| Opening credits claim "adapted from a true story" but the people creating the end credits were apparently not of the same opinion (or just used the standard "these events are fictional"-disclaimer). Regardless, director Herman Yau and Danny Lee return to a minor franchise that they started at the height of the true crime Category III craze in the early 90s, this time adapting to a lower rating and showcasing knowledge of what works that they didn't have before.
The Untold Story III follows an on and off flashback structure concerning a gang of punks (led by Sam Lee) hustling money from a rookie loan shark (Ken Lo). When they can't pay him back, they turn to murder instead. A missing persons report is filed and soon thereafter the kids are brought in for questioning. Lee Sir (Danny Lee...who else?) and his pipe headlines the investigation.
First thing you're greeted to is a hugely inexpensive look that is likely to turn off viewers instantly. Herman Yau hasn't armed himself with budget constantly throughout his career but have been able to generate surprising results every other 3-4 movies despite. The Untold Story III represents one such effort. Far from the bloodshed and goofiness of the past, the familiar Cat III structure is maintained but Yau injects a fair amount of actual wit and chills throughout. The cops are shown as bumbling idiots but only occasionally which is a breakthrough in itself and the sly wit of Yau's plays out with satisfying low-key results. Fact of the matter, it's the parts in the present concerning the interrogations that remains the most compelling and that never happened in a Cat III picture of the same structure before!
Turning his attention to the past story, pacing becomes an issue and the youth characters aren't exactly the most thrilling bunch to follow. Thanks to engaging performances by Sam Lee and Ken Lo though (the latter playing against type as a nice guy making friends with the wrong people and forcing a tough guy act to the surface), going through some stumbling sections becomes less of an hassle but towards the final act, Yau logs his best work. A section akin to Taxi Hunter showcases a commendable amount of human comedy as our youths are planning their attack on Lo's character, all well-edited together with the events in the present. Some social commentary sneaks in and out quietly and like most Herman Yau movies, The Untold Story III isn't overly special Hong Kong cinema. It's worth acknowledging though because Yau once again proves that he can inject creativity in an inexpensive frame. Chin Ka-Lok, Emily Kwan, Jude Poyer, Monica Chan and Lo Lieh also appear. |
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