TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film

Comwayon A Disappointing Continuation

Grimossfer Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Leofwine_draca THE BARE-FOOTED KID is a 1990s remake of the old 1970s Chang Cheh Shaw Brothers film DISCIPLES OF SHAOLIN. Aaron Kwok takes the titular role, one which was played by Alexander Fu Sheng in the original, and the film was directed by Johnnie To, right around the time he was making the HEROIC TRIO movies. Like many 1990s Hong Kong movies, this film's all about wire work and outlandish martial arts.The plot is a simple one with similarities to YOJIMBO. The main character is a pauper who arrives at a dyeing workshop and soon finds himself involved with the people who run it. Unfortunately for him, a rival business owner is desperate for the workshop's secrets, and violence soon erupts between the two companies with the bare-footed kid right at the heart of it.This is a fun, light, and rather insubstantial film. For the first hour it plays out exactly as you would expect, with lots of cheesy music and romantic scenes and earnest acting from the main cast members. There's plenty of action here, all of it defying the laws of gravity in the best '90s Hong Kong tradition. I used to hate this wire work stuff for its lack of realism, but it has grown on me over the years and I can appreciate the visual artistry nowadays.Aaron Kwok is merely adequate as the titular character. He's handsome enough but he doesn't have much charisma, although I suppose his talents would grow with experience over the years. The supporting cast is much more interesting, featuring as it does Shaw Brothers legend Ti Lung in a strong role as a steadfast ally. It's a little like Lung's part in DRUNKEN MASTER II, although Lung has less acting to do here and more fighting. He does get at least one fantastic scene to himself. Maggie Cheung plays it subdued and is far less annoying than usual, and Kenneth Tsang is reliable as ever as the baddie of the piece. The film really hits hard for the insanely dramatic climax, the one part of the movie that successfully recaptures the old Shaw Brothers spirit.

dib001 Although the central themes of the Barefoot Kid are hardly original by kung-fu cinema standards - doomed love, coming of age and redemption - they are delicately and effectively handled to produce a result which is by turns charming, exciting and funny. Similarly, although the structure of the action sequences is rarely ground-breaking, superb choreography, clever camera work and a standout performance from Aaron Kwok elevate them well above the ordinary.To a veteran of Kung Fu films, The Barefoot Kid would appear rather pedestrian and certainly nothing exceptional, but for a beginner, its simple but strong themes, crisp cinematography and whipcrack action performances make it a uniquely accessible and hugely enjoyable ride.Highly Recommended!

Brucev-3 Aaron Kwok is great as the Barefooted Kid. He is a great martial artist, but doesn't know the rules of life. This he will learn from his uncle and a very kind woman who gives him shelter. This uncle is played by Ti Lung, who is even a greater martial artist and has some great scenes where he shows his talents. The story is very melodramatic, which doesn't have to be annoying. I personally like melodrama at some occassions. But if you don't like melodrama you can skip to the action sequences because that is why this movie is made in the first place. The action sequences are divine to watch. They are far superior to the scenes shown in the Matrix. Which prooves, that digital effects are not needed to create explosive wireworks! If there is one typical HK martial arts movie you have to watch then it's this one.

EyeJay I wonder why so many people mention only Chow Yun-fat among the actors in [A Better Tomorrow] in talking about the film. I love him, too, but the focus of ABT is Sung Tse-ho played wonderfully by Ti Lung. ABT was my first Ti Lung experience, and since then I wish I had a chance to see the martial art films of 70's in which he had starred. I haven't had such a luck yet, but I found [Barefooted Kid] a good treat. Though Lung plays a supporting role, you can fully taste of his noble warrior appeal in this. Great. And Maggie Cheung is even greater. She portrays a warm-hearted (treats the barefooted kid very kindly), beautiful (yes, Maggie is beautiful), brave (neither surrenders to the greedy local strong man, nor fears loving Lung's character being a widow in those old days), and wise (disperses a bunch of beggars troubling a bride, by scattering the coins) character brilliantly.Lung and Maggie work beautifully together in the most impressive scenes -- meeting up on a full moon night, collecting the stone dust in rain, walking on a street in the rainy evening. Above all, it's a love story (for me, at least). Aaron Kwok and Wu Chien-lien form a charming couple also. And it is nice surprise to see Kenneth Tsang (who played Danny Lee's sidekick cop in [The Killer] and the taxi company owner in ABT) play a pure villain. Plus, it has good action sequences -- nothing new, but neat, enjoyable movie.