Main Cast: Chow Yun-Fat, Seann William Scott, Jaime King, Karel Roden, Victoria Smurfit
Release Year: 2003
Country: US
Run Time: 104 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
A monk and a pickpocket become unlikely allies in this action adventure story. Sixty years ago, a nameless monk (Chow Yun-Fat) was appointed the guardian of a mysterious scroll that grants remarkable powers to those who possess it. After six decades of traveling the world to protect the scroll, the monk must find someone new to assume the responsibility, but as fate would have it, the new caretaker turns out to be Kar (Seann William Scott), a scruffy and distinctly non-enlightened petty thief living in San Francisco. As the monk attempts to educate Kar in the powers and responsibilities of the scroll and the ways of a monk's life, they discover they have a rival for the possession of the valuable scroll. As Kar and the monk fend off their mysterious adversary, they are aided by Bad Girl (Jaime King), a beautiful Russian mob affiliate with amazing martial arts skills and a vested interest in keeping the scroll in virtuous hands. Bulletproof Monk was based a comic book series published in 1999; Chow Yun-Fat's frequent collaborators John Woo and Terence Chang produced. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
Chow Yun-Fat fans take note: this is not the one you've been waiting for. That said, taken as what it is (a fairly generic urban actioner that stands slightly apart from the pack due to it's mystic slant), Bulletproof Monk is still a moderately entertaining effort that will no doubt entertain the less demanding action fan. The thing that American directors seem to keep forgetting (Anna and the King director Andy Tenant aside) is that Chow can actually act -- despite the fact that he still looks really cool jumping and flipping while firing duel 9mms. Only a fraction of Chow's Hong Kong efforts were action movies (curious casual fans should seek out All About Ah-Long for a taste of his more tender side), and despite the fact that a handful of those efforts were indeed genre-defining, he simply hasn't been utilized to full effect in American cinema. Though after The Replacement Killers and The Corrupter it is nice to see Chow in a fairly good-humored role, one still gets the feeling that if his stateside performances continue in such a generic fashion that he'll never get the international attention that he truly deserves. Director Paul Hunter does an adequate job of creating his own unique visual scheme due to strong use of color, and his action directing is also fairly assured. Likewise, Seann William Scott makes for a fairly charming street thief, and his easygoing nature makes the fact that his character is essentially a good person at heart relatively believable. Supporting performances are fairly strong across the board, though it's painfully obvious (especially during the final confrontation) that many of villainous Nazi Strucker's (Karel Roden) more comic character components were sadly left on the cutting room floor given that the other humorous elements of the film are so blatant. Though those unfamiliar with Chow aren't likely to be quite as demanding of this effort (and should definitely seek out his Honk Kong actioners to see how it's really done), Bulletproof Monk is just entertaining enough to tide over hardcore Chow fans until inevitable reteaming with longtime collaborator John Woo. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Victoria Smurfit - Nina; Mako - Mr. Kojima; Marcus Jean Pirae - Mr. Funktastic; Roger Yuan - Master Onk; Matt Birman - Merc; Michael Gow - Monastery Monk; Billy Oliver - Kommando; Alan Tang Kwong-Wing - Wu Shu Monk; Russell Yuen - Brother Tenzin; James Acheson - Merc; Kevin Rushton - Merc; Steve Lucescu - Merc; Albert Chung - Young Monk; Raven Dauda - Young Mother; Patrick Mark - Kommando; Lloyd Adams - Transit Cop; Brian Jagersky - Merc; Robert Racki - Merc; Bryan Thomas - Kommando; Geoff Williams - Breathless Cop; Christopher McGuire - Kommando; Hadley Sandiford - Merc; Regan Moore - Kommando; Robert Archer - Buzz; Bayo Akinfemi - Shade; Tommy Chang - Temple Monk; Chris Collins - Sax; Michael Yanover - Hotdog Vendor; Joel Harris - Kommando; Christopher D. Amos - Transit Cop; Sean Bell - Diesel; Chad Camileri - Merc; Phil Chiu - Monastery Monk; Fabian Choe - Temple Monk; Mike Chow - Temple Monk; Murray R. Croft - Transit Cop; Neil Davison - Kommando; Kishaya Dudley - DV; Paul Fauteux - Subway Cop; Feng Jun Wei - Wu Shu Monk; Karis Han - Boy Monk; Blair Johannes - Merc; Suresh John - Cabbie; Allen Keng - Monastery Monk; James Kim - Temple Monk; Henry Korhonen - Kommando; Nathan Lam - Wu Shu Monk; Danny Lima - Merc; Lin Yi-Sheng - Wu Shu Monk; John MacDonald - Merc; Isys McKoy - Little Girl; Mauricio Rodas - Wicho; Angela Seto - Old Sho Girl; Peter Snider - Three Piece Suit; Peter Wong - Wu Shu Monk
Credit
Eric Norlin - Art Director, T. Arv Grewal - Art Director, Nick Gazda - Art Director, Stephanie Dudley - Animator, Jean Marc Rodrigue - Animator, Wendy Whaley - Animator, Paul Wood - Character Animation, Robert Lambert - Associate Producer, Alan Zielonko - Boom Operator, Mindy Marin - Casting, Diane Kerbel - Casting, Troy P. Liddell - Choreography, Stephen Tung Wei - Consultant/advisor, Colin Chilvers - Consultant/advisor, David Harcourt - Consultant/advisor, Shakya Dorje - Consultant/advisor, Trevor Ward - Consultant/advisor, Alan Glazer - Co-producer, Brent O'Connor - Co-producer, Mark Paniccia - Co-producer, Delphine White - Costume Designer, Walter Gasparovic - First Assistant Director, Howard Rothschild - First Assistant Director, Paul Hunter - Director, Guy Norris - Second Unit Director, Corey Yuen - Second Unit Director, Robert Lambert - Editor, Douglas Segal - Executive Producer, Kelley Smith-Wait - Executive Producer, Caroline Macaulay - Executive Producer, Claude Serra - Executive Producer, Michael Yanover - Executive Producer, Gotham Chopra - Executive Producer, Stephen Tung Wei - Fights Choreographer, Corey Yuen - Fights Choreographer, Jack Wong Wai Leung - Fights Choreographer, Jack Wai Leung Wong - Fights Choreographer, Mok Shuk Yee - Hair Styles, Jonathan N. Matthews - Location Manager, Drazen Baric - Location Manager, Richard Hughes - Location Manager, Eric Serra - Composer (Music Score), Anita Camarata - Musical Direction/Supervision, Emmy Leung - Makeup, Greg Cannom - Makeup Special Effects, Keith Vanderlaan - Makeup Special Effects, Michael Hall - Camera Operator, David Sheridan - Camera Operator, Perry Hoffman - Camera Operator, Michael Fylyshtan - Camera Operator, Deborah Evans - Production Designer, Stefan Czapsky - Cinematographer, David Herrington - Cinematographer, Mary Kim - Production Manager, Marty Dejczak - Production Manager, D.J. Carson - Production Manager, Terence Chang - Producer, Charles Roven - Producer, John Woo - Producer, Douglas Segal - Producer, Elis Lam - Set Designer, Clive Thomasson - Set Designer, Rob Ballantyne - Set Designer, William Cheng - Set Designer, Vladislav Fedorov - Set Designer, Steve Maslow - Sound Mixer, Gregg Landaker - Sound Mixer, Ted Hall - Sound Mixer, Soundstorm - Sound/Sound Designer, Frank Fleming - Sound Recordist, Brion Pacassi - Sound Recordist, Duncan McLeod - Stunts, Fred Perron - Stunts, John Stoneham, Sr. - Stunts, Shane Cardwell - Stunts, Marco Bianco - Stunts, Sue Parker - Stunts, Lori Stewar - Stunts, Wayne Downer - Stunts, Robert Reese - Stunts, Paul Wu - Stunts, Roy T. Anderson - Stunts, Ron Bell - Stunts, Darren Marsman - Stunts, Ed Queffelec - Stunts, Bryan Renfro - Stunts, Jennifer Vey - Stunts, Curtis Hibbert - Stunts, Angelica Lisk - Stunts, Marcello Baccala - Stunts, Dan Belley - Stunts, Leigh Brinkman - Stunts, Ian Chow - Stunts, Christopher Cordell - Stunts, Susan Horton - Stunts, Jung-Yul Kim - Stunts, Kym Kristalie - Stunts, Darren Michael McGuire - Stunts, Dennis Oliver - Stunts, Peng Zhang - Stunts, Joseph R. Racki - Stunts, Dave Stinson - Stunts, Mike Tighe - Stunts, Len Wagner - Stunts, Wong Wai Fai - Stunts, Guy Norris - Stunts Coordinator, Branko Racki - Stunts Coordinator, John Stoneham Jr. - Stunts Coordinator, Kim Chow - Supervisor/Manager, Tim Landry - Special Effects Supervisor, Kaz Kobielski - Special Effects Supervisor, Brent O'Connor - Unit Production Manager, Ethan Reiff - Screenwriter, Cyrus Voris - Screenwriter, David Herrington - Additional Cinematography, Amanda Jane Powell - Production Assistant, Alexei O'Brien - Production Assistant, Patrick Davis - Production Assistant, Marco Di Flaviano - Production Assistant, Norris Houk - Production Assistant, Dino Mangos - Production Assistant, Terri Ann Myers - Production Assistant, Steve Sheridan - Production Assistant, Andrew Wolinsky - Production Assistant, John E. Sullivan - Visual Effects Supervisor, Rick Parker - Animal Trainer/Wrangler, Jim Lovisek - Animal Trainer/Wrangler, Karen Pidgurski - Unit Publicist, Mark Bourgeois - Additional Editing, Pamela March - Additional Editing, John Harper - First Assistant Camera, Andy Jekabsons - First Assistant Camera, Tim Kneeshaw - First Assistant Camera, Phillippe Champion - First Assistant Camera, Ciaran Copelin - First Assistant Camera, Ari Magder - First Assistant Camera, Jeffrey Orr - Grip, Peter DaPrato - Key Grip, Mark Manchester - Key Grip, Brent Brooks - Music Editor, Eric Serra - Music Producer, Eric Serra - Musical Performer, Hollywood Studio Orchestra - Musical Performer, Lesley R. Myers - Production Coordinator, Hanna Tower - Production Coordinator, Geoffrey R. Smith - Properties Master, Ron Hewitt - Properties Master, Barney Burman - Prosthetic Makeup Effects, Greg Cannom - Prosthetic Makeup Effects, Kathryn Buck - Script Supervisor, Pat Joyes - Script Supervisor, Bob Warwick - Second Assistant Director, Pazz Neglia - Second Assistant Director, Steve Mann - Sound Effects Director, Ken Fischer - Sound Effects Director, Howard S.M. Neiman - Sound Effects Director, Glenn Hoskinson - Sound Effects Director, Stephen P. Robinson - Sound Effects Director, Steven F. Nelson - Sound Effects Director, Tony Kenny - Special Effects Coordinator, David Sheridan - Steadicam Operator, George Kratchyk - Still Photographer, Bruce Stambler - Supervising Sound Editor, Bruce Fortune - Supervising Sound Editor, Debbie Cooke - Visual Effects Producer, John E. Sullivan - Visual Effects Producer, Dennis Hoffman - Visual Effects Producer, Denise Horta - ADR Editor, Becky Sullivan - ADR Editor, Eileen Horta - ADR Editor, Thomas J. O'Connell - ADR Mixer, Rick Canelli - ADR Recordist, Luis M. Sequeira - Assistant Costumer Designer, Sara Schilt - Assistant Costumer Designer, Mike Hall - Assistant Chief Lighting Technician, Steve Spurrell - Assistant Chief Lighting Technician, Lydia Pensa - Assistant Hair, Craig Jackson - Assistant Location Manager, Jo-Ann MacNeil - Assistant Makeup, Basil Person - Assistant Production Coordinator, Michael Huschka - Assistant Properties, Paul Aulicino - Assistant Sound Editor, Patrick Cicero - Assistant Sound Editor, Niall Traynor - Camera Loader, Crystal Proctor - Casting Assistant, Khristina Kravas - Casting Associate, David Breeze - Chief Lighting Technician, Chris Howard - Chief Lighting Technician, James Halpenny - Construction Coordinator, Patrick King - Dolly Grip, Zamaret Kleiman - Extra Casting, D. Gillian Truster - First Assistant Editor, David R. Beecroft - Key Hairstylist, Paulina Jara - Key Hairstylist, Mario Cacioppo - Key Make-up, Leslie A. Sebert - Key Make-up, Brent O'Connor - Personal Assistant, Shannon O'Connor - Personal Assistant, Mel Braxton - Personal Assistant, Brandon Buyaki - Personal Assistant, Cyrille De Smet - Personal Assistant, Siri Khalsa - Personal Assistant, Aaron Kogan - Personal Assistant, Tom Metz III - Personal Assistant, Brittany Philion - Personal Assistant, Hunter Shepherd - Personal Assistant, Misha Skoric - Personal Assistant, Evan Spiegel - Personal Assistant, Rachel Suhanic - Personal Assistant, Todd Weinger - Personal Assistant, Jonathan Goldman - Personal Assistant, Robert C. Doyle - Post Production Assistant, Darwin Green - Post Production Assistant, Bradley Crosbie - Second Assistant Camera, Benjamin Smith - Second Assistant Camera, Nick Fischer - Set Dresser, David Jaquest - Set Dresser, Denis Kirkham - Set Dresser, Richard Krogh - Set Dresser, Kimothy Steede - Set Dresser, Walter Woloschuk - Set Dresser, Rob McCallum - Storyboard Artist, Boy Wonder Visual Effects - Visual Effects, Joe Dorn - ADR Supervisor, Sean Armstrong - Cable Person, Bob Beher - Foley Supervisor, RD Negative Cutting Inc. - Negative Cutter, David Tommasini - Pilot, Catherine McGovern - Production Secretary, Lisa Coles - Production Secretary, John J. Thomson - Production Sound Mixer, Charlene Schembri - Set Medic/First Aid, Jody Marie Tansley - Set Medic/First Aid, Bob Hall - Special Effects Technician, Arthur Langevin - Special Effects Technician, Gary Kleinsteuber - Special Effects Technician, Katrina Lee - Third Assistant Director, Jenny Murray - Third Assistant Director, Ronald Schlueter - Video Assist, Anthony Nocera - Video Assist, Kenton Hulme - Visual Effects Editor, Melissa J. T. Carter - Visual Effects Editor, Barbara Harris - Voice Casting, Ambrose Pottie - Graphic Design, David Best - Graphic Design, Howard A. Anderson Company - Title Design, Feng Zhu - Conceptual Design, H. Nancy Pak - Art Department Coordinator, Sean Karlin - Assistant Visual Effects Editor, Robert S. Smith - Standby Carpenter, Mike Bunt - Standby Carpenter, Rob Bonney - Head Carpenter, Chris Biggs - Compositor, Jonah Loop - Compositor, Robert Rossello - Compositor, Tarn Fox - Compositor, John Kirby - Compositor, Paul Graff - Compositor, Frank Maurer - Compositor, Joseph Bailey - Compositor, Josh Davitt - Compositor, Fish Essenfeld - Compositor, Holly Horter - Compositor, John Huikku - Compositor, Daryl Klein - Compositor, Mark Rumsey - Compositor, Doyle Smith - Compositor, Deborah Whitman - Compositor, Georges Venckus - Assistant Set Decorator
This plot summary may be too long or overly detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (February 2008)
The storyline opens in Tibet in the year 1943, wherein one of its protagonists, a Tibetan monk, is informed that he has fulfilled the prophecies made of him, wherein he has fought an army of enemies while a flock of cranes circled overhead; fought for love at the palace of Jade; saved his brothers whom he did not know; and forsaken his name. He is then entrusted by his master with the protection of a Scroll which contains knowledge by which the reader becomes the most powerful of living things; a protection that will keep him youthful and immunize him to injury until, at the close of 60 years, he passes the knowledge to an heir. The master, who has formerly been the guardian of this Scroll, is killed by German soldiers shortly after the transfer. His pupil, the now nameless Monk, escapes despite the Nazi commander's expectations.
60 years later, a young pickpocket named Kar (Seann William Scott) robs a police officer in a subway station. He is arrested, but frees himself and chains the police officer, only to flee some of the latter's colleagues. Above in the street, the Monk is reading a newspaper when he notices several men attempting to capture him. The Monk attempts to escape by running into the subway, where he and Kar collide, causing a young girl to fall into the path of an oncoming train. Kar and the Monk rescue the girl, whereupon the three escape, leaving Kar's bag of stolen goods in the station.
Having escaped, the Monk and Kar introduce themselves to each other, whereupon Kar steals the Scroll from the Monk and runs away. Thereafter, wherever Kar goes he is chased by the Monk, who suspects that Kar may be a suitable successor as guardian of the Scroll. When fighting underground against a minor crime lord called Mister Funktastic (Marcus Jean Pirae), Kar meets a woman named Jade, with whom he falls in love. The Monk then follows Kar home and watches him at home practicing Kung-fu by watching Chinese martial arts movies. They meet again during the next day and are conversing when Jade walks up to them and asks Kar to return her necklace, which he had apparently stolen on purpose to return so as to earn her esteem. She is interrupted by the mercenaries chasing the Monk, whose quarry flees with Kar in his company.
The Monk and Kar escape by hiding beneath an Asian laundromat, where are several monks of the lead character's order. The Monk then takes refuge in a nearby building wherein the Monk shows Kar several techniques of fighting. They are attacked and the Scroll is taken to a crime lord named Strucker, the nazi commander 60 years ago who fought with the monk, desires to use its power as a means of world domination. Upon reading the Scroll, Strucker finds that it contains a recipe for noodle soup, whereas it is later revealed that the true secret of power is marked on the Monk's torso. The Monk and Kar return home to find that Kar's boss, Mr. Kojima, has been murdered by Strucker's granddaughter Nina. They flee to the Asian laundromat but are betrayed by an ambitious monk who desires the power conferred by the scroll, but is instead taken to Strucker's center of operation and tortured.
The Monk and Kar seek the help of Jade, whom they learn is the daughter of a currently imprisoned Russian crime lord. Their meeting is interrupted by Nina, who has Jade and Kar beaten and the Monk captured. Later, Jade and Kar inflitrate Strucker's headquarters, where Strucker has regained his youth by reading the text of the Scroll, but is unable to obtain the content of the last line, which is written nowhere and present only in the Monk's memory. Strucker attempts to scan the Monk's brain, but is prevented by Kar and Jade. During the resulting fight, Nina is killed by Jade and Strucker thrown onto electric cables, whence he is preserved from death by the Scroll's power.
Jade having freed the other monks, the protagonist Monk transfers what is revealed to be only part of the Scroll's content, and the task of protecting it for 60 years, to Kar. When Strucker attempts to kill Kar, but is killed himself, it is revealed that Jade has also received a part of the Scroll and shares with him the task of protecting it and all the effects thereof. The Monk then tells them that they both passed the three prophecies (Kar battled enemies beneath circling cranes and fought for love at the palace of jade, but Jade was the one who had saved brothers she never knew) and the final test. The next day, the now aged Monk meets Kar and Jade, to whom he reveals the final line of the Scroll and whom he now deems inseparable. He then departs, lighthearted.
The film received mostly negative reviews from film critics, who complained that the fight scenes were not as well choreographed or directed as those in similar movies such as The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and also that the alternating comedic and action scenes were jarring[2]. The movie grossed about $37 million domestically, far below the film production budget of $52 million[1].
