We recently heard that the proposed new version of The Crow is entering the casting stage after the script - by Stephen Norrington, who will also direct - was well received by studio chiefs at Relativity Media.
The Crow centres on a rock musician who is murdered trying to rescue his girlfriend from thugs and returns from the dead a year later to exact revenge. (You can read more about the reboot here)
The character was previously seen in a 1994 film starring Brandon Lee; three sequels: The Crow: City of Angels in 1996, The Crow: Salvation in 2000, and The Crow: Wicked Prayer in 2005; and a TV series The Crow: Stairway to Heaven in 1998.
Rumours have linked Luke Goss to the lead role in the new film. Goss, a former member of boy band Bros, is well-versed in fantasy roles, having played vampire Nomak in Blade 2, the creature in...
The Crow centres on a rock musician who is murdered trying to rescue his girlfriend from thugs and returns from the dead a year later to exact revenge. (You can read more about the reboot here)
The character was previously seen in a 1994 film starring Brandon Lee; three sequels: The Crow: City of Angels in 1996, The Crow: Salvation in 2000, and The Crow: Wicked Prayer in 2005; and a TV series The Crow: Stairway to Heaven in 1998.
Rumours have linked Luke Goss to the lead role in the new film. Goss, a former member of boy band Bros, is well-versed in fantasy roles, having played vampire Nomak in Blade 2, the creature in...
- 11/2/2009
- by David Bentley
- The Geek Files
BANGKOK, Thailand -- China may finally be awakening, but film industry pundits would be wrong to think that the world's biggest market will open up easily. So said Han Entertainment managing director Thomas Chung to a room of distributors and exhibitors Thursday at CineAsia in a session titled "China: The New Frontier". Chung, a Hong Kong-based producer who has made two co-productions with China since 2002, "The Touch" and "Silver Hawk", said, "Whatever happened to Europe ain't gonna happen to China," referring to U.S. studios' strategies for European distribution and marketing. "There is no magazine with national reach like Vanity Fair and Premiere, and the same goes for television," he said. "There is no Jay Leno, no easy way to reach an instant national audience. You're forced to do press over and over again."...
- 12/10/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Opened
Friday, Jan. 20
(China, Hong Kong, Singapore)
HONG KONG -- For Chinese New Year, Michelle Yeoh returns to the big screen in Asia as a crime-fighting masked heroine in the action-packed "Silver Hawk". Unfortunately, what's criminal is the picture's uninspired ordinariness.
In cinema-savvy Hong Kong, the lackluster presentation has resulted in lukewarm boxoffice. But its prospects are bound to be better in less sophisticated markets. Yeoh's adventure vehicle from last year, "The Touch", experienced a similar fate, underwhelming critics and audiences in Hong Kong but becoming a big hit in Mainland China.
Drawing heavily on comic book elements, the former Bond girl now prances around in a silver cape, mask and knee-high boots -- not to mention the matching metallic-toned hot pants. By day, she's a mild-mannered, successful businesswoman named LuLu Wong. When in need, though, it is Silver Hawk who shows up on a sleek motorcycle to exert some expert kung fu on the bad guys.
The relatively inane story -- something about a madman who kidnaps a scientist, blackmails a Japanese telecom boss and uses mobile phones to control people's minds -- trips over its clumsy dialogue in English, Cantonese and Mandarin. Awkwardly written exposition is delivered with more emphasis on pronunciation than conviction. In addition, the villain, played by Luke Goss, appears to have stolen the Morpheus wardrobe right off the "Matrix" lot.
Silver Hawk herself is like a female cyber Batman, except the complex psychological characterization in Tim Burton's film has been replaced by the cornball style of the '60s TV series. What the filmmakers forgot is that the heroine's life outside her caped costume is just as significant to the story.
Taiwan star Richie Jen appears as a police inspector who is also a childhood friend of Silver Hawk. Clearly, he is meant to be the romantic interest but comes off more as comic foil. The only other actor of note is Michael Jai White ("Spawn"), who, partnered with Chinese actress Li Bing Bing as a pair of mercenary thugs, fights great but has little else to do. Too bad, because those two make a more intriguing couple than the leads.
Hong Kong helmer Jingle Ma is a competent director of action, but he loves his slo-mo shots a little too much. There's a couple of unusual battle setups -- one involving bungee chords and the other hockey sticks and skates -- that give the fight sequences a different look, but there's no rhyme or reason for these things as fighting weapons or tactical tools. One of the most hyped elements of the movie is a motorcycle jump made by Yeoh across a section of the Great Wall. While it might make for a terrific promotional stunt, Ma's cameras aren't in the right places to best capture the spectacle.
But "Silver Hawk"'s biggest flaw is an utterly pedestrian script that shows little initiative or imagination. Sometimes, even basic logic is missing: The bad guy's mind-controlling cell phones are launched and marketed, and hundreds of thousands of units are sold in the span of, oh, two days?
With apologies to Ridley Scott, let's call this one "Silver Hawk Down".
SILVER HAWK
Han Entertainment and Tianjin Film Studio
in affiliation with China Film Co-operation Corp.
A Mythical Films production
Credits:
Director: Jingle Ma
Screenwriter: Susan Chan
Producers: Michelle Yeoh, Thomas Chung, Gao Feng Jun
Executive producers: Michelle Yeoh, Thomas Chung, Han Hong Fei, John Chong
Director of photography: Jingle Ma, Chan Chi-ying
Music: Peter Kam
Production designer: Yee Chung-man
Costume designers: Dora Ng, Connie Au Yeung
Action director: Ailen Sit
Editor: Kong Chi-leung
Cast:
LuLu Wong/Silver Hawk: Michelle Yeoh
Rich Man: Richie Jen Hsien-chi
Alexander Wolfe: Luke Goss
Kit: Brandon Chang
Morris: Michael Jai White
Jane: Li Bing Bing
Professor Ho Chung: Chen Da-ming
Running time -- 99 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Friday, Jan. 20
(China, Hong Kong, Singapore)
HONG KONG -- For Chinese New Year, Michelle Yeoh returns to the big screen in Asia as a crime-fighting masked heroine in the action-packed "Silver Hawk". Unfortunately, what's criminal is the picture's uninspired ordinariness.
In cinema-savvy Hong Kong, the lackluster presentation has resulted in lukewarm boxoffice. But its prospects are bound to be better in less sophisticated markets. Yeoh's adventure vehicle from last year, "The Touch", experienced a similar fate, underwhelming critics and audiences in Hong Kong but becoming a big hit in Mainland China.
Drawing heavily on comic book elements, the former Bond girl now prances around in a silver cape, mask and knee-high boots -- not to mention the matching metallic-toned hot pants. By day, she's a mild-mannered, successful businesswoman named LuLu Wong. When in need, though, it is Silver Hawk who shows up on a sleek motorcycle to exert some expert kung fu on the bad guys.
The relatively inane story -- something about a madman who kidnaps a scientist, blackmails a Japanese telecom boss and uses mobile phones to control people's minds -- trips over its clumsy dialogue in English, Cantonese and Mandarin. Awkwardly written exposition is delivered with more emphasis on pronunciation than conviction. In addition, the villain, played by Luke Goss, appears to have stolen the Morpheus wardrobe right off the "Matrix" lot.
Silver Hawk herself is like a female cyber Batman, except the complex psychological characterization in Tim Burton's film has been replaced by the cornball style of the '60s TV series. What the filmmakers forgot is that the heroine's life outside her caped costume is just as significant to the story.
Taiwan star Richie Jen appears as a police inspector who is also a childhood friend of Silver Hawk. Clearly, he is meant to be the romantic interest but comes off more as comic foil. The only other actor of note is Michael Jai White ("Spawn"), who, partnered with Chinese actress Li Bing Bing as a pair of mercenary thugs, fights great but has little else to do. Too bad, because those two make a more intriguing couple than the leads.
Hong Kong helmer Jingle Ma is a competent director of action, but he loves his slo-mo shots a little too much. There's a couple of unusual battle setups -- one involving bungee chords and the other hockey sticks and skates -- that give the fight sequences a different look, but there's no rhyme or reason for these things as fighting weapons or tactical tools. One of the most hyped elements of the movie is a motorcycle jump made by Yeoh across a section of the Great Wall. While it might make for a terrific promotional stunt, Ma's cameras aren't in the right places to best capture the spectacle.
But "Silver Hawk"'s biggest flaw is an utterly pedestrian script that shows little initiative or imagination. Sometimes, even basic logic is missing: The bad guy's mind-controlling cell phones are launched and marketed, and hundreds of thousands of units are sold in the span of, oh, two days?
With apologies to Ridley Scott, let's call this one "Silver Hawk Down".
SILVER HAWK
Han Entertainment and Tianjin Film Studio
in affiliation with China Film Co-operation Corp.
A Mythical Films production
Credits:
Director: Jingle Ma
Screenwriter: Susan Chan
Producers: Michelle Yeoh, Thomas Chung, Gao Feng Jun
Executive producers: Michelle Yeoh, Thomas Chung, Han Hong Fei, John Chong
Director of photography: Jingle Ma, Chan Chi-ying
Music: Peter Kam
Production designer: Yee Chung-man
Costume designers: Dora Ng, Connie Au Yeung
Action director: Ailen Sit
Editor: Kong Chi-leung
Cast:
LuLu Wong/Silver Hawk: Michelle Yeoh
Rich Man: Richie Jen Hsien-chi
Alexander Wolfe: Luke Goss
Kit: Brandon Chang
Morris: Michael Jai White
Jane: Li Bing Bing
Professor Ho Chung: Chen Da-ming
Running time -- 99 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Opened
Friday, Jan. 20
(China, Hong Kong, Singapore)
HONG KONG -- For Chinese New Year, Michelle Yeoh returns to the big screen in Asia as a crime-fighting masked heroine in the action-packed "Silver Hawk". Unfortunately, what's criminal is the picture's uninspired ordinariness.
In cinema-savvy Hong Kong, the lackluster presentation has resulted in lukewarm boxoffice. But its prospects are bound to be better in less sophisticated markets. Yeoh's adventure vehicle from last year, "The Touch", experienced a similar fate, underwhelming critics and audiences in Hong Kong but becoming a big hit in Mainland China.
Drawing heavily on comic book elements, the former Bond girl now prances around in a silver cape, mask and knee-high boots -- not to mention the matching metallic-toned hot pants. By day, she's a mild-mannered, successful businesswoman named LuLu Wong. When in need, though, it is Silver Hawk who shows up on a sleek motorcycle to exert some expert kung fu on the bad guys.
The relatively inane story -- something about a madman who kidnaps a scientist, blackmails a Japanese telecom boss and uses mobile phones to control people's minds -- trips over its clumsy dialogue in English, Cantonese and Mandarin. Awkwardly written exposition is delivered with more emphasis on pronunciation than conviction. In addition, the villain, played by Luke Goss, appears to have stolen the Morpheus wardrobe right off the "Matrix" lot.
Silver Hawk herself is like a female cyber Batman, except the complex psychological characterization in Tim Burton's film has been replaced by the cornball style of the '60s TV series. What the filmmakers forgot is that the heroine's life outside her caped costume is just as significant to the story.
Taiwan star Richie Jen appears as a police inspector who is also a childhood friend of Silver Hawk. Clearly, he is meant to be the romantic interest but comes off more as comic foil. The only other actor of note is Michael Jai White ("Spawn"), who, partnered with Chinese actress Li Bing Bing as a pair of mercenary thugs, fights great but has little else to do. Too bad, because those two make a more intriguing couple than the leads.
Hong Kong helmer Jingle Ma is a competent director of action, but he loves his slo-mo shots a little too much. There's a couple of unusual battle setups -- one involving bungee chords and the other hockey sticks and skates -- that give the fight sequences a different look, but there's no rhyme or reason for these things as fighting weapons or tactical tools. One of the most hyped elements of the movie is a motorcycle jump made by Yeoh across a section of the Great Wall. While it might make for a terrific promotional stunt, Ma's cameras aren't in the right places to best capture the spectacle.
But "Silver Hawk"'s biggest flaw is an utterly pedestrian script that shows little initiative or imagination. Sometimes, even basic logic is missing: The bad guy's mind-controlling cell phones are launched and marketed, and hundreds of thousands of units are sold in the span of, oh, two days?
With apologies to Ridley Scott, let's call this one "Silver Hawk Down".
SILVER HAWK
Han Entertainment and Tianjin Film Studio
in affiliation with China Film Co-operation Corp.
A Mythical Films production
Credits:
Director: Jingle Ma
Screenwriter: Susan Chan
Producers: Michelle Yeoh, Thomas Chung, Gao Feng Jun
Executive producers: Michelle Yeoh, Thomas Chung, Han Hong Fei, John Chong
Director of photography: Jingle Ma, Chan Chi-ying
Music: Peter Kam
Production designer: Yee Chung-man
Costume designers: Dora Ng, Connie Au Yeung
Action director: Ailen Sit
Editor: Kong Chi-leung
Cast:
LuLu Wong/Silver Hawk: Michelle Yeoh
Rich Man: Richie Jen Hsien-chi
Alexander Wolfe: Luke Goss
Kit: Brandon Chang
Morris: Michael Jai White
Jane: Li Bing Bing
Professor Ho Chung: Chen Da-ming
Running time -- 99 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Friday, Jan. 20
(China, Hong Kong, Singapore)
HONG KONG -- For Chinese New Year, Michelle Yeoh returns to the big screen in Asia as a crime-fighting masked heroine in the action-packed "Silver Hawk". Unfortunately, what's criminal is the picture's uninspired ordinariness.
In cinema-savvy Hong Kong, the lackluster presentation has resulted in lukewarm boxoffice. But its prospects are bound to be better in less sophisticated markets. Yeoh's adventure vehicle from last year, "The Touch", experienced a similar fate, underwhelming critics and audiences in Hong Kong but becoming a big hit in Mainland China.
Drawing heavily on comic book elements, the former Bond girl now prances around in a silver cape, mask and knee-high boots -- not to mention the matching metallic-toned hot pants. By day, she's a mild-mannered, successful businesswoman named LuLu Wong. When in need, though, it is Silver Hawk who shows up on a sleek motorcycle to exert some expert kung fu on the bad guys.
The relatively inane story -- something about a madman who kidnaps a scientist, blackmails a Japanese telecom boss and uses mobile phones to control people's minds -- trips over its clumsy dialogue in English, Cantonese and Mandarin. Awkwardly written exposition is delivered with more emphasis on pronunciation than conviction. In addition, the villain, played by Luke Goss, appears to have stolen the Morpheus wardrobe right off the "Matrix" lot.
Silver Hawk herself is like a female cyber Batman, except the complex psychological characterization in Tim Burton's film has been replaced by the cornball style of the '60s TV series. What the filmmakers forgot is that the heroine's life outside her caped costume is just as significant to the story.
Taiwan star Richie Jen appears as a police inspector who is also a childhood friend of Silver Hawk. Clearly, he is meant to be the romantic interest but comes off more as comic foil. The only other actor of note is Michael Jai White ("Spawn"), who, partnered with Chinese actress Li Bing Bing as a pair of mercenary thugs, fights great but has little else to do. Too bad, because those two make a more intriguing couple than the leads.
Hong Kong helmer Jingle Ma is a competent director of action, but he loves his slo-mo shots a little too much. There's a couple of unusual battle setups -- one involving bungee chords and the other hockey sticks and skates -- that give the fight sequences a different look, but there's no rhyme or reason for these things as fighting weapons or tactical tools. One of the most hyped elements of the movie is a motorcycle jump made by Yeoh across a section of the Great Wall. While it might make for a terrific promotional stunt, Ma's cameras aren't in the right places to best capture the spectacle.
But "Silver Hawk"'s biggest flaw is an utterly pedestrian script that shows little initiative or imagination. Sometimes, even basic logic is missing: The bad guy's mind-controlling cell phones are launched and marketed, and hundreds of thousands of units are sold in the span of, oh, two days?
With apologies to Ridley Scott, let's call this one "Silver Hawk Down".
SILVER HAWK
Han Entertainment and Tianjin Film Studio
in affiliation with China Film Co-operation Corp.
A Mythical Films production
Credits:
Director: Jingle Ma
Screenwriter: Susan Chan
Producers: Michelle Yeoh, Thomas Chung, Gao Feng Jun
Executive producers: Michelle Yeoh, Thomas Chung, Han Hong Fei, John Chong
Director of photography: Jingle Ma, Chan Chi-ying
Music: Peter Kam
Production designer: Yee Chung-man
Costume designers: Dora Ng, Connie Au Yeung
Action director: Ailen Sit
Editor: Kong Chi-leung
Cast:
LuLu Wong/Silver Hawk: Michelle Yeoh
Rich Man: Richie Jen Hsien-chi
Alexander Wolfe: Luke Goss
Kit: Brandon Chang
Morris: Michael Jai White
Jane: Li Bing Bing
Professor Ho Chung: Chen Da-ming
Running time -- 99 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Pandasia Entertainment on Thursday filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit alleging breach of contract, constructive fraud and unfair business practices against Michelle Yeoh, her producing partner Thomas Chung and Mythical Films in connection with the yet-to-be released feature film The Touch. The suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that Yeoh and Chung made "false and misleading representations and promises" to Pandasia, which was brought in to co-finance the film. The suit says that, unbeknownst to Pandasia, Mythical Films -- jointly owned and operated by Yeoh and Chung -- provided Chung with a first-time producer fee of $900,000 and Yeoh with a $600,000 first-time producer fee, a $1 million acting fee and 20% of the worldwide gross receipts.
- 5/16/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
CANNES -- Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun-Fat, the key actors in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, will team up again for a new Chinese historical epic, Hua Mulan, the latest film from Hong Kong-based Han Entertainment and Yeoh's own company, Mythical Films. "I'm absolutely thrilled to be involved in a project that brings these two icons together again," said Thomas Chung, Han's managing director, who first approached Chow in November and received immediate interest from the actor, who most recently starred in Bulletproof Monk. "He has already made very valuable input into his character," Chung added. Chung also confirmed that the first major sale of the film, which goes into production Aug. 22 in China, has been made to South Korean distributor Korea Pictures.
- 5/15/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
HONG KONG -- Michelle Yeoh is donning her actress-producer hat again for a stint as a female Robin Hood with a new film, The Masked Crusader, to be directed by cinematographer-turned-director Jingle Ma. The $10 million film will be produced by Yeoh and partner Thomas Chung under the auspices of her company, Mythical Films, which is associated with Chung's Han Entertainment. Principal photography is expected to start in January in Hong Kong, China and Japan. Masked Crusader is based on the legendary Wong Ngung, who fought for justice for the underdog and was a popular subject of black-and-white films of the 1960s, with many of the top actresses of the time portraying her. This version, set in the year 2009, will be the first time a modern-day film has been made about her.
- 10/29/2002
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
HONG KONG -- Michelle Yeoh is donning her actress-producer hat again for a stint as a female Robin Hood with a new film, The Masked Crusader, to be directed by cinematographer-turned-director Jingle Ma. The $10 million film will be produced by Yeoh and partner Thomas Chung under the auspices of her company, Mythical Films, which is associated with Chung's Han Entertainment. Principal photography is expected to start in January in Hong Kong, China and Japan. Masked Crusader is based on the legendary Wong Ngung, who fought for justice for the underdog and was a popular subject of black-and-white films of the 1960s, with many of the top actresses of the time portraying her. This version, set in the year 2009, will be the first time a modern-day film has been made about her.
- 10/29/2002
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After a few selective but shrewd co-starring roles, Asia's No. 1 heroine, Michelle Yeoh, has finally found a vehicle in English. "The Touch" is a $20 million action-adventure played out like Ms. Indiana Jones in the Buddhist Temple of Doom. Besides starring, Yeoh co-produced and hired the filmmaking team. Sadly, creative control did not translate into a creative movie. While the picture doesn't completely fail, it does fall short. But in a summer lacking quality popcorn movies, "Touch" stands a good chance to tomb-raid the Asian boxoffice. (Miramax holds North American and European distribution rights.)
Set in China, the ever graceful and appealing Yeoh is Yin, a Cirque de Soleil-style acrobat working with her younger brother, Tong (newcomer Brandon Chang). Englishman Ben Chaplin ("The Truth About Cats & Dogs") plays Eric, an orphan whom Yin's father/trainer has quasi-adopted. How a white kid wound up homeless on the streets of Asia is unclear. Nevertheless, Eric and Yin grew up together, giving each other long glances during puberty. Now, he's a master thief working for a ruthless art collector. Richard Roxburgh ("Moulin Rouge") portrays the murderous villain who will do anything to get his hands on a precious Buddhist relic. In a nutshell, he kidnaps Yeoh's brother as they all race to uncover the sacred prize, which may or may not possess great mystical powers.
Helmed by Oscar-winning cinematographer Peter Pau ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"), the truly exotic locations in Tibet, Qingtao and the Dunhuang desert in China are absolutely breathtaking.
As for Yeoh, one of life's pure pleasures is watching her kick butt. But there probably isn't enough foot-to-ass action to satisfy Yeoh's die-hard fans. In fact, one of the disappointments of "Touch" is the overuse of computer effects -- and rather obvious ones at that. Word is, the American release will be more polished. Right now, the climax in a remote underground cave of fake fires and crumbling CGI pillars holds little suspense or thrills for viewers used to seeing Yeoh dangle off real trains and buildings in her Hong Kong flicks.
Stuck with a formulaic plot with predictably stiff dialogue, it's a shame the cast members don't get to stretch their characters in more interesting directions. Chaplin's Eric, for one, could be full of fascinating shades of gray as a product of East and West, and good and bad.
There also is little chemistry in the Yeoh-Chaplin romance. She is all strength and dependability -- like an Asian Sigourney Weaver, more maternal protector than romantic bombshell. As a result, it's hard to accept the meeker Chaplin catching her eye. In contrast, you can believe Yeoh going to the end of the world to save her younger sibling.
Flawed as it is, "Touch" offers some dazzling Chinese scenery -- as spectacular as those in "Crouching Tiger" -- and snazzy kung-fu action.
THE TOUCH
Miramax
Han Entertainment and Tianjin Film Studio
Credits:
Director/director of photography: Peter Pau
Screenwriters: Laurent Courtiaud, Julien Carbon, J.D. Zeik
From a story by: Thomas Chung, Michelle Yeoh, Peter Pau
Producers: Michelle Yeoh, Thomas Chung, Gao Feng Jun
Executive producers: Michelle Yeoh, Helen Pao Yun Huang, Kazuo Okada
Action choreography: Philip Kwok Chun-fung
Production designer: Thomas Chong
Music: Basil Poledouris
Costume designer: Shirley Chan
Editor: Marshall Harvey
Cast:
Yin Fei: Michelle Yeoh
Eric: Ben Chaplin
Karl: Richard Roxburgh
Tong: Brandon Chang
Bob: Dane Cook
Lily: Margaret Wang
Ping: Ken Tsang
Monk: Long Sihung
Running time -- 103 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Set in China, the ever graceful and appealing Yeoh is Yin, a Cirque de Soleil-style acrobat working with her younger brother, Tong (newcomer Brandon Chang). Englishman Ben Chaplin ("The Truth About Cats & Dogs") plays Eric, an orphan whom Yin's father/trainer has quasi-adopted. How a white kid wound up homeless on the streets of Asia is unclear. Nevertheless, Eric and Yin grew up together, giving each other long glances during puberty. Now, he's a master thief working for a ruthless art collector. Richard Roxburgh ("Moulin Rouge") portrays the murderous villain who will do anything to get his hands on a precious Buddhist relic. In a nutshell, he kidnaps Yeoh's brother as they all race to uncover the sacred prize, which may or may not possess great mystical powers.
Helmed by Oscar-winning cinematographer Peter Pau ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"), the truly exotic locations in Tibet, Qingtao and the Dunhuang desert in China are absolutely breathtaking.
As for Yeoh, one of life's pure pleasures is watching her kick butt. But there probably isn't enough foot-to-ass action to satisfy Yeoh's die-hard fans. In fact, one of the disappointments of "Touch" is the overuse of computer effects -- and rather obvious ones at that. Word is, the American release will be more polished. Right now, the climax in a remote underground cave of fake fires and crumbling CGI pillars holds little suspense or thrills for viewers used to seeing Yeoh dangle off real trains and buildings in her Hong Kong flicks.
Stuck with a formulaic plot with predictably stiff dialogue, it's a shame the cast members don't get to stretch their characters in more interesting directions. Chaplin's Eric, for one, could be full of fascinating shades of gray as a product of East and West, and good and bad.
There also is little chemistry in the Yeoh-Chaplin romance. She is all strength and dependability -- like an Asian Sigourney Weaver, more maternal protector than romantic bombshell. As a result, it's hard to accept the meeker Chaplin catching her eye. In contrast, you can believe Yeoh going to the end of the world to save her younger sibling.
Flawed as it is, "Touch" offers some dazzling Chinese scenery -- as spectacular as those in "Crouching Tiger" -- and snazzy kung-fu action.
THE TOUCH
Miramax
Han Entertainment and Tianjin Film Studio
Credits:
Director/director of photography: Peter Pau
Screenwriters: Laurent Courtiaud, Julien Carbon, J.D. Zeik
From a story by: Thomas Chung, Michelle Yeoh, Peter Pau
Producers: Michelle Yeoh, Thomas Chung, Gao Feng Jun
Executive producers: Michelle Yeoh, Helen Pao Yun Huang, Kazuo Okada
Action choreography: Philip Kwok Chun-fung
Production designer: Thomas Chong
Music: Basil Poledouris
Costume designer: Shirley Chan
Editor: Marshall Harvey
Cast:
Yin Fei: Michelle Yeoh
Eric: Ben Chaplin
Karl: Richard Roxburgh
Tong: Brandon Chang
Bob: Dane Cook
Lily: Margaret Wang
Ping: Ken Tsang
Monk: Long Sihung
Running time -- 103 minutes
No MPAA rating...
"Gen Y Cops" is entertaining, flashy and outlandish, not to mention ridiculous and silly -- as you'd expect any good Hong Kong picture to be. It is still lower-grade than most of John Woo's locally made films, but Hong Kong aficionados will enjoy the uberkitsch of its kinetic energy.
A sequel to last year's hit "Gen X Cops", "Gen Y", directed by Benny Chan (Jackie Chan's "Who Am I?") again features some of Hong Kong's top idols as a group of skilled young agents tackling equally fashionable and good-looking terrorists. Imagine 'N Sync and Britney battling Backstreet Boys and Christina directed by Michael Bay. The first film found success throughout Asia, including Japan and Singapore, and is out on DVD in America.
For "Gen Y", the producers have set their sights on more international appeal. Much of the film is in English, and the cast is bolstered with more native English-speaking leads, including Toronto-raised Edison Chen, Hawaiian-Chinese model Maggie Q and young American actor Paul Rudd ("Clueless", "The Cider House Rules").
The plot involves a robot named RS1 (think RoboCop version 7.1) that an American weapons company has created and unveiled at a law enforcement exhibition in Hong Kong. When the disgruntled teen IT genius who created the robot steals it back, the Gen Y Cops and their FBI rivals go into action tracking the dangerous robot. Complicating the story is that one of the young cops is a childhood friend of the bad boy.
Twenty-year-old Chen makes his debut as the officer who gets duped by his friend-turned-foe. With his martial arts training and James Dean-brooding looks, he could be a big regional star soon.
Along with Chen, the slick actioner relies heavily on the charisma of the other stars and tongue-in-cheek humor that ensures nobody takes this lightweight romp too seriously. As goofball sidekicks, Stephen Fung and especially Sam Lee (of Fruit Chan's "Made in Hong Kong" fame) fill their scenes with enough Bill-and-Ted-type excellent adventures for maximum comic relief. In fact, Lee is beginning to rival Jim Carrey for facial contortions.
Chinese audiences also should get a kick from Anthony Wong Chau-sang (Ann Hui's "Ordinary Heroes") and Eric Kot as incompetent scientists who brag that their robot is better than the American version. Unfortunately, their hilarious Jiang Zemin accents won't be picked up by Western audiences.
In between the broad slapstick are predictable shootouts, kung fu fights and explosions, all backed by a techno soundtrack straight from last weekend's rave.
Not as interesting are some of the stiff secondary players relegated to bad expository dialogue. This is a film with virtually no character development, which is sometimes a blessing because "character development" in projects like this is often painful to watch.
The short-circuited ending goes from intense to frivolous to laughable as the computer robot threatens to detonate its nuclear center in a downtown core. Somehow, the inconsistent tone isn't too disturbing. As Hong Kong cinephiles know, it comes with the territory.
GEN Y COPS
Presented by Media Asia Films in association with Regent Entertainment
Credits: Director: Benny Chan; Screenwriters: Felix Chong, Bey Logan; Producers: John Chong/Solon So, Benny Chan; Executive producers: Thomas Chung, Willie Chan; Director of photography: Anthony Pun; Production designer: Bruce Yu
Music: Peter Kam; Editor: Cheung Ka Fai; Action director: Nicky Li. Cast: Edison: Edison Chen; Match: Stephen Fung; Alien: Sam Lee; Jane: Maggie Q; Kurt: Richard Sun; Ian Curtis: Paul Rudd; Oli: Rachel Ngan; Ross Tucker: Mark Hicks; Inspector Chung: Christy Chung. No MPAA rating. Running time -- 108 minutes. Color/stereo.
A sequel to last year's hit "Gen X Cops", "Gen Y", directed by Benny Chan (Jackie Chan's "Who Am I?") again features some of Hong Kong's top idols as a group of skilled young agents tackling equally fashionable and good-looking terrorists. Imagine 'N Sync and Britney battling Backstreet Boys and Christina directed by Michael Bay. The first film found success throughout Asia, including Japan and Singapore, and is out on DVD in America.
For "Gen Y", the producers have set their sights on more international appeal. Much of the film is in English, and the cast is bolstered with more native English-speaking leads, including Toronto-raised Edison Chen, Hawaiian-Chinese model Maggie Q and young American actor Paul Rudd ("Clueless", "The Cider House Rules").
The plot involves a robot named RS1 (think RoboCop version 7.1) that an American weapons company has created and unveiled at a law enforcement exhibition in Hong Kong. When the disgruntled teen IT genius who created the robot steals it back, the Gen Y Cops and their FBI rivals go into action tracking the dangerous robot. Complicating the story is that one of the young cops is a childhood friend of the bad boy.
Twenty-year-old Chen makes his debut as the officer who gets duped by his friend-turned-foe. With his martial arts training and James Dean-brooding looks, he could be a big regional star soon.
Along with Chen, the slick actioner relies heavily on the charisma of the other stars and tongue-in-cheek humor that ensures nobody takes this lightweight romp too seriously. As goofball sidekicks, Stephen Fung and especially Sam Lee (of Fruit Chan's "Made in Hong Kong" fame) fill their scenes with enough Bill-and-Ted-type excellent adventures for maximum comic relief. In fact, Lee is beginning to rival Jim Carrey for facial contortions.
Chinese audiences also should get a kick from Anthony Wong Chau-sang (Ann Hui's "Ordinary Heroes") and Eric Kot as incompetent scientists who brag that their robot is better than the American version. Unfortunately, their hilarious Jiang Zemin accents won't be picked up by Western audiences.
In between the broad slapstick are predictable shootouts, kung fu fights and explosions, all backed by a techno soundtrack straight from last weekend's rave.
Not as interesting are some of the stiff secondary players relegated to bad expository dialogue. This is a film with virtually no character development, which is sometimes a blessing because "character development" in projects like this is often painful to watch.
The short-circuited ending goes from intense to frivolous to laughable as the computer robot threatens to detonate its nuclear center in a downtown core. Somehow, the inconsistent tone isn't too disturbing. As Hong Kong cinephiles know, it comes with the territory.
GEN Y COPS
Presented by Media Asia Films in association with Regent Entertainment
Credits: Director: Benny Chan; Screenwriters: Felix Chong, Bey Logan; Producers: John Chong/Solon So, Benny Chan; Executive producers: Thomas Chung, Willie Chan; Director of photography: Anthony Pun; Production designer: Bruce Yu
Music: Peter Kam; Editor: Cheung Ka Fai; Action director: Nicky Li. Cast: Edison: Edison Chen; Match: Stephen Fung; Alien: Sam Lee; Jane: Maggie Q; Kurt: Richard Sun; Ian Curtis: Paul Rudd; Oli: Rachel Ngan; Ross Tucker: Mark Hicks; Inspector Chung: Christy Chung. No MPAA rating. Running time -- 108 minutes. Color/stereo.
"2000 AD" is the latest film from Hong Kong mini-major Media Asia, which started with Mandarin-language art house movies but now produces high-quality actioners that can perform well at home and travel internationally. The film, which changed from its original title, "Y2K", to avoid postmillennium letdown, closed the recent Udine Festival of Far East Film.
"2000", a story about counter-espionage and computer viruses, is directed by Gordon Chan, an eminently bankable mainstream helmer who alternates glossy action pictures with more personal movies like 1998's feisty caper "Beast Cops". Scripted by Chan and American Stu Zicherman, "2000"'s complicated plot sees three young friends caught up in a criminal attempt to destabilize the world economy by unleashing a menacing computer virus. The film toplines singing and acting superstar Aaron Kwok, who plays a small-time computer whiz kid.
The boxoffice doldrums of the past five years have forced Hong Kong producers to rethink their strategies. During the early '90s, any sketchy star vehicle was sufficient to draw crowds. But nowadays, local producers have realized that they must increase production values to maintain their slipping share of the domestic -- and regional -- market.
While part of the new Media Asia philosophy, demonstrated in last year's "Gen-X Cops", has been to cultivate a roster of younger, cheaper talent, "2000", a co-
production with Singapore's Raintree Pictures, departs from this idea by featuring Kwok -- recognizable in the West for his role in the martial arts fantasy "Stormriders" -- in the leading role. But this doesn't lead to any skimping on the action scenes.
When his brother, a world-class computer programmer with links to the CIA, is murdered, Peter (Kwok) and friends Benny (Media Asia regular Daniel Wu) and Janet (newcomer Gigi Choi) trail the killer to Singapore. Once in the Lion City, the convoluted tale slims down to make room for the action as Peter and company unravel the plot behind the murder.
An opening aerial combat scene is immaculately shot and sets the standard for the quality of action to come. Along with effective pyrotechnics, "2000" features classy stunt driving, passable martial arts and rip-roaring shootouts that make effective use of slow motion and freeze frames. The Hong Kong action sequences have a noticeable edge on those shot in Singapore, probably attributable to a greater familiarity with the terrain back home.
Sadly, the film is hamstrung by a needlessly complex setup that confuses with its plethora of interconnected characters and activities. "2000" would have benefited from a clearer plot line and fewer characters, which would have made the journey from action scene to action scene a much smoother ride.
2000 AD
Media Asia Films/Raintree Pictures
Director: Gordon Chan
Screenwriters: Gordon Chan, Stu Zicherman
Producers: John Chong, Solon So, David Leong, Thomas Chung, Daniel Yun, Willie Chan
Director of photography: Arthur Wong
Production designer: James Leung
Action coordinator: Yuen Tak
Editor: Chan Ki-hop
Music: Shigeru Umebayashi
Costume designer: Bruce Yu
Color/stereo
Cast:
Peter: Aaron Kwok
Benny: Daniel Wu
Janet: Gigi Choi
Ronald: Francis Ng
Running time -- 98 minutes
No MPAA rating...
"2000", a story about counter-espionage and computer viruses, is directed by Gordon Chan, an eminently bankable mainstream helmer who alternates glossy action pictures with more personal movies like 1998's feisty caper "Beast Cops". Scripted by Chan and American Stu Zicherman, "2000"'s complicated plot sees three young friends caught up in a criminal attempt to destabilize the world economy by unleashing a menacing computer virus. The film toplines singing and acting superstar Aaron Kwok, who plays a small-time computer whiz kid.
The boxoffice doldrums of the past five years have forced Hong Kong producers to rethink their strategies. During the early '90s, any sketchy star vehicle was sufficient to draw crowds. But nowadays, local producers have realized that they must increase production values to maintain their slipping share of the domestic -- and regional -- market.
While part of the new Media Asia philosophy, demonstrated in last year's "Gen-X Cops", has been to cultivate a roster of younger, cheaper talent, "2000", a co-
production with Singapore's Raintree Pictures, departs from this idea by featuring Kwok -- recognizable in the West for his role in the martial arts fantasy "Stormriders" -- in the leading role. But this doesn't lead to any skimping on the action scenes.
When his brother, a world-class computer programmer with links to the CIA, is murdered, Peter (Kwok) and friends Benny (Media Asia regular Daniel Wu) and Janet (newcomer Gigi Choi) trail the killer to Singapore. Once in the Lion City, the convoluted tale slims down to make room for the action as Peter and company unravel the plot behind the murder.
An opening aerial combat scene is immaculately shot and sets the standard for the quality of action to come. Along with effective pyrotechnics, "2000" features classy stunt driving, passable martial arts and rip-roaring shootouts that make effective use of slow motion and freeze frames. The Hong Kong action sequences have a noticeable edge on those shot in Singapore, probably attributable to a greater familiarity with the terrain back home.
Sadly, the film is hamstrung by a needlessly complex setup that confuses with its plethora of interconnected characters and activities. "2000" would have benefited from a clearer plot line and fewer characters, which would have made the journey from action scene to action scene a much smoother ride.
2000 AD
Media Asia Films/Raintree Pictures
Director: Gordon Chan
Screenwriters: Gordon Chan, Stu Zicherman
Producers: John Chong, Solon So, David Leong, Thomas Chung, Daniel Yun, Willie Chan
Director of photography: Arthur Wong
Production designer: James Leung
Action coordinator: Yuen Tak
Editor: Chan Ki-hop
Music: Shigeru Umebayashi
Costume designer: Bruce Yu
Color/stereo
Cast:
Peter: Aaron Kwok
Benny: Daniel Wu
Janet: Gigi Choi
Ronald: Francis Ng
Running time -- 98 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 6/14/2000
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.