Director: Teddy Chan
Actors: Tony Leung Ka-Fai, Wang Xueqi, Leon Lai, Nicholas
Tse, Li Yuchun, Eric Tsang, Hu Jun
A period film set in the 1900’s China and Hong Kong, a
British colony with some cinematization or fictionalization. The crux is Sun Yat-Sen
plotting the Qing dynasty’s downfall with his friends in Hong Kong.
This film is about Sun’s visit to Hong Kong to meet his friends
to plot the Qing revolution. Empress Cixi sends a group of assassins lead by
Gen Xiaoguo. The assassins with clear intelligence about Sun’s movement take
down the key members of the Hong Kong civil society who back Sun’s visit. As
the D-day nears Hong Kong’s police force is asked by its British administrators
to sit back and watch, not wanting to get into a diplomatic row with Imperial
China. The rebels employ an amateur army of bodyguards and a decoy to divert
the assassins attention to get Sun into Hong Kong for his meeting.
How do they succeed ? The movie focusses on the drama of Sun’s
Hong Kong visit and the action surrounding it.
I liked this movie, its production value, the action
sequences, the cast and acting. The good thing about the movie is that the
director chose to tell the story with a pronounced fictionalization. That
blockbuster feel the director brings in is much more refreshing than what would
have been a boring attempt to bring history books alive.
Cinematography & Editing and of course the action
sequences in the climax are worth a mention. There are many actors who have
done a commendable job, who raised this movie to the next level. Nicholas Tse
who comes as the faithful rickshaw puller of Wang Xueqi is a stand out. As is
Wang Po-Chieh who is the young son of Xueqi and a revolutionary and Donnie Yen
who comes as the Hong Kong policeman and the conduit for the Chinese till
emotions overcome him and make him move over to the other side. There are in
fact many others who are really worth a mention but haven’t been named here. I
was in fact left wondering why this movie didn’t go to the Oscars. Although it
was a very strong field this particular year with quality films like Overheard
& Red Clif II in the running (Echoes of the Rainbow went to the Oscars from
Hong Kong SAR).
A SuperWatch !! For the production value, cinematography,
editing, action and acting… Go for it !!
