Tuan Jim

It's based of the comic book -- the name that is -- there is no character like CYF's in the comic book. The aforementioned monk appears only in a couple of flashbacks and has nothing to do with the real story. There's very little kung-fu or gun fights or anything like that in the books, and nothing fancy or over the top.

It's a cool sounding name so they bought it.

Jackskeleton

Flamed? Nope.. simple Just breath, step back from the computer and breath.


Well I guess the whole "Matrix Rip-off" comes from really what the matrix did over all. sure it had the guns, the music and everything else that has been done in little amounts before. Blade had the electronic music and the dark outfits, etc. but I guess the matrix was the first one to push all these items and take it to a new level setting the standards up a notch.

I take it when someone says "it's a matrix rip off" that they are basiclly saying that it's not raising the bar any higher but is just there performing the same old gimmicks that are now below the bar of what they should/could/would be.

Now as for Bullet Proof Monk.. the trailer makes it look really cheesy. I will not see it for this. The trailer also uses the effects that were set up on a high standard by the Matrix and since it is now the standard for what effects should look like, folks get that triggered reaction when they see them, that it is an effect that best connects them to the Matrix.

caiman

First off, this is really the first time I have ever accused something of being a Matrix rip-off. I understand that it's common for certain elements of a popular movie to be borrowed; we see it all the time. (and yes, I know that The Matrix is guilty of this too) This just seems different.

You say people use three things and "only" these three things as evidence that something is a Matrix rip-off. Well, of the three you mentioned, I used only one, plus five different ones. No matter how you look at it, there's no denying that this movie resembles the Matrix in enough ways to bring attention to that fact. (everyone in my theater laughed when they saw the slow-mo bullet and the kung fu).

Ok, I didn’t realize this was a comic book beforehand. So I guess its possible that these obvious similarities are mere coincidence. Stranger things have happened. But still, you just can't look at this trailer without being instantly reminded of The Matrix, and I wouldn't doubt that what Tuan Jim points out about the changes is entirely accurate.

Now go get some rest. You seem irritable.

Sessa17

That I can certainly understand & a it's a valid point. I just think, at these boards especially, that the second people see black outfits & guns or wire-fu they immediately say it's a Matrix rip-off. And I absolutely agree that Black leather outfits are being done to death as well as wire-fu. But I don't agree that just b/c a movie employs these things, the movie becomes a Matrix rip-off.

And I'm a big Matrix fan, but it also annoys me that people think Matrix is the end all & be all over the last 10 + years when I think Blade beat it to the punch on a lot of the things people give the Matrix credit fo.

But I am a extra angry when it comes to Monk. for 2 big reasons.

1: Yun-fat is one of my 3 all-time favorite actors. And it drives me nuts that America takes a guy who is cooler w/ guns than anyone in the history of film(IMO of coarse) & has an over 50 year old actor who has NEVER done kung fu before & puts him in a movie like this.

And 2: As a life long comic book fan it makes me sick that studios are rushing out to put out anything based on a comic book. Monk is an awful comic that was forgotten by the comic book world for a reason. It does not translate into a good idea for a movie.

Jackskeleton

I guess it has to focus around the issue of movies just employing the gimmicks for the hell of it, mainly if they are Employing them in a useful way or in a newer fashion, at the very least not just rehashing them for the sake of it then it looks forced and falls flat on it's back.

tinlunlau

heh...my friend's friend is in this movie.
only this time, he's just a photo. apparently, in a scene where monks were worshipping him.

he was also in "the corrupter". he was thrown down the stairs by Fat-gor in the whorehouse.

Elliot

Um, you could say The Matrix itself was a rip-off caiman.

caiman

You could, but you couldn't say that it brought nothing new and incredible to the screen. The very fact that we see so many elements from The Matrix in tons of films to follow proves that it was revolutionary, despite not being 100% original (but really, is any movie entirely original?) Like some others have said, it's not as much the use of Matrix-esque elements that constitutes a "rip-off" as much as it is doing nothing new with them.

Elliot

Please explain how this movie was 'revolutionary'. That bullet-time trick was used years before such as in films like 'Buffalo 66'. The entire premise is a reworking of William Gibson's classic 'Neuromancer'. Whole scenes from the film seem to be lifted from Momoru Oshii's 'Ghost in the Shell'. I could go on and on. The fact that that Keanu bending over backwards in slo-mo clip has been parodied in dozens of films since hardly makes 'The Matrix' revolutionary. Ridley Scott's Blade Runner. Now that can be called revolutionary without a hint of hyperbole.

karnblack

It's a comedy. I thought it was funny. I'll probably go see it again.

jhansla

Sessa17 not need to take it personal

LOL

Sessa17

If I can decifer your caveman talk, how did I take it personal? I used self-depricating humor, I acknowledged I was about to rant about a pet peeve I had. We all have them & we all rant about them. Then I discussed it with Jack & I even agreed w/ him & said he had a great point.

jaeufraser

Is the Matrix an important movie? Absolutely, it has inspired some Hollywood filmmaking and is many times emulated. Yes, many of its parts are derivative of other works, but quite frankly there were no movies I can think of that looked and felt like the Matrix prior to...the Matrix. Perhaps some anime, but I've never seen them nor do they truly count as they do not have the wide audience that the Matrix does. To be revolutionary you have to reach a wide audience...otherwise you're revolutionizing nothing. And this movie truly did something new through borrowing from old. In that way it has a lot in common with Pulp Fiction which, while quite original, also was quite derivative of other films and is one of the more influential movies of the last couple decades. I'd say more so than Matrix definately.(br)

Regarding Bulletproof Monk, is it a Matrix ripoff? Sure it's based on a comic book, but I'm pretty sure that this movie got it's greenlight based on the fact that it would be like the Matrix. I'm pretty sure that without the Matrix, this movie would probably not exist. And considering so many elements of the movie are similar to that movie, that the comic book supposedly isn't really like this, I'd say it borrow heavily from the Matrix. Perhaps even, a rip off. And I'm no Matrix junkie. I like the movie, I love the style, I think it's flat in the character department, but is a fun action movie. But I can understand that the movie is quite influential in its style whether you like it or not.

Jackskeleton

It's simple... The Matrix combined a lot of good tricks that were not fully used or taken to their limits and mixed them together in a perfect blend thus stamping those effects as a Matrix Like effect. Sure their was bullet time before, but I could easily say that THE MATRIX really made full use of it in a different style that worked so well and looked good.

DVD Smurf

Let's wait 'til we see the film... and slow motion is hardly an invention from Matrix (nevertheless, the use of slow motion was interesting and new), if they use the same story line as in Matrix I will declare it a rip off otherwise any film with violence would be a rip off of any silent film from before 1915.

DVDTalker002

Seriously I saw the trailer and I agree it looks like a rip off. But in a shitty way. There is no way in hell I will ever watch this movie. I'm tired of all of these stupid hollywood watered down kungfu movies.

UKingdom

The funny thing is after watching the final Matrix trailer (which kind of disappointed me in a way because I was expecting more) I thought this movie didn't look as bad anymore...in fact, one of the reasons I was disappointed by the final matrix trailer was that it looked like THIS movie!

In other words, Matrix Reloaded hasn't upped the level in terms of the fighting and acrobatics...they have with the cloning and the car chase and the twins, etc., but basic fighting special effects it seems to have stayed the same.

So props to Bulletproof Monk. So what if it's a rip-off, Paul Hunter is an excellent music video director, I'm sure he's brought other stuff to the table, and learned some tricks from watching movies like Matrix, if anything, this movie will be serviceable and doesn't pretend to be something it's not. I'm sure Hunter knew people would make fun of the similarities, but it serves the story well (yes, it's from a comic book adaptation) and will make a fun movie.

Don't hate the player, y'all, hate the game.

Fok

All I see is Steve Stiffler doing Kung Fu.........that ain't right I tell ya.

tanman

Darn that Shrek! Stupid Matrix ripoff. I mean that scene where the princess kicks some merry butt is a completely stolen scene!






anyways, the Matrix was a very groundbreaking but not in slow-mo or black leather outfits but its very good technique using still shots to pan around the action. If a movie copies that, ie charlie's angels, shrek then it can be pointed out that it did so. But that doesn't mean that that is necessarily a bad thing.

UKingdom

I agree, if we're going to trash talk like everyone is saying, rip off this and rip off that, then basically everything that implements bullet time or wirefu will be called a Matrix ripoff, heck, Reloaded looks like a Matrix ripoff....wait a minute, it's a Matrix movie! See what I mean?

Don't hate the player, y'all, hate the game.

Jackskeleton

What does that even mean to this? Don't hate the player? I don't. I hate the movie were they use it for the sake of using some hip effect that serves no purpose to the story or adds nothing more then a means to get more folks through the door.

tha_dvd_man

This thread is such a Matrix ripoff.

ipkevin

Unless your experience with kung fu and gun movies begins with The Matrix (if so, I feel very sorry for you), I think it's generally quite clear when a movie is actually a Matrix ripoff. It really needs to be aping the same tone and style and superficially going for the same kind of "cool" characters and clothes and possibly imitation of the signature Matrix visuals (eg, bullet-time). Without that, you just have a kung fu movie with some John Woo/Peckinpah shootout homages. Nothing that wasn't seen for years before Matrix hit the scene.

Some filmmakers may have been INSPIRED to make their own martial arts-gun flick after seeing the Matrix, but that doesn't make their film a Matrix ripoff if their approach to the material is obviously their own.

That said, Underworld looks like a Matrix ripoff.

caiman

I don't know how many of these comments are addressed specifically to what I said in my original post, but to the ones that are, many of your are missing my point. You counter the argument by saying things like "Using black leather and guns DOES NOT mean its a Matrix rip off!" Everyone go back and read what I said. I mentioned so much more than just black leather, guns and slow motion. The entire concept of the film seems the same, not just the stylistic elements. We're not talking parodies like in Shrek, or things like the slow motion in Charlie's Angels. This movie looks like someone sat down to write a script as he watched the Matrix, and copied down every main point of interest.

chanster

Who cares? The Matrix ripped off a but load of HK movies, Star Wars, Dark City, Superman, 2001- I can see them all. Rip-offs aren't neccesarily bad.