- Actors: Jet Li, Ching Wan Lau, Karen Mok, Françoise Yip, Kong Lung
- Directors: Daniel Lee
- Writers: Hark Tsui, Ann Hui, Chi-Ming Pang, Joe Ma, Koan Hui
- Producers: Hark Tsui
- Format: Anamorphic, Colour, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
- Subtitles: English
- Region: Region 1 (US and Canada DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9 - 1.85:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: R (Restricted) (US MPAA rating. See details.)
- Studio: Live / Artisan
- DVD Release Date: 20 Feb 2001
- Run Time: 90 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
- ASIN: 6305604819
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 130,321 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Sometimes I wonder why American studios even try to make action-packed martial arts thrillers; they just cannot compete with the great films churned out by Hong Kong studios. Black Mask is an underappreciated, high octane, exhilarating motion picture. How could it not be, as it combines the untouchable martial arts skills of Jet Li, the directorial genius the great Tsui Hark, the fight choreography of the renowned Yuen Woo Ping, the comparatively high Hong Kong budget of ten million dollars, and virtually nonstop action? Granted, the film was given an audio makeover on its way to America, but the dubbing is very well done and the hip-hop soundtrack keeps your blood pumping even when no one is fighting. This is not to say I would have preferred to see the film in its original format, with subtitles, but Black Mask delivers more bang for the buck than anything coming out of American studios. Originally released in 1996 as Hak Hap, this movie made the jump to America three years later, just after Jet Li had made his American debut in Lethal Weapon IV. The film does have a comic-book superhero feel to it, thanks largely to the Kato-like black mask the hero wears, but the storyline is actually quite impressive and easy to follow (although the master plan of the baddies seems a little out-there) . Some reviewers don't seem to care for Black Mask, but I thought it was terrific.
Jet Li plays Michael, a former member of an elite, genetically enhanced fighting group known as the 701 Squad; after helping his fellow soldiers escape, he wants nothing more to do with killing. Now adopting the name Simon, he is a mild-mannered librarian perfectly content with his new life. Then the killings start. Someone is offing all of the drug lords in Hong Kong, which doesn't necessarily sound like a bad thing, even to Simon's buddy Inspector "Rock" Sheck (Ching Wan Lau). Still, the detective has to put an end to the carnage and becomes the lead man on the case. Simon realizes that his old 701 Squad is carrying out the attacks, and he takes action in order to save his friend Rock. No one else can stop these bad guys, so Simon dons a black mask to hide his identity, and starts laying the smacketh down from one side of the island to the other.
The action never stops, and Tsui Hark does more with ten million dollars than most filmmakers could do with ten times that amount. I'm talking carnage, people - huge explosions, gunfire by the truckload, and incredibly wicked fighting - oftentimes in the most precarious of places. At least half of the police force must get killed as this movie progresses, and the bad guys fare even worse; in one scene, the stiffs are stacked up one on top of the other. Hark is a genius when it comes to presenting incredible action in the most unusual of ways and from the most unconventional of angles, and Jet Li is at his very best, exhibiting the smoothness and rapid-fire movements of the Wushu style he mastered long ago. The supporting characters also bring a lot to the movie, from the delightful love interest Tracy Lee (Karen Mok) to genetically engineered superbabe Cailyn (Francoise Yip) to hard-nosed cop and all-around tough guy "Rock" to the super-evil Commander Hung (Kong Lung) (who, for reasons I can't explain, dresses like Ozzy Osbourne). With a greater than average gore quotient, Black Mask has everything I want in a martial arts film.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The black mask is one of Jet Li's modern day films. It is not as quick and tricky as the once upon a time in china films but is still a great film with great martial arts fights and can give a different view of jet Li as his other films are not like this one at all in terms of the story line.
The film is set in Hong Kong where Jet's character has broken out of a gang who have had all thier nerves destroyed to make them ultimate fighters. Jet then moves to Hong Kong to live a normal life until the gang start commiting crimes involving drugs. Jet has to stop them but keep his identity safe as well and becomes a modern day kato (Bruce Lee, Green hornet) called the black mask to stop the gang commiting more evil crimes.
This film is worth buying, and even more so if you are a Jet Li fan, the stunts in the film are fantastic.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Having just read the previous two reviews by dissapointed customers - I felt I had to redress the balance.
Anyone framiliar with, and indeed a fan of, Hong Kong action flics is unlikely to be dissapointed by this offering. It is supposed to be Comic Book style, which together with the cultural oddities will make the plot somewhat surreal, but no more so than many many films of this genre. Indeed, the dubbing has been done better than most, with very few comical mis-translations.
Action scenes are as over the top and stylish as you'd normally expect from a good Hong Kong flic, and some of the fight scenes are supurbly choerographed in a way that American films never manage.
For my money this kind of throw away action is far more prefferable to the hollywood junk we're normally subjected too, and comes highly recommended to fans of the genre. I certainly prefer Jet Li's Hong Kong films to the hollywood equivilents, and the fight scenes in this film are better than any I've seen in a hollywood made movie (The Matrix? Don't make me laugh...)
Anyone framiliar with, and indeed a fan of, Hong Kong action flics is unlikely to be dissapointed by this offering. It is supposed to be Comic Book style, which together with the cultural oddities will make the plot somewhat surreal, but no more so than many many films of this genre. Indeed, the dubbing has been done better than most, with very few comical mis-translations.
Action scenes are as over the top and stylish as you'd normally expect from a good Hong Kong flic, and some of the fight scenes are supurbly choerographed in a way that American films never manage.
For my money this kind of throw away action is far more prefferable to the hollywood junk we're normally subjected too, and comes highly recommended to fans of the genre. I certainly prefer Jet Li's Hong Kong films to the hollywood equivilents, and the fight scenes in this film are better than any I've seen in a hollywood made movie (The Matrix? Don't make me laugh...)
Well worth considering! :)
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Best BD edition of the film
I like this Jet Li film. Enjoyable and violent action scenes. I like the fight scenes. Some of the special effects are dated, but this is how it is. Read more
Published 1 month ago by LoBo
!!!!!DUBBED VERSION!!!!!
Although I really enjoyed this film, I would just like to point out that there is no option to watch it in its orginal language with english subtitles which creates quite a few... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Capital Villain
Like a kids cartoon but watchable
This is not like Jet Li's more recent movies. A tired old story about people who have had their nerves removed so as to feel no pain (perhaps a good idea for those watching this... Read more
Published 15 months ago by K. Grunwald
A lot of fun, or a lot of rubbish?
As a librarian/kung fu student this film gave me a bit of a kick, if only because that's what Jet Li is in the film. Read more
Published on 19 Jan 2005 by rp
Is there not a way to give no stars?
Jet Li, with the greatest respect to the little guy, has really picked a film that is difficult to describe as anything but terrible. Read more
Published on 1 Aug 2003 by Jay
Plot anyone?
I'll be honest I was not impressed. The film doesn't exhibit the best of Jet Li either in acting terms or his martial ability. Read more
Published on 22 Oct 2002 by "richyroo"
Gruesome and funny, exciting and silly
I like the characters in this film - they have a vulnerability that makes them more interesting than in many such films. Read more
Published on 28 May 2002
not jet li's best
This is a futuristic martial arts film, and not a good one at that. My intense disliking for futuristic martial arts films is because of the overexaggerated Hong Kong use of guns. Read more
Published on 10 Mar 2002 by thebigcrane
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