Chapter 411
The gap is even greater.
Chapter 411 The gap is even greater.
"Oh my god!"
A loud gasp erupted in the small theater.
The second son grabbed Kenny's arm tightly, screaming as he explained, "I know that! I know! It's the Phantom V-Step!"
A question mark appeared on Kenny's forehead. He didn't understand, but that didn't stop his heart from racing and his blood from rushing.
What happened next was absolutely awesome.
The movie shows Zeus catching up with the driver and crouching on the wall.
The final edited video begins with a downward-looking shot to convey Zeus's imposing presence, followed by a downward-looking shot from behind, framing both Zeus's back and the figure of his charioteer in the frame.
In the composition, Zeus's back is very relaxed, while the driver is huddled in the corner with his arms outstretched, gripping the walls on both sides, his legs too weak to get up.
This minor supporting actor gave a brilliant performance; his expression of terror was incredibly realistic, and his physical acting was also excellent.
He kept kicking the ground, trying to get up, but his legs went weak several times, clearly terrified.
After the groundwork laid in the early stages, the audience had already identified with Zeus, and now this overhead shot was absolutely exhilarating.
Next, Zeus descended the wall and began to approach his prey.
The first step is slow and calm.
The second step is a sudden burst of speed, like a supercar accelerating violently.
Third, in desperation, the driver retaliated by getting up and throwing a punch.
In the fourth step, Zeus stopped abruptly, violating the law of inertia on the spot.
In the fifth step, about 0.2 seconds later, Zeus accelerated again and cut in front of the driver in one step.
Explaining the whole process in words seems like it's nothing special.
Presenting this scene using editing techniques is not difficult at all.
For example, in "The Bourne Ultimatum," the process of a character moving from point A to point B is cut out, and the starting action and the result are shown directly. When the audience's brain cannot react in time, they will fill in the intermediate process in their minds, which will bring a stronger sense of excitement.
For example, in Jet Li's "The Universe Is Wanted," two frames of lower body footwork are cut, followed by a jump to upper body movements close behind, which is both swift and beautiful.
So what exactly were the audience members exclaiming about?
Exclaiming in amazement at the panoramic view of "Taken".
This scene was completely unedited; it was all numerical data.
Zeus's sudden and violent outburst, the abrupt pause, the smooth second burst, and the final, composed close-up... all in one continuous shot.
No one in Hollywood, or even the world, has ever made an action movie like this before.
“Jesus! He, he, he…”
Kenny was completely at a loss for words to describe his shock, so he could only wonder, "Is this really not a special effects shot?"
"Of course not!"
The second son immediately retorted: "SR possesses the world's strongest emergency stop and start technique; that's his signature move, the Phantom V-Step!"
Well, more or less, but a bit more difficult.
From a purely theoretical perspective, anyone can achieve the same effect by suddenly tightening their core during a sprint, creating a momentary pause in their upper body, and then resuming their effort.
However, from a practical standpoint, even a peak Dane would have to kneel down and sing "Conquer".
One factor is height and weight; a larger model means a greater need for core control, so it's almost impossible for a human over 1.9 meters tall to make such a move.
Iverson has potential, but he lacks the skill; the control required for basketball is clearly different from the power exertion required for martial arts.
Another difference is in coordination and flexibility. Flexibility actually means the strength of all tissues such as joints, muscles, and fascia. People who are not flexible enough are not qualified to try this set of movements; they will break down one after another.
Therefore, from any perspective, this mere two-second shot is novel, cool, and stunning.
Kenny clutched his head, his eyes wide with horror: "Oh no, unbelievable..."
The youngest daughter, Angie, also saw the whole picture. She didn't understand what the V-step was; she just thought it was so cool, so she screamed for a second with great restraint.
The reason they stopped shouting was because the next scene was even more exciting.
After getting close, there was no entanglement. Fang Xinghe used the most un-Hollywood-esque method to kill him instantly, which was extremely swift and decisive.
The coolest and most stylish hand-to-hand combat techniques in current Hollywood action movies are still stuck in clichéd patterns such as "back-lock choke and neck twist", "hand chop to the neck", and "frontal choke".
It's not that these actions lack expressiveness, but rather that the actors themselves find it difficult to demonstrate the destructive power of the corresponding actions.
The neck-chopping was weak and limp, the throat-striking was all just a set of blows, there was no physical contact at all, it was all fake.
Fang Xinghe chose to strike the chin with the heel of his palm—a purely Chinese martial arts move, a knockout strategy never before seen in the Western world.
This action sounds effortless, but our Martial Saint Bro actually shattered half of the simulated human target's teeth with a single palm strike.
After shooting the close-up, he readjusted the intensity because the image was too brutal.
Therefore, the final result is quite spectacular.
Their attacks are stealthy and swift, like a venomous snake suddenly striking, making them impossible to see clearly.
The high-definition close-up of the impact, the violently trembling facial muscles, and the flying teeth and blood are almost unbearable to watch.
Most importantly... it's fresh and cool.
What exactly do you watch in action movies?
The wildly imaginative and innovative moves, the adrenaline-pumping impact, the exhilarating release... isn't that all there is to it?
The very first action scene of Taken accomplished everything.
From then on, the plot continued to be high-energy.
Oh, no, actually the plot is quite cliché, it's the visuals that are high-energy.
Fang Xinghe didn't dwell on the innovation of action sequences; in many situations, he simply fired the gun casually.
However, compared to similar films on the market, his is more decisive, more ruthless, and more rhythmic.
Yes, he captured a wonderful sense of rhythm in the ordinary scene of firing a gun.
It's really hard to explain in words how he did it.
Simply put, every shot is extremely precise, and every frame is dedicated solely to the purpose of firing.
The scene of the raid on the gang's stronghold marks Zeus's first rampage, directly opening the door to a new world for the audience.
The three-story apartment housed a total of 12 armed men scattered throughout. Zeus's primary weapon was a Beretta 92FS pistol with a 15-round magazine; his secondary weapon was a tactical dagger at his waist.
In the original version, Brian chose to detonate a smoke grenade and then burst in from the side of the door, wielding two pistols in each hand.
In the Fang version, he is twice as violent.
He charged straight in, braving the line of sight of the armed gangsters, and with his superior reflexes, he instantly took down two gangsters guarding the gate with just one gun.
The first shot hit the enemy's forehead. By the time the enemy reacted to the second shot and was about to raise his weapon, Zeus had already broken through to the same level as him and fired the shot the instant he raised his arm. Bang!
Next, you'll be facing three people in the living room at the same time.
With the environment open and lacking effective cover, Zeus chose to charge forward.
While moving, the first shot hits A's chest on the left, the second shot hits B's head on the right, and the third shot hits A's head again when turning back. At the same time, the bandit C gets close, kicks away the opponent's weapon, and then raises his hand to fire a finishing shot.
After entering the room, he got five kills with six shots. His strength was unreasonable, but that was secondary. The most important thing was that he moved at high speed from beginning to end without looking disheveled, showing an extremely precise control of the battlefield.
The overall rhythm is bang.bang.bang.bang.bang.bang.bang.
Like a minor key, each shot has a precise note.
Combined with the earlier footage of Zeus quickly assessing the environment during his infiltration, the audience instantly felt his authority, composure, and professionalism in the field of "hunting."
what is this?
This is handsome, cool, shocking, and subversive.
The immense popularity of "The Bourne Identity" is inseparable from Bourne's ingenious performance in tense and chaotic environments. Whether it's judgment, escape, disguise, or killing, Bourne's performance perfectly demonstrates the comprehensive qualities of a top agent.
This level of professionalism is a crucial factor in the film's success. Fang's version of *Taken* takes this "assassin professionalism" a step further, pioneering a new approach and far surpassing others.
The entire action sequence is filmed in one continuous shot, with push, pull, pan, and tilt movements within a pre-set battlefield. There's no sharpness or excitement from short frame editing; it's all about frantic action numbers.
American viewers, who were not very worldly, were all quietly marveling at the fluidity and sharpness of the entire panoramic action sequence.
"It's so real..."
"Cool! SR's movements are absolutely authoritative!"
"When I saw his interviews, I thought he was just a big talker, but when I saw the movie, I immediately cursed him!"
"That feels so good! This is how an assassin should be!"
……
As the plot unfolds, Zeus is revealed in more and more detail, and the audience gradually holds their breath, completely absorbed in the story.
During the chase at the construction site, Zeus captured the enemy's AK47, casually removed the magazine and threw it aside, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.
Normally, this would make the audience feel like they've lost their minds.
Every American action movie viewer has some basic knowledge of firearms: rifles are far more lethal and suppressive than handguns; in fact, handguns are toys in the face of rifles.
But after Fang Xinghe's presentation, the audience fully approved of his choice.
The AK47's accuracy is simply not enough; given Zeus's strength, a pistol would suffice in such a chaotic, narrow, and complex environment.
He was like a ghost, appearing and disappearing unpredictably, closing in quickly, suppressing from a high position, making good use of space, and launching three-dimensional attacks.
Within 10 meters, it will be gone in an instant if it shows its head.
In the next scene, at the Paris airport, Zeus launched another swift infiltration and annihilation operation.
This was the first time he had used a silencer. He approached stealthily, killed the target quickly, and then immediately disposed of the scene to avoid leaving any evidence.
In the fourth gunfight scene, at a high-society banquet, Zeus demonstrates an ability to create chaos and precisely decapitate people amidst it.
For the first time, he used a tactical knife to make a quick and silent kill.
This was the most difficult part to film during the entire movie's live-action shooting.
It wasn't that Brother Fang's movements were subpar, but rather that his co-stars didn't coordinate well. Using a hard plastic dagger would cause injury, while using a foam dagger would look fake.
It took two whole days and several revisions to the kill animations before the actors finally caught up.
The final result is quite good. The focus is on showcasing Fang Xinghe's speed, and this controlled speed has a unique beauty.
Kicks, broken arms, slit throats—the words pale in comparison to the incredibly powerful images.
The final battle finally featured the first proper fight scene in the entire film.
In the original version, Brian used Israeli martial arts, while the Fang version used a modified grappling technique combined with Bagua.
The fighting techniques used are not the key point; the key is the numerical values. The seemingly powerful attacks of the big boss Mark are extremely clumsy, and Zeus easily dismantles him.
Explosive power, agility, and reflexes completely overwhelmed the opponent; there was not a trace of back-and-forth passion, only a crushing act of revenge.
Finally, he boasted: "I warned you, I'll find you, I'll kill you."
boom!
Amidst the gunfire, the emotional climax arrived in a cathartic and exhilarating manner.
……
The pace suddenly slowed down, and the noisy discussions in the theater resumed.
A small number of audience members couldn't wait to see the final dialogue scene and hurriedly got up and rushed to the restroom.
They had been so focused that they had unconsciously drunk too many beverages, but dared not leave their seats for even a moment; they were itching to get out of bed.
As the movie ended, Kenny and his family walked out of the theater, bickering noisily.
There were three children in front of them, having a completely nonsensical discussion.
"SR's moves are so cool!"
"Yes, he's so handsome!"
"Right, right? Every time he charges at the enemy, he always slides a long way, like some kind of mysterious dance."
"He must be really handsome when he dances!"
"I'll kill you... Bang! This is the real killer!"
"Ah, I'm going to die!"
Well, although none of the sentences actually matched up, the atmosphere was surprisingly harmonious...
Afterwards, the son-in-law and father-in-law chatted cautiously.
"I think it looks better than the Arhat, what do you think, Kenny?"
“Um…” Kenny pursed his lips. “They’re not the same style, but I mean, they each have their own charm. It was worth coming today.”
Mary interjected, "On its own, Luo Han is quite good, but now I've forgotten what the story was about. All I can think about is SR killing everyone for his sister... His name is SR, right? Why does my son sometimes call him AS?"
"Um... I don't know. I only know there is such a person, and I only matched his face today."
Kenny shrugged awkwardly. He hadn't seen "Hero" or "Young Love," and he'd also turned down "The Return of the Condor Heroes"—because those were purely foreign films, or rather, Asian films. As an old-school Midwestern rancher, his pride wouldn't allow him to join in that kind of frenzy.
It wasn't until now, with the release of "Taken," a film nominally produced by Hollywood and featuring a large number of white actors, that he finally came to know Fang Xinghe.
The son-in-law kindly came to his rescue: "SR is his English name, AS is his nickname, and his surname is Fang."
"Oh, oh, oh."
Mary nodded with satisfaction and muttered, "Great filming. This is the first time I've seen how handsome Asians are. Otherwise, I would fall asleep halfway through an action movie like this."
"He's just an average person."
Kenny forced his lips down and mumbled, "The action scenes were alright."
The son-in-law smiled knowingly: "Okay, as long as the money wasn't wasted."
In order not to waste the money spent on those six movie tickets, Kenny stopped before leaving the lobby and took the questionnaire from the investigator.
"Are you from the cinema or the production company?"
The investigator responded enthusiastically: "I'm a staff member of the cinema chain. Thank you for your cooperation. The questionnaire is very simple; you can basically just tick the boxes..."
Kenny lowered his head and carefully read the question.
The first item is the standard scoring.
Unusually, he received two questionnaires, one for Ocean's Thirteen and the other for Taken.
'Thirteen Arhats, hmm, 7.5 or so.'
Just as Kenny was about to fill in the numbers, he suddenly, as if possessed, remembered the image of Zeus crouching on the wall.
'Never mind, George's performance did seem mediocre.'
In the end, he filled in a 6.
Immediately afterwards, he turned the Taken questionnaire upside down and filled in the same number, 6.
If viewed from the front...
That's a 9 out of 10.
This is not the final score of the two films on Rotten Tomatoes; the difference is even greater.
(End of this chapter)