Bleeding Steel Blu-ray Review + Screen Caps

THE MOVIE — 1.5/5

I haven’t the faintest clue as to what the f*** I just watched. The first half of Bleeding Steel is an incoherent mess and if you think the rest would make any better sense, it doesn’t. There is a whole lot going on with this overly-complicated story which didn’t need to be complicated to begin with, but beyond that, the tone was inconsistent wanting to be both a dark crime drama per the opening sequence and your standard Asian comedy along the lines of other Jackie Chan films (Rush Hour series), as well as science fiction involving serums, an Avengers-like carrier and technology beyond our world. To better explain, this film takes place on a normal earth… that just so happens to have bad guys with advance tech like bio-suits, destructive weapons and superhuman strength.

But the other standout, as poor as a movie this is, Chan for his part still kicks ass especially considering the dude is now in his 60s. Shame, however, his career has come down to signing onto these lame ass movies… So I can at least say Chan hasn’t given up but boy his choice of projects is concerning, but perhaps this is all that’s come available to him nowadays.

The story, as best I can tell, involves some sort of superhuman serum as well as an artificial heart which produces regenerating properties. Developed by a scientist, his first guinea pig, Andre (CALLAN MULVEY). Upon the film’s opening, Andre is after the doctor who himself is being protected by Inspector Lin Dong (JACKIE CHAN) and his team, who are quickly challenged by Andre and his bio-scientists with fancy futuristic technology, of course no one is questioning where the tech came from and the movie doesn’t bother explaining either, it’s just… there.

Well, Lin Dong narrowly escapes with his life and we fast forward 13 years later where he is now living in Australia. An author of a novel entitled “Bleeding Steel” (roll credits) has become the center of attention of a variety of people because there are things in the book about this serum and now they want to know where he got that info. Amongst those wanting the info is the “Woman in Black” (TESS HAUBRICH), serving as the leader of the bad buys while Andre is forced to stay in the Avengers air carrier dying; Lin Dong wearing a mask also enters the picture and coincidentally, a hacker/thief named Leeson (SHOW LO) is after something, going so far as to dress as a hooker in one of the more bemusing scenes.

We discover all of this surrounds university student Nancy (NANAN OU-YANG) who has been having bad dreams and has been seeing a witch to help. Yes, this sci-fi action-thriller also has a frickin’ witch. Following a session, Nancy is ganged up by a bunch of bozos and Leeson, following her after seeing pictures of her on the author’s computer, comes to the rescue in what begins the comedy portion of the show with lame fighting and even a comment by an attacker with “Who do you think you are, Jackie Chan?” *Roll Eyes*

Now it’s a matter of cat and mouse when Nancy is pursued by the Woman in Black while Lin Dong eventually makes an alliance with Leeson, who himself has fallen in love with Nancy.

Honestly, I’m not entirely sure what this movie was. At its core, it wanted to be a Chinese crime-drama which it pretty much was for the opening sequence but then about halfway through we get to goofy comedy with Show Lo being the comedic relief, and doing a poor job of it. But even then there is science fiction as well, with superhuman-like baddies, biogenic goons and the villain hideout is on a helicarrier straight out of The Avengers with the main bad guy having a makeup job from Star Trek: The Next Generation (kind of like the Borg… but shittier looking).

Bleeding Steel was the (ugly) brainchild of Leo Zhang who also sat in the director’s chair, marking his sophomore effort following another Chinese-financed film entitled Chrysanthemum to the Beast. I can’t say there was a whole lot wrong with his direction as the shots did seem competently framed, but instead it’s a hodgepodge of a script, poorly stringing together threads and having a tone that was all over the place, and with a finale that was supposed to, I guess, have some emotion behind it but felt empty and vapid instead.

Perhaps hard core Jackie Chan fans will get something out of this or if you’re watching with friends and go all out MST3K on the film, this is at the very least worthy of a rental as there are certainly plenty of perplexing scenes where you’ll be squinting or your mouth will be agape with astonishment of what you’re witnessing.

SPECIAL FEATURES – 0.5/5

This release comes with a glossy and reflective slip cover and inside is a redemption code for the Digital HD copy. The only feature is the Trailer.

VIDEO – 4.0/5

AUDIO – 3.0/5

OVERALL – 1.5/5

Overall, Bleeding Steel is one of the more perplexing movies I’ve come across in the last couple of years, one that is rife for anyone to riff amongst friends or, if you’re a Jackie Chan fan, does have some decent fight choreography which he seems to be performing himself. The Blu-ray offers good video and okay audio but lacks any pertinent features.