BIG BROTHER (大师兄) (Malaysia, 16 Aug 2018)

Genre: Drama / Action

Running Length: 1:41

Cast: Donnie Yen, Joe Chen, Kang Yu, Jack Lok, Bruce Tong, Chris Tong, Gladys Li, Gordon Lau

Director: Kam Ka Wai

Screenplay: Chan Tai-lee

What's this movie about?

BIG BROTHER (大师兄) tells a tale of a soldier (Donnie Yen) who takes up a high school teacher position in a public school in Hong Kong. He uses unconventional teaching methods to connect with his students. He has a heart for this group of rebellious students who comes from troubled backgrounds. Familiar? Yes, think Dangerous Minds or even Dead Poets Society.

This is not your typical Donnie Yen movie. There are a couple of his signature MMA styled fight scenes but this is primarily a drama film.

Highlights!

• The young actors cast as the students. A little rough at the edges but you know they gave their best and most sincere performances. Standouts for me are Bruce and Chris Tong (twins and sons of veteran TV actor Kent Tong) and Gordon Lau, who is cast as a 3rd generation Pakistani living in Hong Kong who aspires to make it big as a musician. 
• A good awareness to social problems. And that's a lot of them highlighted here from localised HK issues to global problems; the tremendous pressure faced by students in HK, crammed living conditions and the immigrant life. And there's war, racial discrimination and even about the ills of alcohol and smoking. Thankfully the filmmakers didn't preach about this but instead used it as a canvass to paint the family troubles and relationships of the students.  
• Fight sequences. There are a couple here but the final one in a classroom was the highlight for me. It's creative, realistic and painful looking.  
• Kang Yu as the protagonist. I've not really heard of him before but I really dig his maniacal performance. He looks like a buff up Namewee. 
• Old TVB and HK movie stars round up the cast as supporting actors and cameos. It's good to see them again on big screen as they bring a certain familiarity.

Lowlights

• Too easy resolutions. Pretty heavy handed at times as there were some family issues brought up one minute and the next minute, it was solved just like that, thanks to Donnie Yen the teacher. 
• More is less. There were just too many side stories and social highlights and what not. As a result, the main plots felt diluted and shallow. 

In summary

Surprisingly, I enjoyed BIG BROTHER despite its predictable plot. Perhaps it appealed to me as I have the heart of a teacher with a soft spot for the marginalized.

It's refreshing to get a legit movie star ie. Yen, to produce and star in such a movie and to release it during the summer blockbuster season. Despite some eye rolling moments and oh-so-easy resolution, it's generally a positive, educational and entertaining flick.
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Rating: 8.5/10