The Duel

Rating:
Summary: Not really a Kung FU Classic
Review: I'd like to start by saying that the name of the film, The Duel may mislead viewers into thinking that this will be a kung fu extraviganza. It's not. The Duel is more like a comedy love story with short sperts of kung fu. So Jet Li fans probabally won't like this one.

The film does however offer some nice special effects. It also has enough romance in it that it will probablly appeal to some female viewers who like love stories.

The only kung fu scene that really made an impression on me was the final duel. In the beginnig of the duel scene, the two warriors fought on the roof. The background of the moon looked nice. Like a fantasy kung fu scene. THe actual duel was to short though. Since the film is called The Duel I think the fight scence should have been extended at least another five minutes. That and the lack of satisfying fight scenes throughout the film is what made me give it only three stars.

All in all though the Duel is not a terrible film. It's just not a kung fu classic. If you're interested in this film it's worth a watch. I would strongly suggest that you try to rent it first before buyiny it.

Rating:
Summary: Average in every way.
Review: I've long been a fan of Hong Kong action cinema, but I haven't seen many recent efforts. The Duel makes me think I was better off sticking to more of the output of Hong Kong's "Golden Age" in the 80s and early 90s.

The Duel tries to be all things to all people-- comedy, drama, mystery, romance, action and epic. But it fails to succeed at much of anything. The mystery is paper-thin and predictable, the action is almost non-existent, the comedy is childish, and the characters are too shallow for the drama or romance to have much impact.

There are a few effective moments here and there, and one or two good effects, but all told it's a tired retread of the complex and engaging elements that made the world stand up and take notice of Hong Kong cinema in the first place.

Furthermore, the fast-paced action and use of special effects to enhance fight scenes have become so much a part of American action films that, even though Hollywood still can't match Hong Kong for elegant and lightning-paced fights, nothing here will impress the Hong Kong film novice. Veterans of Hong Kong film will be similarly disappointed, because they've seen it all before-- and better-- in other movies.

Now that Hong Kong movies are widely available and inexpensive, anyone can find them with ease. The Duel isn't going to rock anyone's world, so try one of the 'classics' instead-- Hard Boiled, Dragon Inn, Supercop, Pedicab Driver, The Magnificent Butcher, and so many others. It's the twenty-first century, so why not make use of the Internet and start at the top?

Rating:
Summary: Average in every way.
Review: I've long been a fan of Hong Kong action cinema, but I haven't seen many recent efforts. The Duel makes me think I was better off sticking to more of the output of Hong Kong's "Golden Age" in the 80s and early 90s.

The Duel tries to be all things to all people-- comedy, drama, mystery, romance, action and epic. But it fails to succeed at much of anything. The mystery is paper-thin and predictable, the action is almost non-existent, the comedy is childish, and the characters are too shallow for the drama or romance to have much impact.

There are a few effective moments here and there, and one or two good effects, but all told it's a tired retread of the complex and engaging elements that made the world stand up and take notice of Hong Kong cinema in the first place.

Furthermore, the fast-paced action and use of special effects to enhance fight scenes have become so much a part of American action films that, even though Hollywood still can't match Hong Kong for elegant and lightning-paced fights, nothing here will impress the Hong Kong film novice. Veterans of Hong Kong film will be similarly disappointed, because they've seen it all before-- and better-- in other movies.

Now that Hong Kong movies are widely available and inexpensive, anyone can find them with ease. The Duel isn't going to rock anyone's world, so try one of the 'classics' instead-- Hard Boiled, Dragon Inn, Supercop, Pedicab Driver, The Magnificent Butcher, and so many others. It's the twenty-first century, so why not make use of the Internet and start at the top?

Rating:
Summary: Average in every way.
Review: I've long been a fan of Hong Kong action cinema, but I haven't seen many recent efforts. The Duel makes me think I was better off sticking to more of the output of Hong Kong's "Golden Age" in the 80s and early 90s.

The Duel tries to be all things to all people-- comedy, drama, mystery, romance, action and epic. But it fails to succeed at much of anything. The mystery is paper-thin and predictable, the action is almost non-existent, the comedy is childish, and the characters are too shallow for the drama or romance to have much impact.

There are a few effective moments here and there, and one or two good effects, but all told it's a tired retread of the complex and engaging elements that made the world stand up and take notice of Hong Kong cinema in the first place.

Furthermore, the fast-paced action and use of special effects to enhance fight scenes have become so much a part of American action films that, even though Hollywood still can't match Hong Kong for elegant and lightning-paced fights, nothing here will impress the Hong Kong film novice. Veterans of Hong Kong film will be similarly disappointed, because they've seen it all before-- and better-- in other movies.

Now that Hong Kong movies are widely available and inexpensive, anyone can find them with ease. The Duel isn't going to rock anyone's world, so try one of the 'classics' instead-- Hard Boiled, Dragon Inn, Supercop, Pedicab Driver, The Magnificent Butcher, and so many others. It's the twenty-first century, so why not make use of the Internet and start at the top?

Rating:
Summary: Good Visual Effect
Review: If you're looking for a good martial art or a good sword's play movie, i don't recommand you this movie. Like Storm Riders and A Man Called Hero, the quality of this movie is relied on the visual effects done by computer. The story is ok but nothing special. Briefly, this movie is fun to watch but may not worth to buy. But if you are a fan of Ekin chen and love nice visual effects, go for it !!!

Rating:
Summary: More smoke than fire
Review: Just guessing, but I think this film was more or less supposed to be styled after Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in that it's filled with sweeping vistas of northern China. Majestic mountains, beautiful interior architecture and design, the front of the Forbidden City, and the most authentic and costly looking wardrobe I've ever seen in a martial arts film (or just about any other film, for that matter). The simularity ends there, however. The film centers around a duel between two martial artists, but the fight scenes are few and far between, and when they do actually happen, it's just a lot of special effects consisting mostly of flashing lights that make you think you're watching Saturday Night Fever. There are a few occasions when people actually do cross swords, but the quality of the fighting makes you think they had less than two hours instruction in martial arts. The characters are the petulent, whinning, overgrown child "type" that for whatever reason seems to appeal to the Cantonese and no one else, especially me, even though I love chinese sword epics. I gave the movie two stars only for the cinematography and costume design, which was as good as The Last Emperor's. Tsui Kam Kong puts a lot of presence in his character, but beyond that, I'd suggest you avoid this film like the proverbial plague.

Rating:
Summary: More of a mystery than an action movie
Review: Just to reiterate the facts already stated by previous reviewers, this movie does NOT feature endless swordplay. There are a few isolated and mostly brief swordfighting scenes, most of which are of a "supernatural" nature (plenty of gravity-defying stunts, little actual bloodshed.) It seems like the filmmakers had already had their fun making Storm Riders, and decided to focus a little more on story this time around.

Slightly misleading is the cover featuring popular actors Ekin Cheng and Andy Lau. Both of which feature prominently in the story, but neither of which has the most screen time. Agent #9 is the investigator who spends the bulk of the film making saucy wisecracks or solving the mystery of a killer on the loose. The ending, to me at least, was a surprise, which should be a decent payoff for a slowly-paced film such as this. Which is good, since the final battle scene ("The Duel" if you will) is too short and anti-climactic for being the crescendo of the entire movie.

Plenty of love-interest storylines, plenty of innuendo jokes, some swordfighting, a large cast, and in general a solid film. Just don't be expecting Crouching Tiger, Iron Monkey, or Dragon Inn, and you won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Almost No DUEL To Speak Of!
Review: THE DUEL is the kind of film that gains a solid reputation by the talent involved (the ever-reliable Andy Lau, Ekin Cheng, Patrick Tam, Nick Cheung, etc.), despite the fact that the story -- a "duel to end all duels" between the God of Swords and a member of the royal family -- is medicore, at best, riddled with bad jokes, confusing dialogue, and unexplored relationships.

Yek Koo Sing (Lau) requests he be granted "the duel" with the God of Swords, and the Emperor reluctantly agrees ... however, the man sends (agent) Dragon 9 to investigate, despite the fact that there is very little to investigate, as the viewers is soon to learn.

While the special effects for THE DUEL are especially good throughout, they're also annoyingly intrusive to the storyline: during the climactic final sword battle between the God of Swords and Yek Koo Sing, there is plenty of metal clanking and flash lightning despite the fact that the two opponents rarely even touch swords! While much of the battle is symbolic, it's still a very unusual creative choice made by the folks behind the film.

While this duel apparently has spawned more than four films, over 10 television series, and many books, the story is reduced to a battle which lasts less than five minutes in a (roughly) two hour film. The rest of the film centers upon a series a unsignificant romances, incidental secondary battles, and crude sophmoric humor. Was it the writer's intent to turn this epic struggle into a comedy? If it wasn't, then the film suffers from horrific editing, as the first hour is primarily a study in using foul language.

Still, it's hard not to recognize the merits of THE DUEL. It is well-edited and well-photographed, and, for the most part, the performers all hit their marks. Andy Lau -- when he's given the chance -- brings greater focus and depth to the picture, though he appears miscast here.

Rating:
Summary: Weak plot
Review: The duel talks about Andy Lau wanted a duel but actually there is more than meets the eyes. The special effects on the fighting scenes are awesome. The sceneries are very nice too. It has many funny moment as well. Just that it is a bit let down by the weak plot. Overall, it is watchable.

Rating:
Summary: A disappointment
Review: This film has good scenery and costumes, a decent plot, but ruined by juvenile humor and juvenile characters. If you enjoy watching juvenile, pouting adults talking through 75% of a movie, then perhaps this movie is for you. The CG effects in the fight scenes were not particularly impressive; "A Man Called Hero" had much better CG effects. This is really too bad, because the production value of this film (e.g., sets and costumes) is quite high by H.K. standards.