| So a few years down the line, with virtually every reviewer giving Michelle Yeoh's action-adventure vehicle The Touch thumbs down, it's kind of fun to go in with the lowest expectations possible but expectedly, otherwise ace cinematographer Peter Pau can't provide anything but great, big imagery. Filmed in English, the performing from some of the Chinese cast takes the film down several notches early on as average English dialogue sound even worse in the hands of people like newcomer Brandon Chang. The Western cast, mainly Ben Chaplin and Richard Roxburgh inject as much conviction as they can, which sort of works as this script doesn't reek off A level storytelling. In that way, Michelle Yeoh and company had a marvelous opportunity to use less refined story, grand images and a genuine Hong Kong style to the action.
Well first of all, action director Phillip Kwok doesn't get to do a whole lot and secondly, there's very, very few moments worth acknowledging as Yeoh kicks and fly her way through the fight scenes with dull results at the end of it. Enhancement via wires and CGI become distractingly obvious and the underground fire climax is a blue screen mess that looks more like a video game than anything resembling convincing. Running at least 10-15 minutes too long, The Touch can at best be amusing thanks to some funny delivery by Ben Chaplin but that's about as nice as one can be. A squandered opportunity after Michelle had done so well for herself in the eyes of international audiences (Tomorrow Never Dies, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). Kenneth Tsang appears briefly. |
Quick Takes:
