Warrior

Warrior

I have already watched the first two episodes twice. Here is some advice though. You should watch all of Bruce Lee's Movies first (there are only 4.5 of them) and get into who Bruce Lee was, because I feel like there are so many references both in terms of fight scenes and plot to his life as well as his movies.

Warrior is awesome... no doubt. But remember that it is an American show, so don't get all Hong Kong or Canto purist about the fact that some of the actors aren't pronouncing the words with the right tone. Those actors aren't necessarily Chinese so they are doing their best, and Shannon Lee was involved with the casting and wanted to make sure that other non Chinese Asians were not discriminated against.

At some point the actors switch to English in what I think Justin Lin (director) himself referenced as the Red October sequence (Where suddenly you understand what Harrison Ford is saying... and I'm sure his Russian was horrible too) and then the dialogue is epic. Here is why I say that. No they are not translating slang directly from Taishanese or Sze Yup (this are the places Railway workers were from. The First Chinese American Railroad worker was from Taishan, last name Wong)

But the American slang is influenced by it. The shows creators admit that they are kind of making up the slang... but it sounds so cool that... I think people are gonna start talking like this. "Crossing the Salt" being too "Fresh" as opposed to FOB which does sound so 90's now. And calling an "onion" "itchy"

Now These terms I have actually heard but in a different context than used in the show. But it is amazing that the show is creating culture. And to be honest that is what Bruce Lee was doing. he had specific Fight choreography that influenced everyone else's fight choreography for decades to come. I also recently found out that HE is playing drums for the opening of Way of the Dragon Mang Long Gau Gong. And when you listen.... that is a very specific beat. It's not a lion dance beat. It's not a Dragon boat beat. It's on Western drums... but its not a western beat. That beat is sooooo Bruce Lee.


And again, while Warrior is so awesome... you suddenly realize how good Bruce Lee was. I would say his character is the combination of at least 4 of the characters in the show, including Ah Toy, who does the deeds that Chen Jen does in Jing Mo Moon (Fist of Fury-Chinese Connection)

The show is also sooooo LA which makes me crack up but in a good way. It's awesome that the Dialogue for Ah Sahm is this real cocky and crass stuff. I think, after watching the interview with Ah Sahm's actor, that he really can act. But the role of Ah Sahm is supposed to be this guy who can fight... but is awkward and breaks all the rules. Kinda like the main character in Way of the Dragon. A Herng Ha jai.

The actors and characters around the main character are actually more typical of the stereotypical cocky side to Bruce Lee's characters, and those characters really do an awesome job as well.