While recent Chinese and Hong Kong action films have revived early '90s themes, some films take us even further back in time. Coweb is a bit of a departure from the Hong Kong action films that came out of the late '80s, but has been updated to modern standards. Whether you consider this a successful attempt to revive the genre or a boring repetition of past times is up to you to decide.
Although this is Xiong Xin Xin's first directorial effort, he is no stranger to cinema. He spent years acting in films, coordinating stunts in some highly successful Hong Kong action films, and making a name for himself in the process. For Coveb, he invited Jiang Lui Xia, a talented female fighter seen on one of Jackie Chan's reality shows, to make a "female" action movie. In this way, “Coveb” is a little similar to Pinkaev’s “Chocolate”.
If you want a good story, Coweb is not the movie for you. The production is cheap, without the slightest attempt to attract the viewer. All it does is fill in the gaps between several fights. You can guess all the intricacies of the plot literally after 10 minutes of viewing; everything else between the battles is complete boredom. Add to all of the above the primitive acting of some of the minor characters and you can guess why I was bored writing this review.
“Coweb” is a film for a certain category of viewers. It doesn't have what people expect from a good film. The essence of “Coveb” is a series of fights and, fortunately, this is its positive side. The fights are spread evenly throughout the film (another change from Hong Kong films of the late 80s, which often saved the most interesting things for the end), which mitigates the shortcomings of the plot, as time passes before the legs and arms are used again A little.
It is quite obvious that not a lot of money was spent on the creation of “Coveb”, although there are places in it where there are glimpses of attempts to revive what is happening on the screen. Visually it's not entirely bad, but it does get a little boring in the moments between fights. Regardless, the fights are great, with quality editing and some great angles on surprise punches.
The musical accompaniment is depressing, but, on the other hand, the sound effects leave a pleasant impression. As in “Dog Bite Dog,” they are slightly distorted, straightforward, and almost symbolic (there are some animal sounds), adding spice to the fights. I understand that people don't like it, but I appreciated the effect of making the fights more enjoyable to watch. Moreover, this film cannot be taken seriously.
Zhang, as the fighter and the main character, impresses with her cool moves, high speed and cute appearance. The combat choreography does not shine with originality, but, nevertheless, does not leave you indifferent. A good variety of styles and fighters, good locations and excellent use of the environment to enliven the fights. Add to this high-quality camera work and you get a result that will undoubtedly please action movie fans.
“Coveb” was more than just an attempt to showcase well-choreographed fights, although that was precisely the goal. Everything else is just filling in the gaps and should be treated as such. If you are not a true fan of this genre, then a lot of it may seem ridiculous to you, but if you are looking for good and funny fights, then this film is for you.
Author: Onderhond
Source: twitch
Translation: EvilDollaR
Please excuse me if I translated the Chinese names incorrectly...