Bulletproof Monk: CE

With the string of roles Seann William Scott has played, it’s little wonder he chose to escape them in the role of Kar, the no good pickpocket without a family in Bulletproof Monk. Working with Chow Yun-Fat would also have contributed strongly to the appeal and when the wirework and karate aspects were added to that, where do I sign?

As noted, Scott plays Kar, a thief by day and cinema operator by night, pumping out old karate movies and secretly studying them to learn karate (as we all do in the privacy of our own homes...) When chance throws he and a mysterious Asian fella together, it’s a battle of wills between them as Monk (all we know him by) tells him he is the next chosen one to guard a secret scroll. If read aloud in its entirety, this ancient prayer will give total power to whoever utters it. Throw in a string of Nazi thugs intent on grabbing it to deliver the world from the ‘impure races’, and we get plenty of chases, action sequences and kung-fu fighting like crazy.

"I don’t like monkeys..."

Knowing little of the Bulletproof Monk other than the short stint it had in cinemas and the comic book it’s based upon, I didn’t expect serious melodrama and thankfully didn’t get it. There are plenty of the usual brand of high flying, scorpion kicking, ground defying leapings we’ve come to believe common in fights nowadays and they are done with tongue ever so slightly in cheek. A comic book success story from Flypaper Press, the film isn’t quite the same (or as good) as the comic - in fact it's wildly different - but is still a bunch of fun if approached correctly. Nazi evils reminiscent of Indiana Jones films, Shintaro level mysticisms, Monkey style humour and a healthy dose of good ole American bullshit take this film through a regulation formula format that all will recognise. Man finds boy, boy leaves man, boy likes girl (while she remains unattainable), man gets into trouble, boy finds inner goodness, boy saves day and gets girl. And that’s cool. We should have known going in it would be this way.

There’s some delicious irony thrown in too about Nazis and why they would want a scroll from Asians to remove the world of the ‘impure races’. I loved that. That’s classic comic book irony right there. Naturally, being a comic book film there are comic symbols thrown in all over as well, to bring that edge of drawn reality into the world. Hero standing heroically in heroic rain by heroic church and such, you heroically know what I mean. And to this end the film works as a 100 minute big screen adventure that everyone can enjoy (if wearing the right approach, remember). Don’t expect logic and don’t expect science. Do expect pop zen and popcorn and everything will be fine.

Released recently in cinemas at the widescreen format of 2.35:1, how could this film look bad on our smaller screens if handled correctly? Handled correctly it has been and its 16:9 enhanced goodness emanates from every frame. The deliciously clear picture is razor sharp and practically perfect. Interiors are well lit, shadows are well described and blacks are true to reality. Even better, they’re true to comic book reality, which again helps define this film as a comic book vehicle. Flesh is natural looking and the colour palette is comfortably saturated.

The only fault, if it can be called one, is in some of the dodgy computer aided animation and scenery, plus the goofy wirework. Some of it is just a little bit too stilted for any reality, comic book or otherwise. Still, the same could be said for Daredevil yet it’s a hugely popular title on DVD, so maybe my standards are too high. At any rate...

Such a recent release would naturally get a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround deal, right? Right. And it sounds superb. Apart from an imbalance between levels of dialogue and music, it is practically perfect, just like the video. I found some of the dialogue just a little lowish with the rather heavy musical accompaniments a tad higher. However, both still sound great. The dialogue is well spoken and incorporates some fairly cheesy zen sayings and clichéd catchphrases, but these do contribute to the comic book nature yet again (what bugged me more was the straight face of the director as he discussed them in interviews later on). Well, that all being said, the sound is still very nice and clean of static or noise and other annoying junk.

There’s plenty to keep the comic fans or computer imagery fans interested, that’s for sure. The first installment is a series of five featurettes under the banner The Tao of Monk which run individually for a total of 56 minutes. Enter the Monkis basically the TV making-of and the sales pitch to the consumer, giving us just that tantalising taste of the film. Zen Palette discusses the use of colour in the film and the construction and design of sets and props. I liked this one a lot, but as usual, they keep the mystery by making it too short. Smoke and Mirrors follows and this is the same! It’s too short and a very interesting discussion on the computer animation and hidden effects. Then a brief fling with Eric Serra in The Art of Score (geddit?). He’s the dude who did the ultra-cool music for The Fifth Element (among others) and this is entertaining to say the least, though nothing is divulged we haven’t heard from various other sources throughout the years. Finally Fists of Fury smacks us in the eye as we are taken through the choreography of the fight scenes with Stephen Tung (who last worked on Scooby-Doo which didn’t endear him to me, I’m afraid). Parts of the synch appear to be out in this section too, particularly in some dialogue by Chow Yun-Fat. There is a 'Play All' feature included with these, but that doesn’t remove the start and end credits from each one, unfortunately. Oh well. An interesting bag nonetheless.

The Monk Unrobed is a seven minute featurette on the comic book and its creators which I found very informative. Creator Michael Yanover discusses the character for whom he obviously has a great deal of affection. The original artist on Bulletproof Monk, Michael Avon Oeming, also gets a word in, but this is Yanover’s big chance it seems and he bogarts most of the spotlight.

16 odd minutes of deleted scenes and the lame-o alternate ending come in next and they really aren’t worth the watching. A whole subplot has been effectively removed from the ending of the film and this is where we get to see it. I’m glad they took it out because it sucks. Also, the sound is appalling and there aren’t any special effects added, so it just looks plain dumb.

The last couple are the non-enhanced 1.85:1 theatrical trailer and the photo gallery which is delivered in 4:3 with sidebars for the widescreeners. Only 19 pics here feature some stills from the film and some behind the scenes. Like most photo galleries though, it isn’t much but disc filler.

So, the featurettes win the day in the extras category, supporting a tired bunch of other titbits. Still, an hour of featurettes is pretty good and you really only need look at the other crap once.

(Oh, and one final note: There's an audio commentary to be found on the audio menu. This is the director and two producers discussing the film and they do have some interesting and informative stuff to impart. Not the best I've ever heard, but by no means the worst).

As I’ve noted, this is a fun film and one comic book initiates will enjoy for the stereotyped underground thugs and villainous Nazis involved in the plot to get the scroll. Sure, the idea of a single scroll with some Eastern prayer that gives ultimate power is a little weak and there are serious shades of David Carradine in Kung Fu here, but it seems to be a loving arm around the shoulder, rather than a blatant ripoff. Some sweet moves from Yun-Fat make the fighting worthwhile viewing, though this is far removed from any Crouching Tiger comparisons you might have.

It’s a little silly, sure, but for anyone looking for a fun night in front of the teev without having to think too hard, this is your disc.