Though it feels like a cross between "Napoleon Dynamite" and Fight Club" with the martial arts inspired sports films of weaklings overcoming the odds like the 1980's karate themed movies, however this one takes us on a much more scarier route as Riley Stearns leads us into "The Art of Self-Defense". Offbeat in its delivery it offers no remorse in keeping its mission to demolish the effects of toxic masculinity by keeping the movie stylish and letting the scenes high in intensity and making the humour dark.,
Though he has only directed two films to his credit (his directing debut was in 2014's "Faults") Stearns feels that it's his desire to keep his films especially the comical ones dark as he leads us to the life around Casey (Jesse Eisenberg who was the right person for this part), an outsider in world where the humble have no place in the societal norms. After getting roughed up by a motorcycle gang, he takes it upon himself to become a super strong individual prepared to take on his adversaries. All this over him just wanting to by food for his starving pet. Casey finds his calling after passing by a karate class as he believes this will lead him to become a better person and a confident fighter.
Before choosing martial arts, Casey takes the easier path of buying a gun, but then decides karate might be the better option. He gets an open invitation by the mysterious and zen-seeming Sensei (Alessandro Nivola) who lures the young man into his world where he believes that guns are for losers.
Casey seems infatuated by winning belts as people getting better from advanced levels and doesn't mind being taken down to be back up approach which has been the initiatives drawn on by combat themed disciplines going as far as the beginning of time. However, the Sensei isn't only giving Casey a lesson in karate, he's teaching him the fundamentals to manhood like learning German instead of French, listening to heavy metal over pop and giving up his dachshund in exchange for a German shepherd. Casey takes it in the don't ask why ask how high approach.
Things take a very dark path once Casey knows about the Sensei's night classes that are sworn to secrecy what this dojo really is all about as there's something quite evil lurking the place. This is where our hero starts to get second thoughts about himself and what he's gotten himself into. The scenes are panned out like pages from a graphic novel as we're treated to cartoon-like characters that never reconsider their thoughts and everything feels fake. Unlike the very iconic 1980's franchise "The Karate Kid", this film gives a more comic book setting that takes itself too seriously though we can't because the scenery looks way too surreal and the outcome is very hyperbolic. The surrealism may be okay from the first scenes, unfortunately this wears off and becomes tiring once the movie comes to the climax. There's plenty to like about "The Art of Self-Defense" being the interesting premise and the potential to be cult classic, but falls back once Stearns decides to make issues exaggerated.
Though he has only directed two films to his credit (his directing debut was in 2014's "Faults") Stearns feels that it's his desire to keep his films especially the comical ones dark as he leads us to the life around Casey (Jesse Eisenberg who was the right person for this part), an outsider in world where the humble have no place in the societal norms. After getting roughed up by a motorcycle gang, he takes it upon himself to become a super strong individual prepared to take on his adversaries. All this over him just wanting to by food for his starving pet. Casey finds his calling after passing by a karate class as he believes this will lead him to become a better person and a confident fighter.
Before choosing martial arts, Casey takes the easier path of buying a gun, but then decides karate might be the better option. He gets an open invitation by the mysterious and zen-seeming Sensei (Alessandro Nivola) who lures the young man into his world where he believes that guns are for losers.
Casey seems infatuated by winning belts as people getting better from advanced levels and doesn't mind being taken down to be back up approach which has been the initiatives drawn on by combat themed disciplines going as far as the beginning of time. However, the Sensei isn't only giving Casey a lesson in karate, he's teaching him the fundamentals to manhood like learning German instead of French, listening to heavy metal over pop and giving up his dachshund in exchange for a German shepherd. Casey takes it in the don't ask why ask how high approach.
Things take a very dark path once Casey knows about the Sensei's night classes that are sworn to secrecy what this dojo really is all about as there's something quite evil lurking the place. This is where our hero starts to get second thoughts about himself and what he's gotten himself into. The scenes are panned out like pages from a graphic novel as we're treated to cartoon-like characters that never reconsider their thoughts and everything feels fake. Unlike the very iconic 1980's franchise "The Karate Kid", this film gives a more comic book setting that takes itself too seriously though we can't because the scenery looks way too surreal and the outcome is very hyperbolic. The surrealism may be okay from the first scenes, unfortunately this wears off and becomes tiring once the movie comes to the climax. There's plenty to like about "The Art of Self-Defense" being the interesting premise and the potential to be cult classic, but falls back once Stearns decides to make issues exaggerated.