Bulletproof Monk

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Bulletproof Monk ★★½ 2003 (PG-13)

Chow-Yun Fat is the monk with no name, chosen to protect The Scroll of the Ultimate, which gives the power to shape the world to the person who reads it aloud. Each monk can only protect the scroll for 60 years, so the new chosen one must be found. An unlikely candidate emerges in a New York pickpocket named Kar, after a chance meeting between the two. Adding a definite “Indiana Jones” vibe are Jade, a mysterious “bad girl” who catches Kar's eye, and the villains, a Nazi who tried to steal the scroll years earlier, and his icy granddaughter. Plot holes abound if you look too closely, but the action sequences are nicely timed to distract you from them, and Chow-Yun Fat's cool persona adds a touch of grace. Scott makes a nice first step from teen comedy doofus to action hero. 103m/C VHS, DVD, Blu-ray Disc . US Chow Yun-Fat, Seann William Scott, Jaime (James) King, Karel Roden, Victoria Smurfit, Mako, Roger Yuan, Marcus Jean Pirae; D: Paul Hunter; W: Ethan Reiff, Cyrus Voris; C: Stefan Czapsky; M: Eric Serra.