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Starring
:
Ekin
Cheng
Kelly
Chen
Tony
Leung Chiu Wai
Toru
Nakamura
Cecilia
Cheung
Action
:
Sit
Chun Wai
Producer
:
David
Chan
Patricia
Cheng
Director
:
Jingle
Ma
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TOKYO
RAIDERS (2000)
Reviewed
by Andrew Saroch
On
her wedding day to a Japanese businessman named Takahashi,
Macy (Chen) discovers that her groom to be has disappeared. At
first glance it seems like a case of cold feet, but when Macy
flies back to Hong Kong to her flat, she realises that the
situation is more serious than it first appeared. A mysterious
young interior decorator, Tommy, is also looking for Takahashi
as he is owed money for the work he has done on the couple's
flat. When Macy decides to travel to Tokyo to find Takahashi,
Tommy invites himself along in an attempt to recoup some of
what he was promised. On arriving in Tokyo the two are almost
immediately ambushed by a group of thugs who are also
interested in Takahashi's whereabouts for their own unknown
purposes. Alongside them is Lenny, a private eye who allies
himself with Macy and Tommy; but can either of Macy's
new-found colleagues be trusted?
After
relative success with 'Hot
War' and 'Fly Me To Polaris', director Jingle Ma
apparently found himself with a decent sized budget at his
disposal. The good news is that for the most part, Ma shows
every cent of it on the screen. The bad news is that Ma once
again lets the plot get a little too convoluted near the end
with the numerous twists and turns. However, it should be
noted that 'Tokyo Raiders' is a very enjoyable viewing
experience and so the latter is not as important as the
former. For the first time in quite a few years, it can really
be said that a Hong Kong film is plain'fun'; this is not meant
as a dig at the other films around at the moment, nor is it an
attempt to belittle 'Tokyo Raiders' though.
The
three main leads deserve due credit for the fact that their
performances all add a little something to the overall feel of
the film. Tony Leung is wacky, but very charismatic and Ekin
Cheng gives one of his most magnetic performances in recent
years - reminiscent of some of Yuen Biao's 80's roles. Much
has been said of Kelly Chen's performance; many have been
unduly harsh of her work in this film, but she does combine
the necessary glamour with a pleasant earnestness that gives
her character some life.
'Tokyo
Raiders' therefore is a top-notch piece of entertainment that,
with a little more care in certain departments, could have
been even better.
Rating:
 
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