Everybody was kung-fu fighting

Childhood.

Sometimes we grow up and grow out of the things we use to love as a kid. And sometimes they remain a part of us even as we learn the way of the world as adults. Sometime hidden and forgotten.

As a kid I remember watching two things on Saturdays, cartoons and martial arts movies. For me it started at 7 am prompt. (I'd be lucky to even set my alarm at such a hideous time now a days. Or would that be unlucky?) I didn't need an alarm back then. I was always so hyped for those cartoons. I don't have a vague recollection of the actual cartoons that I watched those mornings, but the excitement I had is still palpable. As the morning gave way to the afternoon, my folks would gradually get up and then I would spend the late mornings watching those cheesy, Chinese kung-fu movies with them. The stories and plots were ludicrous, but there was something fun about it all. As a kid watching an outrageous tale with your parents every Saturday can give you a sense that all is well in the world.

So that brings me to the present. I watched a martial arts movie last night called "Hero". Watching a movie these days is quite an accomplishment for me. It blew me away with the way the movie was shot visually. It was like watching a series of paintings in motion. Just dazzling! It still has the unimaginable element to the fighting which obviously a prerequisite to this type of movie. But the images and the fighting were a pure joy to watch.

Aesthically, it's one of the top 5 movies I've ever seen. It's a mix between "What Dreams May Come" and "Legend of the Falls," bright and bold colors with majestic scenery. Oh and throw in a little action to boot. Well maybe a lot of action. It's a far cry from those Chinese B-movies my folks and I use to watch. In fact it has been quite a while since I last watch these type of movies, more than 10 years I would imagine. At a certain point they lacked a decent amount of plausibility for me and just couldn't keep my attention as I started to grow up. But the pure artistry of the latest one sure got me hooked just this once. And I felt like a kid all over again.