My Father is a Hero is a rarity among action films -- it has a heart. This is especially suprising since the script was written by Wong Jing, who is normally not known for his writing skills or for putting anything other than sex and violence in his films. Though, to his credit, Wong has a long list of writing credits which run the gamut from comedy to drama to romance; it just seems as if most of his more recent action films have pigeonholed him a bit, especially to Western viewers.

Getting back on topic, My Father is a Hero does fall into melodrama at some points, but it doesn't seem as hammy or heavy-handed as in other films, since there's actually some character development here. This development creates believable relationships between the characters, especially (as the title suggests) between Li and Tze. One particularly moving scene has Li having to beat up Tze in order to keep his cover intact. The kind of violence expressed here might be repugnant to most Western audiences, but if you look beyond the bloodshed, you can see the compassion Li has for his son. Li manages to get more done with a simple look than any of the overwrought speeches in the Once Upon a Time in China series could ever hope to.

Corey Yuen is known for his good action sequences (especially those involving Jet Li) and he doesn't disappoint here. If you enjoy high-flying wire-fu, you should have a field day with this film. One scene even has Li using Tze as a human morningstar against a group of thugs. Even Anita Mui hops into the mix, teaming up with Tze to beat up some bad guys. Tze himself is quite impressive in the movie, especially in one scene where he beats up a schoolyard bully (it also helps things out that Tze has dropped the "precocious kung-fu brat" shtick he used in other movies). My only complaint about the action is that there wasn't enough of it. The movie is a bit slow-moving in the middle and another action scene or two would have spiced things up.

JET LI’s THE ENFORCER features some fine talents onscreen and behind the camera. It was directed by Corey Yuen, who also directed Jet Li in FONG SAI YUK, BODYGUARD FROM BEJING, HIGH RISK, and others. Jet Li plays Kung Wei, an undercover specialist. Tse (NEW LEGEND OF SHAOLIN) Miu plays Jet Li’s martial artist son, Johhny. Anita (RUMBLE IN THE BRONX) Mui is Hong Kong police investigator Fong. The lead villain Bo is played by Yo Rong (IRON MONKEY) Guang.

Kung Wei is an undercover agent for the police. He is a master at controlling his emotions and getting himself involved in the Triads, to break up these gangs from within. His superiors have tremendous faith in his chameleon-like ability and martial arts prowess. Because of the sensitivity of his profession, secrecy is vital. Kung Wei is not allowed to inform his wife or son of his profession; so they just assume he is a travelling businessman when he is gone for long periods of time. His son Johnny is also a junior kung fu champion, thanks to his father teaching him the martial arts and controlled breathing. Sadly, Johhny’s mother (Bonnie Fu Yuk Jing) suffers from a malady that has her sick nearly all the time.

While walking in the streets with his family one day, Kung Wei is abducted by the police right in front of his astounded family. He is thrown in jail on some bogus charge, but it is all a setup by his superiors. They put him in a cell with a Triad member, and arrange for him to escape, taking the triad member with him, and gaining his trust. The Triad member introduces Kung Wei to the villainous leader Bo (Yo Rong Guang). Bo (a psychotic martial-artist Triad member) is impressed that Kung Wei broke his man out of jail, so her offers Kung Wei a job. He wants Kung Wei to sit in an a weapons exchange with a crooked arms dealer.

The exchange occurs in a public restaurant, and the meeting goes awry. The restaurant quickly becomes a war zone, and the police arrive, upon which it becomes a three way shoot out between the gangs and the police. Kung Wei, wearing a ski mask so he is not recognized by police, wisely stops the bloodshed by turning the crisis into a hostage standoff. A female detective named Fong offers herself up in exchange for Kung Wei’s hostage. She allows him to escape, then she starts tracking him down using clues. These clues lead her to Kung Wei’s son and wife. Fong visits them to see if they can shed any light on the missing Kung Wei. Unfortunely, Johnny’s mother is seriously ill. She instantly bonds with Fong, and begs her to look after Johhny until his father returns. Fong agrees as Johnny’s mother passes away in front of her.

Gangland leader Bo discovers that Johnny is the son of Kung Wei. He orders his thugs to kidnap the little boy. When Kung Wei returns, Bo introduces him to his hostage, Johnny, and expects to see him rescue his son. Instead, Kung Wei beats the boy into unconsciousness. Finally, Bo believes that Kung Wei is as cold a bastard as Bo is. They throw Johnny’s body into an alley and take off to party. Later on after he loses his underworld associates, Kung Wei returns to rescue his son. However, Bo and his goons have laid a trap for Kung Wei. Now, Kung Wei and his son must unite their martial arts skills if they are to survive.

JET LI’s THE ENFORCER is a rare genre film. Instead of all out action vehicle from the get go, the movie concentrates on building up the plot and drama. Though there is continual action throughout the film, the slam-bang action is saved for the last half. This allows Li, Anita Mui, and Tze Miu to actually perform some real acting. Though this isn’t Jet’s best film, it does allow him his best acting opportunities yet; including the scenes where he is undercover as a thug. Let’s not forget about Anita Mui; she acts like she doesn’t know that Wei is a cop to ensure that his cover isn’t blown in front of the other ploice officers. Mui also gets to kick butt like Michelle Yeoh.

The undercover aspect of the story allows for plenty of taut suspense. Bo is constantly testing Kung Wei’s loyalty and reliability. There are several scenes where you think the jig is up, but the script strings these elements along as long as possible. There is one scene where Kung Wei must prove his loyalty to Bo by beating up his own son. This is a very highly disturbing scene, and shows Jet Li in an unfavorable light, though it allows him to stretch a bit. After his son collapses, Bo replies "You’re a cold son of a bitch."

There is also a cool subtext about father-son relationships, something that is very rare in all of filmdom. Jet Li and Tze Miu have a pretty good chemistry that translates perfectly to the screen. Being a father myself, I really appreciated those segments. In the beginning we see Jet Li training his son Johnny in the martial arts and in breath control. These elements come into play later on of course. In the climactic confrontation, Jet Li and little Tze team up to fight the villain and his henchmen (Yu Rong Guang, Ngai Sing, and Ken Lo). What I don’t agree with about this showdown, is the fact that Jet Li ties a rope around his son, and uses him as a weapon to take down the guys (think nunchuks). Not only is this poor parenting, but the scene is so unreal that it is laughable.

There is some notable moments here by Tze Miu as Johnny. He steals the show as this dead pan little kid who can kick as high as Jet Li. The scene where Bo tries get Johnny to recognize his undercover father is also memorable. Johnny is taunted by his classmates for having a criminal father and he responds by systematically taking them out. To rub salt in the wound, the kid throws live ants at his oppressors.

There are also some ridiculous aspects of the film as well. Besides being good at martial arts, the villains are one dimensional. The crime lord Bo resembles a Chinese Vanilla Ice, and constantly wears sunglasses. Even when he is getting his but kicked by Li and flipping 30 feet in the air, his hair is unruffled and his glasses never budge. In another scene, Inspector Fong and Johnny defeat 7 or 8 bad guys without any weapons. Anita Mui shoots a truck driver as the truck speeds towards her; and she leaps through the broken glass window while the truck is moving, and takes control of it! Sometimes Hong Kong filmmakers are as stupid as their American counterparts.

Jet plays Kung Wei, an undercover cop from mainland China sent to infiltrate a gang of criminals in Hong Kong. He is so far undercover that not even his wife and son, Siu Ku (Hui Miao), know and are shocked when they are told by neighbours that he is a gangster on the run from the police. To make his cover even more convincing Kung Wei's bosses arrange for his arrest which occurs in front of his family. Siu Ku refuses to believe his father is a villain however.

Kung Wei 'escapes' from police custody and travels to Hong Kong with co-escapee Blackie, a member of the gang that Kung Wei is to join. Blackie introduces him to the boss (given great villainy by Yu Rong Kwong) and Kung is taken on his first job, an arms deal with Yugoslavian terrorists which ends in massive bloodshed and brings him to the attention of Hong Kong policewoman Fong (Anita Mui). Fong travels back to the mainland to investigate Kung's background and ingratiates herself with his family. When Kung's wife dies of a long standing illness Siu Ku is alone and travels to Hong Kong, with Fong, to find his father.

Wong Jing manages to mix action with an engaging and, at times, moving plot. The scene where Siu Ku witnesses his father's arrest and where Kung Wei has to say goodbye to his son before leaving for Hong Kong were especially touching. While there are plenty of moments where a suspension of belief in reality is required it is no worse than many Hong Kong actioners and if you are prepared to put up with that, MFIAH is an enjoyable movie.

The film contains some fantastic fight scenes from the opener, where scenes of Jet fighting with a gang of crooks are inter cut with sequences of Hui Miao fighting in a martial arts tournament, to the fight-fest finale. The final showdown sees Jet take on a small army armed with a pair of tonfas before he goes for the main villain, Yu Rong Kwong, and his two henchmen; Ngai Sing and superkicker Ken Lo. Some might find the wirework in the final sequences a little hard to take as they are more akin to new-wave period kung movies and I'm not sure if they're entirely successful in a modern action setting. Still, there's plenty here that does work and the standard of the choreography is excellent especially Yu Rong Kwong's super-slick fist techniques in the finale.

Anita Mui and Hui Miao also get some good fight scenes. Anita's ability as a dancer makes her a natural while Miao has obviously trained from a very early age and is nothing short of amazing - surely a Jet Li successor in the making.

As in Jet's other collaborations with Wong Jing (Last Hero In China, New Legend of Shaolin), undercranking has been used in some of the fight scenes; most noticeably in the ending. While I would have preferred none at all, the undercranking doesn't speed the fights up too ridiculously and didn't spoil my enjoyment that much.

To my mind this was probably the best of Jet's modern day action movies (not counting Fist of Legend as modern day) and is definitely worth checking out.