The Rebel (Vietnamese title Dòng Máu Anh Hùng) is an epic martial arts film that most people have never heard of. In modern Asian martial arts movie fashion, The Rebel has literally hard-hitting fight scenes, but what sets it apart from others in the genre is that it features Vovinam, aka Việt Võ Đạo, Vietnamese martial arts.
The Rebel is a historical action film set in Vietnam when it was under France's rule in 1922. The French created an elite force to eradicate rebels who threatened the government. One of its Vietnamese agents questions his purpose and begins to side with the rebellion.
I'm glad to see more Asians represented in Hollywood films, without the stereotypes of years past, but two notable standouts are Kelly Marie Tran and Veronica Ngo (also Ngô Thanh Vân). Both are Vietnamese and appeared in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Kelly played Rose Tico, and Veronica played her sister Paige, the gunner who dropped the payload of bombs onto a First Order dreadnought at the beginning of the movie.
Veronica Ngo plays a key role in The Rebel, and while the protagonist is the French Vietnamese agent, you could say there's a bit of a play on the movie's title, since it could very well be referring to Ngo's character. Veronica Ngo can act and kick ass. You may have seen her in The Old Guard films on Netflix, but you ain't seen nothing till you've seen her in The Rebel.
And remember the TV show 21 Jump Street? The Rebel also stars Dustin Nguyen as the villain.
With its exceptional story and cinematography, not to mention amazing fight sequences, The Rebel is a Vietnamese film that's an absolute must-see.
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