Bulletproof Monk (2003)

All Critics (134) | Top Critics (33) | Fresh (31) | Rotten (103) | DVD (27)

The fight scenes are routine, the humor juvenile, and the Toronto locales rendered drab through muddy cinematography.

May 3, 2007 Full Review

Bill Stamets

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

Chow was never a martial arts star back home, but he's a good enough actor -- and an engaging enough personality -- to pass for one here.

June 24, 2006 Full Review

Time Out

Top Critic

They made a ton of junky movies in Hong Kong, but those were dazzlingly fluid and high-flying junky movies. This American retread has the same sort of hack plot but none of the bravura.

April 22, 2003 Full Review

David Edelstein

Slate

Top Critic

[T]he thing about the martial arts sequences -- you've got the great Chow Yun-Fat, but this thing is directed MTV style: cut here, cut there, close-up. So we can't really tell if he's doing stunts or if it's all tricks of camerawork.

April 21, 2003 Full Review

Richard Roeper

Ebert & Roeper

Top Critic

One of those motley movies that borrows from just about everywhere.

April 18, 2003

Mark Jenkins

Washington Post

Top Critic

Everything here is borrowed from other movies ...

April 18, 2003 Full Review

Stephen Whitty

Newark Star-Ledger

Top Critic

Violent but cool martial arts movie.

December 22, 2010 Full Review

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

This is one piece of derivative, hokey, and really stupid action drivel.

April 29, 2009 Full Review

Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

An enticing title that perfectly sets up our anticipation for a rollicking martial-arts comic-book fable adventure.

October 18, 2008 Full Review

Urban Cinefile Critics

Urban Cinefile

The constantly beaming monk is as good-natured as the script is mindless.

August 7, 2008 Full Review

Mark Halverson

Sacramento News & Review

It's painful to watch.

December 30, 2006 Full Review

Empire Magazine

Paul Hunter edits his action scenes so much that it's really difficult to see anything spectacular, and the special effects aren't anything to drool over.

July 5, 2005 Full Review

Jason Zingale

Bullz-Eye.com

... bringing music-video director Paul Hunter was a good move for pacing, but he could use a few lessons in filming fight scenes.

April 21, 2004 Full Review

Matt Kelemen

Las Vegas CityLife

The bottom line is, this qualifies as a guilty pleasure.

February 12, 2004 Full Review | Comment (1)

Lori Hoffman

Atlantic City Weekly

Too much time is given over to the absolutely dire script.

November 6, 2003 Full Review

Ed Colley

Future Movies UK

very childish, and just a little trashy.

September 27, 2003 Full Review

Scott Nash

Three Movie Buffs

Chow Yun-Fat delivers stylish action and finally shows American audiences a sense of humor, but watching Stifler get his kung fu on is just a little too hard to swallow.

September 9, 2003

Andrew Manning

Radio Free Entertainment

An uneasy combination of self-help bromides, poorly edited fight sequences and music video-style flash.

September 6, 2003

Josh Bell

Las Vegas Weekly

...a decided letdown for Chow Yun-Fat as his first film after Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

August 26, 2003 Full Review

John J. Puccio

Movie Metropolis

...nonstop fighting, kicking, punching, and killing, with a dollop of juvenile humor thrown in.

August 26, 2003 Full Review

John J. Puccio

Movie Metropolis

• 1. The Bulletproof Monk: Why do hot dogs come in packages of ten while hot dog buns come in packages of just eight?
  – Submitted by gerardo r (3 months ago)
• 1. Mr. Kojima: And I am through taking your messages. My name is Kokijima. Not Sony, Sanyo, Toshiba.
  – Submitted by gerardo r (3 months ago)
• 1. The Bulletproof Monk: Somehow I sense he has a lot of potential.
  2. Jade/Bad Girl: Really? I sense he's mostly full of s****.
  – Submitted by gerardo r (3 months ago)
• 1. The Bulletproof Monk: An enlightened man would offer a humble traveler shelter for the night and share a quiet conversation over a bowl of cocoa puffs.
  – Submitted by gerardo r (3 months ago)
• 1. Mr. Kojima: I'm calling the cops, you crazy bitch.
  – Submitted by Wesley W (8 months ago)

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