Every time I watch this film, I am newly disappointed by the sidelining of Li and Dacascos. Seems this film was made as a vehicle for DMX, which sure was a gamble that didn't pay off, based on his current acting career. The guy barely has enough charisma on film to fill a thimble. Is he more engaging as a rapper? Is that why this happened?
On my first viewing, as I watched it, I comforted myself that, ok, they may not be giving Li and Dascascos as much attention as I'd like, but that's ok, because surely they'll make up for it with the final showdown fight between the two that is bound to happen. And happen it did. ...Intercut with footage of two other lacklustre fight scenes. I felt robbed. Each time I watch it again, I think that maybe it wasn't that bad, I got to see more of the fighting than I thought. But no. What a waste.
Martial arts films are like musicals - you don't always watch them for the plot. You watch them for the fight scenes. That's not to say there aren't some wonderfully written martial arts films out there, there certainly are. But I will forgive a lot of lackings in the plot if they are compensated for with great set pieces. That didn't happen in this instance.
Final Thought: I mean, they used "2" instead of "To" in the title. I should have known I'd be disappointed before I started watching it, based on that alone.
Up Next: Crazy Stupid Love (2011)
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