The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies
The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies |
- From zero to hero
- Bruce Lee's Hong Kong home to go on sale
- New Bond film 'Skyfall' gets royal red carpet premiere
| Posted: 24 Oct 2012 03:01 AM PDT This sequel sees a dim-witted man's journey to becoming a Tai Chi Hero. OUT to debunk the impression that tai chi was a sedate form of exercise mostly practised by old folks, the makers of the Tai Chi trilogy pulled out all stops to come up with a hard-hitting form of the martial art in an effort to crank up the cool factor for its younger crowd. For those who watched Tai Chi 0 (also known as Tai Chi Zero), welcome to its sequel Tai Chi Hero, where the protagonist Yang Luchan goes from zero to hero. The cast of the oriental steampunk feature comprises Jayden Yuan Xiaochao, Angelababy, Eddie Peng, Tony Leung Kar Fai, Shu Qi, William Feng, Daniel Wu and Yuen Biao who worked with action director Sammo Hung and tai chi experts to create a modern jaw-dropping kung fu style. A genuine martial arts exponent, Yuan, 24, who was Asian Games 2006 and 2010 gold medalist (Men's Changquan Wushu), makes his acting debut as Yang Luchan, a fool who fights against impossible odds, gets the girl and becomes the future of tai chi martial arts. Portraying his love interest is Angelababy, 23, whose pretty Chen Yuniang is a traditional physician as well as an accomplished kung fu exponent. Tai Chi Hero is also part two of the Tai Chi trilogy and picks up from where the first one left off. Basically, the story tells of how Yang had an unusual growth on his head that would make his kung fu more powerful but at the same time threaten his life. Advised to learn Chen-style tai chi as a remedy, the dim-witted Yang is saved by a warm-hearted Yuniang, who marries him and puts him on a rigorous training programme to reverse the effects of the growth. In his director's statement, Hong Kong filmmaker Stephen Fung, 38, said: "Tai Chi is an action adventure trilogy about a hero's journey that takes place within an 'altered history' universe. Instead of working in the realm of a clear historical background, it mixes elements from different eras in China's past and brings together different film genres in a unique way. "When it came to how the film should look, producer Chen Kuo Fu and I were in complete agreement that we needed to create something fresh that would appeal to a younger audience. "As fascinating as the true history of tai chi martial arts may be, our intention was never to preach about its philosophy. Instead, we let the true spirit and philosophy of tai chi seep into the story naturally whenever it serves the purpose of the narrative. "I am a huge fan of the steampunk genre and animation, especially the works of acclaimed Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki. Making Tai Chi has allowed me to step outside the boundaries of a specific genre and to incorporate so many elements that inspire me." The movie was filmed on location in an abandoned village hidden within a valley located three hours north of Beijing, where the production team created an idyllic new world with an ancestral temple, an outdoor market, a post office and a bank. Since the film is not faithful to any period, it employs elements from different historical eras and Japanese animation to create something new. Influencing the design at every stage is the fact that each citizen of Chen Village practises tai chi martial arts in their daily lives. This determined not only the architecture of the village streets, but also the interiors such as the shelving within the medical store where Yuniang works. Great attention was given to the smallest details to reinterpret traditional designs. For example, Yuniang's bedroom was carved into the side of a mountain above the village with its own luscious garden courtyard. There is a small bridge that one must cross to enter that also serves as a viaduct for its elaborately designed watering system. Inside the bedroom, there are antique books, intricate ornaments and a chess table from art director Tim Yip's personal collection. Tai Chi Hero kicks its way into local cinemas tomorrow. |
| Bruce Lee's Hong Kong home to go on sale Posted: 24 Oct 2012 02:21 AM PDT HONG KONG - Kung fu legend Bruce Lee's former residence in Hong Kong will be put up for sale after a plan to turn the property into a museum dedicated to the icon failed, a report said Wednesday. Philanthropist Yu Panglin, who owns the mansion, which became a rundown 'love hotel', said he was planning to sell the property for HK$180 million ($23 million) after talks with the government for the museum collapsed last year. "I'm no longer considering (the museum plan) since the government is not supportive," the 90-year-old billionaire told Hong Kong's Chinese-language Singtao Daily in an interview. "I'm running out of patience, I don't want to wait anymore," he said, adding that the hotel owner had failed to pay rent for two years due to poor business, with the property in urgent need of refurbishment. Lee's legions of fans have long-demanded a significant hometown tribute to the Chinese-American star, who died in 1973 at the age of 32 after helping to bring martial arts to the mainstream with classic kung fu films such as "Fists of Fury" (1971) and "Enter the Dragon" (1973). However they were left disappointed after the Hong Kong government shelved the museum plan in June last year, saying it failed to reach a consensus with Yu following two years of negotiations, without giving details. Yu told Singtao Daily the government rejected his proposal to expand the mansion - Lee's last residence - by adding three floors to include a cinema, library and martial arts training centre, which were his conditions to donate the property. The 5,000 square-foot (460 square-metre) two-storey house in Hong Kong's upscale residential district of Kowloon Tong was turned into a short-stay hotel with rooms rented for as little as US$25 an hour, usually to amorous couples. Yu could not be reached Wednesday for comment. The star died in Hong Kong after a severe reaction to medication. His fans have criticised the lack of a larger memorial to their hero in his hometown, except for a statue on the waterfront Avenue of Stars. Authorities said in October last year a gallery would be set up in Lee's honour at the government-run Hong Kong Heritage Museum. |
| New Bond film 'Skyfall' gets royal red carpet premiere Posted: 23 Oct 2012 06:14 PM PDT LONDON: Daniel Craig thrilled James Bond fans in London Tuesday when he stepped onto the red carpet with co-stars Judi Dench and Javier Bardem for the world premiere of the 23rd Bond film "Skyfall". Craig, making his third outing as Bond, said it had been a "real honour" to play the role in the franchise's 50th anniversary year, as he swept past a giant 007 logo and the secret agent's favourite Aston Martin. The rugged Craig stars with Dench, again playing his controller 'M', and Spaniard Bardem as the spy's latest nemesis Raoul Silva. Heir to the British throne Prince Charles attended the screening, which fittingly took place amid the regal splendour of the Royal Albert Hall. Critics have declared the 23rd Bond film one of the finest in the British secret agent's half century on the silver screen. The prince hailed Bond as "the most famous secret service agent of all time" in a letter included in the screening's programmes. The release of "Skyfall" has special resonance because it is half a century this month since Bond strode stylishly into a film for the first time in "Dr No". "It is just a real honour to be part of it and to have a chance to make a movie in this 50th year," Craig told Sky News on the red carpet. "There is nothing quite like it, but this feels even more special for me than the ones that have gone before," Craig said of the premiere. In "Skyfall", Britain's foreign intelligence agency MI6 comes under attack, leaving Bond to hunt down the threat. Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes hands 'M' a more prominent role than in recent Bond adventures, giving Dench a chance to develop her testy personal relationship with Craig's inscrutable 007. "There was lots more to explore - a continuation of what has been happening to us over several years," Dench said at the premiere. "I boss him about all the time." She said the Bond films remained popular 50 years on because "he (is) just very British" and "a hero that we love". Even for a veteran of dozens of films, acting in a Bond movie was a unique experience, Dench told BBC TV. "It is quite different from any other film. And they make you very, very welcome and they make you feel part of the franchise and part of the family." Mendes meanwhile described taking charge of his first Bond film as a nerve-wracking experience. "You're looking after something that is public property and you have to treat it properly," he said before the screening. "I just wanted to make a film that I would like to see. If you spend too much time worrying about the Bond the world wants to see, there is no perfect Bond. "And I just wanted to channel my inner 13-year-old boy," he said. Other luminaries include Ralph Fiennes and Ben Whishaw, playing a younger version of Bond's gadgets man "Q" than his predecessors Desmond Llewelyn and John Cleese. "Skyfall" opens with a spectacular scene in an Istanbul market but returns to home ground with a terror attack in London. In his two previous outings in "Casino Royale" and "Quantum of Solace", 44-year-old Craig has played Bond as a brooding presence, which critics say is far closer to the agent portrayed in the novels by his creator Ian Fleming. Craig said he hoped "Skyfall" would show a lighter side too. "It's a good, dense storyline but it's adult in many ways. It's also got a lot of fun in it, and people might be surprised by the fact that there's a lightness of touch in the movie that hasn't been in the last two," he told Time Out magazine this month. Time Out's critic found it a "highly distinctive Bond movie", praise echoed by most reviewers. The Daily Mail on Tuesday touted it as a candidate for the "best ever" Bond film with Bardem "one of the scariest" ever villains while the Daily Telegraph suggested Dench could be in line to pick up an Oscar for her performance. The Bond franchise has gone on to become one of the most successful in history, with the 22 films released so far taking more than five billion dollars (3.85 billion euros). - AFP |
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