A Hero Never Dies (1998)
Reviewed by: Chuma on 2001-02-23
Summary: "So Fortune Teller, are you going to get shot today?"
A gang boss named Mr Yam is going to see his fortune teller
in Thailand. While he is there one of his gang members named Jack gets
impatient, the results are bad for the fortune teller.

Not long after we learn that the gang is currently at war with another
for control of Hong Kong. Jack and company are ambushed by the rival gang
and a gunfight ensues.

At the end of the battle, Jack goes to give one of the deceased back
his dignity (and his head), but he is targeted by a sniper with a laser
sighted rifle. The sniper is also wearing a cowboy hat
and smoking a cigar.

This sniper is Martin, a head honcho from the rival gang who is a
mutal enemy of Jack.

Jack and Co. decide to pay Martin's apartment a visit to 'redecorate'
(not before exchanging phone messages in a very funny sequence.)

They both meet up at a bar where they crash there cars into one another
repeatedly. When they enter the establishment, everyone leaves. This is
because they begin their wine tasting contest, where the aim seems
to be to not let the other person drink their wine.

This is interrupted by the arrival of their girlfriends, who amongst
other things bring more wine and also manage to settle things
down a bit.

Later, Martin calls on his boss, Fong, to report that he couldn't
kill Jack. Fong wants him to go back to Thailand as Mr Yam
has gone back to his fortune teller.

In a motel out in the middle of nowhere during a fierce thunderstorm,
a massive gunfight ensues between Jack's gang and Martin's and
there are many casualties. Whether Jack and Martin are among them is
up for you to find out, but the results are not entirely what you
would expect...

I liked this movie as it was a very good crime/action drama. It does
involve a gang setting, but it didn't seem to have all the cliches
of triad movies. It goes without saying that the gunfight scenes are
brilliant.

Rating : 9/10