2011 Asian Packed Summer Tentpole Movies: Episode 2

My Kingdom


Called “Da Wu Sheng” in Chinese, the tale of two brothers' quest for fame, love and revenge in the heyday of Shanghai opera is a "multi-million dollar" co-production directed by Gao Xiaosong and produced by Hollywood and Hong Kong veterans Andre Morgan and Sammo Hung. The 1920s set film that blends martial arts onstage and offstage with a suspense-filled love story stars Taiwan-based actor-singer Wu Chun (14 Blades), Taiwan starlet Barbie Hsu (Reign of Assassins) and Chinese pop music sensation Han Geng in his film debut.
Here’s the synopsis: In the closing days of the 19th century, the Prince Regent of the crumbling Qing Dynasty orders the mass execution of the entire Meng clan. Before his beheading in a crowded Beijing marketplace, the Meng clan leader vows that his family will avenge this travesty of justice. Awaiting his death, a five-year-old Meng boy named Erkui bravely sings an aria. The power and purity of his voice touches the onlookers including opera star Master Yu Shengying and his seven-year-old pupil Guan Yilong. Deeply moved, Master Yu rescues the boy and the two orphans, Yilong and Erkui, become brothers.
Years later, Master Yu wins the coveted golden "Da Wu Sheng" (“The Mightiest Warrior”) plaque from the Prince Regent, but subsequently loses it in a duel with his archrival Master Yue Jiangtian. Banished from the stage upon his loss, Master Yu spends his time training Yilong and Erkui in Peking Opera and martial arts, perfecting their skills. When the boys grow into men, they set off for Shanghai to pursue revenge and reclaim the plaque from Master Yue.
Once they reach Shanghai, they quickly defeat Master Yue, reclaiming not only the plaque but also becoming the new masters of Yue’s opera troupe. Almost overnight, they become sensations of the Shanghai opera scene along with Master Yue’s protégé and former lover, the beautiful actress Xi Mulan. But soon, their collective pasts catch up with them and all three ends up in a complex web of love, lust, deceit and betrayal, ultimately ending in tragedy.


The Frontline

The $10m South Korean war film is directed by former Kim Ki-duk protégé Jang hun, whose espionage thriller “Secret Reunion” and action drama “Rough Cut” both did well at the box office, prompting local anticipation on this new title. Stars Goh Soo(Haunters),Shin Ha-kyun and Kim Ok-bin (Thirst), “The Front Line” involves the tragedy of two best friends who are reunited just before the ceasefire at the front and are swept into meaningless battles.
In 1951, towards the end of the Korean War, a South Korean battalion is fiercely battling over a hill on the front line border against the North in order to capture a strategic point that would determine the new border between two nations. The ownership of this small patch of land would swap multiple times each day. Kang is dispatched to the front line in order to investigate the tacit case that’s been happening there. But he gets spiraled into the war that’s more terrifying than death itself when he meets his friend Kim, who has transformed into a war machine, and his unit. As the countdown for ceasefire begins, both sides become more vicious, resulting in deaths of countless lives until the last man could claim the land.


Rest on Your Shoulder

A rare romantic fantasy films from China that dubbed as a “live action fairytale for adults”, “Rest on Your Shoulders”, follows a young woman (Jiang Yiyan) who becomes a butterfly in exchange for the recovery of her sick fiance, a biologist played by Chen Kun. Yet when he recovers from his illness, Chen Kun’s character is struck by the disappearance of his fiancee. As the three year time for her return to human form comes near, however, a plague spreads across Celestial Island. When the butterfly realizes she may hold the key to the cure, she goes on a journey to seek the truth. Meanwhile, the biologists’ neighbor (Gui Lunmei) and a visiting journalist (Gigi Leung) have both fallen for the scientist. Will the butterfly save the dying land from the epidemic? Will she successfully become human again after the three year limit?
The gorgeous depictions of the scenery were filmed in Guangxi, Beijing, Hong Kong and Japan. According to the director Jacob Cheung, the drama spent three quarters of its 80 million RMB budget on special effects, and is a rare art film with so much special effects. “Although China’s special effects have yet to compare with that of Hollywood, as long as we continue to try and innovate, the industry will get more mature,” he said.


The Cat

A South Korean summer horror starred young model and actress Park Min-Young. In the film, Park plays So-yeun, an animal groomer who works in a pet shop who gets stuck with a Persian cat named Silky when its owner suddenly dies. From then on, So-yeun is constantly haunted by a bobbed hair girl with green cat-like eyes who turns her life turns into turmoil. So-yeun desperately seeks help from the people around, but no one listens to her. The presence of the girl and the sound of Silky cries start to choke in around her life more and more. Not only that, people around So-yeun gets killed one by one. Soon, So-yeun comes face to face with the bobbed hair girl at the scene of a horrific death. So-yeun gets rid of Silky hoping her troubles will come to an end, but Silky keeps coming back to her like a boomerang. Terrified she could be the next to die, So-yeun sets out to find out the identity of the girl with the help her dead friend's ex-boyfriend, Jun-seok, who is a cop. Later, So-yeun finds out the truth to the tragic incident that took place in the past.


The Devil Inside Me

Directed by Zhang Qi and stars Tony Leung Ka-Fai, Kelly Lin, Anya and Victor Huang, suspense thriller “The Devil Inside Me” tells a story of a doctor using medical methods to commit crime. Award winner Tony Leung has played villains in some films, but this time, the role of the devilish doctor in the film is a complete fiend and watching him chew scenery as an unstable psychopath will surely entertain on one level or another.



Overheard II

The sequel to Alan Mak and Felix Chong’s highly successful 2009 cop thriller, which once again being co-directed and co-written by Mak and Chong, and will also feature the original acting trio of Lau Ching Wan, Daniel Wu and Louis Koo. Although plot details are sparse at present, it has already been confirmed that although a sequel in name, the film will actually place the main stars in slightly different roles. Lau Ching Wan will appear as a stock market investor who is being spied on by Daniel Wu’s character. Meanwhile, Louis Koo is set to play a cop who is hot on their trail.


Twisted

Set for a July 28th release, “Twisted” is a Singapore horror/comedy directed by Chai Yee Wei. This is his second full feature after his well received “Blood Ties”. The story revolves around a drug dealer who banged up a young girl, a pair of con men who wants to turn over a new leaf, and 4 cabin crews whose lives were turned upside down over a fateful night of drugs and booze. This is a story of individuals with fates intertwined and how their paths clash. A series of twisted events that is both a study on cause and effect, and how our actions affect the people around us.


Moby Dick

The film marks the feature debut of director Park In-je, grand prizewinner of the 2003 Mise-en-Scene Genre Film Festival. The director said that the title was inspired by Herman Melville's* novel ― meaning here that some things are so large, like a whale, that it cannot be discerned when viewed from a close distance. In the film, South Korean actor Hwang Jung-min will display more of his knack for criminal after tackling the roles of a detective (“Private Eye”) and cop (“The Unjust). Now he will investigate cases as a news reporter.
LEE Bang-u, a journalist who would do anything to get a scoop, sees a mysterious explosion in the Balam Bridge and senses there is a major story behind it. Suddenly, a man named Yoon-hyeok appears and, without a word, leaves a tennis bag filled with surveillance reports of civilians and a locked floppy disk. Later, Bang-u finds out that Yoon-hyeok is being chased by some strangers. Bang-u forms a special investigation team with other journalists, SON Jin-gi and SONG Hyo-gwan who were also working on the case. One day, some strangers break into their office, Moby Dick, and leave a terrible mess. The strangers even impose a threat to the investigation team and Yoon-hyeok who is holding the key to the case.

* (Corrected. Thanks to Sildude for the correction)

White

South Korean summer horror that marries the genre with the K-Pop sensation. Girl group "Pink Dolls" is always pushed into the background by other popular idols. When the girls release their new song "White" - a remake from unknown origins they become instant sensations. The four members of "Pink Dolls" include Eun-Joo (Eun Jung), a former breakdancer, Jenny (Jin Se-Yun), a singer insecure with hitting high notes, A-Rang (Choi Ah-Ra), a singer addicted to plastic surgery, and Shin-Ji (May Doni Kim) who can't sing, but is good at rappng and singing. As the group becomes more and more popular, jealousy and competitiveness increases as all the girls tries to become the lead singer. But, when a member becomes the lead singer that person falls victim to a horrible accident, one by one. Eun-Joo then realizes that the song "White" is cursed and she attempts to reveal the secret...


Fist of Dragon

Malaysian writer-director Michael Chuah’s first action movie, based on his original script and featuring the filmmaker himself in the lead. “Fist of Dragon” is a contemporary actioner that also stars Singaporean actors Fiona Xie and Henry Thia, along with Chinese actress Wang Xiao-chen (Legend of the Condor Heroes).
The film tells the story of Li, who comes to South East Asia by the request of his father to help out his uncle who has been facing financial difficulties. Li, upon arriving in the town, feels out of place due to the differences in cultures of the people here. When he discovers that his uncle has been facing many hardships posed by the local mobsters, Li decided to stay and to help his uncle and get rid of them. However, Li encounter numerous resistances from the locals as Li's action brings the wrath of the triad and drags the whole town into turmoil. Moreover, his uncle's daughter, Lily is on the triad side, and their relationship is badly affected when the confrontation between the two groups reach its peak.