I'm not sure if my comments will constitute a spoiler or not, so to be on the safe side, I'm giving a spoiler warning.
This movie is a 10 in terms of storyline, plot development and excellent acting. I knocked off 3 points on my vote because they went way too far with the sex and violence. I'm 56 and SWMBO is 48; at one point, SWMBO whispered to me, "This is R-rated? I don't even think *we're* old enough to see this!". And frankly, I'm tired of the blood-and-gore-all-over-the-floor (and the walls and the ceiling and the people) school of movie-making. One can show extreme violence without being gross about it.
Having said that, I will give big credit in one aspect: the fight scenes are very realistic. This is the way martial arts is supposed to be used in self-defense. No flashy jump kicks to the head, no reaching down the throat and ripping the heart out, just very precise, powerful techniques that disable an opponent quickly and thoroughly. SWMBO and I are both Taekwondo instructors and it was a pleasure to see a movie that got it right.
This movie is a 10 in terms of storyline, plot development and excellent acting. I knocked off 3 points on my vote because they went way too far with the sex and violence. I'm 56 and SWMBO is 48; at one point, SWMBO whispered to me, "This is R-rated? I don't even think *we're* old enough to see this!". And frankly, I'm tired of the blood-and-gore-all-over-the-floor (and the walls and the ceiling and the people) school of movie-making. One can show extreme violence without being gross about it.
Having said that, I will give big credit in one aspect: the fight scenes are very realistic. This is the way martial arts is supposed to be used in self-defense. No flashy jump kicks to the head, no reaching down the throat and ripping the heart out, just very precise, powerful techniques that disable an opponent quickly and thoroughly. SWMBO and I are both Taekwondo instructors and it was a pleasure to see a movie that got it right.