This is the film that added me to the Donnie Yen appreciation society! Having seen his earlier stuff, he has always appeared a little too self conscious which has affected his performances (too much acting from the outside and not the in). On the surface a cop actioner, SPL has Simon Yam's sightly grubby team of detectives trying to bring down a crime lord, played my the now Majestic Sammo Hung, who rules turf with the aid of almost silent assassin Wu-Jing. When Yam is injured in a crash that claims the life of a potential witness against Hung's crime boss, Donne Yen's Detective Ma is brought in to keep an eye on the team. Well that's the surface, what's underneath? All of the men involved have fatherly responsibilities, Sammo and his wife finally have the child they have longed for, and the father/son relationship between Wu-Jing and Sammo is hinted at. Yen's Detective Ma keeps a watchful eye over a man he disabled with a punch some time ago. Yam is defacto father to his team and the child of the man killed in the car crash. All in all no one is "just" a cop or a criminal; they each have concerns and distractions above simple good/bad lines. Add into that mix the renaissance of Donnie Yen as an action director delivering the MOST exciting action since "Ong-Bak", and you have a film that rewards on repeated viewings. I'd put the alley fight between Wu-Jing and Yen in the top 20 but... I'd have PAID for a Yen vs. Hung face-off ten years ago. (Yen vs. Hung is great on the ground but there's just a niggling edge of doubt for me when Sammo's on the wire for the throws). Hats off to Wilson Yip for making the Donnie Yen film Donnie Yen couldn't make!
Pedicab Driver (product link) Martial Arts / Comedy Pedicab Driver is legendary solely for one thing: Sammo vs. Lau Kar-Leung--the one and only time these two have squared off on screen. It is a fantastic fight but actually just a highlight in a very fine film. Some say it's uneven and switches tone in a way that jars the viewer. Broad comedy one moment, heartfelt romance the next, then a sudden outbreak of kung fu! I'd say, having seen most of Sammo's work, that the shift of tone is typical of what he does. More a part of his arsenal than a lack of consistency on his behalf. It'll always be one of my favourite Sammo films and one I'd recommend to any martial arts film fan.
Pantyhose Hero (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure This isn't a top Sammo film by any stretch, but it is definitely a curiosity! The plot (something to do with a Batman-obsessed gay serial killer) is essentially a vehicle for Sammo to get in touch with his feminine side and kick butt. Some of the comedy will have you wincing more than usual. But the end fight in a construction site is worth the ropey humour.
I had high hopes for this and, having read the synopsis thought i'd give it a try. Wish i hadn't. The main premise is there but somehow nothing quite fits. The spoofs on movies are so badly done that they just become annoying. How hard is it to pick the Top 10 HK actioners and spoof them? Obviously impossible here as they haven't even managed to pick the top ten, let alone spoof them to any humorous degree. James Lew and his partner in crime are fine. (It's a documentary right? you can't act being yourself badly?) The guest stars/cameos don't make it worth the asking price. The comedy is lame so much in fact you think you're watching a film made by couple of guys from down your street.
Martial arts is a niche market and ripe for a good spoof but if you're going to go down the Chris Guest, Spinal Tap route then you need to do more work than ended up on screen here, And have a little more respect for your audience...
Rent it if you really must see it. But if you decide to buy it. Don't say i didn't warn you.
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