Sunday, July 10, 2005
INITIAL D
Featuring: Jay Chou, Anne Suzuki, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Chapman To, Edison Chen
Brief Synopsis: Does the local tofu driver become the best in his area against the superpowered machines that are Evos?
Comments: I know people have compared it to The Fast & The Furious and there are some similarities obviously what with racing cars, some of the camera angles, both films have humans etc. But what Initial D was a big hit in Japan with its Manga comic books and then films so it has a storyline of its own and not at all Hollywood influenced. However I've not read/seen any of the Manga comics/films so there will be no comparison from re: them.
Obviously the cars are the stars. The races are great fun to watch, they are always tense and whilst you have an idea of who is going to win, you never know how and in what style. And people will never look at the Toyota AE86 in the same sad way again. There could have been a problem with racing down the same road, again and again and again, in that cinematically, it could have been very boring and repetitive but race after race, you don't get that feeling at all.
If it was all about racing, it might have been dull but the storyline would still appeal to a non-car or non-racing fanatic. There are, of course, some driving explanations by the mentor but it is not enough to complicate (and bore) the film or take away the story of the main protangonists. There is also a vaguely romantic subplot involving a childhood sweetheart to parallel with his father's life. Jay Chou is a little stiff in his first major acting role (can someone look so relaxed whilst driving up/down such a windy road? - surely you must have at least 2 hands on the steering wheel) and unless this was deliberate, I have to say that I thought he played the character in way to show that he was err not mentally all there! The rest of them are fine if a little stereotyped (some of the other racers especially in their matching uniforms), with Chapman To again providing most of the laughs in the film.
Things to learn from this film: Every man has to find a world that they are comfortable in.
Rating: 7 /10
Featuring: Jay Chou, Anne Suzuki, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Chapman To, Edison Chen
Brief Synopsis: Does the local tofu driver become the best in his area against the superpowered machines that are Evos?
Comments: I know people have compared it to The Fast & The Furious and there are some similarities obviously what with racing cars, some of the camera angles, both films have humans etc. But what Initial D was a big hit in Japan with its Manga comic books and then films so it has a storyline of its own and not at all Hollywood influenced. However I've not read/seen any of the Manga comics/films so there will be no comparison from re: them.
Obviously the cars are the stars. The races are great fun to watch, they are always tense and whilst you have an idea of who is going to win, you never know how and in what style. And people will never look at the Toyota AE86 in the same sad way again. There could have been a problem with racing down the same road, again and again and again, in that cinematically, it could have been very boring and repetitive but race after race, you don't get that feeling at all.
If it was all about racing, it might have been dull but the storyline would still appeal to a non-car or non-racing fanatic. There are, of course, some driving explanations by the mentor but it is not enough to complicate (and bore) the film or take away the story of the main protangonists. There is also a vaguely romantic subplot involving a childhood sweetheart to parallel with his father's life. Jay Chou is a little stiff in his first major acting role (can someone look so relaxed whilst driving up/down such a windy road? - surely you must have at least 2 hands on the steering wheel) and unless this was deliberate, I have to say that I thought he played the character in way to show that he was err not mentally all there! The rest of them are fine if a little stereotyped (some of the other racers especially in their matching uniforms), with Chapman To again providing most of the laughs in the film.
Things to learn from this film: Every man has to find a world that they are comfortable in.
Rating: 7 /10
Comments:
dunno abt the Jay CHou not being all there factor - busy concentrating on how good that dreamy eyed look of his can get and trying not to laugh at the Taiwanese trying hard to speak cantonese accent....
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