The Rebel (2007)

Until the turn of the century, the martial arts subgenre was mostly dominated by Hong Kong & Japanese cinema. The 21st century saw the advent of Thailand film industry as it made its mark on the global stage with instant classics like Ong-bak & Tom-Yum-Goong.The next one to follow suit was the Vietnamese film industry that brought its own martial arts to mainstream cinema with this very feature though it never attained the success of its Thai counterparts. Nevertheless, The Rebel is a welcome entry in the world of martial arts filmmaking.Set in French-occupied Vietnam, the story follows a Vietnamese agent who works for the French but is struggling with his allegiance. After learning of a sinister plot to capture the leader of the rebellion, he helps his daughter in escaping from her captivity, and eventually finds a cause that's worth fighting for.Co-written & directed by Charlie Nguyen, the 1920s Vietnam setting is recreated in fine detail and the dark, desaturated colour palette aptly captures the mood of that era but the drama isn't entirely compelling, for there are missing ingredients in the script, not to mention that the romantic subplot is overplayed as well.The action choreography exhibits a charged intensity and is often captivating but given the environment its story takes place in, it also feels a bit out of place. Still, it's hard to take the eyes off screen when the characters are engaged in a combat. The leading actors play their dramatic part well, the villain has an aura of mystery about him and he's almost a show-stealer.On an overall scale, The Rebel combines the elements of period drama, action & romance into one patriotic thriller but it fails to connect with the global audience on the emotional scale. The action segments provide a burst of energy every now n then but the story fails to keep up with that and required better pace & editing. The Rebel isn't memorable but it offers a glimpse of untapped talent Vietnamese cinema has in store.

I'm a huge fan of martial arts movies and I'm trained on it a bit myself, so I know good genuine action when I see it. While this movie may not be a Hollywood blockbuster it surely holds its own which cannot be matched by most other action movies. Johnny Nguyen is at his best in this movie. Incredible display of martial arts from him which looks even more convincing than Tony Jaa on screen. They made sure the opponents also have good amount of fighting skill which makes it a real treat to watch the fight sequences. The girl also shows what she can do and wow, can she fight or what.This is a must watch for martial arts fans out there.

How is this for a change of pace - a martial arts flick from Vietnam! Johnny Nguyen (TOM YUM GOONG) stars as a Lieutenant enforcer for the French occupiers in the 1920s. He ends up sympathizing with the indigenous rebels and helping their cause when he falls for the leader's daughter (Thanh Van Ngo). This is a really entertaining film because it balances fantastic martial arts sequences (choreographed by lead Nguyen) against some good drama. The real standout here is former 21 JUMP STREET-er Dustin Nguyen as the main bad guy. He has a real Simon Yam-like presence and appears to do a lot of his own fighting. My only complaint would be the film does tend to drag during the middle section set in a work camp.

I'm Italian and I saw this movie in the original language with subtitles in English. the acting could be better, but it's not so bad, the main characters are well acted. One of the best part of the movie is the fighting: the martial art used is Vovinam, a Vietnamese arts, obviously. The fighting scene are full of realism and action, very good I think. The conversations are pretty good, nothing to say. Another good point is the beautiful landscapes of the Vietnamese country. i think it's a good movie, great and realistic fight. the plot is simple but well made, with suspense, romance, action...i hope it'll arrive in Italy or at least in Europe :)