A Superb Wing Chun Made Superior
Added 10/26/2009
This is an exhilirating and highy entertaining movie. A raging unstoppable river of [...]-kicking. The biggest box-office hit in Vietnamese history and one of the year's most talked-about films. The REBEL is a sweeping martial arts epics set in the 20's French-occupied Vietnam. Johnny Tri Ngujen (the Protector) starts as an elite double agent tasked with taking down his own country's freedom fighters. However, when he meets a beautiful rebel (pop star Veronica Ngo), he rethinks his loyalthy to the oppressive French regime and fights back against his sadistic captain (Dustin Tri Nguyen, TV's 21 Jumped Street). Featuring an acrobatic fighting style rarely seen in the US and an absolutely gripping story, THE REBEL is entertaining mix of martial arts and historical drama. CAVEAT: I looked at the movie over and over again because of its unique martial arts style. An article that Vietnamese martial style (yes it has a name, as Israel martial art also has a name but I forget)is an improvemnent of "Wing Chun" appeared sometime ago in TIME magazine. But, Wing Chun seldom kicks above the belt and in order to maintain balance, acrobatics is largely avoided. Tae Kwon Do, which is 70% kicking has a similar but distinctly different kick. My best bet is that the kicking style of Vietnamese martial art is derived from Savate.The closest I have seen such kicking is from the later part of "Kyokushinkai Karate Complete", a martial arts renowned for its brutality.
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First-rate
Added 9/20/2009
I wasn't expecting much from this movie, but I was intrigued because I haven't seen many Vietnamese movies, and though I enjoy martial arts films I'd never seen a Vietnamese one. Actually, according to Veronica Ngo in her extended interview on the bonus disk, this is the first. But, though it might be the first martial arts film with a Vietnamese director and cast, it ranks with the best that HK has produced. An interesting story, great characters and action, wonderfully executed.
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The Rebel is sneaky! (In a good way)
Added 9/20/2009
This movie is from Dragon Dynasty, enough said right? Wrong! If you are a martial arts film afficionado, you will enjoy this flick because you will watch it from beginning to end. The movie lets you know right away that it is not the normal chop-sockey flick. The Ngyuen's, (almost everyone in the flick), kick [...] all over the screen; from fake out no-shadow kicks, to brain jarring elbow smashes to the cranium! When you get to a part that makes you scream, "That must be the best scene!", it will sneak up and spin-kick itself back onto your 'watch-again-and-get-ready-to-push-pause' list! Don't let this one pass you by. Take a minute to read the ads on the dvd case, and then prepare to watch those descriptions come to life. Excellent entertainment.
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Not a great martial arts movie, a GREAT MOVIE
Added 5/17/2009
This movie is fantastic. The incredible martial arts choreography and physical talent of the stars is only one facet of a truly multi-dimensional work. In fact, it is extremely deep, and is as much a dramatic historical tragedy as it is a rousing action film.
Most martial arts movies use historical settings as either an excuse to let the kicks fly, or perhaps as a rallying point for historical and national pride. This movie goes far beyond those flimsy constructs. It deeply probes the colonial nightmare of Vietnam: the humiliation of occupation, the way it tears at every level of the social fabric, from city life, to villages, to institutions, to families, and male-female relationships. The way it corrupts the colonizers and the colonized. And the movie shows the true cost of rebellion: that one must be prepared to sacrifice life as one has known it...and the cost of rebellion will be paid by many more people than the individual who chooses to rebel.
The national pain of Vietnam is given no easy catharsis through rebellious violence, either. Indeed, the message of the movie seems to be that for all the physical power of the characters, nothing could change the inevitable grinding of the logic of colonization and conflict that gripped the country. The acts of rebellion the movie depicts certainly lead to more bloodshed, tragedy, and pain than any kind of triumph. The personal redemption of the hero is won through the blood and suffering of those around him.
For those looking for some great fight scenes (as I was when I put it in my player), it certainly doesn't disapoint. The gritty fights remind me of the choreography of Sammo Hung - but with the added flair of the traditional Vietnamese forms, and the high-flying style of the star, Johnny Nguyen.
The movie also features wonderful period sets, and the lush and beautiful scenery of Vietnam, both of which are characters in and of themselves.
In conclusion, this is an exciting and important film that should appeal to many different audiences, and which provides real insight into both the national identity and historical consciousness of Vietnam, and into the nature and social ramifications of colonization itself.
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Dustin Nguyen Plays An Ecellent Villain!
Added 5/17/2009
I wanted to see this movie for a couple of reasons, I love action movies and I'm a huge fan of Dustin Nguyen. I remember him from his days on 21 Jumpstreet, opposite Johnny Depp(who I also adore). Dustin has generally always played honorable characters. His role in The Rebel as Sy is breath taking to watch. Nguyen gives the character such charisma, unpredictability and sly wit that you almost forget he's the bad guy. Out of all the actors in this movie, I'd say Dustin Nguyen is by far the most enjoyable to watch. He gives a remarkable performance.Even with salt and pepper hair, Mr Nguyen still makes me melt.
The movie is extremely well written and very well acted. There is other eye candy in the movie:Johnny Nguyen(no relation) who plays Sy's rival and the beautiful Veronica Ngo. This movie was an incredible escape for me from the minute it started untl it ended. Do yourself a favor, buy this one. If you rent it, you'll end up buying it. It's THAT GOOD!
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