Owen Wilson is a dog - Marmaduke to be exact

Another guy that no one has heard much about of late is Owen Wilson. Although he has been in 3 films, and voice acted for another, since 2007 you really haven't heard much about the man. And again there seems to be a great reason.

Wilson tried to commit suicide back in 2007. He was suffering from depression, and it was obviously far worse than anyone suspected at the time. But since then he has slowly continued to work, no doubt in part thanks to Ben Stiller.

Stiller has been in numerous films with Owen Wilson over the years. Most of the films have hardly been worthy of anything but the bargain DVD bin. Generally Wilson has outshone Stiller, even though Stiller has more clout and better pay - which would certainly depress me.

Of course the films that Wilson has picked without Stiller have hardly been awe inspiring. Not including his work with Jackie Chan, Wilson has made films with Jennifer Aniston (Marley & Me), Nate Hartley (Drillbit Taylor - flop) and a few others, almost all flops with a notable exception of The Life Aquatic. So Wilson has not helped himself with his choices.

looking forward, it doesn't seem like anything will improve either. Wilson will be in another Stiller film, the Little Fockers - the dread just grows on me about that one . Plus he has plans for 2 more animated films that he will provide voice work for. One will be the sequel to the successful Cars 2.

The other is the just announced Marmaduke movie. Yes, that comic strip dog. And I think this might be his worst mistake in quite some time. Potentially the worst film concept that Wilson has ever been attached to.

The comic strip Marmaduke is a generally funny serial. It's popular, and has a huge fanbase built over decades of readership. There are even plenty of stories for writers to copy so that they never have to think about what they are doing, and Hollywood executives can be sure it has no originality that might skew their projections.

But the last 3 (why they did it again and again I will never understand) times that such an idea was tried - Garfield - the stink of the bombs was intense. It didn't work on any level. Even Bill Murray took a hit off of that fiasco.

I doubt that Marmaduke will fare much better. Because there won't be anything original or interesting. Because Hollywood is following a formula. Because Marmaduke is funny in 15 seconds, but not really for 90 minutes. Because it's a mix of live action and animation, and the fact that Marlon Wayans is onboard. How many other reasons do you need?

Wilson needs a good agent and a friend to stop him from jumping at every script he gets. He could be far better, but at this rate we will never see it.

Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan redo The Karate Kid

Jaden Smith is really turning out to be quote they superstar. After finishing the film with his father, and then showing up Keanu Reeves in The Day The Earth Stood Still (hard not to show up that fiasco of acting), he is now out in China with Jackie Chan. That’s a pretty impressive summer job he has for himself.

Considering his age, and the general trends of Hollywood, it’s impressive to see that he is growing in his abilities and that directors are taking notice. The only real shame is that so far he has not really been in a huge success. Yes the films with Reeves and his dad made money. But they are not big hits.

The latest film, Kung Fu Kid, is a revisioning of The Karate Kid. While I generally despise revisioned films, the inclusion of Jackie Chan makes this interesting. It will take place in Bejing, is current day, and will emphasize the abilities of Jaden. This very well could be a huge hit for this young actor.

Of course the fact that his father is one of the producers, plus the fame of Chan, and then add in the nostalgia for the original, and you have a film that should definitely be a hit. Except there is one hitch in the film. The director.

That would be Harald Zwart. He was responsible for the flops One Night At McCool’s and the revisioned refuse Pink Panther 2. The only other film he has done that you might know internationally is Agent Cody Banks, which was decent but no blockbuster.

How this director was attached to this project is unknown to me, but likely the only thing that could cause the film to be worthless. Well that and writer’s that have no clue what made the original worth watching.

If this does turn out to be a hit film, I think that Jaden will be well on his way to a career that will exceed his father. Considering that Will Smith is familiar with working his way to the top, has had the experience of losing it all, and knows the fickle nature of critics and fans I expect that Jaden will be well prepared for added fame. This is one child actor that should never see the front page of a tabloid – except for any woman he might date.

If this film fails though, I expect that it will be the fault of the director. Based on his trend, this is an uphill battle. Still a bit of failure may be just the thing to keep his head from getting bigger than his britches. In fact I think that every child star should have some degree of failure to help balance out their expectations. Britney Spears and Lindsey Lohan are great examples of the potential if they don’t.

The film will be out in 2010 I expect. So there should not be too much time for speculation. Either way I think it will be another step forward for Jaden Smith. Hopefully it will be just the thing for his 12th birthday.

Jackie Chan clarifies his Chinese control statement

As much as I wanted to jump on the story that Jackie Chan believes Chinese people need to be controlled, I just had to wait. There was no question in my mind that the news story had to have more details than what was first stated back on the 18th. And now it seems there is more to it all.

It all started when Jackie Chan was speaking at the Boao Forum. He was discussing censorship and restrictions in filmmaking when he stated

"I'm not sure if it's good to have freedom or not," Chan said. "I'm really confused now. If you're too free, you're like the way Hong Kong is now. It's very chaotic. Taiwan is also chaotic. Chan added: "I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we're not being controlled, we'll just do what we want."

Now this statement was taken by the AP reporter (William Foreman) to be an affirmation of the communist Chinese Government, or at least that's the tone of his report. And the comments of Chan quoted in that article do tend to support that view, in part. They also go on to make a strong critique of recent debacles in China, like the tainted milk event.

The whole thing left me confused. Was Chan for less democracy? Were his comments about filmmaking just misinterpeted or misquoted? Was Chan upset with the modern Chinese culture?

Of course the international response didn't bother to wonder about these things. The international media focused in on the one line they cared about "I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled."

There was outrage as some took his words as to mean that he was calling Chinese people pets, like Hong Kong pro-democracy legislator Leung Kwok-hung

"He's insulted the Chinese people. Chinese people aren't pets. Chinese society needs a democratic system to protect human rights and rule of law."

This of course ignores the harsh denouncement Chan made of the Chinese Government after the Beijing Tiananmen Square event where hundreds of pro-democracy protesters were killed in June 1989.

So it has come to the final point where Jackie Chan had his spokesman clarify things. And like I wondered at the onset, he was taken out of context as his spokesperson stated

"Some people with ulterior motives deliberately misinterpreted what he was saying."

Chan was speaking about the entertainment industry. Just that industry. Which makes sense since that was why he was speaking in the first place, to talk about entertainment. And it makes his comment clearer what he was meaning. But the AP reporter stands by his account and the nature of how he made the quote.

But while Asia is in an uproar I still have to wonder. Chan has made millions because of the freedoms he has enjoyed. Why would someone who can directly tie his success with freedom be against it, especially for his own people? That just doesn't make sense.

Though it makes a lot of sense that a reporter might misquote or misinterpet a comment in a foreign language (I presume Chinese is not Foreman's fist language) that would create lots of coverage and promote a certain political view. It's a trend that we have seen in America since roughly October of 2007 with President Obama.

Even now the media reports on President Obama are short on details, missing the vigorous questioning given to other Administrations, and in some cases blatantly propagandist. Which says nothing of the trend in the mainstream media to become more entertainment oriented as opposed to true journalism.

Did Jackie Chan intend to insult the Chinese people, and support the Communist Government of mainland China? I think not. But that won't stop him from becoming the scapegoat those opposed to those ideals can use to whip up international outrage at China. If this were to destroy the career of Chan, thouse using his words for their own ends won't care. They just want headlines that get their message across.

Maybe I am wrong. Maybe I am too much of a Jackie Chan fan. Still I think that this is too odd and suspiciously politically adventageous for certain groups. Too bad there seems to be no transcript of the full speech to make this absolutely clear for everyone.

Jackie Chan is too violent for China - Shinjuku Incident

If there is any movie that you might want to see, it is likely to be a film that you are told you cannot see. If that forbidden movie also happened to be an action film, with one of the most beloved and successful action stars in the world, then I’d say banning the film will drive revenues through the roof.

Such is the case with the latest film with Jackie Chan.

The film is Shinjuku Incident and it is not the usual Jackie Chan fare. This is a violent film, with Chan playing way-off of type. He’s not a hero cop or sweet good guy. He is a Chinese refugee in Japan, and working for the Yakuza or similar mob as a killer. And the film is being called more of a drama than an action film.

People lose hands, stabbed and shot in the most vicious of ways. It is because of this dark tone, and the violence that the film will not clear Chinese movie restrictions. (It could also be the fact that Chan is a Chinese refugee in Japan – an old social issue going back at least to WWII) Yet Chan himself describes the film as a drama far more than an action film.

This film will be release throughout Southeast Asia, and I have no doubt it will do well. It was filmed with a $25 million dollar budget – equivalent to a $100 million Hollywood blockbuster. It has Jackie Chan, Naoto Takenaka, Xu Jinglei, Daniel Wu, Fan Bingbing, and Ken Watanabe (maybe best known in America for The Last Samurai with Tom Cruise). And now it has the news it is too violent for China. How can they not make money on this film?

I have found a trailer, with translations in it. I suggest watching it twice, the first time reading the trailer, the second just watching it. From the looks of it I saw it will be a good film. And it may be the first film starring Chan in which he dies. It’s a bold move for him to try drama (if that is what this actually is), but a far better bet than say Sylvester Stallone or Vin Diesel doing comedy.

DVD Review: Chocolate (Thai movie)

Sometimes you can watch a movie and know that you are watching a star. The presence and ability just stands out and you cannot help but be awed. While this happens occasionally in dramas and comedies, it is rare in an action film. But when it does you know it.

Bruce Lee was such an actor. Jackie Chan is that caliber of actor. Around the world there are many others that hope to be grouped with these men, to be held in the same degree of immortality. But that rarely happens.

I just finished watching a DVD, Chocolate, and I think I have seen a star that may well be able to be mentioned along with those 2 mega-entertainers. Jeeja Yanin (or Yanin Vismistananda, I’m not sure which is the correct version of her name). If you don’t recognize the name, I think you will in time. And she is a woman.

Chocolate is by no means a chick flick. At least by U.S. standards anyway. It is directed by Prachya Pinkaew who created the Thai sensation Ong-Bak. While Tony Jaa gained an audience here in the states, I think Yanin will surpass that with ease.



The movie is not like a traditional American action film. It’s not because of the dubbing, nor the sub-titles (both are options – in Spanish, Thai, and English). There is a plot, which happens to make sense and is pretty decent.

The movie starts with a Romeo and Juliet romance of a Japanese Yakuza (Masashi) and a Thai mob boss (Number 8) girlfriend (Zin), in Thailand. This obviously leads to a confrontation. But to prevent the worst from happening Zin asks that Masashi go back to Japan and never see her again.

He does as she wishes, even though he later finds out she was pregnant with his child. The child is a daughter, named Zen, that seems to be a high order autistic. We learn as the girl grows she has lightning reflexes, and photographic reflexes as well. Meaning she can watch Ong-Bak (nice plug) on television and/or watch the Muay Thai school across her yard and reproduce the moves flawlessly, though faster.

Eventually Zin builds a routine and picks up a stray boy to raise along with her daughter. As they reach their teens Zin becomes ill with an undisclosed illness – though it appears to be similar to cancer. The cost of the medication is enormous and requires several visits to the hospital, when there is money available. It is during the first of these visits that the kids find an old mob book of debts. The kids not knowing why money is owed to Zin decide to collect the money and use it for her medication.

Now I won’t tell you much more about what ensues, other than in the process of collecting the money we learn the full extent of Zen’s ability. And it is stunning.

She is as fast as Lee, as flexible as Chan, and uses the same style of fighting as Jaa. She is a whirlwind of power and precision. Yet always maintaining the innocence of a child not quite understanding all the implications of her actions. She wants her mom to be better and nothing will stop her in that quest.

The plot is semi-dark and bittersweet, and thus the apt name of Chocolate. The direction keeps you involved, interested, and perhaps only slightly bored for about 4 or 5 minutes. I wish several martial arts movies made here in the U.S. had the same intensity.

Now if you are a fan of the wire-fu that Jet Li employs you will be disappointed. Yanin is all about real moves. And as is seen in the film’s end and making of extras on the DVD, she gets hurt. Though many of the extras are far worse off.

Yanin is a tough woman, especially for her age (now 24 I believe). She works hurt, and is quite adept in her martial arts ability. The other key fighters in the film are equally as good. Which really allows you to be immersed in what happens. And you really care about the plot too.

Stephen Segal wishes his films made as much sense. Van Damme dreams of being as good. And any rapper who thinks he is really tough would be laughable standing in a scene with Yanin.

Honestly, you could go out and spend $30 to see a film out right now – and be completely disappointed just before you forget the entire film you saw. Or you could buy this DVD and really enjoy some quality martial arts action.

If you are a fan of the genre you will thank me. If you aren’t a fan, this will likely make you one.

A karate chop to your funnybone

OK, here is a scary thought. Take an iconic film from the 1980's and give it a remake. Considering the films of the 80's there is no end to the chills you may get.

In this case there is a potential silver lining in the making. Actually 2. But first the film. It's the Karate Kid. Yes I know, of all the films someone could remake, why pick that? Probably because the martial arts films have been doing quiet well for over a decade now and you can't even have an action film without some in it. Just look at any Transporter movie. Or virtually any film in recent years by Jason Statham.

But before you decide to commit hari kari, you may want to consider the silver lining. It both indicates this could be an idea that is worth watching, or confirms the doom of all movies for the next decade.


This film might star Jackie Chan, and Will Smith's son Jaden.

There is no need to describe Jackie Chan. But I will anyway. He is the biggest martial arts action film actor in the world. He is probably only second to Bruce Lee in popularity, even throughout America. And at a crisp age of 50-something he is still someone a bar full of people would never want to piss off. The man is an icon, and considering he does his own stunts comparing him to any other action star makes them look like a wuss.


As for Jaden Smith, he has his fathers genes. He was the best, and probably the only good thing, in the recent remake The Day The Earth Stood Still (with a miserable performance by Keanu Reeves). In that movie, correction extended pro-ecology infomercial, he was the one character that was believable, consistent and interesting. And if we consider his work with his dad in The Pursuit of Happiness, much the same can be said of his work there.

In fact, I think that it is highly likely we will see a lot more of Jaden. As long as he stops working in remakes. Even if by some chance this one works out.

And yes you can read it, I have a doubt. It's not Chan nor Smith that concerns me. I doubt Hollywood. I can't see them committing to the story.

Without question some Hollywood exec is going to want to play up the laughs in the film since Chan can do comedy. And they will want a needless and plot-killing action sequence just to show off what Chan can do. And then we will likely get an overly sappy cuteness for Smith. So it will end up being all the extremes of the original film, thrown together without regard for the original storyline - which will likely be thrown out completely if the history if remakes in the last decade is any example.

Could this idea work? Yes. The talent is definitely there. But the greed of Hollywood studios and the laziness of scriptwriters weighs heavy in my mind. Either way this is something that deserves more attention as details get fleshed out.

2008 films of note - 1.31.2008.1

So Rambo has come out along with Cloverfield. 2 of the more anticipated movies of 2008 are now out and everyone is looking forward to see what will be coming up next. The choices seem slim to me, and I’d expect the box office numbers to be lower than in 2007.

As I have mentioned in the past, Star Trek fans can look forward to the latest installment of the series that delves into the earliest days of James T. Kirk, Spock, Bones McCoy and the rest of the original crew. The cast is mostly unknown or little known, which can be good or bad. But the teaser trailer that is out, is just a waste of time.



Notice the snub to William Shatner, the original Kirk, in that his friend and original Spock, Leonard Nimoy, speaks the ever so famous intro lines. Hopefully this will be a good movie, and has none of the writers from Star Trek: Enterprise.

I’ve discussed Iron Man, Batman: The Dark Knight, Speed Racer (a while ago – I don’t like the trailers I’ve seen so far), and WANTED previously.

In the world of sequels expect to revisit HellBoy 2 to do well.



It’s a bit over the top, but at least it’s honest about that. The first was entertaining, and the Dark Elf looking villain in this film could be of interest.

For more original fare we have what will undoubtably become a hit film Kung Fu Panda. I mean how can it go wrong. It’s animated, has Jack Black’s voice, a comedy, and has martial arts fighting. This will clear $200 million easy.



Of course that looks like it has far more laughs and interest that the latest film by Adam Sandler. He’s been very hit and miss of late, more miss than hit. Don’t Mess with Zohan seems to be on that miss list, even though it’s sure to make $100 million. Perhaps it’s just me but this film just doesn’t hit the mark. At best it’s just a DVD film, but I won’t spend $20 to see it in a movie theater.



The real winner in comedy is probably the anti-super hero film Hancock. Will Smith takes the concept of a superhero and Superman in particular and twists the concept. It’s a superhero with issues and problems, some especially entertainers and celebrities tend to have. It looks good, and may be a sleeper hit (or at least a sleeper for a Will Smith lead film).



In the line of over the top, silly, action filled comedy there is Postal. This film doesn’t look to have a single serious moment. Of course that does not count what is the opening scenes of the film. Guaranteed to piss off Muslims, and highly likely to anger many New Yorkers (and anyone who lost someone in 9/11) just because of the start of the film. I’ve seen several trailers that look good. The opening isn’t one of them. You can see the other clips at many places, but this is the start, which is not funny to me.



Perhaps it will be worth the time, after this opening, but the question will be can anyone get past that. Sure to gain a lot of protests, who knows how it will go.

What I will go see is some of the following.

Jackie Chan and Jet Li in the same film. Do I need to say more? Forbidden Kingdom



Wanted, Iron Man, Vantage Point



I’ll give you more as the year progresses.

Movies yet to come - 4.16.2007.1

Now that the debate over Mr. Don Imus has ended with his loss of employment, and renewed attention is placed on the gansta rap music genre, I will get back to the somewhat more mundane discussion of the other things happening in the world.

Before I start with the items that have caught my attention I want to give an update on the polls I have running at www.vassconsult.com . According to the poll on Presidential candidates, if the election were held today Senator Obama would win. Some might say that the nature of the blog, and/or myself, would affect those voting; but considering the fact that Senators McCain and Clinton are both close behind (tied in second) I don’t feel that is accurate.

For those that wonder, the polls are open to anyone, and I don’t ask or care about race. But there has been a near even distribution between men and women (52 vs 48%) as well as a similar breakdown for those 18-35 vs. 35-65 (48 vs 52%). It’s getting interesting. I will run this poll until the end of the year, so vote and let your friends know about it as well. [If you are interested in learning more about my coverage of the various candidates visit www.vassconsult.com/politics/election2008.html]

There were 2 movies that may be of interest that made announcements last week. The first is a sequel (like what movie is not a sequel these days) of a good film. If you saw 28 Days Later [absolutely not the Ms. Sandra Bullock film of similar name] and enjoyed the hyper-kinetic zombies of the movie, the next part of the story is 28 Weeks Later. Literally they continue the storyline with what are the continuing effects of the England destroying virus. It’s not quite Shaun of the Dead, but I’m sure it will catch the attention of many U.S. fans. My guess right now is that it’s worth seeing in the movies instead of DVD.

Moving onto action movies, what could have more action than a film with Mr. Jackie Chan AND Mr. Jet Li? I know, Mr. Li said he wasn’t going to make any more films after Fearless, but this should have already started production. It should be quite the film considering both are the top names in the martial arts genre, and have been for over a decade or 2. It should be quite the combination, the stunts of Mr. Chan and the wire-work of Mr. Li. There is no doubt that the quality should be top of the line for this film. You won’t have to wait too long for this film, it should be out in 2008. Do I really need to say more?

On the more esoteric front, a blast from the past is on the horizon. I’m not talking about the remake of Dolemite again, I mean real old. Fans of animation may recall the cartoon Speed Racer. (Younger readers may recall the techno remix of the theme song - which is nice) Yes the adventures of the Mach 5 will be coming to life with a strong cast. Mr. John Goodman will be Pops, Mrs Susan Sarandon is set for Mom, and the best part is Ms. Christina Ricci has joined on to be Trixxie. I’m sure those who never saw the classic cartoon have no idea who these people are. The best I can offer to those readers is that the car is the real star. The Mach 5 is fast, stylish, and has as many gadgets as a whole James Bond film. (I still can’t imagine why it needed 2 buzzsaws but that could look great if they keep it). The lead role of Speed is going to Mr. Emile Hirsh, I have no idea who the kid is. The last thing that makes this concept interesting, the Wachowski brothers are directing and writing it. I’d expect quite the homage to old Japanese cartoons, manga and anime in general. We shall see.

This is what I think, what do you think?