House of Fury (Qing Wu Jia
Ting)
Reviewed by Lee Alon
Leading a normal life as a herbalist and practitioner
of traditional medicine, Master Yue's past comes back to haunt him before
long, much like Anthony Wong's advancing years have accumulated to make the
cherished thespian look a tad odd in a fast paced actioner. One can't help
liking Wong, but at his age it may be prudent to rethink career strategies
and maybe concentrate on character roles, where the man's unique style and
skill can be better realized.
Yue (done by Wong) has raised quite the superhero family, and even keeps
mementos from his James Bond-like history in service of Queen and Country
stashed away in a Batmanish hideout behind the med shop. Indeed, House of
Fury at least comes to terms with Hong Kong's British background, treating
it as a respectable aspect of the city's identity rather than something to
avoid. But lest anyone be beguiled into thinking this Jackie Chan-supervised
martial arts escapade a History Channel docudrama, things quickly turn to
focus on Yue's little troupe of gong fu supremos, comprising son Nicky (Stephen
Fung, who also directed) and daughter Natalie (Gillian Chung). The three,
a mite reminiscent of the Avengers in their snazzy little Mini with the Union
Jack all over the car's roof, face a brutal cavalcade of vindictive retribution
from seriously disturbed Rocco (Michael Wong of Magic Kitchen, New Option
series and Women from Mars). The latter blames Master Yue and his martial
arts progenitor for becoming wheelchair bound, and has traversed the world
for 12 years in search of payback.
What follows qualifies as Yuen Wo Ping's best choreography since as far back
as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, consisting of a myriad of bewildering
moves that make the most of locales and environments. In addition, Yuen injected
some of the trademark splits, rebounds and kick combos so often associated
with his work, and we have to admit all cast members have done well in carrying
out their action duties. Too bad HOF has little to offer beyond its excellent
fight sequences. The story doesn't challenge the intellect of a five year
old, even with supporting characters trying to flesh out goings on. Charlene
Choi steps in as Nicky's best friend from school, and together they aim to
relive some of that awfully cute Twins shtick. Breathe easy, though,
for Steve Fung at least knows enough to keep those two at bay, so the damage
remains minimal. And Chung even does great as a believable fighter.
Then you have your Daniel Wu guest appearance, which seems plain lackluster
following superb contributions to similar action product New Police Story,
not to mention leading 2004's remarkable One Nite in Mongkok. Daniel portrays
Jason, a suspiciously nice Nicky suitor with more of an agenda than you may
suspect. But then again you probably won't notice, since Wu gets too little
a presence in HOF to have any impact.
The same can be said of Michael Wong, who we've seen do more impressive roles
in low-budget flicks like Super Car Criminals. Still, he pulls off a moderately
likeable villain, abetted by young performer Jake Strickland as bad guy Rocco's
son and fanatical Street Fighter aficionado. Fourteen-year-old Strickland
adds two very impressive fight segments, almost eclipsing the rest of the
minion gang. Among the cronies featured prominently are professional martial
artist Wu Jing (Legend of Zu, Drunken Monkey) and sultry, eclectic Josie
Ho (Naked Weapon, Butterfly). To director Fung's credit, House of Fury contains
smooth editing and plenty of inventive camera use, not to mention artsy montages
that succeed in lending the movie a more thoughtful air, instead of just
coming across as pretentious.
On second thoughts, HOF may be too polished for its own good. Then again,
this reviewer just watched the 1993 no-holds-barred classic Butterfly and
Sword, so go figure. At any rate, like most HK action titles in recent years,
this one too keeps blood and other expressions of "mature" content in check,
hence don't expect to be shocked, wowed, or otherwise flabbergasted.
Of course, cerebral taxation has no place in House of Fury. The film culminates
in an ending lame even for a textbook mindless mayhem HK number, resulting
in a product worthy of attention almost exclusively from those who enjoy
watching quality fight choreography, even if it has hardly any meat to back
it up. While not offensive, Stephen Fung's second major foray as a director
shows ample technical and managerial prowess with barely any creative oomph.
We can only hope he improves later on.
Rating: 6/10
Directed by Stephen Fung
Starring Anthony Wong, Gillian Chung, Stephen Fung,
Daniel Wu, Michael Wong, Charlene Choi, Jake Strickland
2005, Cantonese, 95 minutes
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