The Lost Bladesman (2011)

[hardz]

Don't get me wrong I love Donnie and have followed him from the moment I saw Drunken Tai Chi all those years ago (even met him when he came to the UK, way back in the day), so my expectations of this movie were high.

Creative action sequences are a result of all factors coming together as one, these include (but not limited to), not just a new move here and there followed be a pose, but lighting, music, sweeping camera angles and slow-motion to enhance the moment.

Case example is the spear in the rain sequence in Hero. A near perfect example of all elements coming together.

There's nothing close to this in Lost Bladesman.

The biggest disappointment was the extended fight in near total darkness....what the hell is the point to choreographing an intricate sequence if the audience can't see it?

Didn't Donnie and the Director sit in a theater before releasing the final cut to see how it actually looks on the big screen?

I'm not against dark scenes because if they are done well, it can really be awesome.

I absolutely loved 14 Blades for example.

Bottom line is, to most non-Chinese, the story isn't going to mean too much and watching a Donnie Yen movie is about the thrill of the action.

My girl and I sat through Legend of the Fist and couldn't wait for them to stop talking (every film needs a story and good acting but not at the expense of the pace) and get on with the action.

The difference is, LotF delivers in the action parts where as Lost Bladesman does not.

[Ramji]

Saw this at the Terracotta festival last night too and thought it was pretty awesome! I did wonder if the projectionist had screwed up somehow as the fight scene hardz is talking about did seem way too dark which was a shame. You could just about see there was some awesome stuff going on but at the same time couldn't really make it out.

Apart from that, this film was 10 times better than 14 blades, and I knda like that film too. The visible fight scenes rock and it's Yen style choreography a la SPL, DTG, Flashpoint but with big ass Guan Dao's instead!

Can't wait to watch again. Nice music too.

[DiP]

Creative action sequences are a result of all factors coming together as one, these include (but not limited to), not just a new move here and there followed be a pose, but lighting, music, sweeping camera angles and slow-motion to enhance the moment.

That's exactly what I'm talking about. Firstly, the main concept of the fight choreography is something we haven't seen in wu xia action movies since the Shaw Bros era and relies mainly on real physical skills and quite a bit of realism than heavy use of wirework and exaggerated movements. And add to that that Donnie was able to get a nifty execution (nothing that resembles the likes of the Shaw Bros choreographers, Sammo, Ching Siu-Tung or Yuen Woo Ping) out of the action thanks to his expertise and the help of his co-stars which is also a reason Donnie's work is new. Secondly, as always with Donnie's movies, filmmaking does play an important role when showcasing and complementing action set-pieces which can be traced way back to when he directed his first movie. I see a style here associated to Donnie only that shows distinction, quality and overall satisfaction. Camerawork, editing, slomo, music etc. I don't know about you but I got exactly what I wanted. Hard-edged, swiftly, attentive and refreshing action set-pieces that only Donnie can produce for Hong Kong action movies nowadays.

Case example is the spear in the rain sequence in Hero. A near perfect example of all elements coming together.There's nothing close to this in Lost Bladesman.

To me, it's the other way around. The fight scene in Hero is good and for what Donnie and Jet displayed it's really an eye-candy and the surroundings is also a plus. But the choreography itself is typical Ching Siu-Tung stuff; fast movements that almost go everywhere to the point of looking performed than realistic and the kind of wirework that he loves doing (floaty). Good choreography and CGI but not on par with Ching's work in the mid 90s (like Dragon Inn). The Lost Bladesman had MORE guts breaking away from that kind of convention of redoing to the process of creating.

The biggest disappointment was the extended fight in near total darkness....what the hell is the point to choreographing an intricate sequence if the audience can't see it? Didn't Donnie and the Director sit in a theater before releasing the final cut to see how it actually looks on the big screen?

I can't really comment on this but I, like Ramji, suspect it's got to do with the print. Let's see when the DVD/Bluray comes out.

[Karlos]

Post Deleted

[Space]

I did wonder if the projectionist had screwed up somehow as the fight scene hardz is talking about did seem way too dark which was a shame. You could just about see there was some awesome stuff going on but at the same time couldn't really make it out.

It's art.

It was a harkening back to Legend of the Wolf.

[blue_skies]

The biggest disappointment was the extended fight in near total darkness....what the hell is the point to choreographing an intricate sequence if the audience can't see it?

Didn't Donnie and the Director sit in a theater before releasing the final cut to see how it actually looks on the big screen?

I'm not against dark scenes because if they are done well, it can really be awesome.

I absolutely loved 14 Blades for example.

Bottom line is, to most non-Chinese, the story isn't going to mean too much and watching a Donnie Yen movie is about the thrill of the action.

not.

I always think that fights in darkness are an excuse for sloppiness. I think they know the action isn't great and hide it in darkness. I haven't seen this film but honestly wouldn't be surprised if it was deliberately graded darker. You don't spend all the time preparing the choreography for a long extended sequence, the time to shoot it and all the money involved just to make it unwatchable. There must have been a decision along the way to hide those deficiencies.

Bottom line is, to most non-Chinese, the story isn't going to mean too much and watching a Donnie Yen movie is about the thrill of the action.

not

I have to agree with that, at least from my point of view, which is why I don't rush to see Donnie Yen movies anymore. Sure the production values, story, acting are far superior to most of his early work. However, I find all too often that there aren't the same action thrills in his films. Too much drama and stories that don't really entertain enough. Combined with too little martial-arts action , and in many of his recent films, just isn't delivering the goods. Donnie Yen is making better films but with the exception of a few, his talents are wasted on this conveyor belt of endless martial-arts dramas.

[QueMuchita]

I kind of agree but at the same time you must understand these movies aren't made for fans like us, they are made more for the local Chinese audience.

[DiP]

I always think that fights in darkness are an excuse for sloppiness. I think they know the action isn't great and hide it in darkness.

Or that "less-lit" fight scenes can be attributed to other few factors like different prints available that don't measure up in quality until or unless they are remastered.

Before you start assuming further for the worse, let me just say that you're over-imagining for nothing and don't need to worry. There's footages and making-of's that shows bits of that particular fight scene. The gaffers lit the scene more than enough for the cameraman to see where to shoot. Also have in mind that this is just the early stage of the movie being released so we can side with the fact that versions circulating online and have been handed to festival folks aren't possibly the way it's supposed to be seen. We should wait till the movie's out on DVD/BD before confirming this "flaw".

I have to agree with that, at least from my point of view, which is why I don't rush to see Donnie Yen movies anymore. Sure the production values, story, acting are far superior to most of his early work. However, I find all too often that there aren't the same action thrills in his films. Too much drama and stories that don't really entertain enough. Combined with too little martial-arts action , and in many of his recent films, just isn't delivering the goods. Donnie Yen is making better films but with the exception of a few, his talents are wasted on this conveyor belt of endless martial-arts dramas.

Your opinion is the reason I find most of his old movies less thrilling than they used to be (still entertaining nonetheless). But let's be realistic for once. Donnie has been in the film business for more than 30 years and already proved himself many times as far as fighting goes. And now that some people (from my experience) are getting picky with action movies, he's making brave attempts to revive action movies with not just putting all effort into choreographing fights but using the central film medium as whole to try out new and different things with playing roles and associating himself with fresh characters. He has also learned, experienced and seen a bigger picture of using filmmaking and achieving breakthroughs through various filming aspects to get great results out of the action is where he's putting his heart into. With that said, he isn't making movies for specific people anymore but to everyone so many things has to be considered and compromised. I honestly can't see how this is a waste for him at all since he's doing it for those that truly love his movies (not just his prowess). He is setting bigger goals and likes to make big changes in action movies.

I'm not sure what you really want with martial arts movies or that you just want to get action-packed movies but there's loads of other options for you out there that suits your preference better. Like you said, there's room for both action movies with more action and less story/acting and vice versa. I know you've been on about this whole "action should be about the action and nothing else" thing for quite some time now which I can understand (but don't entirely agree with) but I see no point with ranting about this on almost every thread concerning a new movie starring Donnie if you know you ain't going to get what you want.

[Karlos]

I'm 50 minutes in or thereabouts (the subs packed up!)

Gotta say, so far this yet another mediocre outing from Mr Yen.

I don't mind at all a MA film not having tons of action, provided the story, characters, etc. are interesting and entertaining.

That ain't the case here.

[David Rees]

Am going to watch this later tonight. I see dvds on Ebay already, these must be bootlegs surely?

LOST BLADESMAN DVD EBAY

[Karlos]

A screener has been on the net since late last week - perhaps it's this.

The subtitles are generally appalling, however.

I found one set of subs that was very good, the others - not so!

[SMK]

DESCRIPTION
Donnie Yen has been making some action packed films as of late, Ip Man, Ip Man 2, 14 Blades, Bodyguards and Assassins, just to name a few. This video is a behind the scenes look at his latest blockbuster release, The Lost Bladesman. Not only does Donnie star in the film, but he also served as the action director.

POINT OF INTEREST
1:11

 

 

[BaronK]

Must have been a bad print. As to the fight against many in the big building, most of the fight is not in darkness. I can make out what is going on with no strain at all.

As for the fight behind the doors, the first instant that they closed the doors I was disappointed. Then as soon as it was over, I realized what they did and I loved it. It's artistic and implied.

[MarsHarmony]

I look forward to seeing this very much. Looks epic!

[Karlos]

I finally got thru it last night and it’s kind of OK but again, there’s a flatness to the story (as there seems to be with all these historical films that are the current vogue) and characters that slows the film down, with only the sporadic fights to almost enliven things.

(To be fair, the wonky subtitles didn’t help, especially with the epilogue scrolls not being translated at all – very irritating!)

On the plus side, the fights – when they do come – are well shot for the most part, with (as BaronK said) the “behind closed doors” fight impressing purely from a style POV.

Also of note, the actor playing Cao was superb, but that’s it as far as anything out of the ordinary goes in that department – Donnie’s chosen facial expression for this film being “purturbed”.

Maybe Wu Xia will be better, but am I the only one who’d swap Donnie’s “churn em out” current crop for just one truly awesome flick?

[ShaOW!linDude]

Maybe Wu Xia will be better, but am I the only one who’d swap Donnie’s “churn em out” current crop for just one truly awesome flick?

You mean if he did something like Tiger Cage 2 Pt 2?

[DiP]

Maybe Wu Xia will be better, but am I the only one who’d swap Donnie’s “churn em out” current crop for just one truly awesome flick?

I have no complaints. Donnie's output, like any other actor, have been inconsistent good or bad. I think the Ip Man movies stands out as movies and 14 Blades is good while the rest that I've seen as of now fall into decent (still very entertaining) efforts at best.

[thehangman]

Saw this yesterday was pretty dissapointed,bland story and none of the fight scenes stood out for me.

[David Rees]

Here is my mini review:

There have been many historical drama's in recent years set in these turbulent times in China's history but i think this type of film is finally running out of steam.

Lost Bladesman is on of the better efforts with a less complex story and a compelling set up in which our hero must battle against the odds. Donnie Yen is again very good in the lead role, he seems to be maturing as an actor, although his sheer volume of work recently must be taking its toll. The film does feel disjointed in places and doesnt really do anything new in a genre which needs fresh ideas.

The action is very well staged as you would come to expect, with the one of best fights being in a narrow alleyway with Andy On, on horseback and off!

There are some frustrating aspects too. A fight in a watermill is lit so darkly that you cannot really see what is going on, which makes it very annoying to watch. Also another scenes has Guan take on a whole school of fighters but when the fight starts a big gate closes so you dont get to see anything, just hear it, then the gate opens again to show bodies everywhere. This might be a very "artistic" way of shooting the scene but it feels very frustrating for the viewer watching it!

Overall a good period action / drama, good performances from all involved with great hard hitting weapons based combat for action fans.

7 OUT OF 10

Read my longer review on my blog.

ASIAN CULT CINEMA

[Charuto]

Watched this last night. It's just decent--6-6.5/10. It was definitely an interesting take on Cao Cao. I thought it was hilarious when he was talking down Donnie...

936

01:38:06,880 --> 01:38:08,190

Do you not understand this?

937

01:38:08,960 --> 01:38:10,160

Because of a woman,

938

01:38:10,460 --> 01:38:11,810

A woman that doesn't love you,

939

01:38:12,280 --> 01:38:13,700

You turn your back on the world?

That's from the sub file obviously. Guan Yu as a simp and Cao Cao being a voice for the greater good... :bigsmile:lol

[/spoilerS]

[daisho2004]

I just watching this lat night and I think David Rees and his review was pretty much spot on! I think this movie could've been made into 2 parts, it kinda just ends, and I wanted to see more. I agree with the fight scenes the Alleyway fight was really good. Donnie is just at the Top of his game!

[DiP]

Yeah, underrated movie. I think it's a better movie than Bodyguards & Assassins, 14 Blades and Legend Of The Fist.

[daisho2004]

DiP: I agree with you, I just wanted more of a story, I think it would've been a much better movie broken down into 2 parts.

[DiP]

I felt the same. I understand they wanted to make their own version of the legend behind Guan Yu by trying to portray him as humanly as possible for which they succeeded. But there's so much missing so a sequel/prequel would be essential at this point.

[daisho2004]

True you could do both to really explain all about him!