Beast Stalker

Directed by: Dante Lam

Starring: Nicholas Tse, Jingchu Zhang, Nick Cheung

Synopsis:

Sergeant Tong (Tse), a no-nonsense, adrenaline-fuelled cop, manages to apprehend Cheung Yat-tung, a dangerous bank-robber, but at the cost of a young girl’s life – the daughter of Prosecutor Anne Gao who happened to be in the wrong place and the wrong time. Six months later, and Anne is about to act as prosecutor against Cheung, while Tong is still wracked by guilt over what had happened. When Cheung blackmails a ruthless criminal called Hung to kidnap Anne’s other daughter so he can blackmail her into wrecking the case, Tong covertly tries to help her get her daughter back.

Review:

Dante Lam continues his current run of good form (following the very entertaining Sniper) with The Beast Stalker, a taut police thriller in which a traumatised cop tries to find redemption in rescuing the second daughter of Prosecutor Anne.

Opening with a tense police raid which almost goes horribly wrong, we’re then off in a car chase as Tong and his partner stumble across Cheung’s car by accident then doggedly pursue them. Tong is the king of tenacious cop who lives to catch bad-guys and doesn’t bother to wait for back-up.

The climax of this chase is pretty horrific although at the time we don’t know the whole set of circumstances. At first we only see things from the perspective of Tong, whereas later on the scene is shown from Anne’s perspective which makes the whole scene even harder to take.

Beast Stalker is bolstered by some very good, well-shot action scenes. Dante Lam is one of a small group of directors who understand how to use “shaky-cam” properly. He puts you in the heart of the action and gives you a clear view of what is happening. One particular foot-chase looks like it was filmed “guerrilla style”, with bemused shoppers and pedestrians looking on.

Nicholas Tse is very good as Tong, a man who comes to realise that in his quest for justice he’s burned a lot of bridges. One particular scene has him having to eat humble pie and beg for help from someone he’d previously kicked off his team. However Tong also shows off his detective skills, illustrating why he’s considered such a hotshot in the first place.

Beast Stalker’s most enigmatic star is Nick Cheung, who puts in a multi-faceted performance as Hung. Hung is an ex-boxer who got involved in too many fights outside the ring, leaving him blinded in one eye. His wife is paralyzed and he needs expensive medicines to look after her. When we first meet Hung, he is getting rid of his previous kidnap victim, poisoning her food and dispassionately watching her die before chopping her up and putting her in bags. When he gets his hands on Anne’s daughter, the viewer is very definitely afraid for her safety! Although Hung shows a softer side in his dealings with the girl, his sole motivation is the well-being of his wife.

The film’s climax is designed purely to put the characters and the viewer through the emotional wringer, with the tragic events of the beginning of the film still floating in the air. It’s a little overwrought but ultimately satisfying.

Verdict:

Lots of drama, lots of action and a truly unfathomable villain makes Beast Stalker one of the best cop thrillers to come out of Hong Kong for a while.

8 out of 10 (MikeOutWest)