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Bodyguards and Assassins (2009)

Directed by Teddy Chan

Most recently watched by sensoria, krazykat, noahphex, jenerator

Overview

In 1905, revolutionist Sun Yat-Sen visits Hong Kong to discuss plans with Tongmenghui members to overthrow the Qing dynasty. But when they find out that assassins have been sent to kill him, they assemble a group of protectors to prevent any attacks.

Rated PG-13 | Length 139 minutes

Actors

Viewing History (seen 1 time)


Date Viewed	Device	Format	Source	Rating
10/17/2019	TV	DVD	Library	6 stars
				(Average) 6 stars

Viewing Notes

Had this not been billed as a high-flying martial arts extravaganza I likely would’ve enjoyed it more. Rather it’s a period piece set at the turn of the century when Hong Kong, under British rule, was a refuge for those escaping the Qing Dynasty in China. Has plenty of melodrama sprinkled over the historical accounts of one revolutionary chased by assassins and those “bodyguards” tasked with protecting him.

Even tho this movie features an all-star cast, another reason I’m a bit lukewarm on it is that the action is often hyper-realistic w/superhuman battles and wire-work… within this tense historical piece set in 1906. Kinda jarring to see these incredible feats of strength and damage taken when it’s not a fantasy tale or a complete embellishment of the story. Both Cung Le and Hu Jun are the primary super-assassins and man these guys can dish it out and take it. I like that Donnie Yen is just a regular guy with some skills. Leon Lai shows up for a 1 against a small army. Neat but a tad over the top given the context.

Maybe it would’ve been a better film had it just been a historical thriller and keep all the super-fight wire-fu out of it.

I was happy to finally get the DVD from the library b/c the only other option was via Hoopla which would’ve meant viewing on my iPad. Really didn’t want to do that for a nearly 2.5 hour film. Took about 3 or 4 months to get it from the library (my guess is that it was lost then found). Good thing since there are a decent amount of extras incl. cast interviews and a bunch of featurettes. Was cool to hear and see the actors / director / writer talk about the characters and story. Really cool to see Donnie Yen take over the action direction and see him set up the shots and sequences. Also confirmed that he was wearing a skullcap for his film scenes b/c his head always looked weird in the movie. In the BTS footage he has a full head of hair between takes!

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