Version: Magna Pacific's R4 DVD - English dub
Somehow 'Black Mask' earned a spot on Civic Video's "Best buy" stand, with big stickers on the DVD case announcing it was a "hot hit" and only $10. I get the feeling that they were actually trying get rid of the copies they had in stock. I would have been a sucker for this ruse, had I not enjoyed this awesome tale of super-librarians and crazy super-human bad guys.
Jet Li plays Michael, a test-subject used a secret government project to create a group of super-soldiers known as the 701 Squad. When the project is canceled, the 701 Squad escape, but Michael is separated from the others and goes into hiding. He ends up working in a library, as a SUPER LIBRARIAN OF DEATH! Not really. Michael convinces everyone that he is a geeky, helpless librarian. One of his best friends is a detective, Inspector 'Rock' Shek (Ching Wan Lau), who finds himself working on a case involving a gang systematically eliminating Hong Kong's drug-lords. Michael realizes that this gang is the 701 Sqaud, who have seemingly turned to the dark side. Donning a black mask, Michael becomes the super-hero Black Mask (he is so creative) and vows to stop the 701 Squad. For Super-heroic reference, his black mask is a better disguise than Clark Kent's glasses, but covers less than Batman's mask. I guess some super-heroes don't take the whole secret-identity thing too seriously.
So what we have is a comic-style plot that has been used many, many times. There is nothing new or innovative about it. It is interesting enough, but who would actually watch this for a plot? It does seem like a futile exercise. The dubbing isn't all that bad - it isn't all that good either. It just kinda sits in between being a bad dub that you can laugh at, and a good dub that you can actually appreciate.
What 'Black Mask' does possess, is action awesomeness. All movies about super-heroes reaping vengeance and what not need action awesomeness. 'Black Mask' sees Jet Li and Ching Wan Lau wandering around and generally kicking arse, having their arses kicked, and then kicking arse again. Awesome. The movie features some cool action sequences, with the debut of the Black Mask towards the start being the one that stands out against the rest.
'Black Mask' is a good action movie, and a better action movie than Michelle Yeoh's 'Silver Hawk', but 'Silver Hawk' is just more entertaining than Black Mask. Check out 'Black Mask' is you're a fan of Jet Li, or Hong Kong action films in general - 7/10
Somehow 'Black Mask' earned a spot on Civic Video's "Best buy" stand, with big stickers on the DVD case announcing it was a "hot hit" and only $10. I get the feeling that they were actually trying get rid of the copies they had in stock. I would have been a sucker for this ruse, had I not enjoyed this awesome tale of super-librarians and crazy super-human bad guys.
Jet Li plays Michael, a test-subject used a secret government project to create a group of super-soldiers known as the 701 Squad. When the project is canceled, the 701 Squad escape, but Michael is separated from the others and goes into hiding. He ends up working in a library, as a SUPER LIBRARIAN OF DEATH! Not really. Michael convinces everyone that he is a geeky, helpless librarian. One of his best friends is a detective, Inspector 'Rock' Shek (Ching Wan Lau), who finds himself working on a case involving a gang systematically eliminating Hong Kong's drug-lords. Michael realizes that this gang is the 701 Sqaud, who have seemingly turned to the dark side. Donning a black mask, Michael becomes the super-hero Black Mask (he is so creative) and vows to stop the 701 Squad. For Super-heroic reference, his black mask is a better disguise than Clark Kent's glasses, but covers less than Batman's mask. I guess some super-heroes don't take the whole secret-identity thing too seriously.
So what we have is a comic-style plot that has been used many, many times. There is nothing new or innovative about it. It is interesting enough, but who would actually watch this for a plot? It does seem like a futile exercise. The dubbing isn't all that bad - it isn't all that good either. It just kinda sits in between being a bad dub that you can laugh at, and a good dub that you can actually appreciate.
What 'Black Mask' does possess, is action awesomeness. All movies about super-heroes reaping vengeance and what not need action awesomeness. 'Black Mask' sees Jet Li and Ching Wan Lau wandering around and generally kicking arse, having their arses kicked, and then kicking arse again. Awesome. The movie features some cool action sequences, with the debut of the Black Mask towards the start being the one that stands out against the rest.
'Black Mask' is a good action movie, and a better action movie than Michelle Yeoh's 'Silver Hawk', but 'Silver Hawk' is just more entertaining than Black Mask. Check out 'Black Mask' is you're a fan of Jet Li, or Hong Kong action films in general - 7/10