Iceman (2014 film)

Iceman

China poster
Traditional 冰封俠: 重生之門
Simplified 冰封俠: 重生之门
Mandarin Bīng Fēng : Chóng Shēng Zhī Mén
Cantonese Bing1 Fung1 Hap6: Cung4 Sang1 Zi1 Mun4
Directed by Law Wing-cheung
Produced by Huang Jianxin
Stephen Shiu
Stephen Shiu Jr.
Donnie Yen
Written by Mark Wu
Lam Fung
Shum Shek-yin
Starring Donnie Yen
Wang Baoqiang
Huang Shengyi
Simon Yam
Yu Kang
Lam Suet
Production
company
China 3D Group
Release dates
  • April 25, 2014
Running time
 104 minutes (Hong Kong)
91 minutes (China)
Country Hong Kong
China
Language Cantonese
Mandarin[1]
Hindi
English
Japanese
Budget HK$250 million (US$32,244,750)[2]
Box office US$26,027,923[3][4]

Iceman, formerly known as The Iceman Cometh, is a 2014 Hong Kong-Chinese[5] 3D martial arts action-comedy film directed by Law Wing-cheung and starring Donnie Yen, who also serves as the film's action director. The film is a remake of the 1989 film The Iceman Cometh which was directed by Clarence Fok and starred Yuen Biao, who was earlier reported to join the film.[6] Donnie Yen hand-picked Jam Hsiao for his unique voice and deep emotions to sing the mandarin theme song.[7] The Cantonese version is sung by Hong Kong singer and actor Julian Cheung. The film was released in Hong Kong and China on April 25, 2014.[8]

The sequel is slated for release in 2015.

Plot

Iceman revolves around a Ming Dynasty officer, He Ying (Donnie Yen) who was tasked with bringing a mythical time traveling device back to the Ming emperor. He was betrayed, and subsequently frozen. He Ying, Sao(Wang Baoqiang) and Niehu were frozen during a fight and were defrosted in modern day Hong Kong where they continue their battle.

He Ying, Sao (Wang Baoqiang),and Niehu (Yu Kang) are being transported in cryo-stasis pods, when an unforeseen accident sets them free. The three of them escape into the city to fulfill their tasks. Niehu and Sao are dead set in exacting revenge on He Ying, despite not understanding the new world they woke up in. He Ying soon befriends May (Huang Shengyi), who takes advantage of He's confusion at the modern world by charging him extraordinary amounts of money for rent, food, and so on. Niehu and Sao unknowingly helps 2 Indian mobsters escape the police, and as a result joins the Indian mafia.

All the while, it is slowly revealed that Cheung (Simon Yam) is the one who is looking for the trio, but in particular He Ying. Through various flashbacks, it is revealed that all 4 of them were blood brothers who fought side by side, before He Ying was betrayed and charged with treason.

After several hilarious encounters in the modern world including meeting May's mother, fleeing custody of the police (using his master martial arts skills), and the use of technology, He Ying starts to figure out who is ultimately hunting him down.

Cast

Production

Filming for Iceman began on December 19, 2012 in Hong Kong.[10] Originally produced at a budget of HK$100 million, the production soared up to HK$200 million due to its slow paced filming and to cover the film crew’s insurance.[11] Because the Hong Kong government did not approve the film to shoot at the Tsing Ma Bridge, an addition of HK$50 million was spent in order to build an imitation set of the Tsing Ma Bridge.[2][12] Lead actor and action director Donnie Yen expressed that a seven-minute fight scene took ten days to shoot. Besides Hong Kong, a chunk of the film would also be filmed in Beijing.[13] For a car chase scene, actor Julian Cheung also loaned his black Lamborghini to the production.[14]

Filming locations include Hong Kong's defunct Kai Tak Airport[2] and the Changbai Mountains.[15][16]

Reception

The Hollywood Reporter writes "Plagued by all manner of production snafus and a ballooning budget, the problems show in the final product. Iceman is a fractured and often baffling martial “epic” that not even popular star Donnie Yen is likely to be able to save."[17] Screendaily writes the film is "beset by multiple problems, from a patchy incoherent script, to jarring shifts in tone and genre, and sub-par action and effects sequences that even the star presence of Donnie Yen may find hard to reconcile."[9] Donnie Yen's performance won him the Golden Broom Award for Worst Actor.[18]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "冰封：重生之门 Iceman 3D (2013) Details". movie.mtime.com (in Chinese). Mtime.com Inc. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 ""The Iceman Cometh 3D" Lacks Support from Hong Kong Government". March 24, 2013.
  3. ↑ "BING FUNG: CHUNG SANG CHI MUN (ICEMAN)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  4. ↑ "May 8–11, 2014". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  5. ↑ "冰封：重生之门 Iceman 3D (2013)". movie.mtime.com (in Chinese). Mtime.com Inc. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  6. ↑ "Yuen Biao Will Join Donnie Yen in "The Iceman Cometh 3D"".
  7. ↑ "Donnie Yen’s "Iceman 3D" Releases Theme Song, Will Air on April 25". jaynestars.com. 12 March 2014. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Iceman frozen by Classmate at China B.O.". Film Business Asia. April 28, 2014. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Iceman". Screendaily. 13 April 2014.
  10. ↑ "Donnie Yen Begins Shooting "The Iceman Cometh 3D"". December 18, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Donnie Yen’s "The Iceman Cometh 3D" Soars to $200 Million Production Costs". March 9, 2013.
  12. ↑ Syahida Kamarudin (March 26, 2013). ""The Iceman Cometh 3D" build their own Tsing Ma Bridge". Archived from the original on July 19, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Donnie Yen’s "The Iceman Cometh 3D" Filming at a Snail’s Pace". March 2, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Simon Yam Works Out To Catch Up With Donnie Yen".
  15. ↑ "Simon Yam Suffers from Fight Scenes in a Snowstorm". Blogger. April 20, 2013.
  16. ↑ "The Strongest in the Universe Dommie Yen Slips and Falls in the Snow". April 19, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Iceman 3D: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. April 22, 2014. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
  18. ↑ https://sg.news.yahoo.com/donnie-yen-ip-man-3-may-final-martial-063900564.html

External links