THE BARE-FOOTED KID is a 1990s remake of the old 1970s Chang Cheh Shaw Brothers film DISCIPLES OF SHAOLIN. Aaron Kwok takes the titular role, one which was played by Alexander Fu Sheng in the original, and the film was directed by Johnnie To, right around the time he was making the HEROIC TRIO movies. Like many 1990s Hong Kong movies, this film's all about wire work and outlandish martial arts.
The plot is a simple one with similarities to YOJIMBO. The main character is a pauper who arrives at a dyeing workshop and soon finds himself involved with the people who run it. Unfortunately for him, a rival business owner is desperate for the workshop's secrets, and violence soon erupts between the two companies with the bare-footed kid right at the heart of it.
This is a fun, light, and rather insubstantial film. For the first hour it plays out exactly as you would expect, with lots of cheesy music and romantic scenes and earnest acting from the main cast members. There's plenty of action here, all of it defying the laws of gravity in the best '90s Hong Kong tradition. I used to hate this wire work stuff for its lack of realism, but it has grown on me over the years and I can appreciate the visual artistry nowadays.
Aaron Kwok is merely adequate as the titular character. He's handsome enough but he doesn't have much charisma, although I suppose his talents would grow with experience over the years. The supporting cast is much more interesting, featuring as it does Shaw Brothers legend Ti Lung in a strong role as a steadfast ally. It's a little like Lung's part in DRUNKEN MASTER II, although Lung has less acting to do here and more fighting. He does get at least one fantastic scene to himself. Maggie Cheung plays it subdued and is far less annoying than usual, and Kenneth Tsang is reliable as ever as the baddie of the piece. The film really hits hard for the insanely dramatic climax, the one part of the movie that successfully recaptures the old Shaw Brothers spirit.
The plot is a simple one with similarities to YOJIMBO. The main character is a pauper who arrives at a dyeing workshop and soon finds himself involved with the people who run it. Unfortunately for him, a rival business owner is desperate for the workshop's secrets, and violence soon erupts between the two companies with the bare-footed kid right at the heart of it.
This is a fun, light, and rather insubstantial film. For the first hour it plays out exactly as you would expect, with lots of cheesy music and romantic scenes and earnest acting from the main cast members. There's plenty of action here, all of it defying the laws of gravity in the best '90s Hong Kong tradition. I used to hate this wire work stuff for its lack of realism, but it has grown on me over the years and I can appreciate the visual artistry nowadays.
Aaron Kwok is merely adequate as the titular character. He's handsome enough but he doesn't have much charisma, although I suppose his talents would grow with experience over the years. The supporting cast is much more interesting, featuring as it does Shaw Brothers legend Ti Lung in a strong role as a steadfast ally. It's a little like Lung's part in DRUNKEN MASTER II, although Lung has less acting to do here and more fighting. He does get at least one fantastic scene to himself. Maggie Cheung plays it subdued and is far less annoying than usual, and Kenneth Tsang is reliable as ever as the baddie of the piece. The film really hits hard for the insanely dramatic climax, the one part of the movie that successfully recaptures the old Shaw Brothers spirit.