Johnny To's Vengeance

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

I was thinking about this film again at work today and decided I need to check it out again. Maybe a bit more style than substance in some scenes but it's a nice, dark, slick action/revenge thriller, the kind that To has proven himself good with. Interesting French/Chinese culture clash action going on throughout the movie. For reasons I can't really explain without seeing it again, it kinda reminded me of Old Boy in spots, just without the incest and octopus eating.

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

Saw this on the plane to Singapore eariler in the year, on our way to Malaysia for Chinese New Year, and it impressed the pants off me. So much so that I bought the BD a few months after we came home, from the UK naturally as the HK Blu was Region A-only coded for Asian and you lucky American (and Canadian!) folk! I think what prevents it from being a Johnnie To "masterpiece" per se, is that it does tend to fall awkwardly into cliche once Hallyday's memory begins its rapid decline. Other than that...awesome! And don't the gunfights kick ass in DTSMA?!

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

As bad as this might sound, I kind of expect there to be a certain amount of cliche wringing with my HK cinema these days. To dabbles in it a lot, but if you expect that going in it softens the blow.