Little Big Soldier starring Jackie Chan & Lee-Hom Wang
Saturday, February 20, 2010
9:30PM, Macquarie Centre Event Cinemas
The Q4JC crew (Maria Tran, Andy Minh Trieu, Steve Ada, along with Shaun Chang) headed off to Macquarie Park to watch Jackie Chan’s feature “Little Big Soldier” at Event Cinemas, Macquarie Centre. Known as one of the few cinemas to screen Asian Cinema, Macquarie Centre’s Event Cinemas is one of the largest complexes in Sydney.
From Maria Tran:
“One is an old soldier who only wants to survive. The other is a young general who is aspiring to conquer. After a bloody battle, the two are the only ones alive.When the soldier finds the injured general, he decides to kidnap him and brings him on a long journey to collect a reward, thinking by doing so he will no longer need to fight a war.
The general, feeling insulted, attempts suicide but is saved by the soldier every time.Somewhere along the way, the soldier and the general find themselves becoming allies in a fight against the real villains.The story of “Little Big Soldier” is mapped out by Jackie Chan who had conceived it for 20 years.
Chan told Sohu.com in an interview that he has talked about the story with many people. But director Ding Sheng was the only one who has translated the colloquial story into a screenplay.
Ding Sheng also directs the comedic road film, starring Jackie Chan as the soldier and Lee-Hom Wang as the general. Jackie Chan, who supervises the production, says the film is about lives during wartime and is a strong message that peace is priceless.”
My thoughts on the film:I grew up watching Jackie Chan films, and this one didn’t disappoint. Famous for his action choreography mixed with comic relief, Jackie Chan delivered. The film was entertaining, but not stagnant that it would slow its pace. It wasn’t as punchy as his Hollywood counterparts, such as Rush Hour or Shanghai Noon, but it brought back the roots of Asian cinema again. It brought me back to the films I adored and loved as a kid. But what I really admired was the underlying message that was coming across through the entertainment. I agree that Jackie had successfully pulled it off and it came across so powerfully in the end.
Overall, what do I say about the film? It’s MARVELOUS!
In other news: For the Q4JC crew, we shot another Vox Pops at the event. It was rather amusing to watch us running amuck in the cinema complex with our shirts blazing with Jackie Chan pride. Will post the Vox Pops as soon as its available.
Last Friday marked Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebrations. The whole Q4JC crew headed up to Fairfield Showgrounds in order to do their thing: vox pops with the celebratory public. Unfortunately, though I lived across the road, barred away by a tall fence, I forgot about the event and hurriedly made my way there with my Q4JC shirt. Unfortunately, I didn’t count for traffic. It took me almost forty minutes until I found parking and met up with the crew at large: Maria Tran, Andy Minh Trieu, Joseph Hieu Dinh, and Soph-ea Moeln.
The Vox Pops was a success! Though I couldn’t make it on time due to the traffic and the very hard-to-reach parking spots, the crew already got some of the word out. After an hour or so, taking character shots and catching up with the great food there, another crew member joined in the celebrations: Steve Ada came by to mix things up a bit. Now with the crew raring to go, we enjoyed the night away… along with still throwing the word out there about the Quest for Jackie Chan project. I’ve met a whole score of new people, including Australian-Vietnamese former Australian Idol contestant Thanh Bui, who performed live at the festival that night.
It was a great turn-out, which would explain the number of parking spaces that had to cater to almost thousands who attended the night. Great food, great fun, and great entertainment! Too bad that through all of the rush, I wasn’t able to take any good photos of the night, especially since iPhones don’t have flash. Otherwise, if any multimedia pops up from the night, they shall be added to this post in the near future.
Lately, I’ve been keeping up with the concepts and the formulas, the base, foundations and backbone. But my head’s been so wrapped up in two different places, three at most, that I’m getting myself too tied up in my own wrapping. But that’s the beauty of screenwriting, you create and formulate. It’s an art and at times, a science – two things that one must find balance and perfect in their own way. As of late, I’ve been trying to find that balance and trying to keep to everyone else’s standards, making sure that everything is on a level playing field and that I meet to everyone’s expectations.
Wow, it’s a lot like school all over again.
But I digress, it’s fun! There are times when it gets frustrating to find that little niche of creativity to continue. It’s a very delicate and VERY subjective thing to play with. I say, when you meet a brick wall, knock it down. OR, better yet, deconstruct it. Developing ideas does take time. When deadlines are an issue, it’s a matter of finding that little happy place of creative thinking… and STAYING THERE! I just need to deconstruct the wall quicker.
But yes! Projects ahoy! 2010 is looking to be promising. Working with a group of passionate people who have the drive to see things happening is a rewarding experience. Jumping on the crew for Maria Tran‘s project is sure to give me some confidence in this industry… as embarrassing as it may seem. (Still love you Maria!). Though the general drafting of the script with co-writer Steve Ada is complete, we’re still working on the synopsis and basic editing of the script. We have until next Friday. DEADLINES! JOY! On top of that, I’m also collaborating with Elizabeth Vu on another project closely tied to it, so there should be more news of that in the near future… maybe.
HOWEVER! Right now, I have two main priorities: 1. Editing and writing synopses for my first project – the one with the deadline, and 2. Working on a feature… with another deadline. Conceptualised by Andy Minh Trieu, and working with the group as a whole, we’re still in the conceptualising stage. We’re still developing as quickly as humanly possible. Still, we did hit a speedbump… a big one at almost 200 kmph. But with all disagreements aside, I still find it a healthy way to work. If everyone agreed with everything, it’ll all be for nothing. We all want this to work, be successful, and come out ot if better than before. We want something that we can all be proud of in the end.
Just keep deconstructing. No need to charge through a brick wall. We’re all in this together.
So! I’m writing out scene breakdowns in the 3-act structure, re-editing synopses and loglines, and just being in my own little world for now… for now. But if you really want a hint on the type of feel I’m experiencing, listen to the Tekken 6 soundtrack. I’ve been listening to that, and only that, to help me write at the moment.
Marie Setiawan 