Born to Defence (1988)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Review: This movie seemed really dated and the acting was terrible. I know that it was made near the beginning of Jet Li's career and he also had the big task of directing the film so I can't completely slate it. The fighting scenes seemed a bit messy and the storyline wasn't that great. On the plus side, Jet Li's acting was impressive and he showed emotion in parts but for entertainment, it has to get the thumbs down. I found the American characters pretty annoying and the big showdown at the end was disappointing. Basically it wasn't the greatest film from Jet Li, but you end up sticking with the movie because you want to see the American characters get a Jet Li seeing to. Average!Round-Up: This is the last movie in my Jet Li season and I was hoping for it to go out with a bang, but this movie was quite disappointing. I've been hunting for the 3 Shaolin Temple movies, which he made in the beginning of his career, but I'm having trouble finding the first movie so I've decided to leave them out of my collection. I will eventually start a Jackie Chan collection, which will be massive, but after watching these martial arts movies, I really want to go back to the earlier films which I enjoyed so much when I was young. In all, Jet Li is a great actor but a lot of his films have let his career down.Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: HK$11.5millionI recommend this movie to people who are into their Jet Li movies about a soldier who returns home to live with his uncle and gets picked on by American soldiers. 3/10

Reactionary Kung-Fu Revenge-Movie, thats quite heavy on the Anti-Americanism. On the one hand you got US-Soldiers racking pregnant women or kicking the crap out of invalid Rikscha-Drivers, on the other hand there's Jet Li fighting for the Honor of his compatriots. Action features some extremely gritty and bone-breaking choreographies in the best tradition of Tony Jaa. Story is quite emotional, full of unfortunate romantic involvement, good people dying, and kitschy depiction of friendship and affection. In the melodramatic scenes Hate and Pity are taken to the next level of Extremes. The MiramAxe-Version is short on some footage where people are getting peed on; wasn't too angry about missing that out, though.

If you want to wallow in ignorant Chinese xenophic anti-americanism, this movie's the one for you.Somehow the American Navy seems to have taken over China and prostituted their women while drinking all the beer. Characters include the cowardly black sailor, racist white boys on leave and the ever popular missing in war daughter of the disabled veteran, turned prostitute for the hated Yankees, though with a heart of gold for her countrymen.From destroying a rickshaw taking a pregnant woman to the hospital to assorted acts of drunken anti-social rampage, these Americans seem to require brutal murder for the good of the Chinese people.hmmm, sounds like Tianamen Square.

Version: Some PAL VHS double-pack with 'Kids from Shaolin. English dub, accompanied by the worst quality soundtrack you will ever hear.In the tradition of nearly every dubbed Jackie Chan movie up to 'First Strike' (and beyond), Jet Li gets to play Jet, a Chinese soldier returning from World War Two only to find that the accomplishments of he and his men are made meaningless when the American navy (the "real war heroes") rolls into town. Naturally, the American servicemen run around being arrogant jerks, and it is up to Jet to kick their collective arses. Woo!Somehow, 'Born to Defend' is both one of the most dramatical Jet Li movies I've seen, yet at the same time is somehow one of the most plot-less Li movies I've seen. I would like to try and explain that in a convincing way, I really would, but you will just have to settle for this: You'll see people getting beaten up, then some drama, and then someone thrown through a table in a dramatical way. If Jet Li can direct such a perfectly plot-less drama about lots of people getting a good butt-kicking, why hasn't he directed any more movies? Come on, Jet, I know you can create more plot-less dramatical awesomeness.So, after all the plot-less drama, 'Born to Defend' is just a bunch of fight scenes? Hey, I'm not complaining, and you shouldn't either. Unlike most of his movies in the 80s / early 90s, this is not a wu xia. Sure, he can get hit by a car and be perfectly fine, but most of the time Jet takes on his bearded foes in kick / boxing style fights. The fights are entertaining enough, but nowhere near the level of Li's later movie 'Fist of Legend'. Have I mentioned the beards yet? Basically, the more noticeable beard an American soldier has, the better fighter he is. I swear, I'm serious.'Born to Defend' is not the finest, nor awesomest, Jet Li movie I have ever seen, but it certainly isn't the worst Li movie around - 6/10