Asian Actors in the West?

One might argue that Zhang Ziyi 's role in The Horsemen as a murderer sees her pandering to American actor Dennis Quaid as she plays mind games with him. But you can't deny that the movie gives the Beijing-born beauty plenty of screen time.

Yes, there's no doubt that Asians are on the up and up in Hollywood.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine, too, shows an Asian face - Korean- American hunk Daniel Henney stars as Zero, a villain, in the Hugh Jackman vehicle opening on Wednesday.

So, are roles for Asians slowly getting more complex? And how is Asia's talent rising to the occasion?

My paper analyses six new Hollywood offerings with Asian faces to find out.

THE HORSEMEN

OPENS ON WEDNESDAY

Asian star: Beijing-born Zhang Ziyi, 30, stars with Dennis Quaid in this psycho-thriller.

Her role: She plays Kristin Spitz, a Chinese girl adopted by an American family and who has a lust for blood.

How big is her role? It's meaty. Her name appears alongside Quaid's on the promo poster - although it's only his mug you see on it.

Does she hold her own? Yes. She has reportedly taken acting cues from Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of cannibal Hannibal Lecter in The Silence Of The Lambs.

Judging from the trailer, now available online, she is certainly very scary in her portrayal of an untouchable, twisted temptress with terrible secrets to hide.

Rating: 4/5

BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE

OPENS JUNE 4

Asian star: Korean actress Jun Ji Hyun, 27, (star of 2001's My Sassy Girl) has adopted the name "Gianna" for her first Hollywood outing, a remake of a Japanese anime film.

Her role: She plays Saya, a no-nonsense half-vampire who hunts demons in a covert government agency.

Think a mix of Blade, Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Hellboy.

How big is her role? She's the lead. Others are relative unknowns, such as Allison Miller of TV series Kings.

Does she hold her own? Going by trailers, no. It's hardly believable when the cutie-pie contorts her face when executing action moves. Surprisingly painful to watch.

Rating: 3/5

SHANGHAI

OPENS SEPT 4 (UNITED STATES)

Asian stars: Veteran Chinese stars Chow Yun Fat , 53, and Gong Li , 43, appear with John Cusack in this World War II drama. Rinko Kikuchi and Ken Watanabe also co-star.

Their roles: Chow plays a mafia boss while Gong is his sultry wife. Kikuchi acts as a Japanese spy.

How big are their roles? Chow and Gong are second leads. Gong also gets hot and steamy with Cusack's character in a few scenes.

Do they hold their own? Seems so. Gong, especially, looks set to shine, with loads of room for character growth.

At a media conference in London last year, Cusack even called his co-stars the "greatest artists from Asia".

Rating: 4/5

THE BROTHERS BLOOM

OPENS AUG 13

Asian star: Japan's Rinko Kikuchi, 28, famous for her role in the 2006 Oscar-winning film Babel, where she played a mute and deaf girl struggling to find acceptance. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the Academy Awards in 2007.

Her role: She plays trigger-happy, eccentric explosives expert Bang-Bang. The caper film also stars Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody as conmen brothers who make a living off elaborate fleece jobs. They team up with Bang-Bang for their last con on a beautiful heiress (played by Rachel Weisz).

How big is her role? Big enough for Kikuchi to share poster space with her Caucasian co-stars.

Does she hold her own? Definitely. Even though Kikuchi's character barely speaks in the show, she is far from being an afterthought.

Her presence is amplified every time she appears. It even led a Canadian blog, Popcorn And Cigarettes, to gush that she "manages to steal the show".

Rating: 5/5

LAUNDRY WARRIOR

OPENS IN AUGUST (UNITED STATES)

Asian star: Sexy Korean actor Jang Dong Gun, 37, best known for his role in the 2004 Korean film Taegukgi: The Brotherhood Of War, stars opposite Kate Bosworth and Geoffrey Rush in this fantasy martial-arts film, a directorial debut by Korean director Sngmoo Lee.

His role: He plays Yang, an Asian warrior who flees to an American town and settles down as a laundryman. He ends up defending the town against a gang of thugs. Bosworth plays his love interest, a circus knife-thrower, while Rush plays the town drunk.

How big is his role? Jang is the lead and is also the sole person featured in the promotional poster.

Does he hold his own? We don't know yet as no trailers are available. Fans, though, worry that this role perpetuates the stereotype of Asians playing gongfu masters. Still, his smouldering looks and long locks might just make him a hit in the West.

Rating: 3/5

I COME WITH THE RAIN

OPENS JUNE 6 (JAPAN)

Asian stars: Japanese hunk Takuya Kimura , 36, scores his Hollywood breakthrough in this multinational film opposite Hong Kong cutie Shawn Yue , Korean actor Lee Byung Hun, and America's Josh Hartnett. Directed by Vietnamese-French director Tran Anh Hung.

Their roles: Kimura stars as the missing son of a billionaire, while Yue and Lee are a Hong Kong cop and local gangster respectively.

Hartnett is a former cop in this gritty thriller.

How big are their roles? Nothing to shout about. The movie is pegged on Hartnett's character, while other roles look purely supportive.

Do they hold their own? Let's just say that Yue comes off as a goofy sidekick, while Kimura barely speaks. Lee's role is predictable as he stars as another mafia boss. Look to the upcoming G.I. Joe flick where he plays villain Storm Shadow for a more promising role.

Rating: 3/5

(Source: Asiaone )