Movie Review: Flash Point

Dou Fo Sin

“Flash Point” or “City With No Mercy”

Hong Kong, 2007

Genre: Crime Drama

88 minutes

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0992911/

Donnie Yen returns as a hard-nosed cop, bent on taking down a dangerous gang of Vietnamese smugglers. With his partner undercover within their organization, the ties of friendship and loyalty are tested as the gang hunt down the mole.

Last week we looked at SPL, the first collaboration between director Wilson Yip and action star Donnie Yen. Originally intended to be a spin-off from SPL, Flash Point was later changed to be a stand-alone film due to copyright issues. With much of the same team working on this film, it would be easy to assume that it would live up to its predecessor. However, this is not the case. While the fight choreography and the action sequences definitely surpass the already high bar set by 2005’s SPL, the other elements that made the first film so great were sorely overlooked.

Yen plays a carbon copy of his character from SPL, a by-the-books investigator with unbelievably strong fighting skills. Whereas in the previous film he was an outsider taking over an established team, however, in Flash Point he’s already heading an investigation against a trio of Vietnamese brothers. The villains, like Sammo Hung’s character, also have a tragic backstory, as they try to assert themselves in the criminal underworld, all while taking care of their senile mother. This is where the film begins to fall apart. While acted fairly well in comparison to other fight films, Flash Point’s plot becomes overly complicated in its attempts to give every supporting character some element of tragedy. Contrived and melodramatic, it takes itself far too seriously as it progresses towards the action-packed climax. By the end of the movie, it becomes apparent that the characters are simply fighting for the sake of fighting, having lost any sense of reason or motivation. If this was a simpler film, this would have been fine, but as it was, the ending becomes clichéd and overdrawn.

It must be said, however, that the fights themselves are absolutely fantastic. Yen demonstrates every bit of his athleticism and agility in his action scenes, utilizing an even larger repertoire of martial arts styles than he did in SPL. The final scene between him and Collin Chou is lengthy and impressive, a full eight minutes of hard-hitting, gut-busting, and bone-breaking action. It is and rightly should be hailed as Donnie Yen’s finest choreography to date, using a cinematically beautiful combination of kung fu, kickboxing, and submission grappling. While the film as a whole probably won’t last as an exemplary piece of film-making, Flash Point is still worth picking up just for the chance to see a suplex in a kung fu movie.

Movie Review: SPL

Sha Po Lang

SPL or “Kill Zone”

Hong Kong, 2005

Genre: Crime Drama

93 minutes

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478024/

Donnie Yen stars in this police thriller as a new inspector on the force, taking over a retiring officer’s squad. However, not all is as it seems, as he watches the case against the city’s biggest mob boss start to fall apart.

SPL, or “Kill Zone” in America, is hands down one of my favorite films of all time. Full of underhand deals and mystery, Wilson Yip directs a masterpiece of drama and intrigue. Like a Greek tragedy, the cast of characters all have their own flaws, all of which contribute to their own ends. In addition to Donnie Yen, SPL boasts an all-star cast, including Hong Kong veterans Simon Yam and Sammo Hung, and rising action star Jacky Wu Jing.

Not a typical kung fu movie by any stretch, Yen directs a fantastic series of action sequences throughout the film. The first two acts of the film are without of any real fight scenes, but instead use gun fights and chase sequences. Still, by the end of the film, the final fights are well worth the wait. Exhibiting absolutely stunning choreography in his fights against Wu Jing and Sammo Hung, Yen demonstrates his multiple martial arts influences, drawing from non-traditional movie styles like Judo, Wrestling, and BJJ. Yen even admits on the DVD that a great deal of the choreography was inspired by the UFC.

Action aside, the film is a deep and engaging exploration of the themes of fatherhood and how the lives on both sides of the law affect it. From endearment and adoration to estrangement and indifference, SPL runs the gamut of father-child relationships. Like any good tragedy, the flaws of the human condition are explored and exposed for what they are. The film is absolutely amazing in this regard, full of strong symbolism and powerful performances by the cast. Really, the action is secondary to the merits of the film itself, an added bonus to an already gorgeous piece of cinema.

There are a hundred reasons to go track down this movie, and I can’t think of one why you shouldn’t. With great work in both the acting and the action, a moving story, and beautiful photography, SPL needs to be staple viewing material for any fight film fan. Even five years and stacks of other movies later, I can still say that this is one of the best in the genre and best in the industry. If you can find a copy of SPL at your local video store, it is absolutely imperative that you pick this up and give it a viewing.

Movie Review: Bodyguards and Assassins

Shi Yue Wei Cheng

“Bodyguards and Assassins”

Hong Kong, 2009

Genre: Historical

132 minutes

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1403130/

When the revolutionary Dr. Sun Yat Sen plans a return to Hong Kong, his supporters find themselves in the midst of a life-and-death struggle to protect the one man who can save China.

Unlike most martial arts films, “Bodyguards and Assassins” lacks a clear hero for the audience to identify with. The plot revolves around a group of Chinese revolutionaries working at a newspaper press, including the businessman owner and his son, the president of the press, the owner’s rickshaw driver, and a host of other colorful characters from around the city. It seems like this band of heroes is meant to symbolize the necessity of unity among all the social levels of Chinese culture, but as a film, it makes it difficult to follow a single storyline. There are numerous subplots revolving around a rickshaw driver’s love interest, a daughter seeking revenge for her father’s murder, a police officer’s strained relationship with his estranged wife, and, of course, the plans to escort and protect Dr. Sun from the government’s team of ninja assassins (no, seriously, Chinese ninjas).

Donnie Yen, the film’s big martial arts star, plays the aforementioned cop, who begins the film by working for the local government, doing odd jobs for money to spend on wine and gambling. His wife left him for the businessman with his daughter, but goes back to him and asks him to help protect Dr. Sun. He agrees after meeting his child for the first time, and lends a critical hand in protecting the escort through the streets of Hong Kong. He eventually is hunted down by one of the top assassins working for the government, played by MMA superstar Cung Le, the second most recognizable face in the movie. Their fight scene is the best in the film, and is probably the biggest draw for Americans looking for the movie.

To call this movie a “Kung Fu Film” would be a bit of a misnomer. Really, it’s more like a historical film that happens to use martial arts and wire-fu in the fight scenes. The fights are choreographed and shot well, complemented nicely by the orchestral rock music score. Unfortunately, due to the lack of a clear hero, there isn’t much of a final showdown with the big bad boss man, resulting in a somewhat anti-climactic ending. Even with the cast of lesser heroes, tragedy abounds through the film, removing any chance of catharsis that could have been used to relieve the audience’s tension. In the end, there isn’t really a personal resolution to the film. As a Chinese-American, I do feel a small swell of pride as Dr. Sun’s mission is accomplished, but it may be a little much to ask of people who don’t have the cultural connection to the historical events portrayed in the film. Still, if you’re just watching it for the “good parts,” it’s still a movie worth picking up.