|
Sha Po Lang, aka Killzone
Directed by: Wilson Yip Starring: Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Sammo Hung, Jacky Wu Synopsis: Detective Chan Kwok Chung (Simon Yam) is obsessed with bringing to justice local crime lord Wong Po (Sammo Hung). He is hit with a double whammy of bad news – his star witness is murdered on the way to testify, and he is diagnosed with a brain tumour with only a couple of years left to live. His superiors want him to retire, and bring in Inspector Ma Kwan (Donnie Yen) to take over his unit, after a month hand-over period. Chung uses that time to do everything in his power to bring down Wong Po, even if it means bending the law to do so.
Before I really get into this, I feel it’s necessary to mention the dreadful title. Sho Pa Lang, apparently translates as “Kill the crooked wolf”, which has some bearing on the story at hand. I have no idea why the Weinsteins thought it necessary to change the name of the movie for its Dragon Dynasty label, or even why they chose such a horrible, generic phrase as “KillZone”. For God’s sake, don’t these people actually watch the movie they’re trying to sell? “Killzone” suggests bargain basement “b” movie starring Lorenzo Lamas or Don Wilson, or Michael Dudikoff, not a top notch movie like this. Anyway... 
Whilst the Infernal Affairs trilogy helped revitalise the Hong Kong crime drama, it had been a long time since there was a decent martial arts movie to sing the praises of. Movie fans the world over were lamenting the passing of the Golden Age, where true martial artists did their stuff on the silver screen, instead of young popstars with some flexibility being flung about on wires. Sho Pa Lang generated a huge buzz when it started hitting the festival circuit, being praised as a return to form for HK cinema, for whom this used to be their bread and butter. By the time I got to see it, this movie had garnered quite a bit of expectation. This is definitely a return to form, but not just because of the fighting, but also because of the extremely compelling story. I should warn you now – there are only actually about 2 proper fight scenes in the movie and as good as they are, they do not get in the way of the excellent story. This movie is basically about one man’s obsession to bring down another. For Chung, it is personal – the witness was his friend, an undercover cop, and he has ended up adopting his daughter. As soon as he leaves hospital, he chases Wong down, threatening him with a golf club. For Wong, it’s just business. The acting is first rate. I’ve always been a fan of Donnie Yen’s fighting skills, but here his acting is just as strong as the rest of the cast. Sammo Hung brings a multi faceted character to life – not only is he a ruthless crimelord but also a caring family man who dearly loves his wife. Simon Yam is as excellent as always and never seems to grow any older, while newcomer Jacky Wu is amazing as the psychotic, knife wielding henchman, Jack. The two main scraps are outstanding. By the time Jacky Wu and Donnie Yen go at it, it’s already been established how bad-ass they both are, and the fight is as brutal as you’d expect. Sammo also gets to show that, even at 50, he is still the daddy.
There is a scene at the midpoint which doesn’t affect the plot, but shows off the whole production team’s skills, from the director to the composer. Chung has taken Ma out for a walk, trying to explain to him the status quo. They’re having a drink, watching about 50 of Wong’s teenage thugs. A bottle is thrown at a passing beat-cop, who tries in vain to assert some authority. Instead he finds himself surrounded by these cocky teens. However, when Chung and Ma intervene, the atmosphere on the street changes immediately. They totally make the kids back down, all shuffling and staring at their shoes...until Wong himself makes an appearance. It’s an excellent display of power and authority shifting from one group to the other. Verdict: Not only is this an excellent martial arts movie, it is a top notch crime thriller as well. 8 out of 10 (Review by MikeOutWest) NB – not currently available in UK, it is available on Region 1 (US) on the Dragon Dynasty label.
Back to Home Page
|
