Apart from last week’s release of Rise of the Planet of the Apes 3, and last week’s release of Spider-Man: Return of the Hero. There are very few films left that are really suitable for men, women and children, and couples and gay couples. But unfortunately for us, there was recently released another major comedy film in the crime genre, Kingsman, which unfortunately is another Hollywood-style popcorn film.
The film was blacklisted in 2011 and was fought over by all the major production companies before going to Millennium Pictures. It was first released in North America on August 18, and in its first three days, it grossed $21.6 million, easily topping the box office in North America.
This is the secret of Hollywood movies standing for a century. People have a habit of scoffing at the box office appeal of Hollywood, thinking it’s all the product of an assembly line. At the same time, they try to draw up the laws of Hollywood “success”. When they are finally “copied” in the same way, they always find that something is “missing”.
There are three main things missing.
The “assembly line” is preserved, but the attitude and enthusiasm of the film is “missing”.
It only retains the big productions, but “less” the real core competence of the film to break through.
We have only retained a stew of popular elements, but we have “lost” the original intention of making the film in the first place.
When we take lessons from Hollywood, we often take the “formula” without really understanding the “essence” of it. Today, Big Brain will take you through “The Bodyguard”, as a real Hollywood blockbuster, how did it develop? First of all, I’d like to ask a question: why has this film been shelved for so many years? Don’t listen to the producers’ fancy phrase “if you’re better than the others, you’re better than the others”. Ultimately, it’s the lack of a certain “finishing touch”. Two men, one car, one road, one life. Either for justice or for the tribe. It’s a bad idea that was used in the 60s, and obviously a bit out of place in 2017. So this reboot clearly comes with enough gags and surprises!
Surprise number one in the set: double-crossing + mouthpiece
The story of The King’s Bodyguard isn’t really that complicated. To put it bluntly, it’s just a pair of raw, cobbled-together twosome with the usual road movie conceit. The story is about a duo of heroes who are put together with the usual road movie idea. In essence, the plot is a standard Hollywood formula. So how to play with new ideas is to put more effort into the “persona” and “mode”. The double-cross is one of the standard “success” scenarios used in crime comedies.
The King’s Bodyguard is no exception, so it builds on this by unleashing the “gayness” that has been popular for the last two years through the use of the mouthpiece. Even before the film was released, a poster for the pre-release version of the movie revealed a set of passionate photos of the two men. Deadpool – Ryan Reynolds once again uses the term “pornographic filth”, even though he is just a downgraded 3A security officer, the same actor, the same mouthpiece. “Fuck” throughout, “genitals” all over the screen, plus the incessant speed of speech. The jokes are over the top from time to time. It’s all about the “undead” superpower that makes you so lawless. S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Jackson intervenes as a black man with a rapper’s touch who is vulgar and brainless.
A top international assassin who is both good and evil. The only deeper proposition of the film: a killer who has killed countless demons, or a bodyguard who protects demons, which do you think is righteous …… kills countless people but has a heart for justice. The film’s only in-depth proposition is that of a killer who has killed countless demons and a bodyguard who protects them. The actual fact is, this kind of “full of justice, wasted by life into evil” bridge audience never get tired of watching, always want to look forward to the protagonist finally sublimation reversal, say their own years of “not easy life”. I have principles when it comes to killing people!
Once the two of them collide, the conflict is not only escalated but doubled, man + man, killer + bodyguard, mouthpiece + mouthpiece plus. “The impulse to be baptized with profanity!
Surprise within the set 2: An action scene without a set piece is a set piece.
The most important thing in an action crime comedy is, of course, the “action”. The action in this film is undeniably great. One of the major successes of Wolf Warrior 2 is the care taken in its production. The fight scenes were real, the explosions were real, and the tone of the film was straight to the point without any histrionics, which attracted a large audience. Ace of Thieves is no exception. Compared to films on the market that blather on about family and country but don’t even tell a good story. This is a much more down-to-earth film. There are no surprises, but the story is simple and powerful. The three-way chase between “car, boat and motorbike” is one of the smoothest action sequences in recent years. A Porsche SUV is said to have literally crashed a “roadie” Smart into the water during filming. While evading capture, Ryan Reynolds’ ever-changing “gestures” and movements, as well as the use of objects at his disposal to fight, instantly reminded his brain of Jackie Chan.
Isn’t this the standard for big brothers? He uses everything around him to fight, and with his “grim and helpless” expressions, he really shows his “pain in the balls” mentality. It seems that the film is not only set in four countries, but also draws on the mental aspects of each country. Realistic physical combat, burst veins, strangled hands. The action scenes, with their painful wrestling, will have your blood boiling by the minute.
Surprise number three in the set: the best pacing ever and the best music ever.
Do you remember the 2015 film ‘Rampage Hollywood’? Another pinnacle in the history of Chinese films, it was unbearable in terms of its pissiness and groove. The director tried to mix the “Awkward” series with the Bollywood style. But the original Chinese flavour is missing. A few Chinese faces, doing anachronistic things and speaking anachronistic “18 forbidden words”. The film is a mix of old stories from the silent film era and Internet obsolete jokes. It’s a “Hollywood” film, but at its heart it’s just an empty “inflatable doll”.
We’ve talked about the characters and the plot of The Bodyguard. But the best thing about it is the pacing. The opening scene in the bodyguard’s car escorting Kim Derek is filled with international police on the one hand and Kim’s excited banter on the other. The film’s fast editing and fast soundtrack also mixes these two completely incompatible “tensions” and “relaxations”.
One has to admire the director’s basic skills in this regard. The scene where Kim and his wife meet in the bar. The lazy bar scene is set to a slow, lyrical soundtrack, and it is surprising to see the beauty of a different kind of fight – love – amidst the bottles flying and heels crashing around. The action-oriented scenes are shot with a touch of love. The director has a pink heart like a young girl’s underneath his hunky exterior. The use of old-school music also evokes memories for most people.
Blues’, ‘Junior Wells’, ‘Chuck Berry’, ‘Dancing in the moonlight’ ……
Not one more, not one less. Do you still dare to say that Hollywood relies on set pieces? “Killer with bodyguards”, “Little bitch with a mouth on the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.”, “Old school versus new technology”. Within the “rules”, but outside the box, to give you a glimpse of what’s to come. This precise control of pacing is something that many films lack. They are always trying to enrich an already thin story by inserting anachronistic elements into it. They try to “flesh out” the story, but it always comes across as a “mess”.
It would be better to follow the example of a standard Hollywood blockbuster. There’s the formula and the surprises, the local originality that suits the interests of the foreigners, and a big payday for yourself in the process of cheering. It’s a “business”, but at least the “boss” is sincere. The success of this established model can indeed be learnt in a short time, but what about the model behind all the others? It is the result of countless attempts by producers with a lot of passion and dedication. You can have a formula, but you can’t be sincere. Have you learnt the formula of a real Hollywood blockbuster?