A Touch of Zen

pivnoy_chel@pivnya.cool (pivnoy_chel) — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I ultimately liked it (more than not ;P). It has its distinguished charm.

The movie is divided into two parts. The first two hours introduce us to the characters and their daily routines, provide some backstory, and culminate in the main battle that concludes this chapter, serving the purpose of its characters.

The protagonist is a 30-year-old bachelor living with his mom (literally me!), who, driven by a thirst for knowledge, devotes his time to studying and earns a living by painting portraits. It’s quite unusual to see a protagonist who isn’t proficient in fighting in a film about people jumping with swords and killing each other.

However, there isn’t much action in the first part, and it really drags a lot. Perhaps because I was sleep-deprived, I found myself more patient with the film’s slow start.

The movie could have lasted only two hours, but that would have made for a very weak picture imho. It’s the final hour, second chapter, that saves it. The most interesting thing is that the main characters from the first half are barely involved at all!
It’s actually about a supporting character who appears in just a few scenes in the first half!

The focus shifts away from the main characters, a new villain is introduced, an incredibly cool action scenes and a very powerful ending. That’s why, if you are going to watch this movie at all, it’s only for that reason, absolute KINO.

Hard Boiled

pivnoy_chel@pivnya.cool (pivnoy_chel) — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A cool movie about cool guys. The action scenes are very well choreographed and take up most of the running time, which is definitely beneficial. What else would you expect from a John Woo movie?

Sliding on motorcycles, jumping and shooting with two pistols Max Payne style, an exploding fire extinguisher, a shotgun that blows up everything it hits. It’s the epitome of cool. There is a total of three locations where the action takes place, interspersed with explanations of the characters’ motivation and a bit of drama. There is a tea shop, a warehouse and, finally, a hospital. The action in the hospital goes on for a whole hour and is absolutely packed with cool scenes.

We have a tough cop who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and sticks to his own moral code. A nasty boss who actually holds the vigilante cop in very high regard. A woman. An undercover cop who was planted in a gang but just wanted to be a regular cop and have a quiet lifestyle. There is also an informant called Fox - he’s got a cool nickname.

The main dynamic is between the main protagonist, the vigilante cop, and the undercover cop. It was pretty interesting, but it all boils down to the fact that they are cool cops with their own distinguished principles, like two sides of the same coin. Although there was plenty of exposition, the characters feel more like a collection of cliches lacking depth, in my opinion. By the second half, I just lost interest in them.

But hey, the action is cool!

Hong Kong Movie on pivnya.cool

A Touch of Zen

Hard Boiled