33 reviews
Under Rated
This isn't one of Mr Li's best films but it isn't as bad as some people think. There is a certain appeal in its roughness and Jet Li, not playing his later rather dour filmic persona but someone with charm and fun, out of his depth in Los Angeles, baffled by the behaviour of others but determined is very watchable. There is lots of humour in the film, most amusingly is a running joke about people speaking different languages. LA is a great big melting pot, but it doesn't help communications.
The cast do well. It's always good to see Yuen Wah, a mainstay of Hong Kong films, and good to see him not as a villain. Crystal Kwok seems to have given up acting but was lovely and charming in this. Jet is his usual self, in that he makes walking down a street charismatic. The lead villain was a bit laughable however.
A good film and easier to watch than most Hollywood films certainly. It has a light touch with not a hint of wire work or CGI. You can warm to the characters. That it doesn't have the ultra polish and airless perfection of some films is to its advantage.
The cast do well. It's always good to see Yuen Wah, a mainstay of Hong Kong films, and good to see him not as a villain. Crystal Kwok seems to have given up acting but was lovely and charming in this. Jet is his usual self, in that he makes walking down a street charismatic. The lead villain was a bit laughable however.
A good film and easier to watch than most Hollywood films certainly. It has a light touch with not a hint of wire work or CGI. You can warm to the characters. That it doesn't have the ultra polish and airless perfection of some films is to its advantage.
Typical 1990s Hong Kong martial arts action - and a lot of fun
- Leofwine_draca
- Aug 29, 2016
- Permalink
Fans should appreciate the killer fight scenes, action moments, and stunt work,
- tarbosh22000
- Feb 15, 2015
- Permalink
Jet Li and Son Kick Butt (with help from Anita Mui)
Interesting mix of family drama, crime thriller and kung fu as Jet Li plays a mainland Chinese cop going undercover to infiltrate a robbery gang in Hong Kong. His young son has been told his dad is a wanted criminal, but the son continues to have faith in him. When Jet's wife dies, a female HK cop (played by Anita Mui) enters the mix and brings the son to Hong Kong. While the plot is fairly engaging, it sometimes slows down the action, which is not as extensive here as it is in so many of Jet Li's Hong Kong films. However, the boy (played by Tze Miu) is a kung fu champ himself and contributes some clever fight scenes including a confrontation with taunting classmates. There's one mind-boggling action scene involving a garbage dump and a garbage truck, which finds Anita scurrying up a tall iron gate, shooting the truck driver as the truck barrels towards her, leaping from the top of the gate through the smashed windshield and into the passenger's seat, and commandeering the truck, all without a scratch. The big action finale takes place on a large yacht where an auction of illegal Chinese treasures is underway and Jet takes on all three bad guys, played by the formidable trio of Yu Rong Guang (IRON MONKEY), Ngai Sing (THE BODYGUARD FROM BEIJING, KUNG FU CULT MASTER), and Ken Lo (DRUNKEN MASTER II). Here Jet uses his son in a most ingenious (and impossible) manner to defeat the bad guys.
Uneven, but worth the effort
Action plus emotion packed
Jet Li is as usual good in action scenes but the surprising package is the boy who played his son. He is looking very good in action scenes. Overall a good movie if you like action with less story.
- mayank-813-378681
- Aug 12, 2020
- Permalink
A very Good Action Movie
Story is Good. Action scenes are amazing, acting is also good, this is about a family specially about relationship of aa Father and Son.
- sarthakjaiswaloo
- Aug 29, 2021
- Permalink
Great chemistry between father and son! 6/10
Review: I quite enjoyed this movie. I really liked the little boy, who played Jet Li's son and there chemistry and fighting skills was a joy to watch. The storyline was well put together and Jet Li proved that he can act as well as kick butt. Basically, Jet Li plays an undercover cop, trying to take down a crime boss but while he's on the job his wife dies and his son goes to live with a cop whose trying to work out Jet Li's true identity. The fighting scenes were quite good, especially when his son is using his martial arts skills to help take down the baddies and the showdown at the end was worth waiting for. In all, it's an entertaining film with enough material to keep you interested throughout. Enjoyable!
Round-Up: This film also has intense drama and you feel for Jet Li who can't reveal his undercover status to his family. After earning the trust from the baddies, he's unable to go back home because it might break his cover so his only communication with his loved ones is through a pager and phone calls to his son. I was really impressed with his sons acting skills and he really did show true emotion for such a young boy. The director didn't go overboard with the string action so the fight scenes looked realistic and well choreographed. Anyway, if your into your martial arts movies, this is definitely worth a watch.
Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: HK$15.5million
I recommend this movie to people who are into their Jet Li movies about a undercover cop fighting against a crime boss, with the help of his young son. 6/10
Round-Up: This film also has intense drama and you feel for Jet Li who can't reveal his undercover status to his family. After earning the trust from the baddies, he's unable to go back home because it might break his cover so his only communication with his loved ones is through a pager and phone calls to his son. I was really impressed with his sons acting skills and he really did show true emotion for such a young boy. The director didn't go overboard with the string action so the fight scenes looked realistic and well choreographed. Anyway, if your into your martial arts movies, this is definitely worth a watch.
Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: HK$15.5million
I recommend this movie to people who are into their Jet Li movies about a undercover cop fighting against a crime boss, with the help of his young son. 6/10
- leonblackwood
- Dec 18, 2014
- Permalink
To summarize, quite good and worthwhile
I won't get into details and will just say that it's a worthwhile martial arts film; plenty of strong fighting that only people in truly top fitness, plus skill training, should ever consider being involved in or with. And, there's the warm family touch.
Johnny is quite a young lad in this film, his fighting and courage choreography being I guess top-notch. I don't know filmmaking from experience, so based on this, I think this youth is amazing. At one point, he's attacked by bully kids at his school and he pins the main bully to a wall, with his leg nicely lifted up so that his foot is pressing against the bottom of the chin of the main bully. I don't have such flexibility. If I tried anything of the like, then I'd surely be leaning the back backwards a lot more than Johnny did, for he was almost perfectly upright, except for the leg used to pin the main bully against the wall. I don't have that kind of flexibility and imagine that this Johnny lad does; choreographed, or not.
With that said, I think that anyone who likes martial arts films that have good morals against criminal ones, plus a touch of love, well, it's a worthwhile film.
It's interesting, is thriller for sure, well choreographed, and action, plus the touch of love.
Why this film has only 6.6/10 for average IMDb user rating is a little "beyond me". I'll give it 8/10 and am not sure that it shouldn't be more but 8/10 seems at least reasonable for a start, given that I'm not a film expert. One thing for sure is that I'd recommend this film to anyone I know to like martial arts with moral values and "a touch of love" or, if you prefer, romance.
As I said at the start, I won't get into details, meaning technical kind. This review is just a general kind or a "rough" overview, say. Were any mistakes made in any parts of the film? I don't know and also don't care about it, for this is just entertainment, or as is said in French, "divertissement".
Johnny is quite a young lad in this film, his fighting and courage choreography being I guess top-notch. I don't know filmmaking from experience, so based on this, I think this youth is amazing. At one point, he's attacked by bully kids at his school and he pins the main bully to a wall, with his leg nicely lifted up so that his foot is pressing against the bottom of the chin of the main bully. I don't have such flexibility. If I tried anything of the like, then I'd surely be leaning the back backwards a lot more than Johnny did, for he was almost perfectly upright, except for the leg used to pin the main bully against the wall. I don't have that kind of flexibility and imagine that this Johnny lad does; choreographed, or not.
With that said, I think that anyone who likes martial arts films that have good morals against criminal ones, plus a touch of love, well, it's a worthwhile film.
It's interesting, is thriller for sure, well choreographed, and action, plus the touch of love.
Why this film has only 6.6/10 for average IMDb user rating is a little "beyond me". I'll give it 8/10 and am not sure that it shouldn't be more but 8/10 seems at least reasonable for a start, given that I'm not a film expert. One thing for sure is that I'd recommend this film to anyone I know to like martial arts with moral values and "a touch of love" or, if you prefer, romance.
As I said at the start, I won't get into details, meaning technical kind. This review is just a general kind or a "rough" overview, say. Were any mistakes made in any parts of the film? I don't know and also don't care about it, for this is just entertainment, or as is said in French, "divertissement".
The Impressive Fight Scenes, And Great Performances Make Up For A Rather So So Story And The Uneven Pacing
- callanvass
- Sep 25, 2005
- Permalink
Totally unbelievable plot
Love it!
This is one of my all time favourite Jet Li films, and I've seen all but 4 of them (that have been released anyways). I thought the plot was VERY good and the acting was top notch too. The fight scenes were very good and well...it was just amazing. Most importantly, an incredible rarity, it didn't have a kid who annoyed the hell out of me! Quite an impressive feat.
- caged_insanity
- Oct 8, 2002
- Permalink
I've seen a lot of Jet Li flicks, this doesn't crack his top 8.
- oneguyrambling
- Sep 24, 2011
- Permalink
Ridiculously stupid...
More of a drama than a martial arts film... but still terrific
The general plot is quite standard: An undercover cop takes on one last dangerous assignment, relations involved, etc. There have been many, many films with the same type of plot.
However, this film manages to stand out on its own. The father-son combo of Jet Li and Tsu Miu works remarkably well (the 2nd time these two have been paired up). Anita Mui stars as a HK cop trying to figure out what the heck is going on. Throw in an over-acting (but still funny) villain (who incidentally played Iron Monkey), and we have an action-packed thriller to the end.
The emotional parts of the film may drag a bit, but it's not too excessive. Jet Li especially succeeds in this role... we can see the internal conflict and pains of emotion within. The scene where the villain tries to get his son to ID his undercover dad is very notable.
There may not be as much kung fu as most fans would like, but we do get to see Li wield a new type of weapon. Generally the kung fu serves to move the plot along, not to be specifically highlighted as the main attraction. That's okay, considering the movie is so well done....
However, this film manages to stand out on its own. The father-son combo of Jet Li and Tsu Miu works remarkably well (the 2nd time these two have been paired up). Anita Mui stars as a HK cop trying to figure out what the heck is going on. Throw in an over-acting (but still funny) villain (who incidentally played Iron Monkey), and we have an action-packed thriller to the end.
The emotional parts of the film may drag a bit, but it's not too excessive. Jet Li especially succeeds in this role... we can see the internal conflict and pains of emotion within. The scene where the villain tries to get his son to ID his undercover dad is very notable.
There may not be as much kung fu as most fans would like, but we do get to see Li wield a new type of weapon. Generally the kung fu serves to move the plot along, not to be specifically highlighted as the main attraction. That's okay, considering the movie is so well done....
Melodramaic Wackiness
- DavyDissonance
- Jan 26, 2017
- Permalink
Definitely one of Jet Li's best
Strange acting, weird plot, good action
This is a very odd story and is hard to follow. Jet Li plays an undercover agent (police of some kind) who is assigned to infiltrate an organized crime gang headed by a ruthless martial arts master who is played by one of the worst actors I've ever seen. He is excellent in the fight scenes though and quite often surpasses Jet Li's skill.
Jet Li's young son is also a junior kung fu master and longs for his father's return home from frequent trips. His mother has become very sick recently though, and this only makes it worse.
This movie is worth seeing for the fantastic fight scenes, but the plot is too odd to even consider.
Jet Li's young son is also a junior kung fu master and longs for his father's return home from frequent trips. His mother has become very sick recently though, and this only makes it worse.
This movie is worth seeing for the fantastic fight scenes, but the plot is too odd to even consider.
Amazing
- nawfas-88262
- Sep 11, 2021
- Permalink
Decent, But Not Top Jet Li
An undercover cop struggling to provide for his son and ailing wife, must infiltrate a ruthless gang. But things turn sour when another cop blows his cover and he quickly finds himself battling for his life and the lives of his family.
I watched this as a double feature with "The Defender", which seems appropriate given the similar time, cast, crew and so on. Of the two, this is the more complex, but unfortunately it is also the less enjoyable. The fun and humor of the earlier film is just not present.
One thing that is interesting is how much of this story is from the perspective of the son. It never devolves into silliness or kid-friendly territory, though. That should count for something.
I watched this as a double feature with "The Defender", which seems appropriate given the similar time, cast, crew and so on. Of the two, this is the more complex, but unfortunately it is also the less enjoyable. The fun and humor of the earlier film is just not present.
One thing that is interesting is how much of this story is from the perspective of the son. It never devolves into silliness or kid-friendly territory, though. That should count for something.
Huge drama with great martial arts.
Most Jet's most successful break from traditional hero...
Maybe Jet's most successful break from traditional hero to modern day action man, this isn't a classic in any means but does deliver a contemporary Li performance in keeping with his growing US following. The story doesn't take us anywhere new - Jet is an undercover cop set to bring down top criminal Yu Rong Guang and things get messy when the family becomes involved. Thankfully the moderate screen action demands top-drawer performances from its stars and delivers - of course wushu wonderkid Tze Mui, playing our hero's young son, is notably the best thing. Of the action, a nifty three-on-one near the end may require the odd rewind.
Contains Quite a Bit of Action, Drama and Comedy
"Kung Wei" (Jet Li) is a Chinese undercover cop who has an adoring son named "Ku Kung" (Mo Tse) and a very ill wife but rather than being able to take care of her he is sent against his wishes to Hong Kong to infiltrate a gang of smugglers led by a notorious criminal by the name of "Po Kwang" (Rongguang Yu). Naturally, in order to join the gang he has to convince everyone that he is a criminal and even his son and wife cannot know the truth. Neither can the police in Hong Kong who have assigned a female detective named "Inspector Fong" (Anita Mui) to apprehend him. Now rather than reveal any more of this movie and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this film contains quite a bit of action, drama and comedy. Unfortunately, the sheer quantity of these three elements caused the movie to seem quite uneven. Throw in an overabundance of martial arts and the accompanying preposterous stunts and the result is a movie lacking coherence and realism. No doubt some viewers will really like this movie simply for the action it provides and quite frankly it wasn't that bad. However, all things considered I can only rate it as about average. No more and no less.
Proof that Hong Kong action movies rock
- The-Sarkologist
- Oct 16, 2013
- Permalink