Tin Lik (Andy Lau) has risen from shit-disposal duties to being one of the top Shanghai triads; Kenny Tung (Leslie Cheung) is a Taiwanese allied with a covert force of Japanese in China aimed at toppling one of the corrupt Chinese mafias; and Ling Fung Fung (Ling Jing) is Heung's longtime secret lover, a fact unknown to Lik, who has plans to marry her. (This seems to happen frequently in Andy Lau movies.) Lik's boss has other plans, and sends his loyal charge into the hands of a ruthless hitgirl (Amanda Lee) who chains him up in her subterranean torture chamber, the fireplace roaring, and sets a colossal boa constrictor six inches thick on him. Ultimately, it boils down to a rivalry of the two men for the girl's love, one which -- given HK film conventions -- mixes some solid action, romance, male bonding, and tragedy for all concerned. The standard plot unfolds in non-standard ways (with flashbacks from the major characters' POV), and we're left to admire the most impressive thing in the film: the awesome Shanghai backdrop. With its breathtaking period architecture, filmed on location, the bustling Shanghai streets look completely convincing as extras in period costumes bustle past one another; it's as intoxicating as newsreel footage of the era. "If only..." you say to yourself, watching this, and remembering how a great film like Godfather 2 was able to convert its period setting into an element of dramatic tension. Tsui Hark adapted this from a TV serial starring Chow Yun-Fat, and obviously is working here with a huge budget.

(2.5/4)



[Reviewed by Steve Spinali]