Running on Karma (2003)

Thanks for the memories!

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

it has been a long time watching film doesn't leave any strong feelings to me... I left feeling conflicted, yet enlightened.. Perhaps one of the best Andy Lau's best performance in his acting career. Cecilia Cheung did a good job as well. There were some good action and a bit romantic scenes, there were some "strong' scenes that makes me freaked out as well,but I think it i necessary. The script and plot is great. Please make sure you watch the HK version not the Chinese cut. Go and watch for the experiences.

A lot of comments have been made about the gimmick of Andy Lau's body suit but I think the director intentionally used it. Much of the film is metaphorical and symbolic. The movie artfully provides a story that is richer for its indirectness. Just as Daai Chek Liu fights the form of his would be self, and prevents the triggering of a new karmic thread through a potential revenge/ justifiable killing of Sun Ko, the body suit may in fact symbolize the effort that many people put into developing the unimportant/ ineffectual aspects of their lives. In the first part of the movie, none of his highly developed skills or extrasensory perception can avert the eventual course of karma; and only in the second part, when he forgives Sun Ko, is he successful in making any difference. His shedding of his over-developed physique during this journey is perhaps symbolic of his return to simply pursuing "the only thing that Buddha taught" (per his soliloquy after he resolves the conflict with his alter ego). If you watch carefully, everything you need to understand the story is right there; but it's not obvious. There are many places where the director has only sown the seed for further inquiry. I could go on; but suffice to say it's not a movie that can be fully appreciated without at least some analysis on the part of the audience :) In the end, if your interpretation even makes you think about the laws of nature, the meaning and purpose of your life, that's what matters, and is perhaps what the director/ scriptwriter intended.

Hey, Lighten up angry folks. It's just a movie. Did you have fun enjoying it like me? If you like martial arts, superheroes, and are intrigued by the power of mythology here's your ticket. Cecilia Cheung and Andy Lau shine like usual for you loyal fans. Loved the element of examining Karma which is lacking so much in the consequence ignoring messages of late. The gradually unraveling storyline and visual games will keep you thinking and will draw you back to examine the movie again and again. The transitions are nice to take in as they travel from city to country and through past lives and the present. They hop along nicely from place to place to keep the story going. Andy Lau is funny as the beefcake parody and Cecelia Cheung is so herself as the unassuming pretty girl with the crush on the muscleman/superhero/monk.I believe that people inclined to study Karma probably know more about it than the film covers so enough said on that. I'd recommend meditation, serious study and training with an expert over any film designed for entertainment.The Asian aesthetic, over the top action, charismatic stars, creativity and a penchant for the fantastic are why I love so much of Hong Kong and Mainland Cinema and this is a fine example. More HK blockbusters please!!!

Some people's distaste for this movie reminds me of the same distaste Last Action Hero received, except this movie is Chinese. I suppose people go in to this movie expecting something else. This movie is about an ex-martial arts monk who has strayed from his path to indulge in the pleasures of the flesh. But deeper within the character is his ability to see Karma, or the good/bad aura of life. In this movie it is represented in bits of each person's past life, and what evil or good they have done. Though it's true that Andy Lau's muscle suit really plays no part in the plot of the movie, it does give his character his unique personality. The movie almost plays like a television marathon with each different part of the movie starting some sort of danger. And then Biggie/Brawny (Andy Lau) having to save someone or intervene due to his knowledge of the coming events. I suggest anyone who is going to see this movie not go in to it expecting anything. I didn't, and I was surprised I liked it. It was entertaining and visually pleasing to the eye, and I think that was the main point of the movie.