Kung Fu Fighting Alive and Well

by Jason R. Hewlett

Since the first "Batman" movie came out ten years ago we've been inundated with a slew of comic book heroes battling for our attention and movie dollar. Most of the films have been lack-luster and unimaginative (with the exception of "The Crow" and "Blade"). So we have to leave it to an export from Hong Kong to breathe a bit of life and blood (lots of it!) into the genre.

"Black Mask" features martial arts legend Jet Li as the title hero, a mysterious ex-super soldier battling his former comrades who are waging war on Hong Kong's drug underworld for evil purposes. We North American's have never really seen Li before his Hollywood debut in "Lethal Weapon 4" but he's been a staple in the Hong Kong action world for some time. Suffice to say that his moves and fight coreography are amazing and elevate the film above the Jakie Chan exports that are starting to get a little tiresome. My personal favorite sequence is a martial arts battle along the crossbeams of a series of industrial towers. Never seen anything like it before and I was impressed!

The fighting isn't the only good thing about "Black Mask." The film is strictly comic book fare but it works for the same reason that "The Crow" and "Blade" did: it takes itself seriously and doesn't water down it's content for kids or family fare. The biggest flaw with the "Batman" sequels (not the original...for the most part) is that they got silly and joky and goofy. "Black Mask" is none of that. Sure it's simplistic, but it's not afraid to get down and dirty and even a little nasty. It's comic book fare for grown ups and works well that way.

If I was to have a problem with "Black Mask," aside from the standard bad dubbing, is that we don't get quite enough of the hero or a really justifiable reason for him becoming this masked hero. It's one minute he's Normal Guy and then BAM!...Black Mask!!

Hang on...I'm starting to think too much like a film critic. Is the movie good? It's good enough for action and martial arts fans hungry for a fix of comic book action. Nothing more, nothing less.

5 out of 10!