THE PLOT THUS FAR
Assigned to protect a small town in Vietnam, Dao arrives to fight against the crime boss; but soon his past catches up with him, threatening to destroy the cherished village.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“Once Upon a Time in Vietnam” is a mess. A B-movie made in Asia with Asian actors that roam through a 19th century wasteland with motorcycles and everything. There’s major martial arts sequences, sword play and Roger Yuan milking every scene for what it’s worth. So much of this material is insane and it just kills me. However, what about this makes anything that Dustin Nguyen directed here work? The film lives as this odd beast that wants to create a new way to portray the Asian period film.
Dustin Nguyen does an amazing job with the direction until the third act. Master Dao loses his edge and everything just turns into another Asian DTV title. I love that stuff, as I can plow through that material like a junkie searching for needles in a Hospital dumpster. That might not be the best analogy, as it makes me sound like a penniless hobo who’s addicted to the DTV smack that flows through my library’s veins. Schlock always gets a bad name, but it’s not a bad thing. When one is willing to screw with material and blend genre to create something new, that’s a testament to the power of genre cinema. The casual fans won’t be insanely thrilled by it, but that’s their loss. If that’s not enough for them, then find a friend that can appreciate this.
The DVD comes with a Digital Copy, featurette and a trailer gallery as the special features. The A/V Quality is typical for standard definition. The transfer is flat with little punch-up. But, the Dolby 5.1 track kicks up where needed. In the end, I’d recommend a rental or streaming it.
RELEASE DATE: 07/01/2014