Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted October 17, 2013 Member Share Posted October 17, 2013 Well at least it's out there, now we just have to wait and see when this bad boy is coming to dvd/bluray soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted October 17, 2013 Member Share Posted October 17, 2013 http://moviexclusive.com/detail.php?c=42&desc=S&p=2526&t=special-id-29305275303652320221-2013_2526 another mixed review, and unfortunate confirmation of no Donnie vs Collin Chou fight. oh well, as the title says this is "Donnie's MMA return" which is reason enough to get hyped! So he gave it 3 stars and still call it a disappointment, that doesn't make any sense at all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted October 17, 2013 Author Member Share Posted October 17, 2013 http://moviexclusive.com/detail.php?c=42&desc=S&p=2526&t=special-id-29305275303652320221-2013_2526 another mixed review, and unfortunate confirmation of no Donnie vs Collin Chou fight. oh well, as the title says this is "Donnie's MMA return" which is reason enough to get hyped! Another mixed review: http://themovieandme.blogspot.se/2013/10/special-id.html These reviews are based on the Mandarin-dubbed version opposed to the movie which is actually in both Cantonese (characters from Hong Kong) and Mandarin (characters from Mainland China) which explains the criticism of the acting/dialogue scenes. Other than that, we'll have to see for ourselves. I knew the action was going to be great while I still held expectations back due to Clarence Fok's involvement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted October 17, 2013 Author Member Share Posted October 17, 2013 Another review. http://www.nst.com.my/life-times/holiday/cinema-watch-it-for-the-action-scenes-1.377455 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member odioustrident Posted October 17, 2013 Member Share Posted October 17, 2013 These are all Chinese reviewers (right?) trying to distance themselves from their own cinematic history. These types of critics have been asking for more sophisticated drama and less action for a long time... and they've been getting what they want! Sorry guys not today. I'm still hoping there are fights we haven't seen any footage of in the trailers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted October 17, 2013 Author Member Share Posted October 17, 2013 I believe some of these reviews are Singaporean-based. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted October 17, 2013 Author Member Share Posted October 17, 2013 To all y'all New Yorkers... The movie will be shown at this year's New York Chinese Film Festival on November 7 at AMC Empire 25. Sources: http://twitchfilm.com/2013/10/pending-donnie-yen-and-zhao-wei-to-appear-at-4th-annual-new-york-chinese-film-festival.html http://www.caacarts.org/dp/?q=/node/16&id=200 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Grimmjow Posted October 17, 2013 Member Share Posted October 17, 2013 Got back from seeing the midnight screening of this a couple of hours ago (I'm in China) bit of a let down for me,I'll explain - Really more of an action comedy, the tone is a little all over the place but it's not like SPL or Flash Point and Yens character is more of a bumbling fool then a badass, he acts like a kid often which my audience found very funny but I was hoping for something more serious. - The female lead is very attractive but not at all believable in the action scenes, then again which modern Chinese actresses are, her constant arguing with Yen annoyed me a little. - There is no fight with Chou, of the three fight scenes Yen has the one with Ken Lo I felt was a let down as it plays for laughs, the restaurant fight is cool and the end fight with Andy On is very good but relies a bit to much on grappling which had some laughs from my audience again. - Yen doesn't look great in the fight scenes, I believe age has caught up to him and the grappling is for him what the comedy tricks became for Jackie Chan (when he stopped doing the high impact fights with real contact and falls) a way to cover his age and fading ability, I know he's like 50 so it's to be expected but doesn't give me much hope for future projects. So in all I am disappointed, I've been counting the days to see this and went to the midnight showing pumped up but found myself not watching the film I expected. I really thought it would be darker in tone like SPL/Flash Point. Perhaps on second viewing with lower expectations I'll enjoy it more. I must say Andy On was very impressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member TibetanWhiteCrane Posted October 18, 2013 Member Share Posted October 18, 2013 Eeeh, ok... was not expecting the comedy angle. Although I did have a nagging suspicion after seeing the first pic from the Ken Lo fight. Never thought Donnie and comedy was a good mix, but i'll still retain an open mind here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted October 18, 2013 Member Share Posted October 18, 2013 Got back from seeing the midnight screening of this a couple of hours ago (I'm in China) bit of a let down for me,I'll explain - Really more of an action comedy, the tone is a little all over the place but it's not like SPL or Flash Point and Yens character is more of a bumbling fool then a badass, he acts like a kid often which my audience found very funny but I was hoping for something more serious. - The female lead is very attractive but not at all believable in the action scenes, then again which modern Chinese actresses are, her constant arguing with Yen annoyed me a little. - There is no fight with Chou, of the three fight scenes Yen has the one with Ken Lo I felt was a let down as it plays for laughs, the restaurant fight is cool and the end fight with Andy On is very good but relies a bit to much on grappling which had some laughs from my audience again. - Yen doesn't look great in the fight scenes, I believe age has caught up to him and the grappling is for him what the comedy tricks became for Jackie Chan (when he stopped doing the high impact fights with real contact and falls) a way to cover his age and fading ability, I know he's like 50 so it's to be expected but doesn't give me much hope for future projects. So in all I am disappointed, I've been counting the days to see this and went to the midnight showing pumped up but found myself not watching the film I expected. I really thought it would be darker in tone like SPL/Flash Point. Perhaps on second viewing with lower expectations I'll enjoy it more. I must say Andy On was very impressive. Action+Comedy= my two favorite things I look for in a movie. Now I know what expectation to have when I go see this movie, a fun one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted October 18, 2013 Author Member Share Posted October 18, 2013 - Yen doesn't look great in the fight scenes, I believe age has caught up to him and the grappling is for him what the comedy tricks became for Jackie Chan (when he stopped doing the high impact fights with real contact and falls) as a way to cover his age and fading ability, I know he's like 50 so it's to be expected but doesn't give me much hope for future projects. I haven't laughed so hard at a post here in a good while. How in hell does one cover his age and ability with a fighting art that requires demanding physicality, exceptional stamina and long-lasting willpower to withstand injuries and frustration on getting the fight choreography done to perfection? Sorry but I'm not convinced at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Grimmjow Posted October 18, 2013 Member Share Posted October 18, 2013 Wow what an asshole Perhaps I should explain myself better so that people don't laugh so hard. Donnie Yen is known for high kicks, jump kicks and very fast kicks, or am I mistaken? In this movie his kicks seem very low and he constantly turns the fights into grappling matches, now you are aware DiP that screen fighting is actually...fake? So while it may look like he is grappling his ass of he's not actually you know!! I am not doubting Yen is till in great shape and physically fit but there's no denying he has slowed down, he says so much in the commentary for SPL and that was nearly 10 years ago. So now I see it in that he is incorporating this style to make up for the fact he can't kick as well or as fast as he used to. What exactly are you not convinced about?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted October 18, 2013 Member Share Posted October 18, 2013 Wow what an asshole Perhaps I should explain myself better so that people don't laugh so hard. Donnie Yen is known for high kicks, jump kicks and very fast kicks, or am I mistaken? In this movie his kicks seem very low and he constantly turns the fights into grappling matches, now you are aware DiP that screen fighting is actually...fake? So while it may look like he is grappling his ass of he's not actually you know!! I am not doubting Yen is till in great shape and physically fit but there's no denying he has slowed down, he says so much in the commentary for SPL and that was nearly 10 years ago. So now I see it in that he is incorporating this style to make up for the fact he can't kick as well or as fast as he used to. What exactly are you not convinced about?? He's trying something new doesn't mean age has caught up with him or lack of stamina, Jesus give yen a break, the guy's done like 20 movies in one year??? Yes we know the fight scene is fake but just because it didn't look convincing to you doesn't mean his fighting sucks. Were you expecting Infernal Affairs with Martial arts or something?? Maybe you were tired, you said you saw a midnight showing, get some sleep and watch the film again when you're not tired. Maybe I'm just trolling who knows? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Monk Sante Posted October 18, 2013 Member Share Posted October 18, 2013 http://twitchfilm.com/2013/10/review-special-id-has-a-serious-identity-crisis.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member TibetanWhiteCrane Posted October 18, 2013 Member Share Posted October 18, 2013 Not a big believer in Twitch reviews, but given the films production problems and Clarence Fok as director, some of this stuff makes sense. Though I still give it the benefit of the doubt. Hell, inconsistent filmmaking is almost a trademark of HK cinema. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member gwailosforever Posted October 18, 2013 Member Share Posted October 18, 2013 Another so so review. http://filmcombatsyndicate.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-noble-review-special-id.html?m=0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted October 18, 2013 Member Share Posted October 18, 2013 Alright critics you win you win!!! I give up, but I'm still seeing the movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member oneskyforall Posted October 18, 2013 Member Share Posted October 18, 2013 Wow what an asshole Anyway, I am sure even if this movie is a stinker it will still be fun. The reviews make me think it will be a modern day Tiger Cage 2/In The Line of Duty 4 kind of movie for Donnie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member TibetanWhiteCrane Posted October 18, 2013 Member Share Posted October 18, 2013 I think most people who wanted to see this, are still gonna see it, regardless of the luke warm reviews. However, more people will probably just see it via download, torrents, cheap bootleg or whatever, and that's a shame. Im too old for all that crap, i'll still buy the dvd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted October 18, 2013 Author Member Share Posted October 18, 2013 Wow what an asshole Perhaps I should explain myself better so that people don't laugh so hard. Donnie Yen is known for high kicks, jump kicks and very fast kicks, or am I mistaken? In this movie his kicks seem very low and he constantly turns the fights into grappling matches, now you are aware DiP that screen fighting is actually...fake? So while it may look like he is grappling his ass of he's not actually you know!! I am not doubting Yen is till in great shape and physically fit but there's no denying he has slowed down, he says so much in the commentary for SPL and that was nearly 10 years ago. So now I see it in that he is incorporating this style to make up for the fact he can't kick as well or as fast as he used to. What exactly are you not convinced about?? First off, I didn't mean to offend you in any way. If I came off like that, my apologies. Secondly, have you watched the preview clips? Cause those featured high-, jump, and fast kicks. The whole point of Yen's choreography is to showcase realistic-looking fight scenes in form of what the MA trend is today: MMA/grappling the same way as the 80s/early 90s HK action movies capitalized on the trend back then. So yes, in the sense of seemingly depicting reality of the fighting art onscreen it's fake. But in the sense of authentically executing these fighting techniques it requires real physical skills to be done so it's all real (with slight use of wire-assistance). I don't know how you can say that Yen seems to do alot with the grappling during his fighting scenes when he's actually not doing anything. Yen went through a hell lot to get things to perfection, resulting in his body wearing off and new/old injuries turned on during the shooting process. Injuries don't lie. I don't know what you were watching or what you expected out of the action but it looks nothing but freaking amazing to me, and unlike what we've already seen from the 80s and early 90s HK action movies that has become so washed up today. Yen doesn't look like he's slowing down anytime sooner either, judging by the preview clips and some other people's (that have seen the movie already) opinions. That's why I'm not convinced of your words cause things are contrary in my experience. http://twitchfilm.com/2013/10/review-special-id-has-a-serious-identity-crisis.html I can live with that. Some of Yen's recent movies have gotten bad reviews at Twitch but I ended up liking few of them. There has been comparisons to Flash Point so it's bound to be pretty decent still. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member AlbertV Posted October 18, 2013 Member Share Posted October 18, 2013 Well, here's my two cents...Yen + comedy don't mix??? I take it you never saw Mismatched Couples then. I have to agree, while Yen had been known for his usual kicking style, he has been working more with MMA since SPL thanks to his best friend (and former HK film baddie) John Salvitti (who serves as Special ID's MMA choreographer and is the MMA consultant of Yen's stunt team). I actually like that Yen began adapting more close quarters and grappling...it breaks away from what people would usually expect. So am I still going to see it despite the reviews??? In the immortal words of Steve Austin...give me a HELL YEAH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted October 18, 2013 Member Share Posted October 18, 2013 Well, here's my two cents...Yen + comedy don't mix??? I take it you never saw Mismatched Couples then. I have to agree, while Yen had been known for his usual kicking style, he has been working more with MMA since SPL thanks to his best friend (and former HK film baddie) John Salvitti (who serves as Special ID's MMA choreographer and is the MMA consultant of Yen's stunt team). I actually like that Yen began adapting more close quarters and grappling...it breaks away from what people would usually expect. So am I still going to see it despite the reviews??? In the immortal words of Steve Austin...give me a HELL YEAH! Mismatched Couples, sounds intriguing might have to seek it out!!! When you guys make these references, I'm extremely lazy to search for these films. That's my problem with HK films or foreign films in general is because I have to do a lot of searching and I just can't go pick it up at my local video store. I'm trying to catch up though, I'm almost there!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted October 18, 2013 Author Member Share Posted October 18, 2013 Another so so review. http://filmcombatsyndicate.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-noble-review-special-id.html?m=0 It's rather a so-so review in reverse. Most people criticize the story/acting whereas this review does the opposite thing. And that guy happens to be a big fan of 80s/early 90s HK action movies which explains his disappointment in the fighting scenes. Funny thing is that he likes Flash Point more which is more or less the same as this movie stylistically in terms of action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member TibetanWhiteCrane Posted October 18, 2013 Member Share Posted October 18, 2013 Well, here's my two cents...Yen + comedy don't mix??? I take it you never saw Mismatched Couples then. I have to agree, while Yen had been known for his usual kicking style, he has been working more with MMA since SPL thanks to his best friend (and former HK film baddie) John Salvitti (who serves as Special ID's MMA choreographer and is the MMA consultant of Yen's stunt team). I actually like that Yen began adapting more close quarters and grappling...it breaks away from what people would usually expect. So am I still going to see it despite the reviews??? In the immortal words of Steve Austin...give me a HELL YEAH! Yeah, I own Mismatched Couple, but I still say that comedy and Donnie don't mix. Look at Tiger Cage 2. Still, the comedic stylings of HK cinema has changed a lot since then, so im sure it won't be too bad here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Keung Posted October 18, 2013 Member Share Posted October 18, 2013 The supposed comedic parts in the Ken Lo fight made me cringe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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