 |  |  | | | Hats off to this big production - it must have cost the producers money both legit and illegit, and much brain and physical work. However, this is a film that demands a heightened sense of reality. But when even a slap or a punch must be executed with special effects, it's clear that both dramatic tension and the mise-en-scene are created with passé stage effects. The imitation of Black Rain (bad guys negotiating) and Mission Impossible (good guys taking action) are mere play on form. And forcing Andy Lau's and Tony Leung's Hong Kong acting style onto a Taiwan set-up against local thesps create not sparkles but debacle. | | LOG IN TO COMMENT ON THIS REVIEW! |
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| | | | | After all, Johnny Mak is the godfather of triad pics. Island Of Greed tells the inside story of Taiwan triads and provides not only voyeuristic pleasures, but more importantly, charts the elaborate relationships among government officials, religious hacks and triad members. Their complex and fantastic collusion and competition come alive on screen. Even the subplot of Andy Lau probing triad activities poses no problem to the order of things. It is rather the overblown action sequences that are most damaging: they relegate the main action to the background. | | LOG IN TO COMMENT ON THIS REVIEW! |
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| | | | | Using Taiwanese politics in recent years as backdrop, Johnny Mak's comeback movie is an explosive affair, visually as well as dramatically. Mak's trademark style is readily apparent, and complete with excellent set pieces. The night market crowd scene oozes danger and is superbly executed. No doubt Tony Leung pulls off the best performance in his career, but it's Li Li-chun who steals the limelight. The veteran actor plays Minister Hou, a totally sinister and calculated man who makes your blood cuddle. Hope there is more to come from old Mak. | | LOG IN TO COMMENT ON THIS REVIEW! |
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| | | | | True to Johnny Mak's style of loud-mouth bravura, Island Of Greed has a field day with money politics and the unholy alliance between triads and polite society in Taiwan. But in the end the film remains conventional cops-and-robbers, good versus evil fare; for its depiction of Taiwanese politics and triad activities don't stand up to serious scrutiny. Any Lau's ace cop is cardboard; Tony Leung Ka-fai's ganglord character has more elbow room, but his acting doesn't deliver (especially against veterans like Li Li-chun). Mak demonstrates a firm grasp on the conventions of melodrama, but seems happy to sacrifice sense and logic for effects when it comes to big set pieces. | | LOG IN TO COMMENT ON THIS REVIEW! |
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