Review Roundup - Blood Debts

EXILED (2006)

The old clichés of betrayal and brotherhood, gangsters trying to escape fate, or even just a gold heist are nothing new. But if they can be dismantled and reassembled with enough flair perhaps adding a few eccentric touches and a bit of a Wild West flavour, perhaps someone could make something interesting. That certain someone is Johnnie To. He's a storyteller who has used these ingredients before of course, but by taking a different approach the results are pretty compelling. Which is odd considering that the basic synopsis sounds like just another triad movie about hired killers and vengeful crime bosses. But this misdirect is one of many throughout the running time.

Action Bits - The Witness

IN THE LINE OF DUTY IV (1989)

So once again we're back in the line of duty with Cynthia Khan. But this time she's got co-star Donnie Yen and director Yuen Woo-Ping on her team. Do the results speak for themselves or is this another case of diminishing returns? There are various attempts to freshen up the formula, including the first half of the story being set in Seattle. Or at least that's how it appears in some of the establishing shots. The details of this location and the details of the story are pretty sketchy in the early stages of the movie. There are also familiar elements taken from the prior films in this loosely connected series. Fortunately for us, though it takes some time to pick up speed, the results are a consistent improvement over part three.

Action Bits - Dragon Force

IN THE LINE OF DUTY III (1988)

As one cop says to another in the opening scene; shirk responsibility at all costs! It's an idea that the lead character certainly won't be taking on board. But have the film makers taken this advice by going into a mode that is more repetitive instead of being responsibly creative? Michelle Yeoh was on a hiatus and they've brought on board a doppelgänger in the form of Cynthia Khan. This obvious portmanteau isn't fooling anyone. Hiroyuki Sanada is also out, and they've brought in Hiroshi Fujioka as another partner from overseas. Michael Wong is out and they've got Melvin Wong as a character called Michael Wong... for some reason. It's a solid action packed movie overall, but with so much familiar territory its easy to see why it's less popular.

Scorecard

FEBRUARY

FILM OF THE MONTH: Tampopo  ☆☆☆☆