For geeky RPG related reasons...

[annwfyn]

Can anyone think of:

a) a film which features heroic Arabs, other than the 13th Warrior, or anything with Omar Sharif. If you can think of a sci-fi film which does this I'll love you forever, but I accept that 'Arabs in Space' is a niche market.

b) a film which features an Asian male as the romantic lead. If anyone can name me a film in which Jet Li gets laid, I'll be very happy too, but that's purely for personal reasons.

*big hopeful eyes*

Comments

[hareb-sarap.livejournal.com]

a) the Mummy?

[annwfyn.livejournal.com]

The Arab in that is one of the handsomest men in film...

[hareb-sarap.livejournal.com]

While I think he's probably a Berber, Morgan Freidman's character in Robin Hood.

[ginasketch.livejournal.com]

Dear Satan, yes. He gives me ladyboner.

[twicedead.livejournal.com]

The actor is Israeli.

And yes, he's very spanky.

[annwfyn.livejournal.com]

I'd forgotten that, but I did know, I think. Either way, he's gorgeous. He was amazing in the Resident Evil films as well...

[adze.livejournal.com]

For the last part, try Romeo Must Die. Not seen it in years, but might qualify.

[annwfyn.livejournal.com]

He doesn't get laid in that. He doesn't even get a snog. I am still bitter about this, you know...

[adze.livejournal.com]

You are an odd and peculiar person, you know..

:-p

[jholloway.livejournal.com]

It's a general rule in Hollywood film that Asian guys don't get much in the way of romance, especially with non-Asian female leads.

I wonder if Jet Li's sexlessness has anything to do with the fact that Hong Kong's film censorship was *much* more strict than ours for a long time (and may still be).

[crocodilewings.livejournal.com]

a) The Living Daylights, featuring the heroic Mujahideen giving Johnny Ruskie a good seeing-to. The Cold War was really useful for identifying goodies and baddies. Also the Indiana Jones movies with Sallah in, even if he was played by a Welshman. The Last Crusade also had the Brotherhood of the Crucifon Sword, who started out as sinister arabs, but turned out to be good, fez-wearing Christians of middle-eastern descent.

b) The only one I can think of is Short Circuit 2. It's also interesting to note that whilst Wikipedia doesn't have "List of Asian actors", it does have List of Asian porn stars (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Asian_porn_stars). Now there is a resource with its priorities in order.

[colonel-maxim.livejournal.com]

Wikipedia suggests Aladin?
Saladin in 'Kingdom of Heaven'?

[portilis.livejournal.com]

a) Hidalgo has some who might qualify, otherwise the obvious is indeed The Mummy series.

b) Kiss of the Dragon - he doesn't get laid on film, but does wander off very definitely with the girl at the end.

[lawrencegillies.livejournal.com]

Arabs in Space: Pitch Black. Or at least Muslims in Space

Romantic Lead - The Crow. Brandon Lee was half chinese, but it might be pushing the boundaries of what you were asking...

Then ther are chinese films like House of Flying Daggers...

[isalani.livejournal.com]

He's also in Deuse Bigolo - he play the sucessful male prostitute that goes away for some reason causing the reason for the comedy

[chopseuy.livejournal.com]

a) Does Stargate count ?


b)hahaha; Jet Li dosen't have any sex scenes in any of his movies (that they show; or that I am aware of) ... also I don't believe he has any romantic snogs on scren either (he's married and all wot wot).

Romance movies ... right up my street hehehe!1!

Romantic Leads/Films;
Speed :P Or how about Rush Hour!!! Although I dunno if Jackie Chan and Chris Tuckers characters are having a romance or not ^_^.

A lot of stuff with Andy lau in it ...



The wedding Banquet; Winston Chao .... (this is sort of a romance. :P).
Chung King Express; Tony Leung; is the romantic lead.
Cape Number 7 is cool. Van Fan; is the romantic lead.
Fishing Island; Biung Wang is the romantic lead.
My so called love; I forget who's in it now.
Happy Birthday; Louis Koo.
Salaam Namaste; Saif Ali Khan.
Operation Love; Tomohisa Yamashita (though this is a series not a film).
Drink, drank, drunk; Daniel Wu as the romantic lead.
Dehsha Otoko; Takayuki yamada.
Nana; I can't recall who is in this one.
Be with you; Nakamura Shidō.
Crying out of love in the centre of the world; Takao Osawa.
la maison de himiko; odagiri jou.

[annwfyn.livejournal.com]

You are like a god among men, Kyne, and I will worship you forevermore.

[hareb-sarap.livejournal.com]

b) My beautiful Laundrette

[omentide.livejournal.com]

Was that very lovely young man from Buddha of Suburbia ever in a movie?

I know I've seen him on stage but I can't recall his name. I just looked him up - Naveen Andrews.

He's been in lots of stuff according to filmbase.

Then, for Asian romantic leads, you have the whole of Bollywood... I'm wondering if that was what was meant.

[hareb-sarap.livejournal.com]

I think it'd be a bit redundant to look for Asian romantic leads in Bollywood or Oriental cinema, as all romantic leads are likely to be Asian.

[omentide.livejournal.com]

I think I fail to understand the question.

I'll get my coat...

[adze.livejournal.com]

GORA does Turks in Space, but I can't think of anything that does Arabs...

[reindeerflotila.livejournal.com]

I was going to mention GORA :P

[blatherbits.livejournal.com]

A) Wind and the Lion.. More berbers though, but close for most western uses. ;)

Beyond that, this wikipedia article give some detail on the slim pickings:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotypes_of_Arabs_and_Muslims

B) Unleashed. (Or Danny the Dog) He at least gets a snog, I believe. But Jet Li doesn't do romance in the way western movies like to do romance. Other than that, you have a nice list up there.

[annwfyn.livejournal.com]

I don't think he got a snog in Unleashed. I think that was another of my bitter moments.

Apparently in the first draft of Romeo Must Die he had a snog with his female co-star, but early test screenings reacted badly to it, which was why it was replaced with a hug.

[melsner.livejournal.com]

In the upcoming Star Trek movie, one of the other Captains is an Arab... same actor who was bad guy in Iron Man.

The TV show "Lost" sort of has both those things...

[childofcrow.livejournal.com]

B) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon?

[shanendoah.livejournal.com]

(Hope you don't mind my commenting - we don't know each other, but have friends in common)

Asian romantic lead - Chun Yow-Fat in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, or in a US movie - opposite Jodie Foster in Anna & the King. I also find him romantic in The Replacement Killers, with Mira Sorvino, but it probably doesn't count.

Jet Li - try The Defender with Michelle Yeung. Probably not a sex scene (its been a long time since I've seen it), but there's definitely a romantic relationship between their characters in the film.
Maybe Black Mask as well - again its been a long time.

[annwfyn.livejournal.com]

I never mind passing commentary. :)

Thank you for the suggestions.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Surprised nobody has mentioned the Fremen in Dune, especially the miniseries.

[red-phil.livejournal.com]

Dune has the Fremen, who are certainly heavily based on Arabs.

[richardiii.livejournal.com]

If you want to go really far back, I guess Sinbad The Sailor and The Arabian Nights feature heroic Arabs.