Hugely popular in films and on television in Hong Kong, Donnie Yen has been steadily building up a presence in North America, thanks to roles opposite such international stars as Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson, Wesley Snipes, and Jet Li in films like Shanghai Knights, Blade II, and Hero. Born in China and raised in Boston, Yen trained in the martial arts from a young age and brings an unreal technical ability to his roles in action films, both on-screen and behind the scenes as action choreographer on many of his projects. This week, his latest film Flash Point is being released theatrically in North America. Yen has two projects currently in production: An Empress and The Warriors, a Chinese historical epic, and Painted Skin, a supernatural actioner about a vampire-like woman who eats the skin of her lovers. The latter is being helmed by Wilson Yip, who also directed Yen in Flash Point.
Flash Point is the story of Jun Ma, a hard-boiled cop who has a tendency to take no prisoners, and his ongoing battle with three Vietnamese brothers running a crime ring. His partner, who is undercover as a member of the gang, gets compromised just when they are about to nab them, and the race is on to protect him from their wrath, as he is the star witness in the case against the three brothers.
Director Wilson Yip sticks to what he does best, which is frenetically-paced action sequences with a few plot points thrown in. While Flash Point won’t be mistaken for the most original movie ever made, it is a thrilling 90 minutes, and the fight scenes, as choreographed by Donnie Yen himself, are nothing short of phenomenal, employing a grab-bag of mixed martial arts moves that are sure to leave viewers shaking their heads in disbelief. It’ll be interesting to see what Yip and Yen have in store for audiences with the upcoming Painted Skin, which is like nothing either of them have done before. I had the opportunity to ask Mr. Yen a few questions on the eve of Flash Point‘s North American release.
Jason Widgington: First off, I’d like to congratulate you on the recent addition to your family, your son James. How does being a father influence your decisions on what projects to take on, specifically in relation to the level of violence in films today?
Donnie Yen: Thank you very much. I am always trying to make quality films I can be proud of. Some of them may have action scenes that are unsuitable for children, and I certainly wouldn’t let my own kids see them, but I don’t feel I’ve made any films that are extremely bloody. Mostly its stylized action scenes, rather than any real gore. Being a father has certainly affected the films I watch. I’ve seen a lot more Disney cartoons recently!
JW: Your character in Flash Point, Detective Sargent Jun Ma, is a cop with a tendency to, let’s say, fly off the handle in the process of conducting an investigation and arresting suspects. Having played a similar role a few times, notably in 2005’s Kill Zone, you seem quite natural in the role. Is this a testament to your acting ability or did you take some of your real-life experience into the role (in other words, do you have a bad temper in your everyday life)?
DY: I’d say I am really easygoing in every day life, if you mean by ‘everyday life’ my being at home with my family! Making films, yes, sometimes you have to fight for your vision, but I’m actually tougher on myself than I am on anyone else. I pushed myself to do more takes on Flashpoint, even when I was hurting. I think I can play a believable ‘tough cop’, but that’s definitely not me in real life!
JW: I read that Flash Point was originally developed as a sequel to Kill Zone, and the similarities of your characters in the two films doesn’t hurt that observation. As one of the producers of Flash Point, could you elaborate on why it was decided not to make it a sequel and instead develop it as an un-related story?
DY: It was never possible to do a literal prequel or sequel to SPL (or Kill Zone), because Flashpoint was made for another company. We certainly wanted to make a film in a similar style, and developed the script over many months. Originally, the film was set in Macao, and, when that proved unworkable, we moved back to Hong Kong. I think making Flashpoint as a separate film gave us a lot more freedom with the story, so it was better that it not be directly connected to Kill Zone.
JW: As much of a hard-ass as Det. Sgt. Jun Ma is, he’s also got a sensitive side, like when he feels guilty over the crippling of a colleague at the hands of the criminal element in the film. Is that sensitive side something you infused the character with or was it already in the script? In other words, how much input did you personally have into the development of the character?
DY: That was in the script, but certainly something I was keen on. I don’t want to just play a fighting machine. I want to have different dimensions to the character. I worked very closely with (director) Wilson (Yip) and the screenwriters, and we all brought our own ideas to the project.
JW: You’ve won numerous awards for action choreography in various films. How does this honor compare to the possibility of winning an acting award and can you briefly discuss the preparation and process of the art of action choreography?
DY: I feel honored to receive any awards for my work. It doesn’t matter to me whether its for action directing or acting. Making action movies is very hard work, so I appreciate the recognition. Regarding choreography, I look at the scene, the location, the characters…. Everyone has to fight a different way. I run through the techniques with my stuntmen, and I’ll be choosing the shots, and how to edit the sequence. Sometimes I’ll just jump 15 shots on the set. I don’t tend to use storyboards or shotlists. After all these years, its all in my head!
JW: Considering your extensive background in martial arts and in action films, how likely would you be to take on a project outside of that realm, do you actively search out such projects, and what sort of non-action roles would you like to tackle in the future (romantic, comedic, dramatic, deranged serial killer, etc)?
DY: Let me tell you, almost any kind of film would be easier to make, physically!, than an action film. It does get harder as you get a little older and pick up some injuries. Of course, if I was offered a dramatic or comedic role, I would consider it, but I’m aware of the fact that I’m best known for action, so that’s still my main focus.
The Weinstein Company’s new label Third Rail Releasing is releasing Flash Point this friday (March 14th).
