1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
"Breath of the Dragon", November 18, 2009
This review is from: Adventures of Johnny Tao (DVD)
"Johnny Tao" is the dream project of writer/director Kenn Scott, best known for wearing the Raphael costume in
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II - The Secret of the Ooze. According to the behind-the-scenes featurette, Scott envisioned a kung fu film that would combine comedy and martial arts to fill the void of quality action flicks geared towards kids. True to his aspirations, the movie certainly is modeled in the same vein as "Power Rangers" and the like, with the exception of including the occult as a plot point and featuring above-average (for a DTV production) martial arts. If you're sniffy about wanting blood and guts and bad language in your movies, leave this one behind, but if you're hip to the director's ideals, line up and you won't be too disappointed.
The story: Johnny (Matthew Twining,
Leeches) is an aspiring martial artist and struggling gas station owner with plans to sell his residency and start over somewhere else. Things take a change for the extreme when his weirdo roommate Eddie (Matt Mullins,
Blood & Bone) uncovers one half of an ancient spear housing a sleeping demon and is turned into a lethal vessel with plans to take over the world by turning humans into zombie-ish slaves. With aid of a beautiful warrior descended from an ancient line of demon slayers (Chris Yen, Donnie's little sister), Matthew must find the weapon's other half to save his hometown from invasion.
"Johnny Tao" was produced for $1 million and apparently shot in and around the homesteads of the cast and crew, but despite these limitations, Kenn Scott has maximized his resources to craft a thoroughly respectable-looking little actioneer: the sets and production appear inexpensive without looking cheap, the acting is unsophisticated without being sophomoric, and the action isn't the greatest ever but nevertheless would be right at home in a small-time Hong Kong movie and absolutely beats the snot out of anything Van Damme or Seagal have performed in recent memory. Indeed, the fights are a glorious showcase for stars Twining, Mullins, and Yen: the wirework in the movie is a welcome addition, but these three really don't need it as they strut (and punch, kick, throw, and flip) their stuff in ways that ought to make Jet Li, Tony Jaa, and Jackie Chan nervous about their competition. From hand-to-foot battles, weapons dueling, and shopping cart attacks, the movie spares no expense in delivering high-octane fight scenes that ought to become the standard of DTV cinema.
While the film's level of buffoonery is something you ought to contend with before buying it, be aware that the film's age appeal stops at about 12. You see, the cast also includes a blonde cutie for Johnny to love (Lindsay Parker,
Flowers in the Attic), a mean biker bully (J.J. Perry,
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation), a whiskery old man who spouts wise sayings (James Hong,
Big Trouble in Little China), and a funny/dumb token black cop (Kelly Perine,
Dog Gone); nobody among this ensemble really performs badly, but the characters come off as stale and overdone rather than archetypal. The rockabilly soundtrack, while cool in a weird way, also takes some getting used to. Some unintentional cartooniness comes of having Mullins' character speak with a distorted monster voice, and the occasional CGI effect could've been reproduced on any modern PC in the world. Even combined, these faults don't bring down the movie, but they definitely curb the film's ability to be taken seriously by anybody who's seen richer productions.
Eventually, you've got to know yourself before purchasing this movie: do you value pure athleticism and creativity enough to overlook some kiddy aspects? "Johnny Tao" is certainly great for kids who dig the martial arts, but far from being "family entertainment", this one has the potential to alienate adults. Choose carefully.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Never Judge a Book...., December 24, 2008
This review is from: Adventures of Johnny Tao (DVD)
...As the saying goes. This movie is one good reason for it. I was curious about it when I saw it in the rental place and this is one of those times where curiousity did NOT kill this cat. I actually enjoyed the movie. I enjoyed it so much, that I've seen it 3 times now (with the same rented DVD)!
Simple, direct to the point story that's good for the whole family. Lots of cool action and acceptable special effects. It's a coming of age where our young hero was thrown in the midst of the whole good vs. evil battle and he actually did ok. Hey, it's his first mission and he's on his own (sorta)!
They so need to make a series! Now, I'm buying this! :-D
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Matt is amazing. no question about it., August 29, 2008
This review is from: Adventures of Johnny Tao (DVD)
Matt Mullins is DEFINITELY amazing in this, you don't get no farther in personality differences than that of both of his characters, and matt pulled them off so well.
all in all, good action, funny scenes, great acting, and good stunts. which just goes to show that Matthew Mullins truly is one of the best out there since he required no double.
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