Heroic Duo
Director: Benny Chan
Year:
2003
Rating: 5.5
Everything about this film is slick and smooth.
The action, the actors, the cinematography and the plot. It moves along like
a ride in a fine car with leather upholstery and that new car smell. But
when you stop and think, it is as empty headed as a new piggy bank with the
heart of one too. It is soulless as it plays everything by the numbers. There
is no grit to be seen for miles. Benny Chan, the director, sure tries using
children, love, sacrifice and heroism as movable pieces but none of it sticks.
The actors speak the words of love, but they look bored and distant. Of course,
I am speaking of Leon Lai and Ekin Cheng, two actors not known for their
ability to emote. At times they look like they are in a contest to put the
other to sleep first. Francis Ng is here to liven things up, but he is doing
one of his psychopath roles that by this time he can do in his sleep. Karena
Lam is fine in her smaller role though no one would believe she is in love
with Ekin. When she takes out a sniper, she is more believable.
But it is the plot that really has you groaning.
It feels like it was put together by AI if AI existed then. The plan to steal
two emeralds worth $100 million is so absurd and complex that you can only
shake your head and go along with it. Ng has a cop and his family - those
children - captive and tells the cop just tell me or I will kill your family.
The cop whispers "In prison". Ok, no idea what it is about at this point,
but he needs to get Leon out of jail where he is for killing a man in front
of his wife (Xu Jinglei). Leon is a master hypnotist and so is Ng. Ng hypnotizes
a cop to burn some police papers up and shoot himself but not before saying
he was hypnotized to fellow cop, Ekin. Ekin is ready for a GQ layout but
shows his toughness by disciplining a subordinate who has to go into his
large aquarium and count the fishes up close and personal. His girlfriend
Karena does not approve. Then they kiss.
Just as Ng planned Ekin goes to talk to
Leon who tells him he knows who must be behind it. But it is all part of
a plan to get Leon out of jail where he can hypnotize anyone by speaking
to them in soothing tones. I know you are unhappy. Just look inside yourself
for what it is that hurts you. And the next thing you know they are helping
steal the jewels. It becomes a convoluted three way game of cat and mouse
as Ng, Leon and Ekin try and outthink one another. It has more holes than
my old socks and less intelligence - but it looks damn good, the action from
Stephen Tung is fine, the cars are sleek and Ekin and Leon never have a hair
out of place. What more do you want? Raymond Wong is also here as a rival
police officer and Samuel Pang as Ng's gunman.
