The Fifth Commandment

Introduction

Now an action icon, Rick Yune took a rather unusual route in his chosen genre. Graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1994, Yune worked as a Hedgefund trader on Wall Street and edged into acting in 1999 with a role in Snow Falling on Cedars. With a couple of minor parts following in TV, Yune got his big break first with a supporting role in The Fast and the Furious and then as a Bond villain in Die Another Day. Yune then went back to TV and appeared in Alias, Boston Legal and CSI before deciding to make his own film; which is a huge step when you think about it.

Yune had an idea for a script, based on a number of films that influenced him as a child and young man. The biggest influences appear to have been Star Wars and Rambo; the former for the redemption sought by Han Solo when returning to knock Vader off his young compadre's tail and the latter for the journey travelled by Stallone's Vietnam vet and how he overcame prejudice by just obliterating all the injustice he faced. Anyway, using his experience and contacts in the Hedgefund industry (not the most popular of trades in the UK currently, it must be said), Yune got the financing he needed but needed to knock his initial idea into some kind of script for filming. The writer's strike meant he had to do this himself and Yune was definitely going to star in this thing, so he didn't really get a lot of sleep during this film in role as writer, star and producer. It appears that on occasion, only his stamina and commitment kept this film from collapsing.



So what's it about?

As young child Chance (Rick Yune) was saved from certain death by an assassin called the Jazz Man (Keith David) after his parents had a slight accident with a heroin shipment they were forced to keep for evil dude Z (Roger Yuan). With his parents dead, the Jazz Man (also known as Max 'Coolbreeze' Templeton) decides to adopt the young orphan à la Leon The Professional, and teach him the tricks of the trade. Chance has a brother of some sort but he disappears without trace as Chance progresses with his training to be the best assassin ever, the youngster believing that his adoptive sibling is dead.

Years later, Chance is topping people left and right without a care in the world. Then comes a contract that is just a little too close to home. The hit is on upcoming r 'n' b star Angel (Dania Ramirez) and includes all her security detail, which just happens to include his long lost brother Miles (Bokeem Woodbine). Chance turns down the contract but then finds out that a deadly husband and wife team called Collateral Damage have been despatched to finish the job he turned down. This lethal tag team have no qualms about killing anyone in the vicinity of their target, so Chance takes a chance and flies to Bangkok to warn his brother of what is going down. The reunion doesn't quite go as expected but then all hell breaks loose.

Saving the singer from death, Chance and Miles get reacquainted whilst on the run. Unfortunately it appears that the whole of the Bangkok underworld has been set on their trail and this thing will end messily…

Extras

Trailer

Creating The Fifth Commandment - detailed interview with Rick Yune on his experiences, mainly as Producer and the financial aspects of making the film, although he does touch on his screenwriting and briefly mentions what he clearly considers the easy bit as lead actor

Creating The Stunts of The Fifth Commandment - another detailed interview, this time with director Jesse Johnson and stunt co-ordinator Garret Warren. In truth it's mainly Johnson who does the talking but interesting nonetheless.

Good set of extras regardless of the fact there are effectively only two interviews as both weigh in at the 20 minute mark and both are full of non-EPK information. I struggle to remember when I actually heard better interview that give a real sense of what it is like to make films.

Overall

There are numerous influences in this film, from Star Wars, Rambo and Leon (as mentioned previously) through to the rather naff Romeo Must Die. The story is not an original by any means and the script is rather clichéd and contains some rather ham fisted dialogue in many places, which is unsurprising considering Yune wrote and rewrote this by himself by all accounts. That said, I really enjoyed this film. You can get past the dialogue on some films as the action speaks for itself. The stunts, whilst again, not the most original are pulled off quite impressively and in yet another string to his bow, Yune did virtually all his own stunts (the story behind the opening sequence is quite funny and very impressive at the same time).

As well as some decent stunts, Yune developed a fighting style for the film called 52 block that is apparently based on a real fighting style used in prisons and has dance technique built into it. I can't say I really noticed this myself as one martial arts sequence looks like another to my untrained eye, but it looks rather impressive regardless.



The cast is pretty solid, although the acting is as good as it's going to get for the genre. Not Oscar worthy, but solid enough for the material presented. The exception is Keith David, an actor who exudes cool and really does a lead role of his own. He owns the screen whenever he appears and Yune clearly recognised that by adding in sometime extraneous scenes just to increase David's screentime.

The cinematography and direction is pretty good, and when you consider the sheer act of will on Yune's part to pull this off, it would be a sin not to watch this film. It obviously helps that the film is a pretty solid piece of action fluff, so it's not a chore to watch this and it deserves a wider audience. Go on, you know want to. Take a chance on Chance…