Interpol agents assembled from all parts of the globe have built evidence against a criminal known for armed robbery and drug trafficking, Panther Duen(Doi-yung Ng), cooperating with the Hong Kong Police force, operating under Commander Hong Sun(Simon Yam). But, a criminal alliance desire payback towards Hong Kong mafioso Tiger Duen(Ken Tong) who runs the Duen Syndicate getting rich off of gambling, drugs and prostitution..Tiger killed a man named Dominick(..along with others who participated in an armed robbery)whose brother, Petros(Michael Biehn), a former Captain for the Colombian army, seeks revenge, aligning himself with former Korean colonel, Ko Tsung Yuon(Jun-ho Heo) and his intimidating staff of talented killers. Soon the agents will join forces with a transportation cop, Kong Long(Sammo Hung), a demoted former Sergeant on the police force who cost the lives of six officers disobeying orders in a shootout with Ko Tsung Yuon and his men during a bank robbery, in an attempt to stop the criminal alliance from getting their hands on a roll of film containing the bank account number and password for all the firearms and drug dealers in the possession of Tiger's ex-lover, Yau Ching(Bingbing Li), for whom Petros gets romantically involved(..he instigates the relationship, at first, to get his hands on the film, but soon actually falls in love with Ching).
When I noticed this movie at a local Blockbuster, I was quite taken aback regarding the very eclectic cast in this movie. It seems to feature the who's-who of Asian cinema. And, this has a really great part for Michael Biehn, who is still in fine form as a difficult adversary for the young, green(..but impressively talented)agents out to get him and his gang of highly skilled assassins. Maggie Q has a nifty role as a silent(..and deadly) sniper, working for Ko, often exchanging gunfire with Yu Xia(..as the agents' ace marksman Luo Zai Jun), including one superb sequence in a cemetery as gravestones are blasted apart, not to mention the phenomenal action set piece where both teams partake in an epic shootout within an alley. Vanness Wu is the inexperienced, but courageous(..also brainy)Wang Sun Ho, who becomes Petros main foe, with their highlight shooting match featured during the climax of the film. Talking about exciting, Sammo Hung and Jun-ho Heo have two classic fights, one in a locker room, another in an abandoned warehouse..Heo carries a mean sword and how Hung combats him without one has got to be seen. Even though Hung might be overweight, smoking away on his cigars, this man has some very fast hands(..I think one can tell, thanks to clever camera techniques and editing that Hung, no matter how athletic he might be, used a stuntman sometimes)and his work opposite Heo is a marvel to experience.
Rounding out the cast of Interpol agents are Shengyi Huang as the agents' lone female teammate Pak Yut Suet(..her fate is heartbreaking, bringing a lump to the throat), Lawrence Chou as James Lam, and Shawn Yue as Hung Kei Lok. Accompanying Ko's gang are the brutish, hulking former Navy Seal Joe Pearson(Mark Henderson)and martial arts(..and gunner)expert Lee Chen Pei(Philip Ng). There are splendid shootouts between rival groups with lots of ammunition wasted without anyone even hit(..kind of amusing in that both teams are so talented they know how to keep from getting killed), although the casualties that result in the alley set the stage for the spectacular mall sequence featuring Biehn's Petros making life very difficult for agents Sun Ho and Lok as they attempt to halt his recovery of the roll of film. Also, the film features an exhilarating entrapment of Commander Hang Sun's police force where Ko and Petros somehow eliminate their enemies, allowing Tiger Duen to escape. Director Daniel Lee also provides characters with backgrounds and stories, fleshing them out as human beings..particularly Kong Long(..whose estranged daughter wants nothing to do with him, and his guilt losing officers thanks to a hasty decision on his part), Petros(..his willingness to kill whoever it takes to get his revenge, yet having a code of honor in regards to lying to anyone), and the talented young cast have moments devoted to their roles. Lee also provides the characters with B&W vignettes dedicated to each one's particular skill along with a brief description of who they are. There are times where Lee allows the film to get carried away with hyper-kinetic camera work and quick-cut editing, but there are still some awe-inspiring moments of sheer genius, plus some stunningly developed set-pieces. A real heart-pounding, cold-blooded, ultra-violent actioner from Daniel Lee.
When I noticed this movie at a local Blockbuster, I was quite taken aback regarding the very eclectic cast in this movie. It seems to feature the who's-who of Asian cinema. And, this has a really great part for Michael Biehn, who is still in fine form as a difficult adversary for the young, green(..but impressively talented)agents out to get him and his gang of highly skilled assassins. Maggie Q has a nifty role as a silent(..and deadly) sniper, working for Ko, often exchanging gunfire with Yu Xia(..as the agents' ace marksman Luo Zai Jun), including one superb sequence in a cemetery as gravestones are blasted apart, not to mention the phenomenal action set piece where both teams partake in an epic shootout within an alley. Vanness Wu is the inexperienced, but courageous(..also brainy)Wang Sun Ho, who becomes Petros main foe, with their highlight shooting match featured during the climax of the film. Talking about exciting, Sammo Hung and Jun-ho Heo have two classic fights, one in a locker room, another in an abandoned warehouse..Heo carries a mean sword and how Hung combats him without one has got to be seen. Even though Hung might be overweight, smoking away on his cigars, this man has some very fast hands(..I think one can tell, thanks to clever camera techniques and editing that Hung, no matter how athletic he might be, used a stuntman sometimes)and his work opposite Heo is a marvel to experience.
Rounding out the cast of Interpol agents are Shengyi Huang as the agents' lone female teammate Pak Yut Suet(..her fate is heartbreaking, bringing a lump to the throat), Lawrence Chou as James Lam, and Shawn Yue as Hung Kei Lok. Accompanying Ko's gang are the brutish, hulking former Navy Seal Joe Pearson(Mark Henderson)and martial arts(..and gunner)expert Lee Chen Pei(Philip Ng). There are splendid shootouts between rival groups with lots of ammunition wasted without anyone even hit(..kind of amusing in that both teams are so talented they know how to keep from getting killed), although the casualties that result in the alley set the stage for the spectacular mall sequence featuring Biehn's Petros making life very difficult for agents Sun Ho and Lok as they attempt to halt his recovery of the roll of film. Also, the film features an exhilarating entrapment of Commander Hang Sun's police force where Ko and Petros somehow eliminate their enemies, allowing Tiger Duen to escape. Director Daniel Lee also provides characters with backgrounds and stories, fleshing them out as human beings..particularly Kong Long(..whose estranged daughter wants nothing to do with him, and his guilt losing officers thanks to a hasty decision on his part), Petros(..his willingness to kill whoever it takes to get his revenge, yet having a code of honor in regards to lying to anyone), and the talented young cast have moments devoted to their roles. Lee also provides the characters with B&W vignettes dedicated to each one's particular skill along with a brief description of who they are. There are times where Lee allows the film to get carried away with hyper-kinetic camera work and quick-cut editing, but there are still some awe-inspiring moments of sheer genius, plus some stunningly developed set-pieces. A real heart-pounding, cold-blooded, ultra-violent actioner from Daniel Lee.