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Starring
:
Dean
Shek
Jacky
Cheung
Tony
Leung Kar Fei
Fennie
Yuen
Joyce
Godenzi
Yuen
Kwai
Chu
Kong
Action
:
Ching
Siu Tung
Ma
Yuk Sing
Producer
:
Tsui
Hark
Director
:
Tsui
Hark
Ching
Siu Tung
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THE
RAID (1991)
Reviewed
by Andrew Saroch
Uncle
Choy (Shek) is a former hero who now harks back to past
glories when he was a much younger and more sprightly figure.
With Japanese forces taking control of China and the corrupt
Manchurian powers in league with these aggressors, the time is
ready for the rebels to fill the slot that Uncle Choy once
proudly boasted i.e. that of a patriotic defender of the
country. However, the old hero soon finds through a series of
mishaps that his skills are still valuable and he sets off to
stop the villains from building a chemical weapons factory in
his beloved country. Alongside him is his trusty niece and a
motley crew of people he meets on his journey; among these are
a female rebel who has been undercover in the Manchurian den (Fennie
Yuen) and a lively chancer who suddenly feels the patriotic
urge (Cheung). Facing unlikely odds, the small band of rebels
plans their assault on the enemy stronghold with Uncle Choy
proudly at the forefront.
What
will no doubt draw many viewers to this caper is the
combination of two great Hong Kong directors and, while this
work is certainly not among either of their best works, it is
a pleasant surprise. In what could be described as a mixture
of Indiana Jones and well-known Hong Kong film traits, 'The
Raid' is a very entertaining 100 minutes of action/comedy.
Dean Shek is mostly known for his over-the-top comedy roles,
but here he plays things as a straight man and delivers a fine
performance as Uncle Choy. The quality cast is of note, in
particular Tony Leung Kar Fei as the main villain of the
picture and Joyce Godenzi in a non-fighting, but sizzling
femme fatale role. The action is on a fairly big scale and
while it isn't the very cream of Hong Kong cinema, it is
eye-catching and exciting. The film just makes it into the
four star category as there are enough good moments to make up
for the sometimes uneven pace of the narrative. Therefore, as
long as you're not expecting 'A Chinese Ghost
Story' or 'Peking
Opera Blues', this proves to be a recommended film.
Rating:
 
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