Reviewed by: mrblue Date: 01/09/2011 In Born Wild, Daniel Wu and Louis Koo play Tide and Tan, twins who have been estranged for many years due to a rocky childhood together. After Tan is found dead in the aftermath of an underground boxing match gone wrong, Tide develops relationships with his brother's best friend, Mann (Patrick Tam), and girlfriend, Sandy (Jo Kuk). Eventually, Tide postmotermly mends the tears in his family's fabric and becomes intent on getting revenge by defeating the man that killed his brother, the vicious ex-pro Arion (Wrath White). This is a fairly standard story in the martial arts movie world. But from the beginnings of his directorial career with 1996's Beyond Hypothermia, Patrick Leung has become known as someone that takes what would often be one-note riffs on tried-and-true genres and stories and injects them with drama and style, and Born Wild is no exception. What might otherwise be a straight-forward Hong Kong action film takes a different focus than what the viewer is probably expecting, and, rather than become art-house wannabe twaddle, the picture actually becomes more successful overall because of it. Though it should be pointed out that if you're looking to watch Born Wild specifically for the action, you're most likely going to be disappointed. What is contained here is good stuff (though probably too overly edited for most die-hard old-school martial arts fans) but there's really not all that much delivered in the way of fists of fury. Even with three action directors (including the legendary Mars) the emphasis here is on the dramatics, not the fisticuffs. I don't want to spoil the ending, but this is a case where it's not who wins the fight, but rather why they are fighting in the first place. If that sounds like pseudo-intellectual babbling -- which it very well might be -- then Born Wild might not be the movie for you. But, honestly, there are plenty of Hong Kong movies, as well as those from other regions, out there that will deliver more than their fair share of violent and exciting action. It was just nice for this reviewer, at this particular point in time, to watch a movie that didn't assume the audience has a negative IQ and actually gives them something to think about after the DVD is ejected from their player. Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: Libretio Date: 10/11/2005 Summary: Finely-judged action-drama BORN WILD (2001) Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 Sound format: Dolby Digital When his fraternal twin (Louis Koo) is beaten to death during an illegal boxing match, a young man (Daniel Wu) resolves to avenge his sibling's death, regardless of the threat to his own life. Heartfelt action-drama, directed with tactile sensitivity by Patrick Leung (THE TWINS EFFECT II), who offsets the bone-crunching fight scenes with contemplative dialogue exchanges and sensual close-ups of the various characters, designed to cultivate a mood of world-weary melancholy. Koo is the stoic hero, drawn into the world of illicit boxing for financial gain, and Wu is the younger brother determined to uncover the truth surrounding Koo's senseless death. The two men are linked by Koo's heartbroken girlfriend (HIT TEAM's Jo Kuk), rendered increasingly - and literally - blind by grief, who finds small comfort in Wu's reassuring presence. However, the movie is stolen clean away by Patrick Tam (THE MYTH) as the low-ranking Triad whose bravado masks a noble soul, and whose life is transformed by his relationship with the two brothers. Tam's storyline ends on a predictable note, but his ultra-sensitive performance is the highlight of a hugely enjoyable film. Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: j.crawford Date: 12/18/2004 Summary: Auteur at work...... If this was the first Hong Kong movie you ever saw, it would likely be the last. For a more experienced viewer, this edgy, dark film should satisfy. I love Leung's Beyond Hypothermia [which would likely make my list of the top 25 films of the 90's]. With a strong screenplay and an excellent cast, the director explores many themes found in his earlier films. The highly stylized "boxing" scenes are very cool, considering that the action director's have worked on some of the best MA films ever made. On a humorous note, that goofy Dutch guy who pissed off Jackie Chan during the making of Who Am I? got himself in another movie. Reviewer Score: 8

Reviewed by: Inner Strength Date: 02/05/2002 Summary: AVERAGE UPDATE: Despite what I said before, I did watch it again, and changed my mind slightly. It does offer some interesting parts, but it still drags in places. New Rating: 3/5 ________________ I pretty much agree with the below reveiws. I also was hoping for better, and it was one of the films that were well advertised of being good too, but didn't turn out as I hoped. But still, it's not too bad, but I can't see me watching it again. Rating: 2.5/5 (This rating is based on the year & genre, so don't think it's based as a comparison on new releases etc.) Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: Sydneyguy Date: 01/13/2002 Summary: Ok-ish The movies tries to be more style than substance, but the pace is just too slow for my liking to enjoy it's stylish atmosphere!! It doesn't help when the movie is more character driven than plot driven. Unfortunately, i am not sure if i saw the end because the video i saw ended before i saw the credits. But i don't think this would of effected the outcome of my rating!! 5/10

Reviewed by: MrBooth Date: 12/14/2001 Summary: I also hoped for something better BORN WILD - From Patrick Leung, who has set expectations very high after the wonderful TASK FORCE. BORN WILD disappoints a little, although it is still quite a unique film. Daniel Wu goes to Hong Kong after receiving news of his brother's death there. He begins to explore the circumstances and find out more about his brother's life, and the connections to an underground boxing ring that presumably led to his death. The film plays out partly from Daniel's POV, and partly in flashback to brother Louis Koo's POV. We see how Louis was always the family oddball, a wild & carefree type who simply seems to have been "Born Wild". We see how his character affected the lives of those around him. It's quite an interestingly developed story, though at times the flashback/present tense structure is a bit awkward. Patrick Tam plays the rather crap triad guy who introduces Louis to the underground boxing world in a pretty good performance, though it's obvious he's been studying some of Francis Ng's performances and adopted a lot of his mannerisms and delivery styles. Daniel Wu is pretty good as the quiet serious brother, but I didn't really buy Louis as the carefree King Of Boxers. I wondered who could have played the role better though, and Chiu Man Cheuk was the only answer I came up with. Jo Koo (Korean actress?) is pretty good as the 'kooky' girlfriend. The main problem with the film is the ending, which doesn't really tread any interesting ground or make too much sense. There's quite a few interesting scenes throughout, but overall the story doesn't really suck you in. Perhaps it's the narrative structure, perhaps the casting, perhaps it's just not a very interesting story. Hard to say. Part of the problem might simply be that it doesn't really feel like a Hong Kong movie at all... the script & directorial style seem kind of western, more like something I'd expect from an American indie film, perhaps. The fight scenes are quite nicely filmed... in a stylised way rather than a kung fu way (the fighting is not kung fu anyway, just street boxing). Quite visceral. DVD has very good subtitles for once, but a pretty disappointing picture given the recentness of the movie. The blacks are always tinted red or blue, and there's visible artefacting. Not offensive but not great. Probably worth picking up at some point, esp. if you're a fan of the actors, but probably shouldn't be at the top of any want lists.

Reviewed by: MilesC Date: 06/03/2001 Summary: A disappointment from Patrick Leung. When the police inform Daniel Wu that his estranged twin brother has been found beaten to death, he finds himself drawn into the world of underground fighting. With the help of his brother's old friends, he seeks those responsible for his brother's death. Although Born Wild is fairly nice technically, featuring some good cinematography, reasonable production values and a workable soundtrack, its characters are its fatal flaw. Louis Koo's wild fighter Tung, seen only in flashback, is not only leaden and uninteresting, but often quite distasteful. Leung seems to be attempting to paint his characters in shades of grey, but Tung simply isn't interesting enough to get much reaction either way. Daniel Wu's screentime is far too limited to adequately develop his character, and the quasi-metaphysical resolution of his problems is fairly silly. Jo Kuk seems to serve fairly little purpose; while the obviously cliched plotlines involving her character are avoided, they aren't replaced with anything less conventional. The many scenes of her and Koo making out could've been replaced with something more substantial. By far the most interesting character and performance belong to Patrick Tam, whose sleazy gangster steals every scene he's in. While some might find his antics grating, to me they were the film's brightest spots, and further proof that, despite some poor roles, Patrick Tam is a promising talent. The action, unfortunately, does little to make up for the bland plotting and characterization. The fight scenes are heavily stylized, at times amounting to nothing more than blurs and thuds. Although there are some well-done moments, particularly in the later fight scenes, too often the effect is merely numbing, particularly in certain key violent sequences. Although some of Leung's flashier techniques work, too many of them simply obscure the action. Taken as a part of HK cinema as a whole, Born Wild is merely average. As Patrick Leung's first film since 1997's Task Force, and one with a respectable cast, however, it is very disappointing.