Leng Feng doesn’t have any superpowers… he’s just the fastest, strongest, and smartest soldier on the field. Rambo was no different at a certain point in time, and I don’t begrudge a whole nation enjoying a morale boost from their on-screen heroes. It’s naked and right there for all to see. I actually kind of like the jingoism of these films. There’s a plague-like disease involved, an African kid sidekick, some drone warfare, and a general reverence for the superiority of Chinese character, strength, will power, and so on. There in Africa, Feng gets embroiled in an international incident involving a small army of mercenaries led by the villainous “Big Daddy” (the indomitable Frank Grillo). With a more, ahem, “lone wolf” approach, Leng Feng finds himself kicked off of the special forces team and relocated to Africa. Wolf Warrior 2 is, by all accounts, a better film than its predecessor. I just wish he’d been able to execute the film better. The overall premise of a kind of Chinese Rambo is an admirable one that I’ll absolutely grant Wu Jing. It felt manic and had a sophomoric sense of humor, as well as a reach beyond its grasp regarding visual effects and set pieces. That film, with Cinapse favorite Scott Adkins playing the western heavy, swung wildly from comedy to nationalism to brutal fight film. Wolf Warrior was apparently a big enough hit to warrant an even bigger sequel.
It’s also by far the best sequence of the entire movie, resulting in an action blockbuster that constantly feels like it’s not living up to its potential. It’s a bravura action set piece unlike virtually anything audiences have ever seen before. In the opening moments of Wolf Warrior 2, director and star Wu Jing’s super soldier character Leng Feng swan dives off the side of a boat being ambushed by pirates, and proceeds to foil the siege entirely underwater. Glorious Box Office Numbers Do Not A Great Film Make
0 kommentar(er)
