By RACHEL BOLTON
Staff Writer
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 18, 2011
Rating: Sweet
This week I wanted to review a Kung Fu movie. I had no idea what I would end up finding, but I’m glad I found Chocolate. Like its title, this movie is sweet. The plot is good for a Kung Fu movie, the actors were well chosen, and the fight sequences were amazing. Chocolate is a Thai film, and the reason I picked it was because it is refreshing to see a woman as the main character.
Chocolate’s plot begins with a female Thai gangster named Zin and a Japanese Yakuza(gangster) named Masashi falling in love despite massive disapproval. They are forced apart by Zin’s ex-boss and Zin has to raise the daughter they conceived alone. She is named Zen and her mother soon realizes that she is autistic. Zen grows up loved by her mother and has a best friend in the goofy Moom. She hates flies and loves chocolate, hence the title.
The interesting thing about Zen is that she can mimic a person’s motions after she sees them do it. She learns Kung Fu by repeatedly watching television and movies. Life is going well for Zen and her mother, until Zin gets cancer and cannot afford the treatments. Moom finds a book that lists all the people who owe Zin money from her crime days, so he and Zen try to convince them to pay her back. But when they don’t, Zen gives a massive beat down. However, Zin’s old boss is not too happy to see Zen getting the money, and he isn’t going to sit idly by and see “his” assets disappear.
I loved this movie! It does a good job of setting up the plot in the first half hour, so the rest of the movie is the fight sequences. The acting is well executed, and Zen is convincing as an autistic woman. The fight choreography is brilliant. It’s gritty and is visually striking without resorting to gratuitous Wire Fu. The actress who played Zen trained for four years in preparation for this role and it shows. It’s nice to see a little girl beat up big guys with her superior tactics. The final boss battle is long and fun to watch. It includes a well-staged fight on the side of a building. There is also a bloody hilarious moment when Zen’s father brings a Gun to a Katana fight.
If you are bored this weekend, try to watch Chocolate. It’s fast, violent, and super entertaining. And it’s nice to see several strong female characters that can take care of themselves in an action movie. It maintains its suspense and keeps you on the edge of your seat till the end. The adrenaline rush you get lasts long after it’s over. Your time will not be wasted watching this film.
