Summary
Most people probably could have never imagined a movie likeBulletproof Monkgetting made, but it came out back in 2003 at a time when studios were willing to take much bigger risks, and that extended to the films’ stars. Some fans of classic action movies from around the globe may know the name Chow Yun-Fat. He was a massive star in Hong Kong and went on to become a global star when he broke into films in the West.
At the same time, fans of raunchy comedy movies are sure to know Seann William Scott. Rising to prominence inAmerican Pie, most movie fans likely never saw someone like Seann William Scott working with someone like Chow Yun-Fat. Directed by Paul Hunter as his debut film,Bulletproof Monkis, in some aspects, an underrated movie based on the comic book work courtesy of Brett Lewis and Michael Avon Oeming.
What Is Bulletproof Monk About?
Backin the midst of World War 2, a Tibetan Monk becomes worthy of being the new protector of an ancient and powerful scroll. It is his duty to leave behind his life and even his name to protect the power of youth, strength, and near immortality from the wrong hands, and unfortunately, the job starts in a hurry. A Nazi leader named Strucker leads an attack against the order of monks in search of the scroll, though the Monk manages to get away before its power can be stolen.
Flashforward six decades later to 2003, that same Monk takes an interest in Kar,a young thiefwho has what it takes to become the new protector of the scroll. Kar quickly finds himself interested in a strong young woman named Jade, even if she tries to deny his advances, so he steals her necklace practically ensuring he’ll see her again. Before they cross paths again, it’s revealed that Strucker has a granddaughter, Nina, who has taken up his mission, something that puts the Monk in danger. Having to flee after being noticed, Kar and the Monk join up with a group of other monks before Kar commits to training under his new Monk friend.
After a close encounter with Nina’s forces that results in her getting her hands on a fake copy of the scroll, the fight gets a bit more personal for Kar. Unfortunately, the two men are constantly on the run as Nina’s forces close in on them, something that becomes even easier after they are betrayed by one of the monks who knew their location. Sadly for those same monks, they were then taken captive by Nina. Knowing that their options are limited, Kar and the powerful Monk ask Jade for help, but Nina soon barges in and takes the Monk captive anyway due to much of the scroll being tattooed on his body.
Kar and Jade take the fight to Nina for the first time, attacking her base of operations that is being used to restore her grandfather’s youth. The two manage to get the drop on her forces at first but are soon separated,with badass Jade left to take on Nina all by herself. While Nina has proven herself to be a skilled opponent throughout the film, she isn’t a match for Jade who manages to kill the young Nazi sympathizer before going on to help the captured monks. She can only hope that Kar reaches the Monk in time to save him and stop Strucker.
What Is Bulletproof Monk’s Rotten Tomatoes Score?
Unfortunately, neither the critics nor the fans have been too kind toBulletproof Monkon Rotten Tomatoes. The critics of the site have giventhe comic book filma rotten 23%, something that may initially turn people off from this movie. A lot of the critical complaints come from the overall look of the film, the strange coverage of shots, spotty CGI, and an obscene amount of cutting. At the same time, those critics are happy to point out that the film can be fun and even funny, thanks to the performances of the two leads.
The general audience has been a bit more lenient, giving it a score of 38%. While they share many of the same complaints as the critics, the general movie fan seems to appreciate the story of the film a lot more and additionallylikes the cheesier elementsof the plot and action. It appears to be yet another film that many would controversially label as a turn-your-brain-off film, though some have taken issue with that entire concept altogether. As far as the general audience goes, one of the biggest complaints is that the movie can be generic at times.
How Does Bulletproof Monk End?
Things go from bad to worse when Strucker finally manages to get his hands on exactly what he wants. With the scroll now in hand, he begins to read from it, reversing his aging, though things aren’t quite as simple as Strucker would hope. As it turns out, the scroll is not actually complete, meaning that he’s forced to pull the information directly from the Monk. That’s precisely when Kar throws himself back into the mix, doing what he can to help the man he’s formed a unique kinship with.
Kar and the Monk take the fight to the revitalized Nazi, though Strucker proves more than capable inan unintentionally hilarious fightagainst the two men. After plenty of hectic action featuring a precarious platform and some pipe pieces, Kar and the Monk finally manage to defeat Strucker throwing him off the roof to what seems to be their enemy’s end. Luckily, during the fight, Jade was doing what she could to aid the other monks who were being held captive. When the heroes finally meet back up, Kar is granted the power of the scroll just before Strucker suddenly reappears, ready to take his old foes with him if he must die.
Strucker tries to shoot Kar, but he flips around the bullets, sending the Nazi sprawling into a statue with a powerful kick. The force was enough to damage the statue and it came toppling down on top of Strucker, killing him once and for all. WhileJade had been hit by Strucker, she turned out to be finethanks to also gaining power from the scroll, setting up both her and Kar as the new protectors of the scroll. Thanks to Kar and Jade each fulfilling their prophecies, the two became forever linked by both the scroll and the Monk. Later, the Monk speaks to Jade and Kar, significantly older and ready to carry on with his life, trusting that these two new heroes will continue his life’s mission, bringingBulletproof Monkto a close.
