When it comes to the idea of remaking foreign movies, most people on these shores tend to think of Hollywood studios remaking non-American movies. But in actual fact, sometimes it's foreign studios that remake Hollywood movies, and the Hong Kong movie "Connected" is a remake of the Hollywood movie "Cellular". I have seen the original "Cellular", and I remember it being okay. This foreign remake gets the same grade from me. Its strengths include there being a lot of exciting action and suspenseful moments, and also that there certainly aren't any boring sections. And the makers did not follow the original Hollywood movie down to the letter, giving this remake some fresh elements. However, the script does have some flaws, among them being that some twists are pretty predictable, and also the fact that the characters could have ended the conflict much earlier had they just used a little more intelligence. There are also some goofy comic relief touches that while may play well to an Asian audience, may seem strange and off-putting to western audiences. Also, while the movie never looks seriously cheap, it's obvious the budget was more limited than the Hollywood original, leading to some obvious corners being cut. So the movie is not a masterpiece... but it's also not bad. If you liked the original movie enough that the idea of seeing a foreign perspective of the same story sounds interesting, give this remake a look.
16 Reviews
Original was better, IMO, but the remake is not bad.
awdracer2 April 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Reading the reviews on here where they are bashing the original leads me to think there's some Asian biasness. I've seen both and I can honestly say that the original is better but that's not to say that the other film is "bad and stupid", unlike all the other reviewers' style of commentary.
Some reviews critique Chris Evans' character and compare and contrast with that of Louis Koo's character, which is totally fine but they also fail to illustrate the diverging choices made by two different directors in the two movies. They are not identical even if their story for the most part remains unchanged. Since there are far too many differences to list them all here, I have decided to narrow down some particulars.
Both Chris Evans and Louis Koo's characters face intense pressure in their respective movies. In the original, there is humour, there is danger and there is fun. Connected, on the other hand, is much more serious and I don't really remember a whole lot of humour in it. Both films do have their moments of adrenaline rushes which is what these movies should do.
There are some changes with regards to character. Louis Koo, unlike Chris Evans, is a father, with a son that he rarely gets to see, due to work. This movie also has a supporting character but she is actually blood-related to the main character, unlike the original "Cellular" movie.
While both movies have corrupt cops, the main character in "Cellular" does not actually meet the corrupt cop until the very end and even then he had good instincts to know who he was dealing with. Louis Koo's character on the other hand actually makes a near-fatal mistake in the washroom. The "Connected" director at the beginning of the movie questions the "plausibility" of some of the original film's scenes, yet he seems to be okay that the good guy is totally allowed to live after being surrounded by dirty cops in an enclosed washroom. Because that will truly happen in real life too - especially if you are holding evidence against them.
To me, it seems like the director of Connected has a bit of a hate-on for the original movie and wanted to one-up it, when in reality, they should be looked as if they are two different films with a similar type of script. If you like a fun flick with a decent story and a "feel good" movie, go with "Cellular". If you like a more serious story with character development, watch "Connected".
But to me, I think both movies deserve to be watched at least once.
Some reviews critique Chris Evans' character and compare and contrast with that of Louis Koo's character, which is totally fine but they also fail to illustrate the diverging choices made by two different directors in the two movies. They are not identical even if their story for the most part remains unchanged. Since there are far too many differences to list them all here, I have decided to narrow down some particulars.
Both Chris Evans and Louis Koo's characters face intense pressure in their respective movies. In the original, there is humour, there is danger and there is fun. Connected, on the other hand, is much more serious and I don't really remember a whole lot of humour in it. Both films do have their moments of adrenaline rushes which is what these movies should do.
There are some changes with regards to character. Louis Koo, unlike Chris Evans, is a father, with a son that he rarely gets to see, due to work. This movie also has a supporting character but she is actually blood-related to the main character, unlike the original "Cellular" movie.
While both movies have corrupt cops, the main character in "Cellular" does not actually meet the corrupt cop until the very end and even then he had good instincts to know who he was dealing with. Louis Koo's character on the other hand actually makes a near-fatal mistake in the washroom. The "Connected" director at the beginning of the movie questions the "plausibility" of some of the original film's scenes, yet he seems to be okay that the good guy is totally allowed to live after being surrounded by dirty cops in an enclosed washroom. Because that will truly happen in real life too - especially if you are holding evidence against them.
To me, it seems like the director of Connected has a bit of a hate-on for the original movie and wanted to one-up it, when in reality, they should be looked as if they are two different films with a similar type of script. If you like a fun flick with a decent story and a "feel good" movie, go with "Cellular". If you like a more serious story with character development, watch "Connected".
But to me, I think both movies deserve to be watched at least once.
Connection lost.
morrison-dylan-fan18 February 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Reading some old issues of UK film mag Empire,I read Kim Newman's regular straight to video reviews page, and noticed him highlight an overlooked Hong Kong remake of the US film Cellular (2004), a remake that Newman called far better in new plot twists and directing style than the original. Gathering up titles to watch for ICM's Hong Kong viewing challenge,I decided to make the call.
View on the film:
Dressed unassumingly and looking at the ground like an office worker drone, Louis Koo gives a pitch-perfect run as Bob, whose anxiety over having to step out of line is played upon by Koo as the realisation sinks into Bob that he is the only one who can save Grace and her family. Held captive by snarling henchmen, Barbie Hsu dials up the urgency in her great performance as Grace. Spending most of the film not seeing Bob, Hsu brings out in her voice/the phone calls the fears she has for her life, and an empathetic quality over Bob risking his life.
Spending two years extensively re-working Chris Morgan's (who'd go on to Fast and the Furious 3- the latest) debut script, the adaptation by co-writer/(with Alan Yuen and Xu Bing) director Benny Chan takes Morgan's "High-Concept" and brilliantly holds it together with more grounded elements, via the real-time set-up giving Bob's drive to find Grace a lean atmosphere, along with the limitations of time limiting Bob in picking up skills, instead having to go with the flow. Driving straight into action, Chan and cinematographer Anthony Pun super-charge a nail-biting Thriller atmosphere, as a clipped use of hand-held shakes up the urgency Bob is under, and slick tracking shots superbly criss-cross as Bob and the main baddie get nearer to each other. Unbuckling the tension in the car to the outdoors, Chan rolls out thrilling action set-pieces, which keep in gear rough and ready hand to hand combat fights with gloriously explosive car chases running on Bob staying connected.
View on the film:
Dressed unassumingly and looking at the ground like an office worker drone, Louis Koo gives a pitch-perfect run as Bob, whose anxiety over having to step out of line is played upon by Koo as the realisation sinks into Bob that he is the only one who can save Grace and her family. Held captive by snarling henchmen, Barbie Hsu dials up the urgency in her great performance as Grace. Spending most of the film not seeing Bob, Hsu brings out in her voice/the phone calls the fears she has for her life, and an empathetic quality over Bob risking his life.
Spending two years extensively re-working Chris Morgan's (who'd go on to Fast and the Furious 3- the latest) debut script, the adaptation by co-writer/(with Alan Yuen and Xu Bing) director Benny Chan takes Morgan's "High-Concept" and brilliantly holds it together with more grounded elements, via the real-time set-up giving Bob's drive to find Grace a lean atmosphere, along with the limitations of time limiting Bob in picking up skills, instead having to go with the flow. Driving straight into action, Chan and cinematographer Anthony Pun super-charge a nail-biting Thriller atmosphere, as a clipped use of hand-held shakes up the urgency Bob is under, and slick tracking shots superbly criss-cross as Bob and the main baddie get nearer to each other. Unbuckling the tension in the car to the outdoors, Chan rolls out thrilling action set-pieces, which keep in gear rough and ready hand to hand combat fights with gloriously explosive car chases running on Bob staying connected.
Connected DVD review
helmutty10 December 2008
I have seen both the original and remake. It is based on Cellular. Cellular is intense and has lots of suspense. After a few years, it is remade by Chinese action director Benny Chan. His recent work, Invisible Target is quite good. Benny Chan cannot fail with fast-paced action mixed with martial arts. Connected is almost like the original, it is intense and has lots of suspense with some twists. Though, the remake is almost like the original, it is not boring. Its suspense is different from the original. I treat the original and remake differently. Both of them are of the same score.
Te story: A debt collector receives a call from a woman who is kidnapped by an unknown gang. He thinks it is a joke but soon, he realises that it is not a prank. He hands the phone over to a cop. By then, no one answers and the cop asks him to go to a police station nearby. He rushes off and try to save her and her daughter. The question is whether he can break his promise to his son and save the woman he does not know. From there, there are chaos and intense action exploding into your way. It is another of Benny Chan's good work.
Overall: If you are a fan of Benny Chan, this should not be missed. It also should not be missed for action and suspense fans. We can expect there will be more Asian remakes of Hollywood version.
DVD: I would like to get hold of the 2-disc special edition (Hong Kong version). Singapore only gets the 1 disc edition. There are English and Chinese subtitles.
Te story: A debt collector receives a call from a woman who is kidnapped by an unknown gang. He thinks it is a joke but soon, he realises that it is not a prank. He hands the phone over to a cop. By then, no one answers and the cop asks him to go to a police station nearby. He rushes off and try to save her and her daughter. The question is whether he can break his promise to his son and save the woman he does not know. From there, there are chaos and intense action exploding into your way. It is another of Benny Chan's good work.
Overall: If you are a fan of Benny Chan, this should not be missed. It also should not be missed for action and suspense fans. We can expect there will be more Asian remakes of Hollywood version.
DVD: I would like to get hold of the 2-disc special edition (Hong Kong version). Singapore only gets the 1 disc edition. There are English and Chinese subtitles.
Enjoyable action film
AJ_McAninch4 August 2019
The movie often strains credulity even for a formula action film, especially during the early protracted, wacky car chase. And the continuity editor often dropped the ball. Still, the actors are well cast and work hard; the plot is often gripping, and the ending is satisfying. It's a good Sunday afternoon popcorn ride from the sofa.
Superior remake
Leofwine_draca3 February 2019
Warning: Spoilers
We expect Hollywood to go around remaking Asian thrillers all over the place, but occasionally Asia surprises us by remaking a Hollywood movie. Such is the case with CONNECTED, a remake of the Kim Basinger movie CELLULAR. Now, CELLULAR wasn't a very interesting film at all, but the good news is that in the hands of NEW POLICE STORY's Benny Chan, CONNECTED is much more enjoyable.
The film stars a mildly geeky Louis Koo as a commuter who answers a ringing phone and gets into a kidnap plot involving a young woman, her daughter, and a gang of sinister thugs. There are the requisite twists in story and plenty of Hong Kong style-action added to the mix, including a hilarious over-the-top car chase and even a bit of martial arts. Nick Cheung shows up in support too. It's a bit overlong, but otherwise fairly difficult to fault. Expect dastardly villains, lots of bombast and melodrama, and a cracking good time.
The film stars a mildly geeky Louis Koo as a commuter who answers a ringing phone and gets into a kidnap plot involving a young woman, her daughter, and a gang of sinister thugs. There are the requisite twists in story and plenty of Hong Kong style-action added to the mix, including a hilarious over-the-top car chase and even a bit of martial arts. Nick Cheung shows up in support too. It's a bit overlong, but otherwise fairly difficult to fault. Expect dastardly villains, lots of bombast and melodrama, and a cracking good time.
If you have seen "Cellular" this is significantly better
EvanKevelson6 January 2020
More suspenseful
Better Casting in terms of the victim & the underdog savior
Like many Korean films I've noticed a tendency to drag out a bit
For a suspenseful action film I normally give a good one an 8 I'd give cellular a 6.
Great movie
mchgothmog22 November 2019
I never watched the original but connected is an amazing thriller it had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end the acting is great and the ending is perfect Chinese cinema is way better than Hollywood
Highly recommended
Highly recommended
Good Remake
gpxdlr24 August 2019
Benny did a good job. The 'hero' did his role as a regular working guy who got THAT phone call. The guns should have ran out of ammo at the airport shoot-out many times but no one reloaded. The Interpol leader was not good though, overacting his meanness to silliness to ridiculous. In CELLULAR, I like Jason S. better as the lead bad guy and, of course, Macy stood out in his role.
A Nutshell Review: Connected
DICK STEEL1 October 2008
When we hear of remakes, we lament Hollywood raiding Asian content, repackaging and most of the time dumbing them down for mass consumption, often to dismal results. Some get A-list cast and crew attached, while others put whoever's the flavour of the moment to attempt to be the next scream or drama queen. With Benny Chan's remake of Hollywood's Cellular, I guess the remake street cuts both ways now, and while I had enjoyed the original with Chris Evans running around like a headless chicken, I embrace this version with Louis Koo in the leading role wholeheartedly as well.
As with any self-respected remake, you take key premise and scenes and mirror them somewhat accurately, stamping your unique mark on them and providing some creative spin. But what Benny Chan did in addition to that, was to throw in lots of space, so much so that it doesn't get confined to just a particular location, but uses a wide berth which is Hong Kong, from the highlands to the airport, as the playground of choice. While it runs longer than the original, you'd suspect that it either has repetitive scenes, or moments of monotony which would drag it out, since the original was quite compact with wall-to-wall action. Connected has none of that, and still maintains enough moments of thrills and spills, even for those who had watched the original and likely to guess the twists and turns.
For the uninitiated, Barbie Hsu plays Grace Wong, an engineering genius, worked into the plot such that it would be reasonable for someone of her calibre to craft a makeshift phone from spare parts. Compared to the more elderly version of the damsel-in-distress played by Kim Basinger, Hsu brings forth a more energetic interpretation, not to mention a younger one too as it provides some background rooting for a hint at possible romance, since she's a single mom, and Louis Koo's single dad character, despite them spending the bulk of their screen time apart from one another. Koo plays Bob, a debt collector whose relationship with his young son is on the brink of disaster given his string of broken promises, but gets a call out of the blue requesting for urgent help.
While Chris Evans may have started off his character quite cock-sure of himself, Koo's Bob here is pretty much mild mannered and timid, until such unusual circumstances bring out the tiger in him when he begins to find some courage to assert himself, in the face of irritants like a salesman from hell, and a loud mouthed convertible driver. There are little nuances put into Bob that credit has to go to Louis Koo for making it more three-dimensional, in having a guy rely on extraordinary luck to see him through challenge after challenge, of being quite clueless and one step behind for the most parts, not to mention a moments of internal tussle he suffers to decide whether to risk it all for the strange caller, or to ignore the desperate plea for help in order to save his own relationship with his son.
Apple for apple comparison, the remake counterparts held their own in contribution to the movie. While we don't have a Jason Statham as the no-nonsense baddie henchman, we do get a more charismatic Liu Ye as the chief villain, and in spite of hiding his face behind shades most of the time, he does send enough fear to the opposition, and makes quite a fine villain, although not particularly a memorable one. There are enough material here to have three concurrent narrative points of view running along, with that of the captive, the seeker, and the meddler, where NicK cheung's off duty cop PC2004 (a moniker for the year the original Cellular was released) had more to chew on, compared to his Hollywood counterpart.
The action scenes here were a little throwback to the 80s Hong Kong cop shows where heroes and villains get to duke it out in old school fashion in the final act, without police intervention until the show's literally over, but there were a couple of stunts that raised a few eyebrows. An indestructible Nissan March tearing through the streets of Hong Kong might seem a scene from Mr Nice Guy where a truck full of Pepsi got ripped through, but one of my personal favourite sequence, though short, was a full follow through of the characters right into an unexpected glass panel.
If you've not seen the original, then you might just want to start with the remake instead. It surpasses in its intensity, frustration, and the leads, while almost never sharing the same scene together, individually made themselves very believable as the damsel-in-distress, and the knight in shining armour. Benny Chan adds a whole lot of fresh air to his filmography with this effort, even if it's from remake territory and adopting the same way to close the credits, but does an excellent job out of it.
As with any self-respected remake, you take key premise and scenes and mirror them somewhat accurately, stamping your unique mark on them and providing some creative spin. But what Benny Chan did in addition to that, was to throw in lots of space, so much so that it doesn't get confined to just a particular location, but uses a wide berth which is Hong Kong, from the highlands to the airport, as the playground of choice. While it runs longer than the original, you'd suspect that it either has repetitive scenes, or moments of monotony which would drag it out, since the original was quite compact with wall-to-wall action. Connected has none of that, and still maintains enough moments of thrills and spills, even for those who had watched the original and likely to guess the twists and turns.
For the uninitiated, Barbie Hsu plays Grace Wong, an engineering genius, worked into the plot such that it would be reasonable for someone of her calibre to craft a makeshift phone from spare parts. Compared to the more elderly version of the damsel-in-distress played by Kim Basinger, Hsu brings forth a more energetic interpretation, not to mention a younger one too as it provides some background rooting for a hint at possible romance, since she's a single mom, and Louis Koo's single dad character, despite them spending the bulk of their screen time apart from one another. Koo plays Bob, a debt collector whose relationship with his young son is on the brink of disaster given his string of broken promises, but gets a call out of the blue requesting for urgent help.
While Chris Evans may have started off his character quite cock-sure of himself, Koo's Bob here is pretty much mild mannered and timid, until such unusual circumstances bring out the tiger in him when he begins to find some courage to assert himself, in the face of irritants like a salesman from hell, and a loud mouthed convertible driver. There are little nuances put into Bob that credit has to go to Louis Koo for making it more three-dimensional, in having a guy rely on extraordinary luck to see him through challenge after challenge, of being quite clueless and one step behind for the most parts, not to mention a moments of internal tussle he suffers to decide whether to risk it all for the strange caller, or to ignore the desperate plea for help in order to save his own relationship with his son.
Apple for apple comparison, the remake counterparts held their own in contribution to the movie. While we don't have a Jason Statham as the no-nonsense baddie henchman, we do get a more charismatic Liu Ye as the chief villain, and in spite of hiding his face behind shades most of the time, he does send enough fear to the opposition, and makes quite a fine villain, although not particularly a memorable one. There are enough material here to have three concurrent narrative points of view running along, with that of the captive, the seeker, and the meddler, where NicK cheung's off duty cop PC2004 (a moniker for the year the original Cellular was released) had more to chew on, compared to his Hollywood counterpart.
The action scenes here were a little throwback to the 80s Hong Kong cop shows where heroes and villains get to duke it out in old school fashion in the final act, without police intervention until the show's literally over, but there were a couple of stunts that raised a few eyebrows. An indestructible Nissan March tearing through the streets of Hong Kong might seem a scene from Mr Nice Guy where a truck full of Pepsi got ripped through, but one of my personal favourite sequence, though short, was a full follow through of the characters right into an unexpected glass panel.
If you've not seen the original, then you might just want to start with the remake instead. It surpasses in its intensity, frustration, and the leads, while almost never sharing the same scene together, individually made themselves very believable as the damsel-in-distress, and the knight in shining armour. Benny Chan adds a whole lot of fresh air to his filmography with this effort, even if it's from remake territory and adopting the same way to close the credits, but does an excellent job out of it.
Perfect thriller..!!
kamalbeeee24 August 2020
A guy got call from unknown number and women who was kidnapped from other state cops...then that guy tries to rescue her..
Its a great thriller from starting of the movie...and some scenes protogonist express his humour sense too...
Defintely its a rewatchable movie..!!!
One phone call action
timothyhilditch28 December 2021
A Hong Kong film. A guy is driving to the airport to meet his son, when he receives a phone call from a woman claiming she has been kidnapped and not to hang up. The guy finds himself knotted into a live crime and becoming more and more entwined speeding around Hong Kong trying to save the woman in his tie. Great action and keeps trying to get over the top like a Jackie Chan movie. Crazy action my kind of fun. Forcing this office man to break the law to get stuff done. Hilarious.
A good remake from Hollywood to HongKong
abubin27 September 2009
I do not usually watch HK movies due to it being filled with low quality commercial craps banking on famous celebrities.
However, I was interested in this movie after seeing Barbie Hsu getting a nomination as Best Actress in HK film awards and knowing that it is based on Hollywood version "Cellular". I knew, I have to watch it.
To my expectation, this movie did not disappoint. The directing and acting is pretty solid and Barbie Hsu does deserve the nomination. This one have more action than Cellular and to those who can relate to the HK culture of this movie will find this better than Cellular. There are movie subplots in this one than in Cellular which adds up a little more plot holes (or rather cheesy parts) but for the better.
I also like the fact that the director decided to go with multilingual where some of the actors are allowed to speak their native tongue of Mandarin as to doing voice-over of Cantonese. It made the whole movie much more believable and watchable. The only part I really dislike is the voice-over for Louis Koo which was badly done and clearly is not his voice.
Overall, this is one of the better movie I have watched from HongKong for a long long time. I cannot remember watching any action movie as good as this that does not sacrifice good acting and storyline.
However, I was interested in this movie after seeing Barbie Hsu getting a nomination as Best Actress in HK film awards and knowing that it is based on Hollywood version "Cellular". I knew, I have to watch it.
To my expectation, this movie did not disappoint. The directing and acting is pretty solid and Barbie Hsu does deserve the nomination. This one have more action than Cellular and to those who can relate to the HK culture of this movie will find this better than Cellular. There are movie subplots in this one than in Cellular which adds up a little more plot holes (or rather cheesy parts) but for the better.
I also like the fact that the director decided to go with multilingual where some of the actors are allowed to speak their native tongue of Mandarin as to doing voice-over of Cantonese. It made the whole movie much more believable and watchable. The only part I really dislike is the voice-over for Louis Koo which was badly done and clearly is not his voice.
Overall, this is one of the better movie I have watched from HongKong for a long long time. I cannot remember watching any action movie as good as this that does not sacrifice good acting and storyline.
HK Neo Reviews: Connected
webmaster-301711 December 2008
Tagline: 2008 HK Cinema finally delivers
Review by Neo: Having not review a single movie for almost half a year, it is also about time that 2008 Hong Kong cinema, finally come up with something worthy of my time. Perhaps it all came at the right timing, with the end of my 1st CA exam out of the way, it is time for a little break. Watching Connected is like a rare occasion where one can truly enjoy themselves, involve into it and somehow ending up liking it as well. Let's ignore the fact that this flick is a direct carbon copy of a rare moment of creative script writing from Hollywood (Cellular, starring Jason Stratham). Perhaps, adding to the reason why the current reviewer enjoyed this flick more than he should, must be attributed to the fact that he never seen the original. Still, Connected works extremely well as a stand alone film and if Hong Kong is running out of ideas, which is certainly the case, 98% of the time, a welcome legal copying is not entirely a bad move.
It goes without question that the film contains frequent product placement, but seriously, who cares, this is a piece of commerical film-making. I would be worried when a Benny Chan film comes with no Pepsi cans, no Tissot watches and Motorola phones. That would probably mean nobody watches HK films anymore. Take any James Bond movie and the amount of product placement by far exceed any commercial HK films. As long as it is not over done like 2007's Brothers, it is nothing more than a minor distraction. Not with holding, Connected is a well-produced, stylishly and commerically directed, capitalising on a creative piece of script writing and doing what 90% of Hong Kong movies can't do, by ending with film with an attachment with the audience.
There is absolutely no reason to be negative about Connected, but then again, I might be the only one that actually liked it from start to finish. There is something about this film that kept be glued to the 40 inches Samsung LCD TV and the amazingly cosy sofa. Maybe, it is Liu Ye, cartoonish menacing performance, the sympathy gained with the constantly crying cute-eyed angel (Barbie Hsu) or perhaps the now acquired taste of Louis Koo's immensely likable over-acting (last scene in the excellent family/triad drama, Run Papa Run). Not to forget, the reinvented Nick Cheung, who has now become more than a handful of an actor, whenever he departs from chatting up Wong Jing. So what's wrong with Connected, well the answer, is that there is nothing wrong, and it is probably as good as it gets, after adding some weight to the current state of HK cinema.
It is strange that the first and last movie, I reviewed are both associated with the Dark Chocolate, but one must admit that his over the top style of acting is of acquired taste. While it was used to emotional and humorous effect in Run Papa Run, here, it is more like allowing the audience to relate to him and the feeling of an accidental hero. There are times, when he breezes through the streets like a maniac crashing cars, people, buildings, concrete, stones and mountains along the way, but it is those little moments that all adds up to why the audience will end up relating to the man, Louis Koo.
Now, it is time to move on to Taiwanese actress, Barbie Hsu or otherwise known as F4's squeezing teddy bear. It is without doubt that Neo always have a soft spot for cute looking chicks and luckily Barbie provided this and while, she doesn't entirely convince in opening stages. Luckily she manages to improve and settle into her role and eased into a fitting display by the time the credits is rolling. Next up is a glorified cameo from part time Wong Jing's best buddy and part time serious Johnnie To addict in Nick Cheung. Neo knows that Cheung has talent and it is no surprise that he somehow manages to steal his limited screen time, and managed to do more than given within the script. While not award winning, but certainly better than adequate. This leads to the best actor in terms of awards and acclamation in Liu Ye. Liu is a character actor and while he may seem wasted as a cartoonly villainous son of a bitch. Liu manages to outshine most of his co-stars, but somehow still ending up the most lacking. At the end, Liu Ye is a great talent, but sometimes, one must wonder whether this lad would be better suited in period dramas.
All in all, Connected deserved its relatively successful box office run of HK$13 million. While many may be inclined to give Benny Chan the credit for creating such an entertaining piece of action/thriller, due to its carbon copying style or perhaps the over-drought of product placement. It is obvious that Connected is the kind of movie where you either believe in storyline and go with the flow and endure through the extreme and the predictability or quite simply just diss it as a stupid movie and end up just having half the fun. Honestly, I had a lot of fun watching this flick and the good thing is that I somehow got involved by it and somewhat emotionally embraced it by the time the credits appear with all those Motorola phones. Love it or hate it, or quite simply just call it stupid, Neo thought the idea and premises is smart and the result is a very satisfying movie experience (Neo 2008)
I rate it 9/10
It goes without question that the film contains frequent product placement, but seriously, who cares, this is a piece of commerical film-making. I would be worried when a Benny Chan film comes with no Pepsi cans, no Tissot watches and Motorola phones. That would probably mean nobody watches HK films anymore. Take any James Bond movie and the amount of product placement by far exceed any commercial HK films. As long as it is not over done like 2007's Brothers, it is nothing more than a minor distraction. Not with holding, Connected is a well-produced, stylishly and commerically directed, capitalising on a creative piece of script writing and doing what 90% of Hong Kong movies can't do, by ending with film with an attachment with the audience.
There is absolutely no reason to be negative about Connected, but then again, I might be the only one that actually liked it from start to finish. There is something about this film that kept be glued to the 40 inches Samsung LCD TV and the amazingly cosy sofa. Maybe, it is Liu Ye, cartoonish menacing performance, the sympathy gained with the constantly crying cute-eyed angel (Barbie Hsu) or perhaps the now acquired taste of Louis Koo's immensely likable over-acting (last scene in the excellent family/triad drama, Run Papa Run). Not to forget, the reinvented Nick Cheung, who has now become more than a handful of an actor, whenever he departs from chatting up Wong Jing. So what's wrong with Connected, well the answer, is that there is nothing wrong, and it is probably as good as it gets, after adding some weight to the current state of HK cinema.
It is strange that the first and last movie, I reviewed are both associated with the Dark Chocolate, but one must admit that his over the top style of acting is of acquired taste. While it was used to emotional and humorous effect in Run Papa Run, here, it is more like allowing the audience to relate to him and the feeling of an accidental hero. There are times, when he breezes through the streets like a maniac crashing cars, people, buildings, concrete, stones and mountains along the way, but it is those little moments that all adds up to why the audience will end up relating to the man, Louis Koo.
Now, it is time to move on to Taiwanese actress, Barbie Hsu or otherwise known as F4's squeezing teddy bear. It is without doubt that Neo always have a soft spot for cute looking chicks and luckily Barbie provided this and while, she doesn't entirely convince in opening stages. Luckily she manages to improve and settle into her role and eased into a fitting display by the time the credits is rolling. Next up is a glorified cameo from part time Wong Jing's best buddy and part time serious Johnnie To addict in Nick Cheung. Neo knows that Cheung has talent and it is no surprise that he somehow manages to steal his limited screen time, and managed to do more than given within the script. While not award winning, but certainly better than adequate. This leads to the best actor in terms of awards and acclamation in Liu Ye. Liu is a character actor and while he may seem wasted as a cartoonly villainous son of a bitch. Liu manages to outshine most of his co-stars, but somehow still ending up the most lacking. At the end, Liu Ye is a great talent, but sometimes, one must wonder whether this lad would be better suited in period dramas.
All in all, Connected deserved its relatively successful box office run of HK$13 million. While many may be inclined to give Benny Chan the credit for creating such an entertaining piece of action/thriller, due to its carbon copying style or perhaps the over-drought of product placement. It is obvious that Connected is the kind of movie where you either believe in storyline and go with the flow and endure through the extreme and the predictability or quite simply just diss it as a stupid movie and end up just having half the fun. Honestly, I had a lot of fun watching this flick and the good thing is that I somehow got involved by it and somewhat emotionally embraced it by the time the credits appear with all those Motorola phones. Love it or hate it, or quite simply just call it stupid, Neo thought the idea and premises is smart and the result is a very satisfying movie experience (Neo 2008)
I rate it 9/10
- www.thehkneo.com
The action equivilent of "Cellular"
jordondave-280857 February 2023
(2008) Connected
(In Chinese with English subtitles)
ACTION THRILLER
Co-written and directed by Benny Chan with Bob (Louis Koo) stumbling onto a call he at first thinks may be a crank call as the lady is trying to tell him she's been kidnapped.
An acknowledged remake co-written and directed by Benny Chan of the "2004 Cellular" with the only difference is that this version consists to have some heart pounding and innovative action sequences. The other difference is that this one cuts to the chase, whereas on the original it takes its a specific amount of time before the suspense kicks in! The film does not dumb down action situations, such as what a person has to do to get get away from a guy trying to run you over with a forklift! I only wish there were more action sequences.
And I just want to counteract what one or two users comment about ppl who use guns running out of ammo, which I do not recall that their have to be "golden rule" regarding a gun running out of ammo, when the same manner if a guy were to take that many hits and blows to the head and still able to be beat up many guys after 10 times heavier. In the movie "Cellular" the movie focuses more on suspense than it did on action with the Statham character being the main baddie.
Co-written and directed by Benny Chan with Bob (Louis Koo) stumbling onto a call he at first thinks may be a crank call as the lady is trying to tell him she's been kidnapped.
An acknowledged remake co-written and directed by Benny Chan of the "2004 Cellular" with the only difference is that this version consists to have some heart pounding and innovative action sequences. The other difference is that this one cuts to the chase, whereas on the original it takes its a specific amount of time before the suspense kicks in! The film does not dumb down action situations, such as what a person has to do to get get away from a guy trying to run you over with a forklift! I only wish there were more action sequences.
And I just want to counteract what one or two users comment about ppl who use guns running out of ammo, which I do not recall that their have to be "golden rule" regarding a gun running out of ammo, when the same manner if a guy were to take that many hits and blows to the head and still able to be beat up many guys after 10 times heavier. In the movie "Cellular" the movie focuses more on suspense than it did on action with the Statham character being the main baddie.
Not a fan of remakes....and in some cases, the original.
dontspamme-1131 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I don't like remakes, whether they are American remakes of "Asian" films or the other way around. It's even worse when the original film itself was a dismal piece of cinema to begin with, and this seems to be the case here.
Louis Koo plays a man who receives a random phone call on his cellphone from a woman (played by Barbie Hsu) claiming to have been kidnapped. He has to decide whether to try and help her or to ignore her and rush to the airport in time to say goodbye to his son, who is immigrating to another country with a relative. Apparently (and quite predictably), he has broken many promises to his son in the past, and if he does not fulfill this particular promise, the damage to their relationship may be irreparable. Predictably (again), he chooses the most implausible option, and begins a crime spree that involves reckless driving, vandalism, robberies, and more, in order to try and save the woman on the phone.
Sounds familiar? That's because this film is a remake of "Cellular", which I have not yet seen. But after seeing this remake, I don't think I want to see "Cellular", because the reason it sounds familiar to -me- is because it is ultimately very formulaic. At every "twist" in the film, the character will not choose the most sensible option because it threatens to endanger the people he is trying to save. In fact, you know in advance that the character will choose the most unlikely and implausible option, which often endangers not only himself but random strangers (for example, driving dangerously in busy traffic and causing multiple collisions), in order to stretch a paper-thin plot into a "film." Even the ending itself was foreseeable almost from the very beginning (guess where the final "showdown" will take place? Hmmm....).
Ye Liu's exaggerated performance as the villainous "Senior Inspector Fok" was particularly agitating to watch. Nick Cheung does his best to try and keep a straight face in what should really be a comedy rather than a thriller. Barbie Hsu is given no room to do anything except fulfill the stereotypical role of a hysterical woman who has just been kidnapped, even if she's basically MacGuyver and can build working telephones from smashed parts. Would Richard Dean Anderson just cry hysterically for the rest of the film after building a phone? No, he would have turned wooden planks and metal cans into a nail gun. That would have gave this film a pulse.
Louis Koo plays a man who receives a random phone call on his cellphone from a woman (played by Barbie Hsu) claiming to have been kidnapped. He has to decide whether to try and help her or to ignore her and rush to the airport in time to say goodbye to his son, who is immigrating to another country with a relative. Apparently (and quite predictably), he has broken many promises to his son in the past, and if he does not fulfill this particular promise, the damage to their relationship may be irreparable. Predictably (again), he chooses the most implausible option, and begins a crime spree that involves reckless driving, vandalism, robberies, and more, in order to try and save the woman on the phone.
Sounds familiar? That's because this film is a remake of "Cellular", which I have not yet seen. But after seeing this remake, I don't think I want to see "Cellular", because the reason it sounds familiar to -me- is because it is ultimately very formulaic. At every "twist" in the film, the character will not choose the most sensible option because it threatens to endanger the people he is trying to save. In fact, you know in advance that the character will choose the most unlikely and implausible option, which often endangers not only himself but random strangers (for example, driving dangerously in busy traffic and causing multiple collisions), in order to stretch a paper-thin plot into a "film." Even the ending itself was foreseeable almost from the very beginning (guess where the final "showdown" will take place? Hmmm....).
Ye Liu's exaggerated performance as the villainous "Senior Inspector Fok" was particularly agitating to watch. Nick Cheung does his best to try and keep a straight face in what should really be a comedy rather than a thriller. Barbie Hsu is given no room to do anything except fulfill the stereotypical role of a hysterical woman who has just been kidnapped, even if she's basically MacGuyver and can build working telephones from smashed parts. Would Richard Dean Anderson just cry hysterically for the rest of the film after building a phone? No, he would have turned wooden planks and metal cans into a nail gun. That would have gave this film a pulse.
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