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Price:US$5.95
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Leung Ka-Fai is a leading figure in the Taiwan underworld who now wants to protect himself from a government crackdown by winning a seat for the Nationallist Party. Andy Lau is the government inspector who wants to bring him down. Leung uses his great wealth and Triad tactics to gain popular support and overcome any setbacks. Lau uses a crack squad of professionals and sheer determination to battle not only the underworld, but the corruption within the government. Thus the stage is set for the inevitable showdown between Leung and Lau. But, unfortunately, by the film's climax, the audience is already hopelessly lost. The movie has so many twists and turns, and so many characters coming and going, that you can't remember who's who and why they're doing what they're doing. It feels like the overdone films the Mak brothers used put out in the 80's, except with much higher production values. What's worse is that it feels like two totally different movies. When Leung's character is on screen, it tries to be a GODFATHER-like saga, exposing the day-to-day corruption in Taiwan politics. But when Lau's team appears, it suddenly becomes a MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE-style espionage piece, with high-tech gadgets and incredibly implausible action sequences. It doesn't help that the dialogue frequently switches back and forth between Cantonese and Mandarin for no apparent reason. If you don't mind the numerous plot holes and disjointed nature of the movie, there are a few good things about the movie. Leung Ka-Fei does a fairly decent job of playing a ruthless triad, and his machinations to steal the election can be fascinating to watch. And the high-budget action sequences can be great if you are willing to forgo reality. Perhaps the best part of the film, though, is the obviously loving relationship Leung shares with his wife, played ably by Paulyn Sun. Through all the ups and downs Leung experiences over the course of the film, they stand by each other. If only the movie had concentrated more on this aspect, it would have been a more compelling film.
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