The first trailer for the Studio Canal, Nassim Lyes, and director Xavier Gen's new martial arts film Farang feels like the brutal offspring of Gareth Evans' Raid duology.
Not too long ago, I wrote a post about the growing absence of martial arts superstars in mainstream films. Since the post went live on BoingBoing, I got the chance to read and gauge the reaction to the piece and felt as if I should clarify my thoughts about the vacuum of modern martial arts superstars.
Obviously, one would be remiss not to consider the wonderfully talented Michelle Yeoh a legend in martial arts films, modern or otherwise. However, defining her recent filmography as purely "marital arts movies" would be somewhat reductive. Even if Everything Everywhere All At Once is loaded with stunning kung-fu action beats, Michelle Yeoh isn't solely relying on her ability to kick ass in the flick; she's focused on acting. The same applies to Keanu Reeves and the John Wick franchise. Reeves' background in martial arts definitely aids his performance as Wick, but he's an actor that knows judo. He's not a marital artist that parlayed his prowess into a film career. Keanu Reeves and Jet Li may be close to the same age, but their filmography in the world of martial arts cinema couldn't be further apart.
Simply put, we haven't really had any new actors that are dedicated, lifelong martial artists that have attained mainstream success based on their ability as fighters. Hopefully, Nassim Lyes, the star of the trailer linked above, Farang, can change all of that. In addition to his acting chops, Lyes is a French kickboxing champion that looks every bit as legit as a young Bruce Lee. And with director Xavier Gen by his side, the duo's film Farang seems like the heir apparent to The Raid series.
