Bulletproof Monk (2003)

[levcore]

I searched for a thread but couldn't find one!

What are everyone's thoughts on this somewhat forgotten early 00's martial arts fantasy? It has a dash of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Matrix and The Golden Child, to name just 3 influences. It's far from a great movie but one i do find myself revisiting from time to time due to nostalgia mainly. It was at that time when it almost seemed like Sean William Scott could become a successful leading man/ action hero (The Rundown came out around the same time too) and Chow Yun Fat was at the tail end of his brief Hollywood popularity.

The Blu Ray is a bit mediocre with a surprising amount of print damage but it does the job. It also includes all of the DVD extras I believe.

[50strat54]

Originally Posted by levcore

I searched for a thread but couldn't find one!

What are everyone's thoughts on this somewhat forgotten early 00's martial arts fantasy? It has a dash of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Matrix and The Golden Child, to name just 3 influences. It's far from a great movie but one i do find myself revisiting from time to time due to nostalgia mainly. It was at that time when it almost seemed like Sean William Scott could become a successful leading man/ action hero (The Rundown came out around the same time too) and Chow Yun Fat was at the tail end of his brief Hollywood popularity.

I LOVE this movie!

Chow Yun Fat was also excellent in The Corruptor and The Replacement Killers.

Of course, Crouching Tiger is a masterpiece.

He had a great run along with the early Hong Kong films. Pistols in each hand bang bang bang.

[kylor]

It's an underrated movie, getting low critic scores. However, 87% of google users like the movie, and I'm one of them.

[levcore]

Ha I don't know why this got moved here, I started the thread as there wasn't one for the blu ray. Oh well mods gonna mod I guess.

[MattJ1991]

I really like this movie. I should get around to picking it up on blu-ray.

[kemcha]

I actually enjoyed this movie. I'm not a fan of Sean William Scott. The only reason I enjoy the movie is because of Chow Yun Fat, ever since I saw him in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. It's not his typical fare but it was an interesting popcorn movie. It's not the best movie, I just seem to enjoy popcorn movies.

I actually picked it up for $5 at Big Lots some time ago.

[JurassicBD]

Check your discs before this one goes OOP. I haven't heard anything about it being discontinued, but I searched around and about the only place I could find it was through third party sellers on amazon and ebay, implying it's out of production. With Disney now owning Fox, it stands to reason that might make it permanent, unless a boutique can/will license it from MGM.

The reason for my quest: I tried to revisit the film when my nephew was visiting recently, but our first production run copy will no longer load. Neither the PS3, PS4, nor Oppo 103D would recognize it as a playable disc, despite the disc itself looking absolutely pristine: no smudges nor scratches, no bronzing... We ordered a used copy off amazon that played perfect. Comparing the look of the discs, I couldn't tell a difference. In fact it looks like an early production too, based on the case it came in. So, I have no idea why our other copy wouldn't play. I'm just glad I found out while they're still affordable.

[CyberpunkCentral]

I've seen this movie in the theater/cinema, but don't remember it much.

[CreasyBear]

I only briefly remember it, seeing it in theaters, but I remember it being absolutely dreadful. It's a shame Hollywood never realized that Chow Yun-Fat was not a martial arts star and instead was simply a terrific actor.

[CyberpunkCentral]

Yeah I don't remember this being good, but not awful either. It's just so ****ing meh it's not even worth talking about.

[50strat54]

Originally Posted by MattJ1991

I really like this movie. I should get around to picking it up on blu-ray.

I had a couple of copies of the DVD then got the bluray. I think I bought it at Frys [RIP] for $5 might have even been for a $1.

They had a whole bin of dollar blurays like Hoosiers, Bull Durham, The Family.

[50strat54]

Originally Posted by JurassicBD

Check your discs before this one goes OOP. I haven't heard anything about it being discontinued, but I searched around and about the only place I could find it was through third party sellers on amazon and ebay, implying it's out of production. With Disney now owning Fox, it stands to reason that might make it permanent, unless a boutique can/will license it from MGM.

The reason for my quest: I tried to revisit the film when my nephew was visiting recently, but our first production run copy will no longer load. Neither the PS3, PS4, nor Oppo 103D would recognize it as a playable disc, despite the disc itself looking absolutely pristine: no smudges nor scratches, no bronzing... We ordered a used copy off amazon that played perfect. Comparing the look of the discs, I couldn't tell a difference. In fact it looks like an early production too, based on the case it came in. So, I have no idea why our other copy wouldn't play. I'm just glad I found out while they're still affordable.

If that's the case I own the DVD and the digital. Maybe I'll hunt down my bluray and check it out just in case, thanks

Edit: just checked and did a chapter skip doesn't seem to have any issues. I do have two DVDs too. I also did buy this from Frys for $1.00 see photo. It was still sealed! But I usually watch the digital out of convenience.

I have it on right now on mute as I'm listening to Hot Rats Sessions while eating a breakfast of donut and coffee.

To all the haters that posted you're so wrong!

[JurassicBD]

Originally Posted by CreasyBear

I only briefly remember it, seeing it in theaters, but I remember it being absolutely dreadful. It's a shame Hollywood never realized that Chow Yun-Fat was not a martial arts star and instead was simply a terrific actor.

Well, to be fair, it was made at a time when most Hollywood action films still featured celebrities portraying combat masters of some sort, despite not having any kind of martial background and minimal training for the role. And Chow Yun-Fat was still riding on the immense international success of Crouching Tiger..., a martial arts epic from actual Chinese cinema, not Hollywood. Of course both film industries' idea of martial combat is far more flashy than realistic, much less practical, even today. And this one was made when wire-fu was at it's most ostentatious.

Originally Posted by CyberpunkCentral

Yeah I don't remember this being good, but not awful either. It's just so ****ing meh it's not even worth talking about.

And yet, here you are, talking about something you profess to not really remember well enough to share an opinion about.

[CyberpunkCentral]

Originally Posted by JurassicBD

And yet, here you are, talking about something you profess to not really remember well enough to share an opinion about.

Because it's a forgettable movie. If we go by that logic then every forgettable movie gets a pass. It's forgettable for a reason. Keep in mind, being "forgettable" is not the same as the movie being erased from your mind. If we were talking about the movie Paycheck, then you have an argument. Because I have zero memory on the movie. Don't know why, I wasn't drinking or on drugs at that time. I got a feeling Paycheck is not a good movie, but can't judge because I don't remember it at all. Bulletproof Monk, I remember it well enough. It's just nothing about that movie stood out, but my mind could change if I see it again.

[UniSol GR77]

Originally Posted by levcore

I searched for a thread but couldn't find one!

What are everyone's thoughts on this somewhat forgotten early 00's martial arts fantasy? It has a dash of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Matrix and The Golden Child, to name just 3 influences. .

Good movie clearly inspired by Remo Williams.
Popcorn Fun.

[kemcha]

Honestly? This movie is a guilty pleasure of mine. I never really cared for Sean Willliam Scott and the Nazi's in the movie felt more like caricatures than anything else. I kept rolling my eyes everytiime Strucker and Nina appeared in the scene. It was Chow Yun Fat and Jaime King that drew me to the movie. It's funny because I saw this movie right after the first Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon movie appeared in theaters. Scott's acting was just really cringe worthy. I watch it from time to time when I want to watch something that doesn't require you to think too much about the movie.

It's way I also love Remo Williams, the movie adaption of "The Destroyer" novels that featured Fred Ward (Tremors, Chain reaction).

[Resident Evil Labs]

Never seen this one either, definitely gonna pick up this weekend up for cheap

[Uncle Bud]

Sean William Scott should've won an Oscar for this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onGdcH0vW50

[cheez avenger]

Terrible. It was around the time that a few of the more prominent music video directors in the industry decided to do a film.

This was a bomb and it sucked.