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BEAST
COPS
AKA:
N/A
Year:
1998 Reviewer: Phil
Mills
Hong
Kong has deteriorated into a sorry state, gangsters rule the
streets and clubs with the cops powerless to put a stop to the
blatant disregard for the law. Tung (Anthony Wong) is a
policeman who has grown up in the company of Triads and
interlocks between the two sides to please his own needs.
When he is assigned a new boss, Mike (Michael Wong), it looks
like little will change until Mike becomes involved with one
of the Big Brother's girlfriends. Torn between the right
thing to do and keeping the peace, Tung must finally face up
to performing the job he is paid for before all hell breaks
loose.
Those
looking for an action film from 'Beast Cops' should really
look elsewhere. Despite its gritty police thriller look,
this film is more about the people involved in the story than
the physical altercations along the way. It sets out to
show the thin line between the law and the criminal lifestyle
as each have become interwoven with Policemen sitting side by
side with Triad bosses with little respect between the two.
Anthony
Wong is always a solid actor and here he takes the starring
role as a cop caught between the two sides, unsure as to where
his loyalties lie. He has a lust for the ladies with
money as his one true driving force but the good thing about
him is that he does come across as an 'everyday' type man with
whom most people can relate. Michael Wong, despite his
strong build and introduction as a cop on the edge, has little
action to partake in and sadly his acting is as wooden as
ever. His character has very little depth (but whether
this is due to his poor dialogue delivery or the script is
unknown) and comes across as slightly unbelievable with no
ambition or set of morals in his life. Sam Lee
rounds off the trio as the comic relief and only pops up to
lighten the mood at certain intervals.
The
film is really split into two halves with the first being shot
like a documentary (with characters speaking into the camera
etc.) and the second taking a sharp turn into a blood crazed
finale. Apparently this is mostly due to the inclusion
of two directors to create this production. Gordon Chan,
best known for films like the 'Option' series, steers the
opening into relationship territory but when Dante Lam takes
over he goes all out to show how dangerous the underworld can
be. This does seem to be a successful mix as it's
something of a shock to see such a climactic ending to what is
a fairly slow moving drama.
This
is a powerfully shot and highly entertaining movie that raises
some important issues regarding today's society that really
need to be addressed. The one complaint would have to be
that most of the points concerning the question of right and
wrong are barely resolved except for a minor switch in the
balance of power (but is this a reflection of situations
occurring in real life?). Highly recommended for its
realistic approach but not one for explosion enthusiasts.
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