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The Defender

The Defender

List Price: $14.99
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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not a bad action flick. Should see.
Review: Jet stars as a bodyguard (obviously). Kind of a rip off of 'The Bodyguard', except Jet makes Costner look like an amateur. Great action, good plot, and Jet's smooth moves make this a decent modern-day action movie.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Jet Li should be ashamed
Review: Let me start off this review by saying that I LOVE Jet Li films. Fist Of Legend and Black Mask are my favorites, but The Enforcer was pretty solid also. If you are a Jet Li follower, you will rent or buy this movie out of curiosity. Just remember that curiousity killed the cat (or cash in this case). One decent fight tops off this long, boring film about a bodyguard and the sexy woman he is protecting. Jet Li produced this movie and I have to question this decision. Mindless shootouts, almost no Kung Fu, a stolen plotline and a lead character (Li) who acts like Robocop (with less personality). I assume this was a fluke, and now that Li is doing American cinema (Lethal Weapon 4, Romeo Must Die, Matrix 2) I assume he will continue to amaze us for years to come. Be warned people, there is almost NO fighting in this movie! Guns do all the talking here, which I can get from any number of Hollywood films. One last problem I had with this film is the HORRIBLE editing job. A couple scenes pop up and disappear with no explanation. It's as if the editor reached down into the trashcan and just put some cut scenes back in to make the movie a little longer. Get this one used if you have to have it or wait till it drops in price. You have been warned.....

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: JET LI IS MUCH BETTER THAN KEVIN COSTNER ANY DAY OF THE WEEK
Review: Obviously a rip off of the Costner/Houston movie, "The Bodyguard." The plot is pretty much the same; Li is assigned to protect rich Christy Cheung who at first resents his presence, but then falls in love with him, despite being engaged to her yuppie boyfriend. To be honest, while there's a very good and lengthy fight at the end, not much happens throughout most of the film, so this film might not be to everyone's taste. It's definately not Jet Li's best, but he's done worse, and I'd put this above average, although like I said, the first half or so of the movie is a bit of a snoozer. Rent it and decide for yourself. If nothing else, you can always fast forward to the end and watch the fight between Li and Ken Lo (Jackie Chans former bodyguard and the guy he fights at the end of Druken Master II). It's nicely done and worth a rental price all by itself.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: JET LI IS MUCH BETTER THAN KEVIN COSTNER ANY DAY OF THE WEEK
Review: Obviously a rip off of the Costner/Houston movie, "The Bodyguard." The plot is pretty much the same; Li is assigned to protect rich Christy Cheung who at first resents his presence, but then falls in love with him, despite being engaged to her yuppie boyfriend. To be honest, while there's a very good and lengthy fight at the end, not much happens throughout most of the film, so this film might not be to everyone's taste. It's definately not Jet Li's best, but he's done worse, and I'd put this above average, although like I said, the first half or so of the movie is a bit of a snoozer. Rent it and decide for yourself. If nothing else, you can always fast forward to the end and watch the fight between Li and Ken Lo (Jackie Chans former bodyguard and the guy he fights at the end of Druken Master II). It's nicely done and worth a rental price all by itself.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: "BODYGUARD FROM BEIJING"
Review: Okay, first of all - "The Defender" is a very bad attempt to rename Jet's "Bodyguard From Beijing", directed and choreographed by Corey Yuen - only Hong Kong cinema's best kung-fu choreographer. He is most notable for the scenes he choregraphed in Jet Li's best kung-fu sequences in "New Legend of Shaolin". Corey Yuen (also known as Yuen Kwai) has also directed/choreographed "Warriors of Zu Mountain", "Fong Sai Yuk1&2", "Lethal Weapon 4", "Romeo Must Die", and "My Father Is A Hero."

Jet Li plays a bodyguard from China's top bodyguard-training city, who protects Christy Chung's character - the only remaining witness to a homicide case. This is one of Jet's few Hong Kong films with a modern setting. This is a very awesome kung-fu movie with some suspence, but more kung-fu scenes. Plot and characters are well-developed with mostly unexpected twists.

Directing, camera angles, intricate kung-fu choreography, and wonderful cast only manage to heighten the performance by Jet. Though the kung-fu choreography is not as intricate as in "New Legend of Shaolin", this is definitely a must-see.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Jet Li Is So Cool...
Review: One of the best Jet Li movies I have seen so far. I've never seen Jet Li look so cool before. He plays a Chinese soldier from Beijing who is hired as a bodyguard in Hong Kong. He protects a fine looking girl, but never loses his cool and his focus on his mission to protect her. He has a very serious attitude, with a skill that is unmatched against all the opposition he faces. The last part of the movie is the best part as he beats his opponents to a pulp and risks his own life to save the girl he is sworn to protect.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A humorous and touching action-packed film
Review: The Bodyguard From Beijing is classic Jet Li, featuring him doing some of his most outstanding moves. The movie is full of fierce action, but it takes plenty of time to develop the characters, too.

I enjoyed many aspects of the movie, the fact that it prefers to develop subtle romantic tension between Jet Li and Christy Chung than to have them kissing each other. Interspersed within these moments are some kinetically charged action sequences that make Steven Seagal and Jean Claude Van Damme movies feel lethargic in comparison. Li is a real treat to watch on the screen, moving gracefully and doing all the great moves and martial arts his fans are accustomed to. Surprisingly, he shows he can hold his own with a gun, too.

New Jet Li fans should try to look for this film. There's a lot to appreciate about it, the film's full of great action, it's humorous, has characters we care about, and knows how to thrill the audience at the same time.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A fast-paced, fun, and entertaining ride
Review: The Bodyguard from Beijing is the best of all the Jet Li movies I have seen (I have not seen Fist of Legend). The film marvelously combines romance with grand shootouts and fabulous martial arts action sequences. The result is dynamite Jet Li.

Li stars as Ching, a bodyguard who is sent from communist China to protect a woman named Michelle Yeung (Christy Chung) in Hong Kong. She witnessed a murder committed by a corrupt businessman and is ready to testify on trial. She feels her life isn't in that much danger until they attack her in a mall, where Li invokes the wrath of an extremely dangerous retired soldier whose brother he killed.

I'm hoping either New Line Cinema or Miramax will pick this film up and distribute it in the U.S. There's really no reason not to. Despite the fact the plot has been seen before, it's still an extremely enjoyable movie to watch.

As usual, the best aspect of any Jet Li movie is the action and Bodyguard from Beijing has a lot of it, ranging from the incredible shootout in the mall to the long action-packed finale inside a luxurious house that has Jet Li hopping up and down stairs and sliding down pillars, reloading his gun without even grabbing the clip, while shooting down badguys all the way. As awesome as this shootout is the martial arts fight that comes right after it is even better. It's a furiously fast fight that involves Li fighting the retired soldier. Both men are quick and very well-trained in the martial arts. The fight involves them kicking and punching each other around while trying to get water from a sink (because of a gas leak). There's no lack of creativity in this action sequence as wet cloths and venetian blinds are used as weapons. The fight never loses pace or momentum and its movement is consistently fluid. The action sequence looks so genuine and well-choreographed beyond most of what I've seen. It's one of the best martial arts fights I've ever seen on film, ranking with Jackie Chan's ladder sequence in First Strike, the martial arts fight atop a building in Who am I?, and the deliriously long fight in the conclusion of Drunken Master 2. Much of Bodyguard from Beijing's success can be given to director Cory Yuen though it all mostly goes to Jet Li.

As for the performances, Jet Li is his usual solid self though is more fun to watch this time. Christy Chung delivers a decent performance as Li's love interest while Kent Cheng is all right in the role of comic relief. Ngai Sing is particularly menacing as the villain though his character should have been in more of the film. That's really my only complaint, something most people would find minor.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: pretty good!
Review: The Dubbing for this movie is actually very good. This movie was not like all the other jet li movies since most of the action was done using guns. But don't worry there are still scenes were he does his usual Ass kicking. The filming for this movies is good but jet li is a little too serious,but it is still a movie worth seeing!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Stop butchering the Hong Kong films
Review: The film is Bodyguard From Beijing and not The Defender as Disney has renaimed it.
AVOID ANY DVD FROM DISNEY/DIMENSION THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE ORIGINAL FILM.
Show them that we are aware of what they are doing


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