Yeah, but in the process they managed to reinforce another movie cliche, which is……the black guy always dies early on.
But the other black guy is one of the only two survivors so I think that’s canceled out!
Despite Sam’s death, the movie still managed to subvert the cliche – of the two black leads, if there was ANYONE I hed pegged as the Sacrificial Negro in DEEP BLUE SEA, it was LL Cool J as the fallen alcoholic preacher/chef, not Sam The Man as the billionaire adventurer. LL’s character was the one saying, “Brothers never make it out of situations like this!” Yet he made it!
I love the part in Shaolin Soccer when…oh, I guess I may want to box this…
When, in the climactic game, Sing unleashes the never-before-seen, uber-special, flaming-CGI-panther kick…only to have it be snuffed out in one hand by the opposing team’s goalie.
And, similarly, in Kung Fu Hustle…
[spoiler]…the way they had tag-team protagonists. First the four guys who saved the slum, then the Fated Lovers, then Sing. Awesome.
Oh, and the way the Beast looked. And the way the Fated Lovers were all badass to begin with (and how they took down the musician assassins). And when Sing breaks the mute girl’s lollipop (sad, but unexpected). And when Brother Sum gunned down the Crocodile Gang’s wife. And, you know, other stuff.
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Damn, then I went and forgot the ones I came in to mention.
From Ju-On/The Grudge…
[spoiler]The sister’s home alone and the phone rings. “Oh crap,” we’re supposed to think, “it’s gonna be something eeevilllll…oh, it’s just her brother. Exposition scene coming up, okay, time to relax.”
Then she peers through the peephole, sees her brother, opens the door…and nobody’s there. :eek:
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And, of course, from Ringu/The Ring…
They find Sadako/Samara and let her out…and find out that was the wrong damn thing to do. :smack: