The history of kung fu films is related with examples showcasing actors, directors and sub-genres.
I spent more time copying down titles than I did watching the actual film. The hour 16 duration seemed longer because of this. The actual pacing of the film was absolutely breakneck speed. It was packed with information and examples. There were no interviews, but the subject matter interested me a great deal. Between examples, there was a cartoon of a video store clerk (the narrator) explaining kung fu flicks to a silent man. I really appreciated the on-screen text of film titles with years so I could add to my movie list. The audio was mixed well, considering the variety of sources and reputation of old kung fu films for bad audio. I did not like the narrator's voice. He sounded like a college frat boy: too young, excited and trying to sound cool. A more academic and scholarly approach would have worked better for me. This has a 6.6/10 on IMDB and 56% on rotten tomatoes for a failing grade of 61%. I think that this is a little harsh, considering the information density. I rate it o.k. because it was full of titles and examples of good films, but the presentation was a little too annoying.
No comments:
Post a Comment