Another great actioner from director Benny Chan, re-uniting Donnie Yen and Nicholas Tse from the wonderful Dragon Tiger Gate. This time they’re on opposite sides of the law as cop (Donnie) goes after charismatic robber (Nick). It’s action-packed with visceral gunfights galore beautifully filmed by a prowling camera. Chan shoots with energy to spare, mixing aerial, crane and steadicam shots and capturing both the dramatic and the picturesque.
The final confrontation between the two leads, reminiscent of Heat and choreographed as usual by Donnie, is operatic in scale. It’s not in Dragon Tiger Gate’s league and will not be to everyone’s taste owing to some melodramatic acting, but it’s a spellbinding watch for anyone who loves the moving image. There’s also a moving tribute over the end-credits.