Running on Karma (2003)

Great Film overall

good back-story, and good acting

Film Perfection

A waste of 90 minutes of my life

Ia m trying g to watch the movie at the same time I am writing this comment. To be honest with all of you, I know there are man different kind of tastes but this sis simply too much for me. Johnnie To is one of the greatest directors ever in this century, but with this movie he showed me at what kind of a level a good director has to drop down so you get at least good money income in theaters. How is it possible that the people are so dumb to go watch rubbish like that and wanted for example. And the worst case scenario is that the actors don't even seem to think about what kind of movie they are acting in. Bad special effects, a plot with no sense at all, bad directions from Ka Fai and to and I think, the worst acting ever in a chines movie.I really wish people start to change and to go to cinema to see some good and interesting movies so the directors with talents can go back to their former passion of doing a movie.

What do you want from your movies? A shaolin monk turned stripper/bodybuilder with psychic abilities? A young female Hong Kong cop cursed by her former life as a murderous WW2 Japanese soldier? A mysterious mountain-dwelling, serial-killing hermit who's evaded the authorities for five years? A karmic feud between two men dating back generations? A rage-filled police chief who thinks nothing of beating and/or killing suspects to get results? Well, look no further than Running on Karma! Co-Directors Johnny To and Wai Ka Fai throw all these ingredients into the mixer and come up with one original cinematic cocktail. By turns funny, tragic, romantic, horrific and action packed, Running on Karma is a film that could only have been made in Hong Kong. Great performances from Cecilia Cheung and Andy Lau make you care about the characters and their fates, despite the loopy/deep(?) storyline that will have your brain spinning. No description of this film is a match for actually seeing it, so what are you waiting for?

Some people's distaste for this movie reminds me of the same distaste Last Action Hero received, except this movie is Chinese. I suppose people go in to this movie expecting something else. This movie is about an ex-martial arts monk who has strayed from his path to indulge in the pleasures of the flesh. But deeper within the character is his ability to see Karma, or the good/bad aura of life. In this movie it is represented in bits of each person's past life, and what evil or good they have done. Though it's true that Andy Lau's muscle suit really plays no part in the plot of the movie, it does give his character his unique personality. The movie almost plays like a television marathon with each different part of the movie starting some sort of danger. And then Biggie/Brawny (Andy Lau) having to save someone or intervene due to his knowledge of the coming events. I suggest anyone who is going to see this movie not go in to it expecting anything. I didn't, and I was surprised I liked it. It was entertaining and visually pleasing to the eye, and I think that was the main point of the movie.

Running on KarmaI am once again disappointed by Johnnie To and Wai Ka Fai. What happened to the talent that shown so brightly in their macho cop and robber films? Perhaps, and it is an easy conclusion to reach, that is the only type of films they know how to make well.The gimmick of this film was that Andy Lau wore a muscle suit. Except, other than its being a gimmick, it in fact served no purpose whatsoever in the film! Almost all the publicity for the film beforehand was based on this, and it is rather shocking to find that it was just that, and the ploy played no part in the film.Where do I begin? The story, to start with, was so muddled that it left me wondering who gave the green light to its being released. I can see what the film was trying to say, about reincarnation, about the Bhuddist idea of karma, of planting the seeds of good and helping it germinate, about how that alone is no guarantee that things will turn out better. But the plot line was so confused (not confusing, but confused, though it was the former as well), the presentation so plain and directionless, that the entire experience left a sour taste in my mouth as I left the theatre.I would not even bother to give a plot summary, since I do not recommend anyone see this anyway. There are other bad films one can waste his/her time with.For all those who say this was a good, or even excellent film, I am glad for them. Blessed are those easily satisfied, though not understanding something (whether by its being truly complicated or merely by atrocious presentation) does not make it deep.