- Actors: Liao Fan, Jia Song, Wenli Jiang
- Director: Haofeng Zu
- Disc Format: Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, THX, Widescreen
- Language: Mandarin Chinese (Dolby Digital 5.1), Mandarin Chinese (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1)
- Subtitles: English
- Region: Region A/1
- Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
- Number of discs: 2
- Rated: Not Rated
- Studio: Well Go USA Inc
- Release Date: July 25, 2017
- Run Time: 109 minutes
There are so
many entries into the Chinese martial arts genre that it is rare for a movie to
find a unique approach to the material. Writer turned director Haofeng Xu has
proved capable of making a traditional martial arts film with his previous
films, but he gives audiences something wholly original with The Final Master. Not only does it
abandon the traditional focus on honor and loyalty, but he also brings a
distinct and realistic fighting style along with the flawed characters. Nobody
flies in the air or does other impossible gravity-defying moves in battle, and
the camera remains close enough to capture the speed of realistic movements. By
allowing the characters and their fighting portrayed as more realistic, Xu makes
the narrative more compelling than the average kung-fu film. Not only is this
Xu’s best looking film thus far, it is also has the strongest story.
Set in Tianjin in 1932, the film
begins with the arrival of Master Chen (Liao Fan), the last master of Wing
Chun. Although he wants to open a school to teach this little-known style of
kung-fu, Tianjin
is saturated with schools and wary of foreigners. Chen’s only chance at opening
a school is to become a local, and by training a local boy to prove the
worthiness of his style. But in order to be taken seriously, Chen must
sacrifice his student in a battle against eight established schools. He chooses
Gen (Yang Song), a local street hood and plans to use him in order to get what
he wants.
The initial plot
already dismisses many of the long-established themes of traditional kung-fu
films, but there are two things that get in the way of Chen completing his
plan. The first is a change of heart which comes from a romantic relationship
at the heart of the film. He marries a local woman named Zhao (Jia Song), who
has a sullied reputation, as a way to appear connected more to Tianjin, but instead finds himself actually
falling in love with her. This slow switch from arrangement to emotional
connection also increases his guilt for planning to betray his student.
Unfortunately, there are other dangers for Chen and his protégé, which threaten
them both.
Using kung-fu to
collude with a warlord (Huang), several schools begin to militarize, and only
Chen stands in the way of this plan. Of course, the complexities of the plot
and the characters enhance the film greatly, though many will be most impressed
by the action that the story results in. Although the death count is extremely
low, realism is favored over spectacle, and there are large stretches with
little fighting, The Final Master
does contain a last battle pitting Chen against an assortment of fighters.
While Xu’s last film featured a protagonist known for his archery skills, this
movie is all about blades. The double blades are Chen’s weapon of choice, but
he faces off against a variety of other blades, from axes to swords and
everything in-between. Paired with impressive cinematography, these few fights
scenes are impressive in their own right.
The Blu-ray
release of The Final Master comes
with a DVD as well, but the exciting visuals and the screeching sounds of
swords flying deserve to be seen in high definition, with DTS-HD Master Audio. The
bonus features include two featurettes, one on the weapons in the film while
the other focuses on the rising success of the film’s director. The film comes
with English, Chinese, and Spanish subtitles.
Entertainment Value:
9/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 8.5/10
Historical
Significance: 8/10
Special Features: 5/10
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