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Black Mask (1996)

© Jonathan L. Bowen

Black Mask, starring Jet Li, came to United States theaters in 1999, courtesy of Artisan, and features action choreographed by one of the masters of Hong Kong cinema, Yuen Woo Ping (The Tai Chi Master, Fist of Legend, The Matrix). Jet Li plays Simon (also known as Tsui Chik), a genetically enhanced human with incredible strength, a high threshold for pain, uncanny speed and reflexes, and, of course, martial arts expertise. He is not alone in his superhuman abilities, however.

The government created a group of superhuman commandos known as Squad 701 to combat drug lords and organized crime, but when they discovered the near invulnerability of the soldiers, they ordered their termination and the end to the project. The government feared that their strength would make the commandos too difficult to control, increasing the risk of renegade soldiers. At the beginning of the movie, Simon and several other members of Squad 701 escape from military forces and avoid execution. Simon does not meet up with his fellow comrades, but instead he chooses to settle down as a librarian and tries to forget about his past.

While Simon settles into his new life, the other members of Squad 701 make plans to exact revenge against the government and earn some money in the process. Simon’s best friend is a police officer, so Simon quickly learns about the brutal massacres of several drug rings. He wanted to leave his past life behind, but he soon realizes that only he possesses the strength and martial arts skills necessary to halt his villainous comrades, so he becomes the Black Mask.

Black Mask has a strong and engaging plot that serves its action well, which is sometimes rare in action movies. Action movies often have difficulty finding the proper balance between plot and action, but Black Mask is both action-packed and interesting. Simon’s narration explains some elements of the plot and lends credence to the movie as a means of telling a story with great action, instead of just great action with the burden of a story. Black Mask is essentially a comic book martial arts movie in the sense that it combines excellent martial arts with a story and general feel that make it similar to a movie inspired by a comic book.

The action and movements in Black Mask are often unrealistic, but that is because superhuman fighters can perform feats that ordinary humans could not attempt. Some fans are opposed to extensive wirework and unrealistic movements, but the movie uses these effects only because of the nature of the characters, so it is entirely appropriate. Black Mask serves as one of the rare instances of a film that even extremely particular fans of the genre might enjoy. Although, many fans might still prefer the style of a period piece such as Once Upon A Time in China (1991) or Drunken Master II (1994) because both movies are decidedly less flashy and extravagant than Black Mask.