Member Graeme Noble Posted May 5, 2014 Member Share Posted May 5, 2014 http://filmcombatsyndicate.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-noble-review-iceman-3d.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted June 14, 2014 Author Member Share Posted June 14, 2014 Review by Kozo. http://www.lovehkfilm.com/reviews_2/iceman_3d.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted June 16, 2014 Author Member Share Posted June 16, 2014 BD and DVD arrives on Friday (20th). http://www.yesasia.com/global/iceman-2014-blu-ray-hong-kong-version/1035891351-0-0-0-en/info.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted June 21, 2014 Author Member Share Posted June 21, 2014 Just got done watching it. Most reviews of this thing are right. I don't know if it was the director or the writers but this was downright terrible and made absolutely no sense. The makers took almost no time building up momentum for key scenes in the story and properly explaining the logic behind the characters' origins and motives and just jumps right away into the essential parts taken from the original film. The result is a hugely uneven film with LOTS of nonsense humor (many "wtf moments from Wang Baoqiang, Yu Kang, and even Donnie himself), incoherent acting performances, and obvious story loops. Unlike the original, the makers also couldn't balance seriousness and comedy at all and watching it was like watching several types of films rolled into one. It got to the point were I scratched my head thinking what the hell they wanted to achieve and whether they lost it somewhere along the process of making the film. The narrative is so confusing. That being said, I think Donnie's action is the saving grace. I especially enjoyed the nightclub fight scene and the finale on the bridge which features creative fight choreography (don't expect the usual HK style exchanges of punches, kicks, blocks< because it's mostly situational and seeks dramatic tension), wirework, decent-looking CGI, all shot and edited exceptionally well. And something that surprised me: It has the same sound design from SPL, Flash Point, and Ip Man films which gives the impact of the hits and blocks an edgier/meaty feel to it. However unfortunately, they aren't in great numbers and, beside the ones I mentioned, they aren't lengthy either so what's present aren't enough to hold the whole film. Overall, it's yet another good example of bad remakes as well as one of Donnie's worst films in recent times -- easily making Special ID look much better in comparison -- which has now given me little hope for the sequel being good in its' entirety (I'm sure the action will be good). Rating: 3/10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted June 21, 2014 Administrator Share Posted June 21, 2014 Noooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dammit, why? It's a cool idea, they've got the talent... Why can't they make a great film? Well, as usual I will hold out hope and decide for myself when I see it. I pre-ordered the HK 3D BD. Will I regret it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted June 21, 2014 Author Member Share Posted June 21, 2014 Well, like you said, it's better to decide for yourself and not listening to other opinions so I think it's unfair for me to give a straight answer. But yeah, I (for one) think the story's terribly executed while there are some people out there liking the film for what it is. Looking forward to your own verdict of the film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted June 21, 2014 Administrator Share Posted June 21, 2014 Well, like you said, it's better to decide for yourself and not listening to other opinions so I think it's unfair for me to give a straight answer. But yeah, I (for one) think the story's terribly executed while there are some people out there liking the film for what it is. Looking forward to your own verdict of the film. Well, it shipped today from DDDHouse, so I'll let you know what I think in 7-14 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Arts Posted June 28, 2014 Member Share Posted June 28, 2014 I've managed to get my hands on the 3D Blu Ray today, came from DDDHouse, just started watching it, paused it to do some lunch and popped on here while lunch is cooking to see if anyone is talking about it, i know i cant judge a film 14mins into it, but already its giving me some very bad vibes.. Strange Humor/Editing being the main concerns... Alas, i shall crack on with the film after i've eaten... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted June 28, 2014 Member Share Posted June 28, 2014 Preview. 9iTzP578luw What the hell was that ?! Chinese versions of the Ghost Rider and Captain America ?! But while that stuff looks very OTT, it's still fun to watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted June 28, 2014 Author Member Share Posted June 28, 2014 It's obviously inspired by those films. But the film is supposed to be OTT so I had no problem with the wirework and CGI. I think Donnie did a good job with the action choreography although I prefer the stuff he did in Dragon Tiger Gate (similar style of fight choreography, more and longer fight scenes from him too). The real problem is the film itself, the script lacks depth and character/story development and there's no hint of letting us know when the story should be taken seriously, comically, or dramatically which the original handled so well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted July 1, 2014 Author Member Share Posted July 1, 2014 Some action scenes from the film. Welcome back, edgy/meaty Donnie sound effects. CBdQI7cLXyw 8bZ7y2yKn_k Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member kami Posted July 2, 2014 Member Share Posted July 2, 2014 Like DiP I liked the action for what it is, imaginatively choreographed fantasy action with lots of wire-stuff but well done. The rest of the film I didn't really care for. The vulgar humor didn't fit in the supposedly epic story with its huge conspiracies and there was a surprising lack of wonder when Donnie first wandered the streets of modern HK. His Yuen Biao-counterpart in ICEMAN COMETH was stunned by the technical achievements of then-modern society and the social changes whereas Donnie is largely unimpressed and after 5 minutes uses a tablet like nobody's business. Furthermore, the dialogues and the acting are often quite terrible, even the dependable Simon Yam is not really convincing. There certainly are worse Donnie Yen-movies, but there are a lot more better ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted July 4, 2014 Administrator Share Posted July 4, 2014 Like DiP I liked the action for what it is, imaginatively choreographed fantasy action with lots of wire-stuff but well done. The rest of the film I didn't really care for. The vulgar humor didn't fit in the supposedly epic story with its huge conspiracies and there was a surprising lack of wonder when Donnie first wandered the streets of modern HK. His Yuen Biao-counterpart in ICEMAN COMETH was stunned by the technical achievements of then-modern society and the social changes whereas Donnie is largely unimpressed and after 5 minutes uses a tablet like nobody's business. Furthermore, the dialogues and the acting are often quite terrible, even the dependable Simon Yam is not really convincing. There certainly are worse Donnie Yen-movies, but there are a lot more better ones. I went in with high hopes, but very low expectations (after reading all the negative reviews). I was very surprised- I enjoyed it thoroughly! As I read Kami's comments I agree with almost everything that he (or she) didn't like, yet... somehow... I found the whole thing very charming, funny, and exciting. For whatever reason, I went into it without high hopes for tons of action, so I wasn't disappointed. There's nothing here that will top anything that Donnie has done before, but I was still entertained. The club fight and the climactic battle are cool, and the wirework seems like it belongs in this OTT context. The city at night looks so gorgeous in this film! Simon Yam's hair is really weird, as is the look of the lead actress. She's an odd looking young lady (and dreadfully thin), but still, an appealing enough comedic actress. The "toilet scene" did seem to come out of nowhere! The 3D effects were cool. Looking forward to part 2. On a side note: the HK Blu-ray features two trailers and three- yes, count 'em- three "making of" specials! Woo-hoo! Oh wait. All together they add up to only about 7 minutes of running time. What little there is, is great, and it appears that Donnie was very creative on the set as far as script, direction, action, and everything else goes. Wish they would have hooked us up with the "Special Feature" goods we fans deserve. I'd give it a 7 out of 10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted July 4, 2014 Author Member Share Posted July 4, 2014 Looking at the movie as a mere comedic fish-out-of-water story makes sense, no lies. When I watched the film I was expecting the exact same plot points and twists from the original so what ended up being surely had a huge affection on what I thought as a whole. Still, one has to understand this film knowing at least the fundamentals from the originals and I still say that most things in this remake doesn't make sense to me. Things jump-starts from plot point to plot point without fleshing the main characters (Ho Ying, Sao and San Ko) properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member kami Posted July 5, 2014 Member Share Posted July 5, 2014 The movie is not nearly as bad as it's being claimed in many reviews, Sean's one in SilverSpleen in particular. And given how supposed classics like the LUCKY STARS movies which are total crap in regard of story and humor are still celebrated I find it strange that ICEMAN gathers so much hate. And it's the 3rd Donnie Yen-film in a row to be so little liked. @Kung Fu Bob I am a "he" but I can appreciate the open mindedness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted July 5, 2014 Member Share Posted July 5, 2014 It's a bad film. Very bad, actually. But for some reason it's watchable. In fact, it may even be so bad that it comes right around to being entertaining again. I simply cannot explain "Iceman." The comedy is awkward and out of place, the drama is weird and unnecessary and the action? What action? Thee are two fights in the film and one of them is less than three minutes long. And yet I didn't HATE it. I kind of almost enjoyed it. But it is a BAD film. Compared to other recent films, I enjoyed "Tom Yum Goong 2" and "Once Upon a Time in Shanghai" way more than this one. It just seemed messy. "TYG2" may be a nightmare in most respects but it works as a dumb action film. "Iceman" is half-arsed in regards to drama, comedy and action. It's such a weird film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted July 5, 2014 Administrator Share Posted July 5, 2014 Yup, I agree. This film is a mess. It's not a "good" film. Yet somehow, I still felt entertained from start to finish and never thought WTF throughout it's running time. Maybe it's because it remains consistently true to itself the whole time? It doesn't pretend to be something it's not. Why did I cast such a critical eye on THE WHITE STORM, but I am so forgiving to ICEMAN? Well, at times THE WHITE STORM shows real brilliance, which makes the dumb-as-a-stump moments so very jarring. ICEMAN is a big silly film that never claims nor appears to be anything but that. If Donnie had fallen into a lake filled with crocodiles in ICEMAN and come out unscathed, it would've been okay. But it's not okay (for me) in a film that presents itself as a serious crime/drama. I do think the filmmakers should have taken more advantage of the shock of modern day technology, customs and life to the main character. That stuff is always entertaining, and since they've spread the film out into two movies you'd think they'd have had the time to do so. Despite this, I still found it to be a fun time. As for Donnie's other recent films... here are some thoughts on them... THE LOST BLADESMAN (2011) I think this film is highly underrated. It has some problems, but for a little guy like DY to play General Kwan so convincingly was impressive. Plus, I really dig the action. I don't know why this never got an R1 release (even AN EMPRESS AND THE WARRIOR got one!), but it definitely deserves one, and would undoubtedly reach a much bigger audience if it did. WU-XIA (2011) A much better drama/mystery than an action film. Some of the action is killer, but there's some really awkward wire-work in there too. Amazing performances (Jimmy Wang Yu is evil supreme!), and authentic looking period-piece in every way. The nuances of the film are gutted by the film's US release editing. SPECIAL ID (2013) A really poorly written and directed film with fantastic action scenes. For a guy decades past what most consider an action star's prime, I think he's doing pretty good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted July 5, 2014 Author Member Share Posted July 5, 2014 I agree about The Lost Bladesman and Wu Xia and would add The Monkey King (Yen's best acting performance to date) along as well in regards of good films Yen's made recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted July 5, 2014 Administrator Share Posted July 5, 2014 I agree about The Lost Bladesman and Wu Xia and would add The Monkey King (Yen's best acting performance to date) along as well in regards of good films Yen's made recently. I only excluded THE MONKEY KING because I haven't seen it yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted July 5, 2014 Author Member Share Posted July 5, 2014 Since you like Iceman you should give The Monkey King a try. Maybe you'll end up liking that film better, who knows Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted July 5, 2014 Administrator Share Posted July 5, 2014 Since you like Iceman you should give The Monkey King a try. Maybe you'll end up liking that film better, who knows Oh I definitely will. I like the legend of the Monkey King a lot. Plus, I was born in the Year of the Monkey so I feel a certain obligation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member kami Posted July 6, 2014 Member Share Posted July 6, 2014 Despite sometimes lousy CGI The Monkey King is the better film compared to Iceman. But in most reviews it was ripped almost as much as Special ID and Iceman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted July 6, 2014 Member Share Posted July 6, 2014 Despite sometimes lousy CGI The Monkey King is the better film compared to Iceman. But in most reviews it was ripped almost as much as Special ID and Iceman. Despite the bad reviews, I'd still like to check out these 3 films. TMK has great looks, Iceman looks ridiculously OTT and Special ID, well, it's just out of curiosity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted July 6, 2014 Member Share Posted July 6, 2014 "Iceman," while pretty shoddy, is infinitely more entertaining than "The Monkey King." THAT film is almost unwatchable. I don't understand why "The Lost Bladesman" is so underrated. It really is a great film and miles ahead of some of Donnie's other work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted July 6, 2014 Administrator Share Posted July 6, 2014 Glad to hear the varying opinions on THE MONKEY KING. I'll let you know what I think once I watch it. I don't understand why "The Lost Bladesman" is so underrated. It really is a great film and miles ahead of some of Donnie's other work. Okay, I'm not alone on this. Watch THE LOST BLADESMAN people! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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