Despite greatly enjoying his performance in Yimou Zhang's 2002 film Hero, (one of my most memorable cinema visits) I for some reason have never got round to seeing Jet Li's Hong Kong action flicks. In a local DVD shop,I saw two Li DVDs at a good price,which led to me contacting the hitman.
View on the film:
Doing his own dubbing for the first time in his last Hong Kong flick,Jet Li gives a very good performance as Fu (!),with Li holding the impression that Fu is always one step ahead. Whilst not making them a buddy duo, Li and Eric Tsang's lively performance as Ngok Lo catches the empathy they both share,and makes their partnership one that flows with ease. Offered up high-quality stunt work from Li and the team, director Wei Tung & cinematographer Arthur Wong chop it away for poor artistic ambition.
Sticking a big poster of Three Colours: Blue on the screen a number of times, Tung and Wong give the long scenes of Fu and Ngok making attack plans a crisp,glowing appearance which undermines the grit that could be on show in the tale. Closely working with editor Ka-Fai Cheung, Tung presents the action scenes horribly, via the constant use of speeding up footage and jump-cuts that don't let the viewer to follow the battles or give the fights breathing space (you don't need 80 jump-cuts to show Li throwing a simple punch.) Kicking off with an enticing assassination, the writers kick the action and danger aside to instead focus on the timid buddy team-up,which makes this a failed hit.
View on the film:
Doing his own dubbing for the first time in his last Hong Kong flick,Jet Li gives a very good performance as Fu (!),with Li holding the impression that Fu is always one step ahead. Whilst not making them a buddy duo, Li and Eric Tsang's lively performance as Ngok Lo catches the empathy they both share,and makes their partnership one that flows with ease. Offered up high-quality stunt work from Li and the team, director Wei Tung & cinematographer Arthur Wong chop it away for poor artistic ambition.
Sticking a big poster of Three Colours: Blue on the screen a number of times, Tung and Wong give the long scenes of Fu and Ngok making attack plans a crisp,glowing appearance which undermines the grit that could be on show in the tale. Closely working with editor Ka-Fai Cheung, Tung presents the action scenes horribly, via the constant use of speeding up footage and jump-cuts that don't let the viewer to follow the battles or give the fights breathing space (you don't need 80 jump-cuts to show Li throwing a simple punch.) Kicking off with an enticing assassination, the writers kick the action and danger aside to instead focus on the timid buddy team-up,which makes this a failed hit.