- Published on
So many movies ... so much to celebrate!!!
On this day in 1996 (in Hong Kong), Black Mask to the silver screen in pursuit of justice! Directed by Daniel Lee from a story by Hark Tsui, Koan Hui, Teddy Chan, and Joe Ma, the Superhero/Fantasy starred Jet Li, Ching Wan Lau, Karen Mok, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Micheal, a former test subject of a project to create supersoldiers, is forced to escape with his comrades after the project was cancelled. Months later, he is trying to have a quiet life as a librarian with a tough cop as his best friend. However, a string of vicious gangland murders begins that has all the markings of his former compatriots who seem to have turned to violent crime. Realizing that the police are helpless to fight these soldiers, Micheal decides to take them on himself. Donning a mask to protect his identity, Micheal must fight these powerful villians as the mysterious superhero known only as Black Mask."
ExtraExtra Alert:
In 2024, I received a promotional new release of Black Mask (1996) from a distributor in exchange for review coverage on SciFiHistory.Net. Interested readers can find my review right here.
-- EZ
From Google.com:
A Direct Homage to Bruce Lee's Kato
The costume and persona of Black Mask are heavily inspired by Bruce Lee’s portrayal of Kato in the 1960s television series The Green Hornet. Jet Li wears an identical domino mask, black coat, and chauffeur's cap as a deliberate tribute to the martial arts legend. This marked the second time Jet Li formally paid homage to Bruce Lee on screen, following his role in Fist of Legend (1994).
The Infamous "American Cut" Changes
When the film was imported to the United States by Artisan Entertainment in 1999, it underwent drastic alterations. The US release was shortened by roughly 10 minutes, completely scrubbed of its original techno-industrial Hong Kong score, and re-tracked with a hip-hop soundtrack featuring artists like Linkin Park and Cypress Hill. Additionally, Jet Li’s character name was changed from "Tsui Chik" to "Simon" for Western audiences.
Choreographed by the Master Behind The Matrix
The movie’s intensely stylized fight sequences were choreographed and directed by action legend Yuen Woo-ping. His innovative work blending martial arts with wire-fu in Black Mask caught the eye of Hollywood, directly leading to his hiring for major American blockbusters like The Matrix, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Kill Bill.