Legendary Assassin - Wu Jing directorial debut

Martial Media, Culture and Other Arts Martial Media and Popular Culture
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ok i been staying nyumb about this film mainly because no one really talks about new kung fu films on this bored and then it gets thrown to the back and i feel like i just wasted my time. but screw it, i’ll do it anyway. so here we go.

jacky wu jing who we all know from tai chi master two the series that came after and of course as the total badass assasin in Sha Po Lang(USA Title: Killzone). so wu jing is back and this time he is a co director with nicky li(fight choreagrapher for wu jings last three films) executive produced by paco wong(fatal contact). the synopsis can be read over here

the film stars canto pop star celina jade, who is beautiful(after the whole edison thing i’m kinda over alot of these pop stars, i think they all need to be schooled on what a freaking wax is, gross) as a low level police officer and wu jing as yet another assasin. the story is typical actually, but the fights seem interesting check out the international trailer: Legendary assasin

to me this film seems similar to donnie yen’s film ballistic kiss.

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I’m looking forward to seeing this one.

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Nice! The action looks great. I only watched about half of the trailer. I don’t want to spoil too much because I can’t wait to see this.

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You got that all wrong, Doug

It’s not that we don’t talk about new kung fu films. It’s that we don’t all know about them. I didn’t know about this one at all, but I’ve always respected Wu Jing’s work, so I watch everything he’s put out and am now looking forward to this.

Now this thread probably will fall to the back of the forum until the film gets released and we all review it. That’s just the way it works around here. I post dozens of films that never go anywhere. But some of them do, and those thread get ttt-ed with reviews. And then you get mad props for being the first to bring it to the board’s attention. So keep posting the coming soons. It’s not a waste of your time at all. Many of us really appreciate it. I’m certainly looking forward to this one now. Thanks Doug!

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alright gene i’ll keep posting them. honestly it looks like action films are making a comeback in HK. cause alot of them are coming out. there are three inparticular(gonna stay mum until i get more info on them) that i’m looking forward too. and alot of them are raw a$$ beating action films(i think jackie needs to take note of this when he’s putting out jack’s stuff. but thats another thread)so i’m very excited about this films and also about Coweb(see disciples thread for details).

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If Wu Jing is playing another assassin, this has to be a good one! I loved his role in Sha Po Lang, even better than when he plays the hero. Right now I have no way of accessing the trailer; hopefully soon…

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Dougie

[B]Keep us up to date dude!

SPL was good and Fatal Contact was ok at best. But the fighting in both movies was awesome.

You referenced those pics before…my interest was peaked before and now it is again. Maybe we can work something out…

This new movie sounds like it’s gonna rock.[/B]

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Yeah Doug… don’t be so bitter dude.
I for one will now peep this out.

Peace

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not bitter

any way here a slight update well more like an inside look at the film from the blog of the films heroine celina jade:

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updates galore

okay i let this thread lapse a bit. but now here are all the updates of this films all the way up to its premiere get ready:

Introducing the Characters in Legendary Assassin
Bruce - Wu Jing
A mysterious martial arts expert whose warmth is masked behind his chilly facade. Does things according to animal instinct, possessing the hunch to sense imminent dangers. Destiny has he bumping into an ardent policewoman Holly, giving him a chance to contemplate.

Holly - Celina Jade
A smalltime cop stationed on an outlying island. Optimistic and obstinate, her drive, enthusiasm, foolhardiness and impetuosity of a freshman (except that she’s in fact a woman) inadvertently trigger the latent chivalry within Bruce, and at the same time, affording her the opportunity to bloom.

Guan Gong - Shiu Hung Hui
A veteran cop on the outlying island, treats Holly as her daughter. Appears to be an old fogey who shirks work while awaiting retirement, but is actually a very responsible cop who’d fulfil his duties if need be.

Handsome Bao - Alex Fong
A very narcissistic cop. Meticulous, and enjoys the idyllic life on the island. He dreams of becoming an outstanding artiste. But when the law is challenged, he’d still stand up for justice.

Tarzan - Sammy Leung
The lowest-ranking cop on the island. Acts arrogant to hide his inferiority complex, likes to criticise people. Actually, is a good cop with a kind heart. Carries a torch for Holly.

Uncle Zhi - Ronald Cheng
An eccentric, facetious restaurant owner. Good sense of justice. Running for town council election. Meets Bruce who’s stranded on the island due to typhoon.

Master Ma - Kou Zhan Wen
The boss of the criminal organisation, the world’s most wanted criminal. Agent for drug deals at Thailand-Burma borders. There’s no crime he doesn’t commit. Has killed countless people without batting an eyelid. Arrives on the island to hide from the Interpol, only to be tracked down by Bruce at a temple…

Madam Ma - Aoyama Noriko
Beneath the elegant and gentle masquerade lies the ruthless mastermind behind the criminal organisation who has no regards for law. Takes over the organisation when her husband meets with a mishap and vows to do whatever it takes to retrieve his corpse and seek vengeance.

Wu Jing to Go Solo Directing A Few More Films; Tai Chi Comes Next
At a Legendary Assassin press conference in Beijing, Wu Jing reveals that he’d direct two to three more films: a period movie, a modern actioner, and a comedy, after which he’d step down as a director and just be an actor. And these plans are close to a state of being realised.

He won’t be affected by Legendary Assassin’s box office takings, which the distributor Mei Ah estimates to be around 60m yuan. If the film doesn’t do well enough and no one is willing to finance his movies, he will invest himself.

Wu Jing says that being a director is an important step in his career, and is very grateful to his manager Paco Wong for giving him such a chance. Things went on very smoothly for his directorial debut with Nicky Li.

But Wu Jing next step would be “ditching” his partner, and directing independently. He is ready to move on, returning to that which launched his film career and in which he excels: directing a period martial arts film with Tai Chi as the main theme. The script is almost ready, and it may perhaps let everyone get to know martial arts in a different light. It involves not only Tai Chi handwork, but also weaponry such as Taichi Sword.

Should you haven’t already seen this little gem, you’re strongly encouraged to get Master of Tai Chi, a milestone in martial arts productions.

Legendary Assassin will hold its premiere, to be attended by Nicky Li, Wu Jing, Celina Jade, etc., in Beijing on November 28. Sina,

Legendary Assassin Graphic Novel On Sale
In conjunction with next month’s upcoming release of Legendary Assassin, directed by Nicky Li and Wu Jing, the informative 136-page Legendary Assassin Graphic Novel, essentially a coffee table book in Chinese containing multiple photos of the movie in front of and off-camera, and includes interview with the director, has been launched, and is now on sale at YesAsia.

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Legendary Assassin Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T5rJAFfI1E&feature=channel_page

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the trailer is actually posted already, in the first post actually. but good looking out.

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until the film gets released and we all review it

I liked it. It wasn’t a big film, not something to catapult Wu Jing into the spotlight that he so deserves, but it’s a decent action drama. It has a low budget indie feel, which actually works to its favor. Instead of building artificial sets, they simply shot the natural environment of the island, which is intrinsically interesting from a cinematographic standpoint, especially for Western viewers who have never really been exposed to this part of Asia. It’s an assassin-Romeo and a cop-Juliet tale, parsed with some fine actions scenes, predictable in plot for the most part. The story arc comes together well in the end - again, not mind-blowing, but satisfying. Celine Jade channels Sandra Bullock but that charm failed me in the wake of the Edison scandal. Wu Jing pulls some fine fights, including the crazy last one-against-a-bazillion rain fight scene finale and the monster-giant-fight echoing the Lee/Jabbar (both are teased in the trailer). Wu Jing has crazy kicks and excellent timing, just what you’d expect from a former Beijing Wushu champ. He exudes a cool ‘I can kick your ass’ confidence with smiling eyes and an understated physical power. The film gets a little melodramatic, especially in the training/flirting scene between Wu and Jade (how many of us have lived that scene out for real? ;)) but the pacing didn’t get too slow between fights and there was enough natural environment footage to keep things visually interesting. A modest effort overall, worth the attention of any Wu Jing fan, not his greatest work to date, but as always, it’s interesting to see where he is now.

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yeah i didnt see this yet

idk why, mainly because i been watching all the award films like the wrstler, slumdog millionare etc. but i got my copy so ill get around to it. wu jing is still in my **** list for the unwatchable fatal contact.

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I just saw it. It wasn’t that bad for being Wu Jing’s directorial debut.

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Yeah I agree it is good for his directorial debut. Nothing great, but I liked it a lot more than Fatal Contact and Invisible Target.