Bulletproof Monk (2003)

Bulletproof Monk is a 2003 American superhero comedy film directed by Paul Hunter in his feature film directorial debut, and starring Chow Yun-fat, Seann William Scott, and Jaime King. The film is loosely based on the comic book written by Brett Lewis with art by Michael Avon Oeming. The film was shot in Toronto and Hamilton, Canada, and other locations that resemble New York City.

Plot:

In 1943 Tibet, a young monk is told that he has fulfilled a series of prophecies that mark him as his master’s successor. Forgoing his name, the monk is entrusted with guarding a scroll with the power to keep its owner powerful, young, and immune to injury. The monk is forced to flee when Nazi soldiers, led by Colonel Strucker, siege the temple. Sixty years later, the nameless monk encounters and begins tailing a young pickpocket named Kar, suspecting he may make for a suitable successor based on his selfless nature. During a violent run-in with a local gang, Kar falls for a roguish young woman named Jade.

The following day, Jade attends an exhibition at a human rights museum presided over by Strucker’s granddaughter, Nina, who secretly and ruthlessly spearheads her grandfather’s ongoing hunt for the scroll. Afterwards, Jade chances upon Kar being lectured by the monk and asks him to return her necklace, which he had stolen to earn her esteem. The meeting is interrupted when the monk is spotted by Nina’s mercenaries. With Kar, the monk arrives at a laundromat that secretly houses a group of monks who provide him shelter, and the monk offers to train him.

Shaolin (2011) Biography, Plot, Box office, Production, Trailer

As Kar and the monk train in an abandoned warehouse, Nina’s mercenaries come down on them in force. In the ensuing chase, Kar accidentally drops the scroll from the rooftop, where it is swiped by Nina; however, she later discovers the scroll is a fake. Angered, Nina visits Kar’s home to track the pair down, murdering his employer. An ambitious monk then betrays the location of their hideout to Nina, forcing the pair to flee once again. The monk’s allies are kidnapped and taken to Strucker’s secret facility beneath the museum.

Production, Box office

In May 2000, it was announced MGM had paid high six figures against a potential seven-figure deal to turn the cult comic Bulletproof Monk into a live-action film that would star Chow Yun-fat as the title character with John Woo and Terence Chang’s Lion Rock Productions producing. Seann William Scott was cast in November 2001. A video game adaptation was in development by Mucky Foot Productions for Empire Interactive but it was cancelled. The film grossed approximately $23 million in the United States, with a worldwide total of $37 million, less than the production budget of $52 million.