At first glance, one might be forgiven for thinking that 'Run And Kill' is little more than a routine revenge tale, the likes of which has been played out on numerous occasions (often with mediocre results) on the Hollywood screen. However, being a Hong Kong film within the Category III bracket, one can usually expect a seemingly average affair to break away from the norm and often delve into depths of the human psyche that most would never dare. Thankfully this is exactly the tract that 'Run And Kill' follows as 'Dr. Lamb' director Billy Tang weaves out an horrific tale of how an ordinary man's life can be turned on it's head by one very fatal drunken mistake. It's this "cause and effect" style of storytelling that makes this film such a riveting ride as Tang keeps Cheung's predicaments on a constant downward spiral and no matter how hard he tries to rectify the situation, he only seems to dig his hole deeper and deeper. Added to this, Tang chooses to add moments of bloodcurdling gore and uncomfortable surprise that keep the film rattling along at breakneck speed, barely giving the audience a chance to catch their breath before it finally culminates in it's bloody and chilling finale. Its perhaps not filmmaking at its most artistic and it is ultimately flawed in places but it certainly drags you in and keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.

One of the other major factors that makes 'Run And Kill' stand out is the decision to cast Kent Cheng in the leading role. Cheng is perhaps the perfect choice to play a "normal guy" as he doesn't possess superhuman physical attributes nor does he look like a supermodel, he's just a happy fat guy who could quite easily be the man next door. Its this ease in which he slots into any role that means Cheng could easily be considered the ultimate acting chameleon, moving seamlessly from martial arts epics such as 'Once Upon A Time In China' to modern day thrillers like 'Crime Story'. His opposite number here is played by Simon Yam (a favourite within this genre) who, much like Cheng, seems capable of adapting his acting style to suit any film. However, he is never more enjoyable than when at his most maniacal and despite the odd tendency to overact, he does always seem to be spot on and very capable of intimidating the audience. Danny Lee also pops up from time to time as the stereotypical police officer but his role is so peripheral and lightweight here that he doesn't really warrant a mention alongside the two leads.

It's highly likely that 'Run And Kill' will not be to everybody's taste as its not always the most pleasant experience and the film's low budget is evident throughout. However, its the sheer pacing that makes it such an easy watch as poor unsuspecting Cheng jumps out of the frying pan and into the fire at every turn. If you fancy a break for the norm then 'Run And Kill' is certainly it and I guarantee it will make an impact of some kind.

Propane gas shop owner Cheung (Kent Cheng from Once Upon A Time In China) lives a happy life until the day he finds his wife (Lily Lee) having sex with one of his workers. He simply walks away and goes out to get drunk at a city bar. In his drunken state he accidentally enlists a Vietnamese gang to murder his wife, an event that is just the beginning of a downward spiral into hell. Without enough money to pay for the fulfilled task, he takes refuge to the Mainland where he hopes a gang will help him solve the conflict between him and the Vietnamese. Amongst that Mainland gang is Ching Fung (Simon Yam from Bullet In The Head) who is about to make Cheung's life an even bigger living hell...

Most of the notorious Cat III films, through numerous reviews, take on an almost unreal level of nastiness but when I sat down to watch Run And Kill for the first time (this being my third) it was reconfirmed that the shock level was restricted to select moments. Billy Tang is the more darker minded director of Cat III and this tale verifies that. A tale of people operating on the flipside of Hong Kong society and we get to experience the consequences of the ordinary man's involvement. There certainly is a social critique by Tang here in regards to how nasty organized crime can be. Even if this isn't movie entertainment per say, it isn't a showcase for subtle social commentary either though. Billy Tang wants to take us on an relentless dark, funny journey and creates a genre classic with it.

Tang's idea of structure for Run And Kill is not to let the audience in on what's coming during the next 90 minutes. In the only really broad comedy sequence we see the bliss of the Cheung family. Well, between father and daughter anyway since Tang establishes early the wife's distant connection to the rest of the family. She is soon seen being unfaithful which is the starting point of the dark side of the film. In terms of the character of Cheung, his experiences during the film is a harsh life lesson in itself. A lesson of discovery of inner strength and rage but also one that teaches you to take responsibility for your words and actions. While there's a strong sense of sympathy for Cheung, seeing as he's an upright citizen who made one fatal flaw, there is a small sense of Tang communicating the fact that you get what you deserve. It's an interesting and well realized journey, largely successful because of Kent Cheng's devotion to the character. It's both touching, as he acknowledges that he did love and respect his wife and darkly humerous as he can't seem to catch a break for one second during the film.

Tang maintains a good flow to the film, not being terrific with tension but his created pessimistic Hong Kong in Run And Kill is a unique slice of cinema. The people Cheung accidentally enlists are not those who travels amongst the ordinary humans and most settings in the film are those on the backside of Hong Kong. Settings ranging from cramped environments such as the small flat of Cheung's, the disco pumping with dark industrial music to Mainland villages devoid of people. Director of photography Tony Mau (Dr. Lamb) effectively uses strong blues to transfer us to these settings. Cat III regular composer Jonathan Wong isn't credited and the score doesn't really have his industrial/synth-esque flavour but Run And Kill's tense score works as a basic but effective mood setter.

In terms of gore, it's more subdued in a way. This doesn't belong to the horror genre and Billy Tang opts for gritty bloody violence that could pass for Cat IIb actually. What raises this to the famous Cat III level is particular through two sequences. One that, through effective rapid fire editing shows the ordered murder of Cheung's wife and one, now cult scene out of Hong Kong cinema, has Simon Yam executing a character in the most grisly way possible (very heated moment). On a technical level, there are some good make-up effects here, like close-ups of stabbings but the above mentioned talked about scene has always been talked about because of what it is, not necessarily how graphic it is.

Run And Kill possesses a few narrative flaws that needs to be addressed. First, when the movie shifts locations to the Mainland, there is a few minutes of confusion for the viewer as the Mainland gang is introduced. No exposition is given so it takes a little bit for us to catch up on the fact that they're a rival gang out to help Cheung. The other flaw occurs at the climax where director Tang gets too caught up in the relentless assault of dark violence. It's the confrontation between Kent Cheng and Simon Yam that goes on way too long, turning Simon's character into a cross between Jack Nicholson in The Shining and The Terminator. Running time wasn't an issue and I'm sure the director could've cut this finale shorter.

Actors Kent Cheng and Simon Yam, despite appearing in a less classy production, doesn't hold back on their acting. Kent is very good as the worlds most unlucky Hong Kong man, going through an unbelievable serious of external and internal emotions. Simon Yam's performance suffers, as mentioned, towards the end because the script dictates that he should act that way. It is one hell of a psychopath he's created for himself though. The character, even early, is a bit of a superhero, not in touch with the reality of the film , but you can't help to get caught up with the fact that he will spare NO ONE his blade, gun or gasoline. Simon goes all out and it's today a memorable villainous performance because of it. Danny Lee, plays Inspector Man (as opposed to his usual Lee, Sir character), phones in his performance. In other words, just going through the motions without much effort.

Within the Cat III rated films, Run And Kill is a classic that stands out because it takes on a different structure. It's for the already converted fans mainly and for outsiders, this may be perceived as nothing but a bad exercise in darkness. On the other hand, those serious about film, will see it as solid, I'm sure of that.