Very well executed

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Until the turn of the century, the martial arts subgenre was mostly dominated by Hong Kong & Japanese cinema. The 21st century saw the advent of Thailand film industry as it made its mark on the global stage with instant classics like Ong-bak & Tom-Yum-Goong.The next one to follow suit was the Vietnamese film industry that brought its own martial arts to mainstream cinema with this very feature though it never attained the success of its Thai counterparts. Nevertheless, The Rebel is a welcome entry in the world of martial arts filmmaking.Set in French-occupied Vietnam, the story follows a Vietnamese agent who works for the French but is struggling with his allegiance. After learning of a sinister plot to capture the leader of the rebellion, he helps his daughter in escaping from her captivity, and eventually finds a cause that's worth fighting for.Co-written & directed by Charlie Nguyen, the 1920s Vietnam setting is recreated in fine detail and the dark, desaturated colour palette aptly captures the mood of that era but the drama isn't entirely compelling, for there are missing ingredients in the script, not to mention that the romantic subplot is overplayed as well.The action choreography exhibits a charged intensity and is often captivating but given the environment its story takes place in, it also feels a bit out of place. Still, it's hard to take the eyes off screen when the characters are engaged in a combat. The leading actors play their dramatic part well, the villain has an aura of mystery about him and he's almost a show-stealer.On an overall scale, The Rebel combines the elements of period drama, action & romance into one patriotic thriller but it fails to connect with the global audience on the emotional scale. The action segments provide a burst of energy every now n then but the story fails to keep up with that and required better pace & editing. The Rebel isn't memorable but it offers a glimpse of untapped talent Vietnamese cinema has in store.

Action movies generally can't deliver much in the story department. So even a slight/slim story as shown here, that is decent enough is a pretty good deal. A good one to watch and enjoy so to speak. The main actors do their dramatic parts convincingly enough and the action scenes are pretty good too (which of course it the main selling point here too).You might recognize the main actor here from other movies. Especially if you have watched a few Thai action movies. He's doing a great job here, being likable, even when he shouldn't be the one to cheer for. This movie delivers on it's premise, the only question that remains, does this premise suit your taste?

I'm Italian and I saw this movie in the original language with subtitles in English. the acting could be better, but it's not so bad, the main characters are well acted. One of the best part of the movie is the fighting: the martial art used is Vovinam, a Vietnamese arts, obviously. The fighting scene are full of realism and action, very good I think. The conversations are pretty good, nothing to say. Another good point is the beautiful landscapes of the Vietnamese country. i think it's a good movie, great and realistic fight. the plot is simple but well made, with suspense, romance, action...i hope it'll arrive in Italy or at least in Europe :)

I saw this movie left on a movie shelf and bought it just out of my curiosity. However, this movie turns to be a amazing action/drama/love story which i haven't seen for so many years from Vietnam. The action scenes are much more reality and intense than nowadays Chinese Kungfus. The story line is quite good which brings you back to year 1920s where Vietnam was ruled by French. The building & stuffs are definitely those furniture 90 years ago. Doubt the team did a good research job. The acting is very good for all actors, especially the bad side haha. However I feel that the English subtitle is short and can not deliver the whole movie's plot. But who cares, thumbs for the action! Highly recommended!