Little Big Soldier

The first thing I want to mention is that I am not a big Hong Kong movie fan, nor a big martial arts movie fan. Do I like some Hong Kong movies? Of Course. Do I like some martial arts movies? Of course. As a general rule though I am not a fan boy who think that everything in those genres is ‘cool’ and ‘awesome.’

Here is the odd thing, even though Little Big Soldier is marketed (in North America) as a martial arts movie, it isn’t. It is a historical drama that includes action, adventure, martial arts and humor.

What Little Big Solider is, is an excellent movie. It is easily Jackie Chan’s finest film in two decades, which he also wrote and produced.

Everything in this film balances near perfectly. The structure is dead on and the pace is even and flows like a cool stream. This all comes into place because of a well written screenplay that tells a great story, and stellar direction by Sheng Ding.

Little Big Soldier take place during the Warring States period of Chine and tells the tale of an older Soldier (Chan), who captures a high-ranking General (Leehom Wang) in hopes of gaining a reward.

The true gem of this film is the relationship that builds between Chan and Wang, and how neither man is ever sure of what that relationship is.

And, of course, there are the martial art fight scenes that can only be praised.

Little Big Solider is One Big Film.

Final View: This is required viewing for all. The fact that it wasn’t nominated for the 2010 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film is a joke.

Hulu, Amazon, NetFlix, Red Box, or Fry’s Electronics for $2.99, make it a New Year Resolution to see Little Big Soldier.

Rating: 8