Black Mask (1999)

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

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

Tsui Chik/Simon, a quiet librarian, is actually an ex-Special Forces super soldier. He is friends with Inspector Shek Wai-ho/Rock, a detective with Hong Kong Police, with whom Tsui Chik frequently shares conversation over chess. Tsui Chik learns his old commando unit, called 701, is still active, murdering gangsters and police in a grasp for power. Tsui Chik dons a black domino mask and bowler hat like Bruce Lee's Kato from The Green Hornet, becoming a masked vigilante to stop his old unit, inadvertently coming into conflict Shek Wai-ho/Rock and the police.Black Mask isn't something you watch for the story, there's a minimum of it. There's just enough to let you know who the good guys and the bad guys are. There's also a tiny amount of romantic subplot thrown with a co-worker and a former squad member of Tsui Chik's introduced to give him a more personal reason to fight the good fight. Jet Li is at his best, his jaw-dropping on screen fights are like no one else, including the legendary Bruce Lee and contemporary peer Jackie Chan.

Black Mask is one of my personal favorites in Jet Li's filmography. This is easily , in my opinion his best gun fu film. Black Mask is very much in a sci fi /comic book style , but not in a PG13 Spider Man style . Black Mask is a brutal , ultraviolent wall to wall action classic that should please both fans of shoot em' up, detonation maximum bullet ballets as well as kung fu / martial arts fans. With Yuen Woo Ping choreographing the action and Jet Li as the lead , the fights /action are as good as it gets. There is enough blood and gore to satisfy the most bloodthirsty of action fans as well as some of the finest choreographed wire fu insanity of the period . Black Mask is for me a perfect blend of both styles of HK action . Also, a good job from the cast which has Lau Ching Wan and a cameo from Anthony Wong. The subtitled HK version don't look as good as the US version , but plays much better as a film without lousy English overdubbing and record scratching.

There are so many things that make this flick worth watching:(1)an exciting script,with large doses of humor and extravagant irony,and also some violence (Tsui Hark is one of the co-authors of this script);(2)the excellent directing and the visual beauty;the photography is exquisite and unusually beautiful;the movie is thrilling and suspenseful,and the pace is very ably kept;the attack of the 701 Squad assassins on the hospital where the inspector "Rock" was guarding the last Hong Kong drug boss ("King Kau") is especially amazing;a quite unconventional treatment of some standard plot;(3)a first-class cast (Jet Li,Ching Wan Lau,Françoise Yip,Karen Mok,Kong Lung);Jet Li ,who has the opportunity to kick some jaws and show his agility and test his Agonistical aptitudes,does indeed give a touch of charming humanity and candor and honesty to many of his significant roles,and this is part of what makes them so endearing (a few days ago,I was telling somebody that I like every movie that Jet Li is in;Hak hap (1996) is no exception);(4)it has Tsui Hark as producer.The visual tastiness of this spectacular and glorious movie is delightful.Hak hap (1996) has a pleasing comic-strips quality,and fun in plenty.The film is fanciful,tonic,intelligent and masterfully done.It is smart stuff.No combat is aimless.The government patronizes a medical experiment that turns soldiers into killing machines:the 701 Squad.The Neurotomy makes them loose their human feelings,by destroying their nervous centers;so takes birth an elite Squad,"elite assassins",designed not to feel the pain and die fighting,headed by an abhorrent,cynical,abominable, smirking villain.A man of this 701 Squad,the Teacher, proves to be not as inhuman as his pals;he does not agree with a life of killings,and leaves the military,refusing to follow the Squad on such paths.Although he lost his feelings by that Neurotomy,he tries to get as human as possible and have a new-life,as a cute,peaceful and tolerant librarian,Tsui;it matches his pacifist convictions.He is considered a helpless man by those who meet him in this new existence of his;they couldn't think that Tsui has the abilities of a killing machine.In his new,non-violent life, he is friends with an inspector,"Rock",that protects him,as Tsui hides his powers and refuses to resort to violence.The Hong Kong's drug lords get killed one after another.The police gets involved;Tsui's pugnacious friend,"Rock",fights the band of killers (i.e.,the 701 Squad,who tries to take over the Asian drug market).Tsui teams up with Tracy,a girl who works at the library and which he rescues from the Squad murderers' hands.The show is a super-hero story with a rather SF premise (the Neurotomy).The Teacher meets a former comrade of his:the comely but cold-hearted Françoise Yip.While each scene is well-crafted,some are exquisitely done.Daniel Lee made a few flicks,one with Sammo Hung Kam-Bo,but Jet Li and Françoise Yip are the best artists he worked with.

While not Jet Li's best effort, Black Mask is a decent, fast paced action flick which has its merits.The incredible martial arts sequences are definitely the best part of the film. Lots of punches, kicks and spectacular aerial displays take up the bulk of the film and are a treat to look at. Combined this with the expected explosions, gunfire, non-stop bad guys and smashing glass, there is plenty of chaos for the action fans.Judging from the dubbed version, Jet Li gives a fairly decent performance. While not as memorable as some of his other films such as Once Upon A Time In China, he gives a decent performance. The supporting cast isn't spectacular but are adequate enough.Unfortunately, the dubbing is rather appalling. While you can get the gist of the storyline, it's pretty obvious that large chunks of crucial dialog related to the storyline are left out. While there's not too much storyline to follow in this action fare, it's still disappointing all the same.I was however, laughing non-stop at the dubbing of Commander Hung, played by Kong Lung. It is definitely the most (unintentionally) hilarious dubbed voice i have ever heard. It's worth renting this just to hear how funny it is.Overall, I recommend this to Jet-Li fans and most action fans. If you're not one or both of these then you would probably be best advised to steer clear. It sells for dirt cheap here in Australia ($5-$8 depending where you shop around) but it's probably worth getting the authentic version if you want the best experience.Be warned though, it is rather violent (expect to see limbs being taken off and crushed and a fair amount of blood) so beware if you're faint hearted.I give it 6.5 out of 10.