[Edited] Brotherhood of the Wolf: Martial arts out of place?

[Red Baron]

I'm sure there've been threads about this film before, but I'm too lazy to go look...

That said, and pardon me if I am going over already well-traveled ground, what did folks think of this one? I quite liked the story and most of the characters (Mani I found a little too "Indian", but hey...). I've gotta say, though, that even though I didn't mind the martial arts choreography purely in and of itself, I found that it really drew me out of the film every time there was a fight. I kept thinking it would have benefited so much by having choreography that suited the period. Last of the Mohicans did a decent enough job, I thought, of making the fights look good and suitable; why not that (think Daniel Day Lewis with knife and tomahawk) for Mani, cutting down Brotherhood fighters like so much untrained chaff? And then something like the sword-work from, say, Rob Roy would have been so much better for the no-nonsense Gregoire de Fronsac (once he got heated up in the last third of the film, anyway...).

Anyway, interesting film. I'll probably watch it again.

Any thoughts?

 

[Dirigible]

I kept thinking it would have benefited so much by having choreography that suited the period.

It would have made it a more period movie. A different movie. Not necessarily better. I think it did it's job as is.

I think some of the point was that it was such an ecletic joke. That's what the director set out to acheive.

 

[WayneLigon]

I think it's a great movie just the way it is. Great film.

 

[Darrin Drader]

I absolutely loved that movie as is. Yes, its an eclectic joke, and I love it for that. I mean really, I can't think of anything it didn't have other than Gandalf and a couple hobbits running around. It had some very adult themed surreal moments, great fight scenes, a wonderful villain with very abberant motivations and the monster was way cool. All in all, its actually one of my favorite movies from the past 10 years. In fact, you've just reminded me that it's about time to go watch it again!

 

[Starman]

Brotherhood of the Wolf is also one of my favorite movies. It is dripping with style. I wouldn't change anything about it. Making it a true-to-history period movie would ruin its flavor.

Starman

 

[Babette]

yup

me too..me too

i enjoyed it for what it was..
one to add to our collection.

 

[Klaus]

Brotherhood of the Wolf is tied with Sleepy Hollow for "Best Ravenloft Movie Ever" for me. Plus, the banter between Gregoire and Marianne at the dinner and at the beginning of the hunt is just hilaious!

And you get to see a Renaissance ranger wielding two short swords, so that's always a plus!

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

Yeah, but they have those ridiculous knobs. Great movie, but the weaponry was kinda silly, with the funky tomahawk and that bone sword-thing.

 

[danzig138]

I didn't care for it. My woman and my friends all thought it was great, but I found it to be lacking in Mark Dacoscos whuppin' butt. If it would have had a whole lot more of MD kicking butt and a whole lot less of everything else, it would have been good.

 

[Guillaume]

Julie and I enjoyed this movie immensly. We bought the DVD as soon as we could get our hands on the deluxe edition. I watched it in both English and in French and must say that the original language version is even better. If your French is good enough, I strongly recommend that you try it.