Butterfly

[Drunk Monk]

There’s been a lot of buzz on this in my AAPI feeds. Daniel Dae Kim is a superspy mercenary, the founder of a black ops org, who played dead to save his daughter (Reina Hardesty - who’s new to me)  but she becomes a super assassin for his former company, now being run by his former partner Piper Perabo, who I’ve always liked since Beverly Hills Chihuahua. 

It’s solid roles for Daniel, who can handle action and acting well and deserves this leading role where he can shine, for Reina, who’s showing good range and potential, and Piper in a villainess role that she is totally slaying. The story is basically a chase as the org hunts down Daniel and Reina, who are coping with a complex father/daughter relationship (and you know I have a soft spot for father/daughter tales). 

The opening action sequence was good. It’s one strike/one cut stuff with most of the right plots centering around kicking the gun away so the fisticuffs can continue. The gun play is good. The fight choreo is good enough - lots of stabbiness. It’s not great action but serviceable.

The opening action sequence cited BlackPink and Abba, which made it work for me. It’s set in S. Korea so that gives it some nice locations. I’m into it halfway - 3 of 6 eps, each under an hour.

Not sure about D00M recommendation yet. Let me finish it. I’ll likely binge the rest by the weekend.

[thatguy]

I like him in Lost...

--tg

[Greg]

I saw the first episode. I thought the fights were terrible. None of them knew how to fight.

The whole plot seemed kind of silly. I don't if I will watch any more episodes.

[Drunk Monk]

Ep 4 resolves the son cliffhanger from Ep3, but I figured it would go that way. Korea continues to get a good spotlight - such architecture - urban squalor with modern skyscrapers and soaring overpasses. Daniel continues to rise to the occasion, but I'm more taken by Reina & Piper. 

The firefights show that they definitely ran the actors through some tactical courses. And again, the fisticuffs are about kicking that gun away until the hero grabs it and shoots the opponent. 

I'm a little put out that this is getting such AAPI love and Ballard didn't. Ballard had a lot of women's issues and perhaps that muddled the Asian vibe, plus it was set in LA where this is all Korea (as if we didn't get enough Korea already with all the K-dramas & K-pop). 

I'll probably finish it tonight.

None of them knew how to fight.

Daniel is proficient in TKD. Piper was in Covert Affairs where she trained Wing Chun extensively for the role (but she has yet to deliver a fight scene in this).

[Greg]

Let me rephrase. None of them, as shown, look like they can fight.

[Drunk Monk]

Seen. The ending was a bit forced, sets up season 2 if it gets green lit. Daniel’s David displays vicious ruthlessness with the nameless henchmen but then uncharacteristic mercy at the end which I didn’t buy.  It’s based on a comic so perhaps there’s more to the story. I did enjoy the performances of Daniel & Piper and Reina is definitely someone to watch. She’s the core of this story. The action was fine - pretty standard really - not overly impressive in the post-87north era, but not as bad as Greg makes it out to be - just standard. I liked the parental themes but I have a soft spot for those. I also liked the Korea nods, not just the locations (which were amusing to see from a more Hollywood perspective) but the food references and the K-pop drops. 

Ultimately I’m not D00M recommending it. I watched it mostly out of AAPI obligation which binds none of you. I don’t know if I’ll follow up for season 2 if there is one.