Danny the Dog [2005]
Director: Louis Leterrier
Actor: Jet Li, Morgan Freeman, Bob Hoskins
Writer: Luc Besson
Score: Massive Attack
Danny (Li) is a functional retard, made so by his cruel “uncle” Bart (Hoskins), who found him when he was very young and saw a raw potential in him, a killer, that could be harnessed and unleashed at his will, if he had the patience to train him. And train him he did, Danny was turned into a dog, calm while leashed, a crazed killing machine when unleashed. Such a unstoppable force proved very lucrative for Bart, as he needed bones broken and perceptions realigned quite often in his loan-sharking business.
When a perverted, eccentric and extremely wealthy man happens to witness Danny in action he proposes a deal to Bart; to let Danny fight in an arena, to the death, for profit. Danny preforms admirably, killing his opponent with three successive strikes. Upon leaving the arena Bart and the promoter cheer to a wealthy future, but the promoter does require a bit more entertainment next time. On the way back home they are attacked by a disgruntled “client” of Bart’s and only Danny survives, or so he thinks.
He finds a new home, with Sam (Freeman) a blind piano tuner whom Danny had a brief but pleasant encounter with before the fight in the arena. He and his daughter decide to take Danny in and slowly teach him the basics of life, of friendship and love. He adjusts and learns quickly, but doesn’t seem to remember much of his childhood, knowing only his violent life with Bart. As they delve deeper and deeper into his memory through the use of piano-music, for which Danny seems to have a particular fondness, he slowly discovers his past.
Naturally, Bart wasn’t as dead as Danny thought he did, and he comes calling, wanting his fighting dog back to fight in the arena and make him rich.
Hoskins is fabulously malicious while Freeman is magnificently pure and friendly. Li does well as a boyish cute retard, and even better as a furious, feral killer. Luc Besson, the author of the story, wrote this story specifically for Li, and with the help of Yuen Woo Ping, of Matrix fame, as the choreographer, this is one action flick that aims for something different…and succeeds!