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Big Brother
Movie:![3 Stars :3stars: :3stars:](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/3_stars.png)
Video:![4 Stars :4stars: :4stars:](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/4_stars.png)
Audio:![4 Stars :4stars: :4stars:](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/4_stars.png)
Extras:![Half Star :halfstar: :halfstar:](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/half_star.png)
Final Score:![3 Stars :3stars: :3stars:](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/3_stars.png)
Movie:
![3 Stars :3stars: :3stars:](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/3_stars.png)
Video:
![4 Stars :4stars: :4stars:](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/4_stars.png)
Audio:
![4 Stars :4stars: :4stars:](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/4_stars.png)
Extras:
![Half Star :halfstar: :halfstar:](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/half_star.png)
Final Score:
![3 Stars :3stars: :3stars:](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/3_stars.png)
It’s not that often that a multi-millionaire action star like Donnie Yen leverages his own personal money against a didactic film like Big Brother that is considered a “high risk” product vs. his normal bigger budgeted action fare. Especially when it’s a feel good comedy about the flawed education system in Honk Kong (ironically mirroring the U.S.’s floundering education system as well). It’s co-produced and starred by the legendary action film, and is actually better than it has any right to be for such an obvious pull at the heart and social justice strings of the movie goers. The movie is goofy, syrupy sweet, and yanks at all of the “go get em!” cliches while still being rather fun and endearing at the same time. Yen obviously has a heart and conscience for the downtrodden midst his native school system, and his enthusiasm and clear exuberance for the subject matter elevates the film from it’s rather genre ridden tropes.
Tak Chi secondary school (equivalent to our high school really) is failing in many ways. It’s students aren’t being accepted to high ranking universities, and the students are becoming more and more unruly as the staff is losing confidence in their ability to teach them. The schoolmaster has just been informed that if the student’s acceptance rates don’t increase, then Tak Chi will be shut down by the government for good. However, things change when a mysterious new teacher named Henry Chan (Donnie Yen) comes in to teach liberal arts. His teaching style is unique. His attitude unlike any other teachers, but Henry Chan has a passion for one thing. Teaching and reaching his students.
While the students of Tak Chi class B6 are a bit of a problem, Henry Chan is up to the fight. He’s everything cool that you could ever want. An ex marine in the U.S., a student of psychology, he wears a blue collar denim outfit, and he can fight better than most MMA stars (and gets to fight some MMA stars in one of the film’s two fight scenes), but his unique assets make him invaluable to the school. The film delves into the troubled lives of 5 of his students, including a girl who wants to drive race cars (who’s father doesn’t accept her as a girl), an ADHD student with depression and his brother who live with their alcoholic father, a Pakistani student who wants to be a pop star, and a boy living with his grandmother and working for a mobster.
If you’re expecting a film full of typical Donnie Yen fights, then you’ll be disappointed. However, if you’re looking for a film that champions the human spirit and has a few fight scenes in it as well (there are two major ones, which actually deliver the goods despite the younger nature of the concept) then you’re better prepared. The film may not be an instant classic for Donnie Yen, but it’s a fun enough genre film that is heartwarming and cheesily entertaining at the same time.
Rating:
Not Rated by the MPAA
Video:
![4 Stars :4stars: :4stars:](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/4_stars.png)
Audio:
![4 Stars :4stars: :4stars:](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/4_stars.png)
Extras:
![Half Star :halfstar: :halfstar:](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/half_star.png)
• Well Go USA Trailers
Final Score: ![3 Stars :3stars: :3stars:](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/3_stars.png)
![3 Stars :3stars: :3stars:](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/3_stars.png)
Big Brother is NOT going to be a classic film by any standard, and it’s bogged down by an over abundance of cliches and “feel good” tropes that are surrounded by top 40s American pop music, random American phrases, and a CGI eagle to drive home the message of heroism. It’s cheap, rather cheesy, but somehow actually enjoyable due to the sheer enthusiasm and exuberance of Donnie Yen. He really does put his heart and soul into the production, and his excitement is infectious. I actually had a good time despite the movie’s flaws and was kind of sad when it ended. Well Go USA gives us some great audio and video specs, with some minimalist extras, but it’s still worth a watch if you’re a fan of Yen or high school dramas.
Technical Specifications:
Starring: Donnie Yen, Joe Chen, Kang Yu, Wai-Ho Auyeung, Tom Caserto, Alfred Cheung, Jai Day, Ka Wah Lam, Billy Lau
Directed by: Ka-Wai Kam
Written By: Tai-lee Chan
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 AVC
Audio: Cantonese: DTS-HD MA 5.1, Cantonese DD 2.0
Subtitles: English, Cantonese
Studio: Well Go USA
Rated: NR
Runtime: 101 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: May 21st, 2019
Recommendation: Decent Watch
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