Beat the World (DVD Review)

DVD review of Canadian hip hop dance film Beat the World starring Tyrone Brown, Sho-Tyme, Chase Armitage, Christian Loclair, Stephanie Nguyen, Kristy Flores, and Lil'C


Image: Courtesy of eOne Films.

Writer/Dir: Robert Adetuyi (Turn it Up)
Cast: Tyrone Brown, Mishael Morgan, Sho-Tyme, Chase Armitage, Christian Loclair, Stephanie Nguyen, Kristy Flores, Shane Pollard, Nikki Grant, Christopher Toler (Lil'C)
Canada, 2011

Reason to see: Canadian film that fuses dance with parkour? That's made for me!

I was so excited to hear about Beat the World, a Canadian dance film with a crew that decides to blend parkour with hip hop. Great place to start! Turns out that it actually follows three streetdance crews from around the world on their way to the Beat the World competition in Detroit. The crews all all have their own dramas and challenges along the way.

The film mainly focuses on the Fusion, the Windsor group that is working with fusing street and parkour including Yusan (Tyrone Brown) who actually serves as the films protagonist, Justin (Chase Armitage) the London boy who brings the parkour action, Cherry (Nikki Grant) and familiar faces to dance fans Easy (Sho-Tyme) and Deray (Christopher Toler aka Lil'C). I have to admit that seeing both Sho-Tyme and Lil'C were HUGE highlights of the film for me as I'm a fan of both of them. We also have Maya (Mishael Morgan) as a part of the Windsor folk, not as a dancer but she is Yusan's girlfriend and plays into the romance of the film and the larger story of the challenge when dance and the rest of life collide.

Circling around the globe we also have Berlin crew Flying Steps featuring loverboy/player Eric (Christian Loclair) and Nina (Stephanie Nguyen) and the Brazil crew Revolustion led by the not-so-responsible Carlos (Shane Pollard) and also includes (Olivia) Kristy Flores. These crews don't get as much screen time, but I did really enjoy seeing Stephanie Nguyen (Streetdance), she's a beautiful and versatile dancer and gets a fair amount of screen time dancing here, as well as some time with the larger story as well - and her character is fierce.

Beat the World is a dance film at heart and pretty much keeps to the formula of a competition based dance film, of having drama with romance, jealousy and the conflict of doing something new versus sticking to the tried and true. The dance and the parkour are where the film really shine, giving the viewer lots of great sequences to enjoy throughout the entire film. There are tons of talented dancers here, and it was a joy to see them, specifically Sho-Tyme, Lil'C, Stephanie Nguyen and Christian Loclair. On the parkour side of things Chase Armitage was amazing, I am always floored to see bodies so swiftly in motion - and the DVD extras have some great stuff on the parkour side of things. Truly amazing.

I do have to point out though that the pacing of the film through me for a bit of a loop, there were certainly moments where it felt like what was happening couldn't have happened in the time given or that sequences that were supposed to be over time were all filmed at the same time. But, it's a dance film at heart and the dancing is where it's at. Plus, huge added bonus was that Sho-Tyme delivers one hell of an actor performance. Who knew? He totally blew me away. Fun times.

DVD Extras:

• Behind-the-scenes Featurette (8 minutes) film clips, behind the scenes, and interviews with writer/director Robert Adetuyi, actor/parkour choreographer Chase Armitage, actor/choreographer Sho-Tyme, actor Tyrone Brown, Nikki Grant, Lil'C on the film, their characters and often specifically about their personal connection to their characters in the film, the films theme of love and love for dance, the idea of fusing parkour and hip hop, the authenticity of portraying a streetdance crew and lots of behind the scenes on the parkour training and rehearsing.
• Parkour Featurette (7 minutes) 3RUN: The Team Behind the Film - interviews with 3RUN co-founder Sam Parham, 3RUN director (and Beat the World actor/parkour choreographer) Chase Armitage and 3RUN athletes Cole Armitage & Mathew Kaye on parkour, free-running, martial arts and the art of movement, plus discussing how 3RUN began, how they work together, how they got connected with the film, making their own films and nice selection of test footage with really impressive selection or free running in a variety of settings from nature to gyms to urban settings.

Beat the World is available on DVD and BluRay as of June 21, 2011. Check it out over at Amazon.ca (DVD), Amazon.ca [Blu-ray] & Amazon.com (DVD), Amazon.com [Blu-ray]

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it, especially the dancing & parkour
I'll watch it again
I'd recommend it to dance film fans

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011


Chase Armitage (Justin), Teresa Espinoza (Fusion Dancer), Sho-Tyme (Easy), Nikki Grant (Cherry) in BEAT THE WORLD Photo by Sophie Giraud Courtesy of eOne Films


Lil'C (Deray), Chase Armitage (Justin), Tyrone Brown (Yuson) in BEAT THE WORLD Photo by Sophie Giraud Courtesy of eOne Films


Fusion Dance Crew in BEAT THE WORLD Photo by Sophie Giraud Courtesy of eOne Films


Mishael Morgan (Maya) in BEAT THE WORLD Photo by Sophie Giraud Courtesy of eOne Films

Mega Python vs. Gatoroid (DVD Review)

DVD review of the awesome cheese-fest, monster vs monster SyFy flick Mega Python vs. Gatoroid starring 80's singers Tiffany and Debbie Gibson.


Image: Courtesy of eOne Films.

Dir: Mary Lambert (Pet Sematary, The In Crowd, Clubland)
Cast: Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, A Martinez, Kathryn Joosten
USA, 2011 (DVD release)

Reason to see: I listened to a review or if on Tuning into SciFi: Saturday B-Movie Reel and it sounded like bucketloads of fun.

Who could resist a monster film that stars Tiffany and Debbie Gibson and has a vs. in the title? I couldn't. No way, no how. I knew I had to see Mega Python vs. Gatoroid and since it's a SyFy original I was thrilled to see it get a DVD release so I could finally see it in all it's cheesy glory. And there is a lot of cheesy glory.

In Mega Python vs. Gatoroid we have Chief Ranger Terry (Tiffany) as the law enforcement trying to ensure the antsy locals hunters don't hunt the oddly under norm alligator population in the estuary. Enter Dr. Nikki (Debbie Gibson), animal activist who is pro-let nature take care of herself and does some of her own tampering to 'balance' things out. On paper the 80's singers feel like they would be on the same page, but nothing could be further from the truth. At odd at every step, the added vs. in the film is none other than Terry and Nikki!

The film is ridiculous and enjoyable in every way. The dialogue is hilarious, the plot is more than ridiculous and the effects are very obvious, but the film made me laugh at every turn. It's over the top at every step, and I had oodles of fun watching it. I loved Kathryn Joosten who plays another ranger Angie, and also serves as a no-fuss no muss mom-like character Tiffany and I adored her 'I'll take care of it' attitude, regardless of the ridiculousness of the situation. We also have Dr. Diego Ortiz (played by A Martinez!), as the non-local but close-enough who seems to know everything they need about the nature, science and tech side of everything - plus he can pilot a helicopter. Pretty awesome, eh?

Overall, Mega Python vs. Gatoroid is a boat load of fun. It's completely cheesy, sassy and knows exactly who it's audience is and caters specifically to them. If you like your cheese, this is totally for you and is extra special goodness for folks of the Tiffany/Debbie Gibson rivalry generation. I had so much fun watching it and easily would watch it again.

DVD Extras:

• Featurette (11 minutes) behind the scenes, film clips and interviews including with director Mary Lambert, stunt coordinator Steve Hart, visual effects supervisor Mark Kochinski and actors Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, Kathryn Joosten and A Martinez on what drew them to the project, working together, on the characters and the drive of the characters and the fight scene, the campy nature of the film, working with real animals, the inspiration and creation of the effects, the challenge of working with effects and they even touch on the legacy of the rivalry between singers Tiffany & Debbie Gibson.
• Trailer

Mega Python vs. Gatoroid is available on DVD and BluRay as of June 21, 2011. Check it out over at Amazon.ca (DVD), Amazon.ca (BluRay) & Amazon.com (DVD), Amazon.com [Blu-ray]

Shannon's Overall View:
It cracked me up
I'll watch it again
I highly recommend it as a campy monster movie

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011


Debbie Gibson in MEGA PYTHON VS. GATOROID. Courtesy of eOne Films.


Tiffany in MEGA PYTHON VS. GATOROID. Courtesy of eOne Films. / A Martinez in MEGA PYTHON VS. GATOROID. Courtesy of eOne Films.

Reverend's Reviews: Modern Gay Classics on DVD

Longtime fans of independent queer cinema will probably find it hard to believe that it's been 20 years since Todd Haynes' Poison hit the screen. The controversial anthology of three mini-movies exploring the darker side of the gay experience debuted at the 1991 Sundance Film Festival and won its Grand Jury Prize. It also won the prestigious Teddy Award at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Poison is being re-released today by Zeitgeist Films as a special, remastered 20th anniversary edition DVD. Packed with rare extras and a 16-page booklet, it provides an excellent opportunity to re-discover the film or see it for the first time. The success of Poison enabled Haynes to write and direct such popular queer titles as Velvet Goldmine, Far from Heaven and the recent HBO miniseries adaptation of Mildred Pierce.

The filmmaker's classic opens with the foreboding words, "The whole world is dying of panicky fright." Haynes then intersperses scenes from the stylistically-diverse "Hero," "Horror" and "Homo" over the next 85 minutes. The first is a mock TV news report of a boy who kills his sexually abusive father and then, inexplicably, flies away. "Horror" serves simultaneously as a black & white homage to 1950's B-movies and as a metaphorical account of the AIDS epidemic, focusing on a well-intentioned scientist who isolates the human sex drive with devastating results. "Homo," inspired by the work of gay writer Jean Genet, is a dream-like but disturbing romance between two prison inmates. All three stories are beautifully photographed by Maryse Alberti and Barry Ellsworth.

Upon its release, Poison was denounced by conservative commentators such as Ralph Reed and the American Family Association's Donald Wildmon. They objected to both Haynes' subversive, pro-gay commentary and the graphic nudity and sex depicted in the "Homo' segment, especially since the film had received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. Of course, many more critics — including J. Hoberman (whose original essay from The Village Voice is included in the DVD's booklet), David Ansen and Richard Corliss — lauded the movie.

Poison also launched the careers of producers Christine Vachon and James Schamus, who have supervised many of the most significant independent films of the last 20 years. Schamus eventually became president of Focus Features, which released Far from Heaven, Brokeback Mountain, Milk and the current Beginners. He and Vachon as well as Haynes are featured in a special 20th anniversary Q&A about their achievements. As made clear by the new, remastered DVD, the impact of Poison has been far-reaching.

1981's German production Taxi zum Klo (in English, Taxi to the Toilet) has left a similar mark on queer film history and was also recently made available on DVD in a 30th anniversary Director's Cut by QC Cinema. It was written and directed by Frank Ripploh, who also stars as a respected schoolteacher with a secret gay life. Set in West Berlin, it has been hailed as "the first masterpiece about the mainstream of male gay life." While dated in some respects and perhaps not the most positive portrait of our community by today's standards, Taxi zum Klo is nonetheless an enduring testament to the gay experience, then and now.

Reverend's Ratings:
Poison: A-
Taxi zum Klo: B-

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

DVD Releases for June 21, 2011

Time to take a look at a selection of DVD releases for Tuesday June 21, 2011!

• The Adjustment Bureau This science fiction/romance starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt will easily be one of my favourite of the year. Highly recommend.
• HappyThankYouMorePlease (DVD Revew) Absolutely fantastic drama centred of life, love and friendships. Highly recommend.
• The Eagle (DVD Review) I rather enjoyed this sword & sandals adventure starring Channing Tatum & Jamie Bell, based on the novel The Eagle and the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• Beat the World (DVD Revew) Canadian dance film following a streetdance crew that mixes up hip hop and parkour for a competition in Detroit. Dance fans will recognize familiar faces here like Stephanie Nguyen (Streetdance) and Lil'C, plus a special treat with a stand out (dancing & acting) performance from Sho-Tyme.
• Mega Python vs Gatoroid (DVD Revew) It's pythons vs gators in the all out smackdown SyFy film that faces off the monsters as well as it's 80's singing cast of Tiffany vs. Debbie Gibson. Hilarious.
• Funkytown Patrick Huard stars in this French Canadian 70's set film centred on club culture. I really, really, really want to see this one.
• Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen stars Donnie Yen and Shu Qi and looks awesome from the trailer.
• Day of the Triffids recent UK science fiction/disaster miniseires based on the novel by the same name by John Wyndham starring Dougray Scott, Joely Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave, Eddie Izzard and Brian Cox.
• Film Socialism Jean-Luc Godard's latest which mostly seems to rub folks the wrong way.
• Love's Kitchen Wow more stars Dougray Scott! He stars alongside Claire Forlani and Chef Gordon Ramsey in food centric film that's also called No Ordinary Trifle
• Medium: The Final Season The last season of the Patricia Arquette series following a psychic who works for/helps the police in this procedural crime TV show.
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules sequel to Diary of a Wimpy Kid more chaos will be unleashed! Stars Zachary Gordon and Devon Bostick.
• Cedar Rapids Convention set comedy starring Ed Helms, John C. Reilly and Anne Heche.
• Unknown this Liam Neeson self-discovery through action was previously announced to be on DVD a while back but it appears that it's actually out today.
• Battle: Los Angeles This alien invasion/war-ensemble cast human drama was one of the happy surprizes of the year so far. It came out last week (June 14, 2011), however at the time I couldn't for the life of me find it listed anywhere. It is listed everywhere, now. Enjoy!

Titles on Amazon.ca(Canada):


Titles on Amazon.com (US):


Funkytown and Film Socialism not currently available on Amazon.com

The Eagle (DVD Review)

DVD Review of the historical adventure epic The Eagle starring Channing Tatum & Jamie Bell, directed by Kevin Macdonald, based on the book The Eagle and the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff

Image: Courtesy Alliance Films, Legal Line © 2011 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. Distributed exclusively in Canada by Alliance Films. All Rights Reserved. Oscar(s)® and Academy Award(s) ® are the registered trademarks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

Dir: Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland, State of Play, Touching the Void)
Cast: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong
UK/USA, 2011

Seen: February 11, 2011 at Scotiabank

Reason to see: It's on my list of Most Anticipated Films of 2011 (#19), I'm a big fan of both Channing Tatum & Jamie Bell as well as having a general love for Sword & Sandals films.

I had quite the experience leading up to seeing The Eagle, initially being really excited about it but then starting to read the book but not totally digging it. Then I got excited again, but reigned it in after the trailer which felt pretty spoilery. Then I got excited again, and then heard a chance mentioning that again felt super-spoilery. That meant that going into the film, although I was still rather excited about it and it is on my Most Anticipated Films of 2011, my expectations ended up being pretty low which I'm not all that thrilled about but in the end I did up seeing and enjoying the film.

Set in 140 AD Roman Britain, The Eagle follows Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum of Step Up, Fighting, Dear John), a new centurion whose family is thought of not in the best of lights as his father was part of the Ninth Legion who disappeared along with the eagle standard. Although Marcus is the clear protagonist in the film, it's just a hair away from feeling like a double protagonist with the introduction of the slave Esca (Jamie Bell of Billy Elliot, King Kong), whom together become an unlikely and reluctant duo. I was initially a little leery of Channing Tatum in a period piece although I'm a big fan of him as an actor it was just the accents and dialogue I was worried about but but they made some interesting choices to completely negated that issue. I was suprized but relieved at that as it really settled him into the world and then from there we were treated to one of beautiful and unique things about Channing Tatum, which is the ability to present a balance of physical strength and adeptness along with a sweet emotional range and sensitivity with believability, and that is essential to the character of Marcus. I also continue to he impressed with Jamie Bell whose presence and performance here is fantastic, although I have to admit I didn't always understand his character, which feels in part intentional but I still wanted to know more.

The film presents fascinating explorations of power, from power dynamics to powerlessness to being judged for things that are out of your power. These ideas presented a complexity to the characters that I wasn't expected and found continually engaging. The heart of the film really is a quest for restoration and redemption, and I was surprized to see the amount of heart in the film which could easily been swayed to be simply a sweeping historical action/adventure. It certainly has both action and adventure, but for me it was the character journeys that kept me interested and engaged and hungry for ore. One of the big highlights of the film was the Seal People, their costuming and design was fantastic, as it feels both in-your-face and also serves as camouflage. The actors who portrayed them had a fantastic physical presence and together with the design was such a delight.

I think it's important to note that the film is based on the first in a series of children's novels (The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff), so it's follows the lines of an adventure film, even though the characters are adults. It certainly fits in the sword & sandals genre nicely and is very much of the quest variety, but also serves up a fair amount of action and a lot of heart in the characters journeys. Overall, I enjoyed it and I'm already looking forward to seeing it again.

DVD Extras:

• 2 versions of the film: Theatrical Version & Unrated Version
• Feature Commentary with director Kevin Macdonald challenges of the film in terms of the story of The Ninth and incorporating the back story, the locations of where the film was shot in comparison to the setting and time period where the film was set, research and history of references and moments of the film, the casting - particularly locals in various regions, working with the actors, the actors working together, the characters and their stories, character motivations, the challenges of the film in particular doing a major a fight scene for the first time and keeping scenes dark but not too dark, notations to different cameras used, the choice and limited use of CG and lots of discussion around the music and themes. The commentary discusses the alternate ending, so I definitely recommend checking that out first and then listening to the commentary and discussion around the different endings.
• Alternate Ending (4 minutes) very different ending from the theatrical version in terms of comment, content & tone although does have a nice consistency with the film and the original ending. I think I actually prefer the alternate ending although I can understand why the theatrical version was chosen instead.
• Deleted Scenes (2 scenes, 6 minutes) Really great scenes here, I can only assume they were cu for pacing as I'd have loved to see them in the film. It includes one scene I remember from the book (I'm impressed I remembered it) that's pretty exciting and the second is a great insight and more in depth look at the relationship between Marcus & Esca.
• The Eagle: The Making of a Roman Epic (12 minutes) film clips, behind the scenes and interviews with director Kevin Macdonald, producer Duncan Kenworthy, military advisor Paul Hornsby, sword master Richard Ryan, production designer Michael Carlin, prop master Muffin Green, set decorator Rebecca Alleway, and actors Channing Tatum & Jamie Bell on what drew them to the project, background on the history that inspired the book, connection to the book, also looks at the characters, their motivations, challenges and their journey together. I loved that here was a lot of behind the scenes on location and in rehearsal of putting together the armies, the locations and the fight sequences and how much of the locations were build and how so much of the props and sets were made from real materials specifically for the film. The making has an occasional voice over which is a choice I've not often seen in making of's recently, and it guiding us through the different bases it touches on and gives it a slight made for TV feel to it and because it does go into depth of certain aspects of the film including characters, moments and locations I would highly recommend watching it after seeing the film

The Eagle is available on DVD and BluRay as of June 21, 2011. Check it out over at Amazon.ca (DVD), Amazon.ca [Blu-ray] & Amazon.com (DVD), Amazon.com [Blu-ray]

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'll watch it again & and read the book
I'd recommend it to folks who like historical adventure films

Also see: All 2011 Films Reviewed, Most Anticipated Films of 2011, 2011 Book to Film Adaptations or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011
Originally reviewed for Theatrical Release - February 14, 2011


Channing Tatum (right) stars in the Roman epic adventure THE EAGLE, an Alliance Films' release directed by Academy Award® winner Kevin Macdonald. Photo Credit Matt Nettheim


Jamie Bell (left) stars in the Roman epic adventure THE EAGLE, an Alliance Films' release directed by Academy Award® winner Kevin Macdonald. Photo Credit Matt Nettheim


Tahar Rahim stars in the Roman epic adventure THE EAGLE, an Alliance Films' release directed by Academy Award® winner Kevin Macdonald. Photo Credit Keith Bernstein

Super 8

Writer/Dir: J.J. Abrams (Lost, Star Trek)
Cast: Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Riley Griffiths, Ryan Lee, Gabriel Basso, Zach Mills, Amanda Michalka, Kyle Chandler, Ron Eldard, Joel Courtney, Zach Mills
USA, 2011

Seen: June 17, 2011

Reason to see: It felt SciFi, which was enough for me!

I had a feeling I was going to enjoy Super 8 from the can't-really-tell-what's-going-on trailers that give you a science fiction *and* 70's feel, that brings you in enough without saying to much. And that feeling was bang on because it is (late) 70's set and science fiction, and to be honest that's enough for me. But add that it follows a group of kids who are making a movie, and well... I wish I wrote the dang thing!

We follow Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney) who is friends with aspiring director Charles (Riley Griffiths) who has set the summer project of making a movie. The ragtag team of friends includes prone-to-explode stuff Cary (Ryan Lee), acting leading man Martin (Gabriel Basso) and Preston (Zach Mills) as well as leading lady Alice (Elle Fanning of Somewhere). Lovingly set in the late 70's there is a great nostalgic tone to the film plus it allows for a setting where the kids can get themselves into all kinds of good trouble without things being dire. Or course trouble does seem to find a way to find them anyway. That's were we get into the science fiction and thriller elements of the film. But I love that even among them we have a strong emotional through line with the realism of the emotional journeys of the kids. From challenging family situations to sweet buds of romance everything reads true. I loved how no one was glamed up and no one was over the top, they all just felt like regular kids and regular families even if they weren't perfect. In fact, no one was perfect - maybe that's what made it feel so real!

There were so many things to enjoy about the film, I loved that it's an ensemble cast even though we follow Joe, who isn't the leader of the group of friends or the leading man in their film, he's just a kid trying to do his best in the situation he's in. He's often playing against the trying relationship he has with his dad (played by Kyle Chandler), his friendship with director Charles as well as 'the girl' Alice. We also get more family drama between Alice and her Dad (Ron Eldard), and somehow even though it's set in a pretty small town they avoid the cliche's it could have easily fallen into. Instead we get honest characters who earnestly do their best in extreme circumstance. I love that.

The kids are great band of ruffians who are surprizingly good actors holding the film as their own for the majority of the time. At times I felt like I was watching a Robert Altman film with kids, with them talking over each other lots going on with all of them at the same time. I was particularly impressed with the performances by Elle Fanning, Joel Courtney and Ryan Lee. Overall, Super 8 was highly enjoyable and easy to recommend. There are some scary elements to it which is the only reason I can't no holds barred widely recommend it, but for most people it will just adds to the excitement. Super 8 has some of my favourite moments I've seen on film this year so far and I can't wait to watch it again.

Side note: I also have to admit that I love Super 8 just a touch more than an average film for the fact that the trailers were pretty spoiler free. J.J. Abrams proves time and again that not only can this be done but that it adds to the experience of seeing the film. When I think of projects he's been involved with from Star Trek (2009) to Cloverfield to the TV Show Lost, they all have the element when seeing the story unfold in the moment has power and meaning and the marketing thankfully finds a nice balance of intrigue but stays spoiler free. It can be done! Yay!

Shannon's Overall View:
I really enjoyed it
I'll happily watch it again
I highly recommend it, especially to sci fi fans and/or to anyone who likes to get nostalgic over the 70's

Also see: All 2011 Films Reviewed and All Film Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011

True Legend / Su Qi-Er

Dir: Yuen Woo Ping (Iron Monkey)
Cast: Vincent Zhao, Zhou Xun, Andy On, Guo Xiaodong, Jay Chou, Michelle Yeoh, David Carradine, Gordon Liu, Cung Le, Luxia Jiang, Will Liu
China, 2011

Seen: June 18, 2011

Reason to see: Martial Arts films are a yes for me!

True Legend / Su Qi-Er is a historically set martial arts film following two brothers: the family man & successful Su Can (Vincent Zhao) and the power hungry adoptive brother Yuan Lie (Andy On). Add a branch on that family tree to intertwine them even tighter as Su Can is married to Yuan Lie sister Yuan Ying (played by Zhou Xun).

I'm going to keep it the plot just that simple as with historical films it's sometimes hard to find the right place to draw the line between knowledge and spoiler. And to be honest, sharing more about the plot might be a little challenging as I felt that the film veered of in a few directions that made it feel a bit clunky and almost confusing. But, don't let that stop you from seeing it because at the heart of it we are really following the great characters who are on very interesting journeys. Personally, I loved the Yuan Lie, who was totally creepy and fascinating character and oddly I could connect to him more than protagonist Su Can's tormented journey to and away from martial arts in an effort to protect his family and maintain his sanity.

The draw of this film is pretty strong. The characters are interesting, the setting are gorgeous and the action is spectacular and in a martial arts film that's more well than enough than I need. There are lots of great sequences with both Vincent Zhao and Andy On along with several other actors and in particular I loved Luxia Jiang and Will Liu as Iron Maiden & Iron Clad. Totally cool Plus, we also have a sliver or two of the supernatural and spiritual with characters like God of Wushu / Drunken God (Jay Chou of The Green Hornet) and Bearded Man (Gordon Liu of Heroes of the East / 中華丈夫) given the film and insightful depth and unique perspective. I also really enjoyed the art direction, production design and a lot of the transitions.

True Legend / Su Qi-Er is a slick film on multiple levels. It has great action, awesome production values and interesting journeys. The story confused me a little a times, but I think on multiple viewings it might come to a clearer, and I certainly intended to watch it again. Fun times.

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'd watch it again
I'd recommend it to martial arts film fans

Also see: All 2011 Films Reviewed and All Film Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011