Kill Zone/SPL is one of the most brutal, powerful pieces of action cinema I have seen in years. Yip's brilliant direction and the stunning, bone-shattering choreography of the fight scenes alone are enough of a reason to recommend it, but the way the film deals with human tragedy at the same time as blowing the whole action genre out of the water has to be seen to be believed.
It has been pointed out by detractors that Kill Zone is unbelievably dramatic, with a lot being made of the fact that no police force on earth would forgo jailing a man because he 'didn't kill' the guy he was beating unconscious with a golf club. If this was intended to be Serpico this would be a fair comment. Still, it isn't really, that comment shows an unwillingness to take the movies OTT Shakespearean tragedy vibe to heart more than an issue within the movie. I see far less believable stuff at home in the cinema and no-one complains about that.
Kill Zone shows both real storytelling strength that hasn't been seen in the HK action genre since Purple Storm all those years back. It may not be totally realistic but it is most definitely powerful and moving. It's accentuated with graphic, gritty action and stunning stunt work from the leads. Donnie Yen is a powerhouse of martial arts power as always, newcomer Wu Jing is fantastic and terrifying to boot as an unspeaking knife-wielding assassin, and Simon Yam is on the best form I've seen him at since Full Contact back in the 90s.
At the end of the day, this is not a crime-thriller, it is an action movie. That this excellent movie has come under fire as being an 'unrealistic crime-thriller' shows how much extra filling and power it has in comparison with other action flicks, as it is so much deeper than the average bear it's been mistaken for an arty crime drama. Next time you want an action movie, rent this, it will stir fry you in it's wok.
It has been pointed out by detractors that Kill Zone is unbelievably dramatic, with a lot being made of the fact that no police force on earth would forgo jailing a man because he 'didn't kill' the guy he was beating unconscious with a golf club. If this was intended to be Serpico this would be a fair comment. Still, it isn't really, that comment shows an unwillingness to take the movies OTT Shakespearean tragedy vibe to heart more than an issue within the movie. I see far less believable stuff at home in the cinema and no-one complains about that.
Kill Zone shows both real storytelling strength that hasn't been seen in the HK action genre since Purple Storm all those years back. It may not be totally realistic but it is most definitely powerful and moving. It's accentuated with graphic, gritty action and stunning stunt work from the leads. Donnie Yen is a powerhouse of martial arts power as always, newcomer Wu Jing is fantastic and terrifying to boot as an unspeaking knife-wielding assassin, and Simon Yam is on the best form I've seen him at since Full Contact back in the 90s.
At the end of the day, this is not a crime-thriller, it is an action movie. That this excellent movie has come under fire as being an 'unrealistic crime-thriller' shows how much extra filling and power it has in comparison with other action flicks, as it is so much deeper than the average bear it's been mistaken for an arty crime drama. Next time you want an action movie, rent this, it will stir fry you in it's wok.