Reviews

Call of Heroes has been on my radar for a long time. Lau Ching Wan is one of my favorite Hong Kong actors, probably only behind the legendary Chow Yun Fat. Then I started reading some reviews that made some comparisons to Rio Bravo and Kurosawa. I got even more excited! But could it now live up to my ever-heightened expectations?!? I am proud to report that I thoroughly enjoyed the film, somehow meeting my expectations and in some ways surpassing them.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that Call of Heroes is a perfect film. I am saying that when it was over, I told my wife that I had enjoyed the film immensely and she wholeheartedly agreed. This is what I call a crowd pleasing entertainment! It was funny at times, quite unexpectedly shocking at other times; it had some really good action scenes, and I always like some good tough guy posturing, and it had that in spades. For the positives, I would start with Eddie Peng's somewhat scruffy and amusing performance as the Monkey King hero. The performance is broad to be sure, but very likable, and I now count myself a fan of Eddie. I've already professed my biased fanboy status for Lau Ching Wan, but he brings the necessary gravitas and strength to his role as the sheriff / guardian of the city. He could probably play this role in his sleep, but I do think he brought some good stuff to the table. The primary negative to me was Louis Koo's over the top performance. I like Louis but his performance seemed a little overboard, even in a movie like this. That being said, his initial arrival in town is one of the more surprising scenes in my recent cinematic universe. I won't say anymore about that!

A fun movie filled with broad performances, some unexpectedly surprising events, and over the top action sequences, Call of Heroes is one of the more entertaining movies I've seen this year!

I love the classic westerns from the 50's. I especially love the Stewart / Mann and Scott / Boetticher series of films. They were simple, short, and exceedingly well acted and well made. Take those stories and update them to include more modern touches in the areas of violence and you have a movie called "The Salvation." The motivations of the characters are simple. We don't have a lot of angst and political correctness being shoved in our face. Bad things happen, bad people are involved, and a good and decent man must have his revenge. This movie is short. The credits begin to roll before the 90 minute mark. I've never been one to think a movie's quality increases with its length, and this movie does its job in about an hour and a half.

This film really moved me. I let myself get caught up in the birds eye view of the war in the Middle East, as seen through the eyes of an American sniper. I thought Clint's direction and Bradley's acting were both very good. I have not served in the military, but my father, brother, and brother-in-law have. My brother and brother-in-law have both served overseas in varying capacities as part of the wars in IRAQ and Afghanistan. I really appreciate those who have signed up for duty, knowing that they could be called upon to fight in a war, and then went and served their country when called upon. Wars are scary. I didn't sign up, but I appreciate those who have. I imagine that this movie does a pretty good job of showing what it must have been like for some of the men and women who had to go to war in my place.

Judging from the reactions of some people like Michael Moore, Bill Maher, and many of those who have taken the time to write a review for IMDb, there are many people who do not like this movie at all. Primarily this dislike seems to stem from the fact that the movie isn't a complete biography, warts and all, of Chris Kyle the man; also, there seems to be disappointment that the movie doesn't address the larger political context of the war, that being the validity of the reasons for going to war in the first place. Although I understand these complaints, I still enjoyed the movie because of how I chose to approach the film. I didn't go into the movie expecting to see a completely accurate and faithful representation of Chris Kyle, the man. This is a movie, and the most truthful biographical films are not 100% faithful to those people and life events being depicted. The powerful film SELMA, also nominated for an Academy Award this year, is guilty of changing certain aspects of the events it depicts. A person with any ability to think should know going into films such as these that movies are NOT completely accurate portrayals of real human beings and events. Any viewer who sees this film and comes away thinking that Chris Kyle, the man, was a perfect person, who never makes mistakes, who never does anything wrong - is an American GOD so to speak - that viewer is simple-minded. I have to admit that based on some of his quotes that I've read, Chris Kyle, the man, sounds like he may have had some real problems. The film, which is about a soldier, shouldn't HAVE to address the larger context of the war, because that is not Chris Kyle's, or any other soldier's decision.

I approached this film as someone who appreciates that we have soldiers such as Chris Kyle, my brother and brother-in-law, the men and women from the local National Guard unit where I live, etc., etc. who have signed up for duty and then performed that duty, at risk to their lives, when called upon. The people I know are not going to the Middle East because they want to kill "brown" people. They went to where they were called to go, so that I could keep doing what I do. I thank them for that, and that's why the movie affected me the way it did.