Wong ga si je ji IV: Jik gik jing yan (1989)

Director:

Woo-ping Yuen

Writers:

Chi-Sing Cheung (writer)
Wing-Fai Wong (writer)

Release Date:

21 July 1989 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Action | Crime

Plot:

Two detectives who are up to their necks in trouble and in each other's face, as they try to shut down...

Plot Keywords:

Roman Numeral In Title | Punctuation In Title | Sequel | Number In Title

Cast

Cynthia Khan	...	Madam Rachel Yeung Lai-Ching
Donnie Yen	...	Captain Donnie Yan
Michael Wong	...	Captain Michael Wong
Yat Chor Yuen	...	Luk Wan-Ting
Kai Chi Liu	...	Ming
Chiao Chiao	...	Luk's Mother
Gei Shun Wai	...	HK Police officer
Shun-Yee Yuen	...	Drug dealer
Blaine Lamoureux	...	Officer Peter Woods (as Blaine Camoureux)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stephen Berwick	...	Fighter in blue T-shirt
Wing Cho	...	Loan Shark's Man 1 / CIA Agent
Farid Dordar	...	Thug at pier
Tom Hyland
Jim James	...	Officer John
Yiu Man Kee	...	Loan Shark's Man 2
Farlie Ruth Kordica	...	Blonde female fighter
Eddie Maher	...	Loan Shark in Seattle
Kwok-kin Ng	...	Policeman
David Petersen
Ray Pichette	...	Violent policeman (as Ray Pachette)
John Salvitti	...	Fighter in alley
Paul Wong	...	Killer at hospital
Michael Woods	...	Black fighter on rooftop / Motorbike
Tin Hung Yee	...	Loan Shark's Thug in Seattle

Also Known As:

In the Line of Duty (UK) (video title)
In the Line of Duty 4 (Hong Kong: English title)
Key Witness (International: English title) (video title)
Survival (International: English title) (video title)
Wong ga si je ji IV: Jik gik jing yan (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence.

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Ireland:18 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company:

D & B Films Co. Ltd.

Goofs:

Continuity: Luk and Officer Yeung are handcuffed to each other in Luk's mother's home, but when they are outside, only Luk is handcuffed.

Quotes:

Donny: [Luk is in the hospital after being shot at by an assassin] Did you tell his mother?
Madam Yeung: [shakes her head] I didn't want to upset her.
Donny: She's got a right to know what's going on. She gets upset, that's not our problem. You know what, Madam? You're too emotional. He's in here because of you. You made a bad decision. I think you're in the wrong line of work.
Madam Yeung: [skeptically] Could be and you see yourself as a hot shot. I think you're too impulsive though.
[nods to Luk]
Madam Yeung: He's only under suspicion. You didn't have to go and beat him up like that...he didn't do any harm, so you're as responsible as I am. I think you're in the wrong line too.
Donny: Look lady, it's not my job to decide who's guilty. My job is to bring in the suspect.
Madam Yeung: Mine too, but I try to do it with sensitivity. Everyone's innocent until proven guilty, so why couldn't you give him that chance to be innocent? If a guy has a reasonable request, I grant it to him. How come you're so heartless?
Donny: Now you're just taking cheap shots at me.
Madam Yeung: You're paranoid. I just don't wanna work with a machine.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Follows Huang jia shi jie (1985)

Masterpiece of the genre

"In The Line Of Duty 4" is one of the best kung fu movies ever made. I will simply list the reasons:

1) An astounding Cynthia Khan. She looks great, she fights great, and when she's required to, she can also act!

2) An incredible, young, full of I-want-to-show-the-world-what-I-can-do energy Donnie Yen.

3) Fight choreography that cannot be topped (and virtually wire-free, too).

4) Great, skillful, ruthless villains. Guys (and one woman) that make you wonder: can they be defeated?

5) Awesome, death-defying stunts.

6) A take-no-prisoners, anything-goes attitude that is unique to Hong Kong action cinema.

7) A simple and functional plot, that still manages to touch such subjects as friendship, betrayal and the emotional involvement of law enforcers.

Don't miss this film. Rating it within its genre, I give it a full **** out of 4 stars.