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FLASH
POINT
AKA:
Flashpoint || City With No
Mercy || City Without Mercy
Year:
2007 Reviewer: Phil
Mills
With
critical acclaim for 'Sha Po Lang' still echoing around the
various online fan communities, director
Wilson Yip and Donnie Yen decided it would be a wise decision
to re-combine their efforts for a second unrelated outing.
Thus, 'Flash Point' was born and with it came a high degree of
expectation that this fresh new pairing could once again prove
that Hong Kong action movies are not yet dead and buried.
Detective
Sergeant Jun Ma (Yen) is a hard hitting cop who prefers to do
his talking with his fists and isn't afraid to crack a few
skulls to get the job done. However, as good as he is at
his job there is still one Vietnamese gang who have so far
eluded the scales of justice. In order for him to get
the drop on them, Ma's partner Wilson (Koo) has gone
undercover within the gang and after years of service appears
to have gained their trust. Unfortunately, this
lifestyle has taken it's toll on Wilson and when the proposed
big bust of the gang begins, Wilson is exposed and becomes a
target for the gang. Now it's up to Ma to put his job to
one side and protect his friend at all costs whilst still
attempting to stay inside the guidelines of the law.
Although
I considered 'Sha Po Lang' to be a solid effort with decent action
scenes, somehow it didn't quite cut it for me as it just
seemed to lack that va-va-voom (for want of a better
expression) that has always made the Hong Kong film industry such a
powerhouse in the action genre. For this reason, I was
perhaps a little apprehensive about the hype that surrounded
'Flash Point' and went into it expecting an over-stylised yet
vacant affair with a couple of passable action scenes. Imagine my
surprise then when the film turned out to be an incredibly slick production that not only looked the business but also boasted a story that
combined with the action to great effect. Perhaps it's
fair to say the plot isn't exactly original and threatens
to become overly predictable in places but it's subtle and
strong enough to keep the film flowing and certainly
seems fresher than the "corrupt cop" scenario dished
up by 'Sha Po Lang'. Another overall plus is the general
pacing of the film as it has you siding with the
heroes from the off and despite the lack action scenes,
doesn't open up too many unexplored avenues that could allow
the viewer to dwell on the weaker elements.
Performances
from the leading cast are also very competent. Louis Koo,
despite being an actor who I've never been overly enamoured with,
performs extremely well throughout and thankfully avoids his
tendency to lapse into spates of over-acting (as he did in the
rather inane 'Rob-B-Hood'). Yen on the other hand isn't
exactly known for his repertoire of varied characterisations but he
is perfect for an action hero as he's moody and tough, and always
conveys the feeling that he's a force to be reckoned with.
It's also pleasing to see he doesn't pause to pose for the camera too frequently
which is a criticism that he is often saddled with. Ngai
Sing slots nicely into the
mix as the bad guy who flaunts a very believable callous attitude
as well as being a suitable opponent for Yen with his obvious
abilities in the martial arts. Added to this, it's nice to see
Kent Cheng back in action (and minus a few pounds I might add)
who seems ideal for the role of an aging police chief as he has the presence of a superior officer whilst
retaining that innocent likeability that has always made him
stand out in every one of his roles.
As
far as the action goes, 'Flash Point' isn't quite the
no-holds-barred kung fu extravaganza that you might be hoping for but
what little action is on offer is certainly enough to get the
adrenaline pumping. In truth, there are only two main
fight scenes to speak of but Yen has chosen to inject a
touch of originality in his choreography by utilising a raw yet
powerful style that concentrates on grappling rather than
relying on his
signature kicks. This works
exceptionally well for the film's atmosphere and the
final duel between Yen and Chou is particularly impressive as
two desperate combatants give their all for the sake of
victory. There's also a certain degree of gunplay on
offer that whilst not quite in the same league as John Woo, is
very entertaining and the use of a sniper rifle during one of the
sequences is nothing short of genius.
'Flash
Point' isn't a perfect film in the classical cinematic sense but it is a
damn fine action movie that doesn't short change the
viewer in any department. I often seem to be guilty of
stating that each new promising Hong Kong action film has the
industry back on track but 'Flash Point' is clearly a step in
the right direction and I'll certainly be looking forward to
any future collaborations from Yen and Yip.
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