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Starring
:
Sammo
Hung
Vincent
Wan
Teresa
Mo
Tommy
Wong
Irene
Wan
Action
:
Yuen
Tak
Producer
:
Nam
Yin
Director
:
Ringo
Lam
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POINT
OF NO RETURN (1991)
A.K.A.
- Touch And Go
Reviewed
by Phil Mills
Fat
Goose (Hung) is just your ordinary guy with a regular job and
a conventional lifestyle. That is until he
witnesses the murder of a cop which throws his life into
disarray as he must now become a witness for the police.
In an idealistic world this would just be an open and shut
case but when the suspect is released on bail due to his
medical condition, Goose finds himself abandoned by the police
until the case goes to trial. Of course, no good
criminal will sit by and just let himself go to jail so now
that he is free he sends his goons out to take care of Goose
and silence him forever. Luckily for Goose though, he
has a few skills of his own when it comes to fighting and with
the aid of one rogue cop, the two team up to take on the bad
guys and keep justice on the streets of Hong Kong.
Strangely
enough, 'Point Of No Return' was released at a time when both
director and main star were churning out some of their finest
work but this entry into their filmographies is unlikely to
receive much commendation. It displays little of the
spark that Lam and Hung were capable of and, with it's routine
action/thriller scenario, can only be considered average at
best. The characters on display are fairly lightweight
and just about remain connected by the thinnest of bonds
whilst the plot progresses in a naive manner that leaves a
number of untapped sub-plots. Acting-wise Sammo is
clearly the real star and probably the only member of the cast
that actually shows any emotion although even he is far from
his best. So as it has been many times before, it is
left up to the action to keep the film entertaining.
However, it has to be said that even this is unfulfilling here
and aside from a couple of trademark Lam car chases and some
uninspiring Sammo fisticuffs, it is nothing to write home
about.
It's
credit to both director and star that even when not at their
best, they still manage to keep 'Point Of No Return' flowing
just enough to keep you watching but you can't help seeing it as a
missed opportunity. With two heavyweights of the
industry combining, it could and should have been magical
rather than just plain average.
Rating:
 
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