steal the scene.  The acting was competent for all of the actors actually, even for the main character's son.  I liked the character arc, the various things he had to overcome and how he overcame them.

If you liked the films Ip Man/Ip Man 2, or Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon; the graphic novel Infinite Kung-Fu; the video game Jade Empire; or the show Dragonball/Dragonball Z, then I think you'll love this movie.  During most of the movie I had a big dumb grin plastered on my face and I'm pretty sure it was only partly due to the tasty beverage in my hand (which makes me embrace any story a bit more).  I wish this movie was around when I was younger and that I'd had a copy of it: it's a top-notch sleepover movie.  It takes only a small amount of generosity for me to give it a 5 star rating.

Boy Wonder (2010, R)

This movie is a bit darker than I expected, though I should have known by the cover (I guess sometimes you can judge a book/film by its cover).  The main character is a high school boy whose mother was killed in front of him when he was a young child.  He's clearly broken inside at this point, but he's also really effective at what he does.  The title of the film is an obvious reference to Batman's partner Robin, who is a young crimefighter with tragic origins, though this guy doesn't have an adult role model (crazy nocturnal Bat-man or otherwise).  The movie Kick Ass is supposed to be a more real-world version of the costumed hero, and Boy Wonder is even more so.  He practices kick-boxing, studies various elective sciences, and hangs out at the local police station.

In terms of what he does and how he does it, he's kind of a cross between Robin and The Punisher (two characters that I really like), but somehow he doesn't seem to have the depth of character of either of them.  What I liked about the film was the various ways in which the main character prepares himself for his chosen... "hobby", I have to call it because it's not a profession unless he gets paid.  He's really effective and I like the brains and drive behind it.  Some of the details about the charachters' lives in the story are nice and subtly introduced, which I like because it gives us a chance to use our brains, but it also makes those details more clear later on in case you missed it the first time.  What I didn't like about the movie was how flat some of the characters came across.  I think it was a factor largely of the acting, because the writing of the story overall was pretty good, though the dialogue was kind of lacking as well.  It's a lot better when you can see from behind the main character's eyes (metaphorically)... even the book Lolita managed to do that, which was crazy hard on me once its main character started doing more reprehensible things, but good strong storytelling!

Honestly, if you liked Kick Ass, then you probably liked it for reasons other than the ones that this movie shares, so it's not a good comparison.  If you liked Falling Down, I think this film shares a lot of the same emotional tones (broken main character doing what he thinks is justice, and you may or may not agree).  I want to compare it to the 2004 Punisher movie, but that one had remarkably strong characters.  If you're an amateur crimefighter and you want some do's and don't's, then I guess this could have some pointers for you... I shouldn't be saying that.  I liked it in an academic sense, and parts of the story were really strong, but the characters left me wanting, so I couldn't love it.  I'd say it's about a 3.5 star movie for me, 4 if I'm feeling generous.