I know the parts I found funny probably weren't intentional and a result of bad dubbing, but other parts were hilarious! One part I couldn't stop laughing at was when Jet Li's son asked if he was wearing underwear, and Jet Li said 'No, it's breezier,' all the while staying dead serious. I was literally crying I was laughing so hard.
hehe that was funny. i rented this movie and watched it last night... one of the other many funny parts is when he's doing those body finger push-ups... tapping the ground and going 3 ft into the air... did they mean for that to be funny?
a lot of the elements of the movie are well known in Chinese culture and have been utilised in numerous other films. The destruction of the shaolin temple by the ching emperor, the rebel red lotus society, etc. This movie makes fun of them or uses them as a structure for other jokes. I really dont think their is any historical basis for a shaolin master who was also a wax taxidermist? Also a lot of stuff would just be off period. Dynamite? The one scene when red beans mom dies always gets me though.
I'm stunned! I don't know is this the best comedy, or the worst martial arts movie I ever watched. Director of this movie (Jing Wong) must have been inspired from Ed Wood's movies. Probably it wouldn't be so funny if dubbing wasn't so poor.
im thinking that most of the material in Jet Li's movies that come off as hilarious, are not a result of bad acting. I truely believe he goes hand in hand with Jackie Chan's acting style, where you get both the comedy and the intense fight scenes.
Jing Wong is known his Comedies. Notably with Stephen Chow as lead. So it's not a stretch to say this was a comedy martial arts movie. I would call it "awkward" humor.
And of course, we can't forget the scene where Ting catches the fly with his chopsticks, offers it to his father and when dad does not wnat it, Jr. just eats it.
Priceless!
I actually though the relationship between father and son was quite touching.
With this movie you have to realize you're dealing with Wong Jing, who at best I can compare him to in terms of an American director is Mel Brooks. His comedy is either hit or miss. Wong Jing was genius/crazy/gutsy enough to parody Once Upon a Time in China in his Movie The Last Hero in China. He also mocked OUATIC briefly with the Wong Fei-Hung pose and the "I told them my name was Wong ... Jing" in the movie Fong Sai Yuk. There are some movies where Wong's vision is jut lost on me like The Ecil Cult.
Now with Legend of Red Dragon, Wong Jing injects some of the fantasy elements I don't much care for like a "monster" reincarnated by the Yi Hang witch who rides around in an shiny iron razor formula 1 racer (I refuse to call it an iron horse as it bears no resemblance whatsoever to a horse). That being said I believe Wong Jin was going for a light comedic tone to the film. The Regent government official seems a direct parody of the make-up wearing sadistic regent in Twin Warriors. The Waxmaker wow really good deadpan humor. Granny's demeanor and actions. Yeah this a kung fu comedy, with a serious but stretpyical overused plot at it's center.
Also interesting to note how heavily the old witch character in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was borrowed from the Granny character in Legend of teh Red Dragon.
Also interesting to note how Wong Jing totally ripped off Lone Wolf and Cub in the openeing scene
Id avoided this movie for quite awhile because there were so many other Jet Li titles when this arrived at the video store and this looked like another typical period piece based on legend. But I got it as a double feature with "The One" last week and when I sat down to watch it, I was thoroughly entertained. The story was alot of fun, the child actors were excellent, the females actors were quite versatile and funny and Jet Li as always didnt dissappoint. This was a pleasant surprise. Wish I hadnt avoided it now. And way superior to "The One" in action and entertainment.
I bought this due to the box art blurb and the trailer...I was robbed.
If it weren't for the decent hand-to-hand fight scene toward the end this would officially be the worst film I've ever seen. Actually scratch that...its REALLY BAD but would still be above; Van Helsing, Creepozoids and Wing Commander.
'Only EFFORT, DISCIPLINE, LOYALTY, earn the right to wear the Dragon Doji.' - Oroku Saki
You're right! This is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen! The cheesiness of the villains and fight scenes made it even better. The script? Icing on the cake. I can't believe this movie has such a poor rating.
Oh my god, I know! That whole exchange had me laughing hysterically.
"Thanks for washing my underwear, but you tore them." "Sorry, Dad." "It's okay. I made a smaller pair out of them for you." "Thanks, Dad. Does this mean you're not wearing underpants?" "I don't mind. It's cooler."
And the earlier line when Red Bean asked if the son needed any help with the laundry and he holds up the underwear and says, "Can you help me get these stains out of my dad's underwear?" What was that about?! I wish I could see the original version just with subtitles to see if the dialogue was actually that bad or if it was poor dubbing.
My husband was watching it in bed and we were trying to fall asleep. I never watch movies like this but the baby in the beginning was so cute and hooked me. We watched 3/4 of the movie and we kept laughing and laughing. I laughed when the man was pretending to be dead during the massacre and he pees himself. The dubbing was funny too like when Red Bean said "Bring it on!" I would def watch it again when I am not so tired!