Hon zin (2012)

The police department has long been untouchable until tonight when hijackers kidnap 5 highly trained officers. Cryptic messages from the hijackers expose a mole within the task force.

Directors:

Lok Man Leung (as Longman Leung), Kim-Ching Luk (as Sunny Luk)

Writers:

Lok Man Leung, Kim-Ching Luk (as Sunny Luk)

Stars:

Aaron Kwok, Tony Ka Fai Leung, Charlie Yeung

14 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Aaron Kwok	...	Sean Lau
Tony Ka Fai Leung	...	M.B. Waise Lee
Charlie Yeung	...	Phoenix Leung
Ka Tung Lam	...	Albert Kwong
Kar Lok Chin	...	Vincent Tsui (as Chin Ka Lok)
Andy On	...	Michael Shek
Terence Yin	...	Man To
Aarif Rahman	...	Billy Cheung
Eddie Peng	...	Joe Lee
Andy Lau	...	Philip Luk
Byron Mann	...	Chan Bin
Yili Ma	...	Michelle Lau
Alex Tsui	...	Mathew Mak
Michael Wong	...	York Tsang
Tony Ho	...	William Ngai

Storyline

In the safest city in Asia, the Hong Kong police department has been untouchable for years. Until one night the police headquarters receives an anonymous call after a fully loaded police van, carrying five highly trained officers and equipment, disappears off the gird. After receiving several cryptic phone calls from the hijackers one officer starts realizing they're aware of every crucial decision they make. But as they execute a carefully planned attack, little do they know they've become unwitting pawns in a bigger, more dangerous game.

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Plot Keywords:

hong kong police | die hard scenario | street shootout | police escort | hospital | 

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Taglines:

Loyalty is a lie

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and brief language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese English

Release Date:

8 November 2012 (Hong Kong)

Also Known As:

Cold War

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$45,249,153

Company Credits

Production Co:

Edko Films, Irresistible Delta, Irresistible Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min 126 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Philip Luk: Extreme times require extreme measures.

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Connections

Followed by Cold War II (2016)

User Reviews

Taut and smartly-paced, "Cold War" warrants a sequel

An explosion in the heart of Hong Kong city and the mystery disappearance of an EU van with five armed policemen onboard kick start a series of events that not only threaten the innocent citizens of Hong Kong but also the cohesion of the police force.

Heavenly King Aaron Kwok plays Lau, the Deputy Commissioner of administrative services of the HK police force while Tony Leung Ka Fai plays Lee, the Deputy Commissioner of operations. With the Commissioner (Michael Wong) away on a conference in Copenhagen, Lee assumed the position of officer-in-charge and authorized an immediate rescue operation (codenamed Cold War) of the kidnapped officers. However, Lau has doubts over Lee's authority and a fight over the commanding position ensues. With the clock ticking including the safety of Lee's son, Joe (Taiwanese idol Eddie Peng) being one of the kidnapped police officers, operation Cold War is still a go despite the differences.

Co-helmed by first time directors Sunny Luk (who serves as one of the writers and second assistant director on movies such as "Full Alert" and "On the Edge") and art director Longman Leung, "Cold War" is an intense crime thriller that collectively packed a lot of stuff into a compact 100 odd minutes. Taking into account the countless familiar faces that the duo has assembled, this factor probably already worth the admission ticket alone. The summary above only accounts for the first half of the movie, yes you heard that right. You got an electrifying scene between Lau and Lee's character. Two Heavenly Kings, one by the name of Andy sharing a scene together after their last collaboration in "Lee Rock II" almost two decades ago and a nail-biting scene involving Lau bringing a whole bag of cash to meet the kidnappers and ends with a gunfight on a busy road.

Another gentle reminder, all these happened in the first half of "Cold War" and we have yet reached the end.

Luk and Leung take a fresh spin on the usual crime genre and gave it a new life during the process thus instead of a straight out actioner liked Benny Chan's "EU Strike Force", we have a layered cop drama in the league of "Infernal Affairs". The story is also the duo's love song to their beloved homeland, a country that is run on a respected common law jurisdiction and enjoyed freedom of speech and accountability which is a stark contrast to the People's Republic of China. The two filmmakers refuse to rest on their laurels that they have to introduce a young ICAC rookie, Cheung (Aarif Rahman from "Bruce Lee, My Brother") in the next half of the movie to investigate Lau's alleged involvement in the missing ransom which in turn question the existence of a mole in the force. This is not to say the scripting of "Cold War" is perfect. In fact, in an enthusiastic move to generate more twists and turns, a couple of missteps including too many false endings and a CG filled finale actually hamper the overall enjoyment a little.

After being lambasted for his cheesy acting in "Murderer" and "City Under Siege", Kwok equipped with a salt-and-pepper hairstyle is surprisingly believable as the calm, confident Lau while the award- winning Leung shines in a role that screams for more. The other supporting cast includes Gordon Lam Ka Tong playing a role that he can virtually portrays in his sleep and action choreographer Chin Ka Lok doubling as Lau's subordinate, the ever pretty Charlie Young pops in as Head of Public Relations with Andy Lau in an extended cameo as the Secretary of Security. I can't say much for Eddie Peng but this young man unquestionably is a shining star to watch out for.

Even without the financial involvement of Mainland investors, "Cold War" is an impressive feat for the two relatively new filmmakers. The lush production values and picturesque aerial shots are examples of that. Although it doesn't feature wall-to-wall action (think "The Viral Factor"), "Cold War" is a recommended title proving the crime genre which the HK movie industry is famous for is still very much alive.