B gai waak (1998)

Being a huge Shu Qi fan, when I got my DVD in the mail, I was very excited. I knew that she didn't really have a gigantic role in this film (only supporting actress), but that didn't matter. I immediately unwrapped the packaging, ripped open the case, and popped in the DVD.

I never really have a very high expectation of the quality of Hong Kong action movies. In general the plots are fairly weak, the acting is usually pretty good given the writing that they have to work with, the special effects and CGI are more hilarious than realistic, and the subtitles are just a pure riot. But that's sometimes exactly what you're looking for - just something to kick back with your friends, pop open your favorite brand of beer, watch someone kick the living crap out of someone, and laugh hard.

From the osnet of this movie, something was different. The opening scenes put me in a place that many a Jerry Bruckheimer / Don Simpson film has - on the edge of my seat, watching the good guys heroically get smoked and explosions going off in either large quantities, or quality. The plot is believable, especially given the terrorist attacks in the Japanese subways a few years back, 9/11, and Madrid - which is also a trademark of Bruckheimer (that being quasi-believable plots). The special effects were not something that reminded me of a Hong Kong film, it was more of a Holywood film. Even the musical score sounds like something pulled out of "The Rock." Midway through I was expecting to see Sean Connery come into a scene give his, "winners go home and F the prom queen" speech.

In fact this movie paralleled "The Rock" in many ways. Terrorists go and steal some pretty bad stuff and try to use that as leverage to get what they want. The lock themselves inside a pretty defendable place, place their motion sensors and make themselves home. The calvary of Special Operations Team comes in and heroically dies (this is one of the cooler scenes in the movie). Then it's up to the pair of guys who have been chasing them from the get go to save the day.

The acting is pretty good, in comparison to your average Bruckheimer film, and i was interested throughout the movie. If you're a fan of Bruckheimer, you'd like this movie quite well. The only movie from Bruckheimer that I'd ever rate over an 8 would be Pirates of the Caribbean, which is why I'd only give this a 6.5 / 10. If you love Shu Qi or like Bruckheimer, see this one.

If you are both, get this one.