THROW DOWN (2004)
Time for a sports movie about judo. Or at least that's what the title suggests this will be. While it doesn't run with the concept quite as far as Tokyo Fist it's still an unusual take on a popular idea. There's an underdog, or in this case three of them, looking for success. There are a bunch of different sparring sequences. But there's also some musical moments along the way amongst other stylistic choices that make this feel more unique. It's a story more about the obsession (or the addiction) some might have with winning, whether it's through fair competition or other more self-destructive means. It's also fair to call it another one of Johnnie To's triad underworld movies, but that would have under-selling it.
To kick things off with an eccentric touch the story begins with a strange guy wearing a tracksuit in a field while doing some kind of Tai Chi and singing. There are a few musical moments along the way including some spontaneous sax and a few karaoke numbers. In some ways it connects to a central theme of performance; whether it's a genuine act or just a big scam. Sze-To (Louis Koo) is supposed to be running a bar and also playing an instrument but he's too busy getting horribly drunk. The place isn't being managed well as a result and he seems more interesting in ripping off local gangsters and losing money in a gambling den. He's got a more than one problem and they're all self-inflicted.
But his past as a potential throwing champion is about to make the situation more complex when up and coming champ Tony (Aaron Kwok) arrives. He thinks that he's got all the right moves, or at least enough prowess to outwit the club security guard, before trying to take on Sze-To and make a name for himself. Meanwhile nightmare tenant Mona (Cherie Ying) thinks that she's got what it takes to be a top singer, and shows up to perform at the club after being thrown out of her apartment. Both new arrivals are in for a disappointing audition when it turns out that the Sze-To isn't what they expect. But as they take a weird bus ride it soon turns out that the whole central trio has issues preventing them from reaching the top.
In some cases it's a general sense of denial, or misplaced hope, while in others it's underestimating the competition who soon show their weathered faces. The rest of the cast is full of interesting figures, including competition obsessed gangster Brother Savage (Eddie Cheung) who spends his time in an games arcade. It might seem light hearted when he scours the place for a new challenge in between tea breaks, but his darker side rears its head when money is involved. Dojo head Kong (Tony Ka Fai Leung) might be Tony's priority match up, but he's got a past with Sze-To that includes an unresolved debt. Tony is soon shown to be perhaps too optimistic, while Sze-To and Mona are often useless wasters.
It's a fun team up as each character has slightly different goals but they're forced to work in the same business. Financial debts and debts of honour become muddled as various plans and schemes go awry. It's an odd mixture of the typical Rocky style ambitions and a bunch of oddball crime scenarios. When the expected violence does erupt it's also pretty unusual. There are a series of one-to-one duels in which the right move or the strongest grapple wins, but there's also a slow motion bar brawl drowning in sepia light. It's occasionally righteous as Tony gets the upper hand, but it's often pathetic as Sze-To fails to remember what he was apparently so well known for. As he crawls around on the street trying to catch stolen money it's clear that there's a long way to go.
Mona on the other hand doesn't quite reach the end of a full arc; after battling with her father it's unclear if she actually figured out the right path. Which may be intentional as she is something of an outlier in this world of brawling and boozing. But it's a different compulsion that means her eventual exit isn't as satisfying, perhaps by design. She's a lonely and naive figure and there's no time for unlikely romance when Sze-To remembers what needs to be done to give everyone face, or when Tony overcomes a physical set-back. In some ways all three feel detached; from each other and their personal antagonists. But as things progress the story does become more satisfying. Even the Tai Chi performer Jing (Calvin Choi) has a role to play as things move from melancholy to self-realisation.
Whether it's fighting with one arm or figuring out how to move beyond inner constraints there are a lot of compelling moments, even before the showdown in that same overgrown field. Some villains aren't who they seem to be, and some limits are only imagined. It helps that the whole thing is shot with a similar style to To's other most notable features. The neon buzz of the arcade and the nocturnal glow of the city are certainly not glamorous, but they do lend the situation a stylish appeal. It's a strange mixture of story elements but it's one that does coalesce into an entertaining drama. It might not be the ideal sports underdog narrative but it does explore this world of loan sharks and former heavy weights in an engrossing fashion.
4/5
BONUS REVIEW
THE HEROIC TRIO (1993)
Meanwhile this is a super-hero story with an identity crisis. There are three leads again but they're far more disconnected, perhaps because they're from separate genres. Often it feels like the conclusion to a lost trilogy or a cross-over event for a series that never happened. Fortunately it's all pretty entertaining, but there's certainly no way to naturally merge so much science fiction and fantasy - both in terms of set design and narrative. In one storyline a supernatural villain lives in a subterranean lair. He's captured nineteen babies in an attempt to find the next true emperor of China. How will they rule exactly? It's not clear. Meanwhile above ground there's a dystopia of some kind in which a scientist searches for the source of invisibility.
But the scientist's lover Ching, the Invisible Woman, (Michelle Yeoh) already has this power, so what's the problem? It doesn't work in daylight but that doesn't seem like a reason to die for the research which is poisoning him. Meanwhile a hostage crisis is solved single-handedly by the mercenary Chat aka Thief Catcher (Maggie Cheung) who offers to solve the kidnappings... for a price. But the wife of a detective is already on the case disguised as masked vigilante Wonder Woman (Anita Mui). There's a lot of melodrama as all three clash, their past lives resurface, and a doomed romance goes awry. Bullets are cut in mid-air (sometimes with the whole cartridge attached) and a lot of wuxia wire work is deployed.
But even with so much going on it's hard to ignore futuristic hospitals clashing with 1950s cars. Or how evil sidekick Kau (Anthony Wong) is using modern explosives and the classic Flying Guillotine. He gets hit by a train and lives for reasons that are unclear; another example of industry versus the supernatural. Even his evil master... Evil Master (Yen Shi-Kwan) has a lot of unexplained powers. Why doesn't he rule the country himself if he can survive certain death in a fiery inferno? The zombie meets Terminator visual is at least great. Which sums up most of this experience. Kinda weird, kinda cool to look at, always dynamic, but not a signature Johnnie To feature as such a thing had yet to exist. Tonally there's a lot of odd comedy and brutality, which means it's typical of this kind of film from this era. It's often fun but it's often all over the place.
3/5
