AGW Entertainment reporter Lynn B. saw a new action/fantasy film. Here are her thoughts on....

BULLETPROOF MONK

MGM Pictures

Move over Vin Diesel, that Dude, Where's My Car guy will make you look wimpy! Seann William Scott dumps his comedy persona and goes all ballistic on Chow Yun-Fat in this new martial arts actioner.

A mysterious, ageless monk (Chow Yun Fat) has spent 60 years outmaneuvering a Nazi evildoer desperate to snatch an ancient scroll - the key to ultimate power - from him. He's getting tired and is looking for a new guardian of the scroll. Kar (Sean William Scott), a cocky pickpocket, who uses the martial arts he's copied from Chinese movies, seems an unlikely candidate but the monk sees promise in him.

Kar, proves himself more than a promising pupil, by saving the Monk's life and so is taught how to levitate and all sorts of cool stunts. With the aid of a hot mysterious aristocrat/street girl, named "Bad Girl" aka Jade (Jamie King), the monk and his pupil take on the evil Nazi to get the scroll and form a new protectorate.

It's fun to see the elegant Chow Yun-Fat from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, as a learned monk with a mean sense of humor (he chows down on cocoa-puffs and quotes silly "grasshopper" style Chinese proverbs). And of course, his martial artistry is awesome but hey, so is Seann William Scott who successfully dumps most of his funnyboy image (although he does have a few humorous lines) and does almost all his own stunts. Hot Jamie King holds her own in the martial arts area as well. There is a budding romance between the two that could have been further developed.

The film opens with a fabulous and very artistic fight scene on a bridge than makes you think, "wow, this is gonna be awesome" but then everything storywise, seems borrowed from other movies, like the 1980's Karate Kid. Even the villain is a cliché Nazi blown up to James Bond supervillain size. There's nothing new here but if you like creative stunts and like Chow Yun-Fat, Seann and girls who hold their own with the best of the guys then you'll get a kick out of it. There's a lot of heart and a few cool special effects to keep you interested. But, overall, this is another comic book-based movie that just doesn't quite live up to its potential.

Rated: PG-13

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