Viewer Comments:Purple Storm
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Daniel Wu's first starring role, as a Cambodian terrorist with amnesia sent back in to action as an undercover in his father's fearsome terrorist group... Where will he place his loyalty? Decent action flick, with some new ideas here and there.
Surprising excellent movie. Only drawbacks are rather flimsy CGI when some building explodes. Furthermore, I can't really believe that the terrorist can get away easily most of the time. Are the HK police that slow and dumb? Apart from this, story is engaging, plot is believable, characters likeable and most important of all, the movie is entertaining.
I have to say I was surprised by this movie. I think this is the best movie I have seen for some years; I understand why it got so many awards. This movie is not only for Hong Kong movie fans, this is for anyone else. I give it a strong 5 because it has everything: ACTION, STORY, ACTING. SEE IT.
| The film follows the formula of Gen-X Cops. (HK, 1999) With terrorists plus disaster plus sci-fi plus thrills, it thrives to reach the level of Hollywood blockbusters. Kam Kwok-leong and Daniel Wu play a pair of Khmer Rouge terrorists with a father-son relationship, and they are eye-catching in terms of character design and action choreography. The conflict between good and evil is found not only in the terrorist acts of Kam but also in the anti-terrorist measures led by the agent (Emil Chau). The film is also able to use the amnesia/remembering/regaining of memory to express the conflict between good and bad. Josie Ho as the woman terrorist is also remarkable and the weakest link is the psychiatrist played by Jason Chen, whose psycho babbles are not at all convincing. The final showdown is well made, although the young mans final decision is not convincing, which is not consistent with the rest of the films extensive description of his internal struggles. Teddy Chan is able to build on the momentum of his last film, Downtown Torpedoes, and come up with an ambitious work after being given a big budget. |
The biggest problem is the lack of in-depth exploration of characterization and emotional development. The relationship between the government agent, the terrorist and the young man represents the conflict between good and evil and the confrontation between father and son. These are dramatic situations, but the filmmakers are unable to take full advantage of their conflicts through plots and dialogues. It is like preparing food with the best of ingredients. When the finished dish is not the of the best quality, the problem is with the cook.
-Manalone H.
| This is a film informed by a question on identity. It constantly asks the audience to ask themselves: Who am I? Then it asks them: Who do you want to be?
Purple Storm can be approached from two angles -- to look at the third world from a Hong Kong perspective or to look at the world from a Hong Kong perspective. The film is also willing to change course, probing the identity issue through the experience of a new immigrant. From the Khmer rouge to the Hong Kong police to the Interpol; from a revolutionary to a terrorist to a nice guy; From fear of communism to fear of capitalism to fear of massive immigration to, eventually, fear of the end of the world. The farewell at the new airport can be the expression of real emotions after waking from a dream. Or it can be part of the dream. The question is: in the information age, how do action films embark on irrational thoughts while hiding its not-quite glamorous upbringing? |
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