Rating: 
Summary: You can't take your eyes off it!
Review: Let's see...hong kong kung-fu action, romance, mysticism, political intrigue, sex, horror, mystery, period ambiance, elaborate costumes, impressive art direction, stylized cinematography, etc. What doesn't this movie have? One of the most original combination of elements in film. While initially you may be taken off guard, after an hour, you will be completely entralled, as the film reveals more and more of its depth. While definitely not for everyone, it is an incredible tour-de-force for those interested in the unusual.
Rating: 
Summary: The film had potential...
Review: There is something vicious lurking in the woods around the mountains of France. It kills, it maims, it eats, and it is terrorizing the people of Gevaudan. On the kings orders, the royal taxidermist Grégoire de Fronsac is traveling to the area with his friend Mani, an Iroquois who is a martial arts master, to investigate the dilemma. These men spend a lot of time in the brothel while maintaining a respectable front and when they have time they perform round house kicks left and right. In all honesty, this film had potential when they began shooting it, however, somewhere in the production the director must have lost focus from the theme.
Rating: 
Summary: Le Pacte des Loups
Review: An original and highly flawed film, Brotherhood of the Wolf will go down as a cult favorite. It's a chaotic mess of Martial Arts, horror, and mystery. And to make matters worse, it all winds up being a confrontation between Enlightenment philosophy and religious obscurantism. HA! Needless to say, don't take this stuff seriously (Martial Arts in 18th century France??). It's supposed to be based on the legend of the Beast of Gevaudan, which roamed the countryside in 1764 France, killing several dozen people. But that get's swallowed up in graphic torture, creepy bordello's, bucolic romantic interludes and silly mystical moments. None of this should work. But if you're in the right frame of mind, the incongruous elements and the film's hallucinatory tone will be hypnotic. Technically the film is wonderfully opulent. Kudos to cinematographer Dan Laustsen, art directors François Decaux and Thierry François, film editors Xavier Loutreuil, Sébastien Prangère and David Wu, and costume designer Dominique Borg. Surprisingly, there has been praise for the few Martial Arts moments in this film. Some have compared them to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Utter nonsense. The fighting in this film is filled with the kind of cinematic tricks that makes it look more like Mortal Kombat than anything Hong Kong. And [director] Christophe Gans highly stylized, Matrix style camera starts to become tiresome. The characters are well developed, but the stand out is the beautiful and mysterious Monica Bellucci. The beast in this film is menacing -- until you see the shoddy CGI. In the end, Le Pacte des Loups is another reminder that Hollywood isn't the only place where tasteless and outrageous films get made.
Rating: 
Summary: A kick butt first and ask questions later type of movie
Review: Okay, I admit it. I was hesitant about purchasing this movie because I thought - how exciting will a movie about hunting down a wolf be? But, because I like the time period - 18th century, and because the reviews raved about the beauty of the film, I decided to give it a try. Suffice it to say, I am pleased with my purchase.If you like movies of the 18th century that involve swordplay, swashbucklers, rowdy scenes, and the upper crust all decked out in high finery and wigs, then this is the movie for you. You'll get that and more. And luckily, the story about hunting down the wolf is made plausible and interesting because of the opening scene which draws you in quickly and makes you a part of what will become the chase. Add to that the never ending excitement brought by the two men who show up to help in the hunt - Samuel Le Bihan who plays a scientist/healer and the gorgeous Mark Dacascos who plays his Iroquois partner. Samuel is a bit of a ladies' man while Mark plays the introspective, spiritual man of mystery. This movie has a fair amount of action - more than I expected - a lot of mystery, betrayal, some brutal scenes, some bawdy scenes, and some romance. I loved it all. You'll see glimpses action films such as Blade and Matrix while you watch the fight scenes, but fortunately, that only adds to the excitement of the film while putting a smile of recognition on your face. Don't get me wrong. This isn't just an action movie. There is a story here. A town is being terrorized by a wolf that no one has been able to find and kill and the characters played by Samuel and Mark are determined to find out what is going on. During their investigation, they discover a deep, dark mystery that they're determined to unravel. There's also romance and some court intrigue. But, when it comes time for action, even if it's a scene involving danger instead of a fight, the scenes are done very well and the cinematography is good. This is definitely a film I would recommend. But I suggest watching it on a surround sound system. Some of the cinematography and the sounds are best experienced in surround sound. But if that's not available, just cut the television sound up. :-)
Rating:
Summary: Exciting, somewhat bizarre French action movie
Review: "Brotherhood of the Wolf" is a remarkable and rather bizarre French action-adventure movie that almost succeeds in outdoing Hollywood. Its American distributor chose to release it with subtitles rather than dubbing it into English. This decision preserved the authenticity of the movie, but limited its commercial appeal. As the film opens, a dreadful thing is happening in 18th Century France. A rural province is experiencing a series of brutal murders. The evidence points toward a beast, perhaps a huge wolf. The king sends Greguire de Fronsae [Samuel Le Bihan] to investigate. Greguire is a man of action, but he is also an educated one whose training makes him doubt the idea of a beast's doing the killing. But who - or what - is behind the crimes? What makes "The Brotherhood of the Wolf" so odd is the way it mixes genres and gets away with it. It's part action, part adventure, part horror, part erotic thriller and part Kung Fu movie. There's even some politics, religion and ecology thrown in for good measure. Despite this eclectic and somewhat confusing mix, the movie is enormously entertaining in an adrenaline-pumping way, and that's what's important. The photography is amazing, from the outdoor action sequences to the lavish drawing rooms and boudoirs of the time. Equally professional is the sound, which is quite detailed and very loud. Those with surround sound systems in their homes will get their money's worth. The acting is fine. Everyone plays his or her parts with the gusto required for this sort of story. "The Brotherhood of the Wolf" is no masterpiece. It's a French 'popcorn' movie. People who've grown tired of the basic repetitiveness of most American action movies should find this one to be a refreshing change.
Rating:
Summary: It Was Alright...
Review: Although this movie was not a total let down, it wasn't nearly as good as I had hoped it would be. The parts that really disappointed me though were the fight sequences. Apparently they have a rule against staying with the same camera angle for more than 2 seconds. The fight scenes were very choppy and really quite uninteresting, although the story was pretty good, it has almost no "eye candy" value.
Rating:
Summary: don't buy the american version
Review: I have seen both versions and I am telling you. Go to a specialty shop, comic shop, e-bay, and get the Canada collector edition 3 disc released version. Don't worry Canada and American are both Region 1 Coded so it will play on your DVD player. The movie is visually breathtaking, the kung-fu scenes are done well and the story isn't that bad. For being a Kung-fu/Monster movie it had an Epic feel to it. The monster special effect wasn't the greatest but the little things like background, etc are where the special effects really pay off. Though there were a few things in the story that are hard to figure out. It wasn't enough to wreck this movie. Go out and get the GOOD copy.
Rating:
Summary: Martial arts in France ?
Review: I just finished watching this movie, after i purchased in DVD, let me tell you, the action was great and the plot was really amazing, a little bit more work in the "special effects" (if you want to call it that, since they are computer animations) is all that it needed, if you have a digital home theater i highly recomend it, just don't look too much in the fact that indians never looked asian and that there was never martial arts in France on those days, over all, great action and fight scenes, this is a great movie.
Rating:
Summary: one of the best films so far in 2002
Review: for those of us who like to have our cake and eat it too, brotherhood of the wolf will be more than satisfying. unfortunately, this one didn't get much play in the local theatres but i can't understand why other than the facts we have subtitles. if you were one of those unlucky beasts who just couldn't make it, then go out and get this dvd asap. there is enough action, great acting, and a storyline to make up for over nine hollywood films and this is no joke. if the company of wolves were to be crossed with such hits as from hell or crouching tiger, we might see something remotely close to brotherhood. surprisngly, the film does showcase a great deal of violence but there isn't as much gore as one might expect. in fact, i tend to believe slepy hollow or jurassic park were perhaps more graphic. director gans tends to draw on so many influences here such as classic love stories, spooky horror films, and perhaps some of the greatest martial arts films ever made. i was even shocked to find the film had some deleted footage here as well which should please most consumers. not to mention the director has much commentary on the disc which gives the viewer much insight which is needed. bravo!
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing story doesn't deliver what it promises
Review: Brotherhood of the Wolf starts out as a really fantastic period epic based on an 18th century legend of a werewolf. In fact, it is this legend that gave us our modern day werewolf legends. Not only does this film start out as a great period piece, it is cinematically beautiful. The colors are rich and deeply hued and the costuming is dynamite. All in all this is a film that should have, by all accounts, been really great, because it wasn't a typical "werewolf" movie. Where the film fails is in diluting the film with too much expositional material. The political intrigue that drives the film is very interesting but becomes tiresome and tedious because it is dragged out for most of the film's three hour running time. When the political aspects come to light, it is unclear which side is the one we should cheer for. I don't fault the filmmakers for using a "muggufin" of sorts, because literally hundreds of other films have done just that and effectively. However, the muggfin here is the glue that binds the movie - and when it is revealed, it is not only disappointing but sublimely ridiculous. When I saw trailers of this film, I was sure I was going to see a really great foreign period film. While that was true, in part, is was not completely true. There's quite a bit of Asian fighting going on in this film that immediately lets the viewer know that this is not your run of the mill period piece. However, that almost seems to be a "gimme," whereas the "muggafin" in this film is not so easily dismissed. I think I feel cheated, because the film appears on the surface to be a period film delivered in a direct manner, then it switches to one that is slightly off (the fight scenes), and then ultimately it cheats on its ending to deliver what could ostensibly be termed science fiction. I know others absolutely love this film, but I've seen much better deliveries of similar material. Maybe I'm too expectant of films. When I am told a film is a comedy, I don't want to be delivered a tearjerker. And since I was promised a film of intrigue and werewolves and you show me period costumes, I expect it to be contemporary to the era about which it is filmed, not period/sci fi. Disappointing....
|
