(Japanese martial art schools) Bollywood Movie Review - Lage Raho Munnabhai
August 26th, 2007
Bollywood Movie Review - Lage Raho Munnabhai
Okay fingers up, how many of you have seen this movie? May not be a blockbuster or a box office hit hindi movie but it is definitely worth a watch. Perhaps more than once. Why? Just imagine, Sanjay Dutt tackling his enemy by following the principles of Mahatma Gandhi. For the uninitiated, he is a beefcaked bollywood actor with a really mean mafia look who looks like a former Brisbane Lions regular player. I was refering to the former of course. This is definitely one of my favourite movies as the story, screenplay and entertainment factors are brought up very well. This movie goes down as one of the most meaningful movies in Indian film industry. The essence of the movie is about applying the teachings of Gandhi in today’s world and downright hilariousness is ensured from the pairing of Arshad Warsi and Sanjay Dutt. Hahaha… watch it. No seriously… watch it. Story: This is the second installment to the Munnabhai MBBS movie series. The kind hearted don, Munnabhai (played by Sanjay Dutt), researches day and night on Mahatma Gandhi in order to impress the lady of his dreams and that is when Gandhi appears in front of him either as a soul or a figment of Munnabhais hallucination. An adventure then starts in a meaningful way for him where he learns how to deal with people and their problems by applying Gandhis principles. Screenplay: Perhaps the sole challenge of the movie is the application of Gandhis philosophy to solve todays people related problems and it is carried out so well in the movie. The comic timing of Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi is flawless. Boman Irani, in his typical fashion of doing something different in each movie, contributes further to the comedy by portraying a very stereotypical image of a Sardar. Even though the comedy does justice to the entertainment factor on a high scale, it does not deviate from the central theme and is able to deliver all the messages beautifully. Cinematography: Cinematography is done fairly well according to a typical Indian movie standard. Video Editing: There is not much video editing for the movie since there is no need for it. It is mainly focused in songs, especially in the Pal Pal song sang by Bollywood melody queen, Shreya Ghoshal.
- Thanaseelan, click on <a target="_new" href="http://www.worthofwordplay.blogspot.com">http://www.worthofwordplay.blogspot.com</a> to view his main blog. Don't forget to check out the categories on his blog.
A Martial Artist’s View of Jet Li’s Latest & Last Martial Arts Film: “Fearless”
There must have been only a dozen people attending the Florida showing of Jet Li?s latest and reportedly last martial arts film, ?Fearless.?
But numbers lie, because you can?t judge how ?boffo? this film is from its box office numbers.
This is gem, I?m sure you?ll agree, when you see it.
In this movie, Li?s character is descended from a father who could have been the martial arts champ of his province, if he hadn?t shown mercy and followed through with a punch he had already expertly launched at his adversary?s heart.
Li swore that he would redeem the family honor and win the title that eluded Papa.
As he journeys toward greatness, Li learns many things about love, life, revenge, and honor, and we see him mature as a martial artist and as a hero.
This movie is masterful at examining the role of restraint in a warrior?s life; a theme I have written quite a lot about, lately. Let me say, by the time the end of the movie is achieved, a great harmony between a battler?s motivations is consummated, almost improbably, but witnessing this outcome is very moving.
I suppose I knew that this was Li?s last contribution to martial arts films, and touched by this cinematic farewell as well as by the tightly woven story, I found myself immobilized as the credits ran.
Though you?ll see some good action and intense swordplay and wire-assisted leaps, this offering is more about internal strength than anything else.
You might see it and conclude as I did, that Li is the real deal, and most important, he leaves his fans and sometimes overly enthusiastic brawlers with more to ponder than their speed or athleticism.
He shows that the martial arts are a noble and humane endeavor, and their true aim is the perfection of character.
Karate - General Background
Karate, or Karate-do, loosely translates empty hand (”kara” means empty and “te” means hand). This art is indeed predominantly concerned with fighting with bare hands and feet. The basic principle is to turn the body into an effective weapon to defend and attack when and where it is appropriate. History:
Karate is one of the most widely practised of the oriental martial arts. It evolved during one of the Japanese occupations of the island of Okinawa, part of the Ryukyu chain of islands, in the 15th century. Its roots, however, can be traced back much further than this - all the way back to ancient India. Many people hold the view that what we regard today as the oriental martial arts have their roots in India. In fact, when we look at such disciplines as yoga and the breathing techniques that originated in India, there does seem to be a great similarity between those and many of the modern martial arts systems. Zen Buddhist monks took the Indian fighting techniques to China from as early as the 5th century BC. Bodhidharma, an Indian monk, travelled at the end of the 5th century AD from India to China, where he became an instructor at the Shaolin monastery. He taught a combination of empty hand fighting systems and yoga. This became the well-known Shaolin Kong Fu - the system on which many Chinese martial arts systems are based. In 1470, the Japanese had occupied the island of Okinawa. The law of the land dictated that anybody found carrying weapons would be put to death. In order to protect themselves from local bandits, who largely ignored the prohibition on weapons, Zen Buddhist monks developed the empty hand system known as “te”, importing new techniques from China. Eventually the new art was translated as “t’ang” (China hand), but was familiarly known as “Okinawa-te” (Okinawa hand). It was not until the 20th century that t’ang became known as Karate-do. The suffix do was added by Gichin Funakoshi’s son Yoshitaka Funakoshi, in friendly opposition to his father’s Okinawa-te style. Practice and demonstrations until that time had been extremely violent. Punches were not pulled and full contact was an integral part of the Okinawa-te style. Yoshitaka Funakoshi transformed the techniques of Okinawa-te into a gentler system, seeking not to deliver blows fully, but to focus strikes at skin level. The do suffix expressed the move away from the aim of the warrior and towards physical and spiritual development. Styles:
There are numerous styles of karate practised. Wado Ryu and Shotokan are just 2 of them. Other popular systems include Shinto Ryu, developed in 1948, and now one of the main systems in the world. It is also important to realise that the various styles of Karate are the results of the personal ideas of many individuals about how each basic technique should be carried out or applied. The different techniques within the styles of Karate also dictate whether strength, speed, hand or leg techniques are emphasised. Competitive Karate:
Karate has been a self defense system and a form of physical exercise. The competitive and sporting elements have a further part to play in the individual’s enjoyment of this activity. It is because of the possibility of participation in competition that many people take up this art. Competition is not the only reason for engaging in this art. It is possible to learn Karate without participating in competitions, however for some people, competition provides motivation and stimulation for training. The sense of achievement that comes from just taking part can be carried over into everyday life.
- Thanaseelan, click on <a target="_new" href="http://www.worthofwordplay.blogspot.com">http://www.worthofwordplay.blogspot.com</a> to view his main blog. Don't forget to check out the categories on his blog.
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