Run
Director: Andrew Kam
Year: 2000
Rating: 4.0
I never quite figured out why this film was
titled Run as there is no running that I can recall. Perhaps it was a warning
to the viewer – as in RUN - don’t walk - away from this video before it is
too late! As soon as you see that it was filmed on videotape, you can be
fairly sure that you are in for a bad time. But I trudged on anyway because
the film does have the buxomly Diana Pang Dan and as a public service to
her many fans I thought it was my duty to slog through it. Can I get Sainthood
for this?
From my limited viewing (though others may conclude that it is way too much!)
of Pang Dan films they seem to generally fall into two categories. Those
in which she reveals a great deal of herself – and I don’t mean her personality
– and those in which she is almost the girl next door – sweet, devoted and
fully clothed. Needless to say, I have a preference for the former type and
in films such as Evil Instinct and The Imp she can be quite entertaining
in a gauche sort of way.
Regrettably, this film is in her girl next door mode and it is pretty awful
for the most part. I give Pang Dan some credit though – she really tries
here to rely on acting as opposed to cleavage – and she gives it everything
she has. It is kind of like watching your kid in the school play – it may
be terrible – but you are kind of proud of her for trying so hard. Here Pang
Dan cries, grieves, rages and laughs – the whole gamut of emotions and then
in the final fifteen minutes fights savagely for her life. Even so – this
is still a very bad film.
In the opening scene a crooked boss kills Pang Dan’s cousin and gets
rid of the body. Pang Dan starts arduously searching for her missing cousin.
In fact she walks all over HK looking for her – and it is almost a walking
tour of HK – and somehow Pang Dan manages to change outfits six times during
this walk! Not knowing the boss is a crook and a killer Pang Dan starts working
for him but eventually discovers the truth and this leads to the final fight.
Now this final fight is a complete hoot as Pang Dan takes on a professional
killer and a few of his lackeys and uses both kung fu and some Chow Yun Fat
gunplay to get the better of them. This fight goes on forever as people get
knocked down, get up, kick someone, shoot someone, get knocked back down
and so on.
My rating for this film: 4.0