Insight

There hasn't been a good ESP thriller in decades ... and, alas, the wait continues. But there's a passionate audience out there with a hunger for martial arts movies, and Insight does showcase the impressive moves of Indonesian kickboxing champ Zheng. Unfortunately, his skill at creating filmed entertainment doesn't compare to his ability to roundhouse an opponent. While the clairvoyance element is fresh, the movie's storyline about an out-of-town special ops agent who travels to L.A. to investigate his brother's murder is completely derivative: It's Beverly Hills Cop meets Lethal Weapon meets Rush Hour. What helped those movies succeed was their blend of action and comedy. So, while kudos are due to Zheng for using his resources to broaden his appeal and serve martial arts lovers, here's a hint for the future: Get a comedic sidekick!

As it stands, he and his co-director/co-producer/sister Livi Zheng bring together a cast of somewhat familiar faces: Zima, John Savage, and Sean Patrick Flanery all perform as well as can be expected given Insight's poor lighting, subpar editing, and cheesy special effects. And Keith David, wow -- even wearing a police uniform that looks like it was purchased at a Halloween store, he owns every scene he's in. Insight may not wow any but the most die-hard martial arts fans, but let's not beat Zheng up the way he dispatches villains. He's 25 years old and a recent film school grad, and he shows promise in his ability to recognize and fulfill a niche. Give him a few years, and he'll be kicking butt and taking names -- at least, in a more figurative sense.