This four-year-old Jet Li outing is a welcome change from the seemingly endless stream of dubbed Jackie Chan flicks showing up on our shores. Don't get me wrong, I love Jackie's efforts like POLICE STORY, SUPERCOP and ARMOUR OF GOD. I just don't know that JACKIE CHAN'S FIRST STRIKE and TWIN DRAGONS are deserving of more than a video release.

But, with his presence in LETHAL WEAPON 4, Hollywood sensed Li's charisma and redubbed, rescored (with requisite hip-hop soundtrack) and released the electrifying BLACK MASK in the hopes of making a few bucks before THE PHANTOM MENACE kicked the summer movie season into high gear.

The UNIVERSAL SOLDIER-like storyline (which was clearly lifted and respun for the lovable DRIVE) features a government project gone awry. (Are there any government plans that work?) The 701s are a breed of jacked-up, superhuman kung-fu soldiers who don't feel pain. Lei's Michael/Simon is the lone renegade, a pacifist on the surface trying to live life as librarian with a tough cop for a best friend. The remaining 701s, including smokin' former gal-pal Michelle Yip, are working for The Commander while he plots to do something with an international database of criminals. I'm not really sure what the plan was, but it seemed quite nefarious. Frankly, I was too busy being wowed by the spectacular fight scenes (by the same sunt coordinator who would do THE MATRIX), the copious amounts of blood, Michelle Yip's bondage gear and the all-out craziness that highlights the best Hong Kong entries. Frank...

Unfortunately, the main speakers at the theater died during the final 20 minutes, so we were left with the pings, crunches and pops of the side speakers while muffled, dubbed dialogue struggled to emerge from the front. Certainly makes for an interesting experience. Didn't really matter, though, since I was far too interested in watching Li kick ass in major fashion.

Closer to successful live-action comic books like DARKMAN than weak efforts like SPAWN or CAPTAIN AMERICA, BLACK MASK made me long for a Hong Kong director to tackle a full-blown comic character like Daredevil.