Are you ready to get kicked in the face?
Indonesian martial arts cinema is back with a vengeance!
Dormant since the glory days of Barry Prima & Billy Chong in the early 1980’s, The Warrior and the master of Crystal Fist may have faded from the spotlight as the genre fell out of favour, a new generation of film-maker is bringing full blooded Indonesian martial arts cinema back to the big screen.
Gareth Evans jumpstarted the return with Merantau and the yes, it’s every bit as kick ass entertainment as you’ve heard The Raid, and now Director Lee Ngan-cheong and veteran Indonesian action director Alip Santosa unleash the high impact high octane Tarung aka Fight: City of Darkness, and The Man in Hong Kong for Forces of Geek, Mike Leeder brings us the following review.
Fight tells the story of four young men, Reno, Coky, David and Galang who grew up together in an orphanage in Jakarta, where they became a family under the guidance of Mrs Lastri who took care of them. Reno has just been released from prison, after serving time for his involvement in the death of a local troublemaker.
But no sooner has he been released when he is attacked by a mysterious group of thug’s intent on killing him. The four friends had always followed the code of one for all and all for one, an attack on any one of them was an attack on all of them. The friends fight back but begin to be drawn deeper into a violent world of lies and deceit.
At the same time, Galang has become involved with Astrid, a sexy dancer who has to provide extra entertainment for clients that her manager/pimp sends her to perform for. Galang doesn’t care about her past, and takes the fight to the Pimp for mistreating her and forcing her into the business while Coky has got caught up in the drug trade, but tries to redeem himself by funneling money from the syndicate back into supporting the orphanage.
But as things take a dark turn for the worse, and the truth about who is behind the attacks on them is revealed, for Reno, David, Coky & Galang it’s all about true friendship and this time, it’s all for one and one for all to the death!
I first got excited about Fight at the 2011 Hong Kong Filmart when the film’s producer and fight choreographer Alip Santosa/Sak Lap-fai premiered a pulse pounding three minute montage of high impact action and bone crunching reactions, which combined with some very slick camerawork and moody cinematography had buyers flocking to find out more about the project. And it’s with great pleasure that FOG! is happy to say that the film delivers on the promises made by the trailer and confirms the arrival of the next generation of Indonesian action movie making!
First: The film also proves once again just what can be done with a modest budget and equipment, if you have the right talent and ambition behind it. The film was shot in HD, but not on the Red One but using a couple of Cannon 5D prosumer cameras, and really shows just what can be done with the camera if you know what you’re doing. The camerawork in the movie is very impressive, combining Bourne Identity styled shaky cam at times, with crisp captures of the choreography and stunts and some very strong cinematography by both Director Lee & Freddy Lim that puts the camerawork of a number of bigger budget movies to shame. This isn’t the Jakarta we’re used to seeing, this is Jakarta as seen through the eyes of Blade Runner and Korea’s Nowhere to Hide, backlit rain, shadowy figures, freeze frames and more.
Second: The Choreography. While the trailer promised so much upon first viewing, it did also hint at perhaps an overdose of Shaky cam, and we’re happy to say that the film delivers very strongly in the action department. The shaky cam was used so well in the first Bourne movie, but done to death in the subsequent ones and various movies since, Quantum of Solace and The Bourne Ultimatum you know who we’re talking about. Whereas in the first Bourne movie, the camerawork complemented the action and the story, the audience was meant to be as confused as Bourne by the way the fight progressed and the sudden brutality, too often shaky cam has been used and left audiences confused, often with a headache and stunt people wondering why the hell they did so much dangerous and hard work if tis going to b shot so badly that you can’t see what’s going on. The shakey cam is used sparingly here, and enhances certain shots through its use. This time round, you can see what’s going on and it looks damn good!
Alip began his career as a stuntman and choreographer in Hong Kong and Taiwan, working on everything from Chinese Super Ninjas at Shaw Brothers to Portrait of a Nymph at Golden Harvest through various independents including Outlaw Brothers, The Big Heat, Kickboxers Tears and his own action comedy classic Nightlife Hero. Alip returned to Indonesia in the late 1990’s and has become one of the most prolific and highly regarded action directors and producers of action dramas including the Dara Dai Cinta series with Ari Wiboro. Alip knows what an audience wants to see, there’s clean techniques at times as well as down and dirty mixed martial arts moves, with elbows, knees and various body parts being used as weapons, there’s also some occasional wirework to enhance a specific move but the films’ fights are still grounded in reality. Alip’s action has a brutal feel to it at times, people do classic Hong Kong reactions but you feel like they really took those hits. I’d love to see Alip being given a bigger budget and canvas to work on, or perhaps a chance to work in the international market.
Third: The film is called Tarung which does mean Fight, and it delivers exactly what that says, plenty of action and a story that while not the most original, is a perfect framework to hang the fights and stunt sequences from. The film knows what the audience wants from a movie with that title, and it delivers in abundance and none of the fights disappoints, the film also makes great use of practical locations from the mean streets of Jakarta, to the neon lit clubs, to abandoned factories to the wastelands and more. The heroes are the good guys born on the wrong side of the tracks who just want a chance, while there’s also the bad girl who wants to be good and nasty villains out to make trouble. It’s not trying to be a thought provoking drama, it’s a no holds barred adrenaline pumping action movie, and it’s so good to have something that actually delivers without short-changing the viewer.
Fight is very much the product of a partnership between Lee as director and Sak as his action director, the action in the film is as important as the storytelling and drama and it’s a partnership that works very well. The two understand the importance of each other’s work, and show once again just what a director and action director working together can deliver in terms of kick ass action and excitement.
Action highlights include several bone crunching bouts in an underground fight club, a table turning glass smashing face off in a club, an M:I2 inspired motorcycle face off which does more with sheer guts and enthusiasm then the CGI and millions of dollars did for the finale of Woo’s Cruise thriller. There’s a high impact face off in a junkyard, a backlit fight against hooded thugs and a blood drenched finale to enjoy.
Fight: City of Darkness or Tarung as Indonesian audiences know it, delivers pound for pound one of the most enjoyable fight flicks of the last few years. It may not have the big budget or big name cast of certain movies, but it gets the Impact thumbs up and comes close to The Raid in terms of unlimited martial arts mayhem!
The film just finished its Indonesian theatrical release and should be hitting DVD & Blu-Ray as we go to press. Hopefully some enterprising Western distributor will snap the film up and we’ll have the chance to enjoy an extras laden collector’s edition with trailers, behind the scenes footage, interviews with cast and crew etc. In fact any interested distributor should contact me c/o of www.forcesofgeek.com and I’d be happy to put them in touch with Alip and his team.
Essential Indonesian Action Movie Viewing:
The Warrior (Jakka Sembung)
Barry Prima plays the Indonesian hero Jaka Sembung in the classic comic book adaptation.
Subsequent adventures saw The Warrior teaming up with Ninjas, Blind Swordsman and more. Crying out for an Ip Man styled make’over! Mondo Macabre put out a slick remastered version a few years back.
The Devil’s Sword
Another comic book adaptation, The Devil’s Sword follows a group of heroes and villains as they battle for the possession of an ancient sword that holds the greatest power imaginable! Worth watching for a number of reasons including a bonus disc of Indonesian cinema themed extras including trailers for countless action and fantasy films produced by Rapi Films in Indonesia, a featurette about Indonesian cinema and an off the wall interview with The Warrior himself fittingly entitled, An Encounter with Barry Prima!
Ferocious Female Freedom Fighters
Come on the title says it all, and if not check out the trailer
Billy Chong (Willy Dhozen)
Indonesian martial arts actor who had the potential to be the next Jackie Chan, but whose career misfired for various reasons.
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Final Score and Lethal Hunter
Chris Mitchum son of Robert, kicks ass, takes names and some insane Indonesian stuntmen risk life and limb for two English language Rapi actioners for the international market, with Bill ‘Superfoot’ Wallace turning up as the villain in Lethal Hunter and IFD Films regular Mike Abbott playing a supporting role in Hunter and the main villain in Final Score.
Merantau
Gareth Evans & leading man Iko Uwais reintroduce the concept of Indonesian action cinema.
Their bombastically brutal follow up.
The Raid (The Raid: Redemption)
HYPERLINK “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkULMOFpuCo” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkULMOFpuCo
