Ekin and Aaron back together again. But Storm Storm Riders this is not...which is both good and bad.

Plotwise, this at first glance seems pretty standard modern cops and robbers fare, that quickly devolves into multiple and somewhat confusing subplots about an assassin, a triad rivalry, multiple murders, a private investigator, and a particularly unbelievable obsession with a missing girlfriend that occasionally steps into the realm of a ghost story.

We seem to have gotten a script and a director that do not mesh here. And while the script may have worked on paper it doesn't seem to have translated properly to the screen. One gets the feeling that this Ivy Ho script was a bit too epic in scope for a 90-minute Benny Chan movie. Derek Yee's recent One Night in Monkok was similarly epic in scope, but with Yee doing both script and directing, Monkok not only worked but was truly a powerful film. This film just does not ever seem to completely work, as it's simply not believable. And given the movie has Aaron and Ekin playing the leads role, it's rather ironic to point out that the lack of believability stems from the Ivy Ho script, as indeed the movie has some solid performances, not the least of which was Aaron's.

This movie may be a first for Aaron in that it's his first attempt at acting. In the past, his successes seem to have been in roles where he plays himself...and/or any roles that do not involve a lot of dialog or emotion...but this film he actually has to act...and he came very close to making this believable, which for him is huge. His performance was better than Daniel Wu's whom some consider in line to be a top HK actor. Aaron's acting career is not over, and in fact may have entered a new phase.

Ekin, although effective, is as wooden as ever, but actually broke new ground by having to slightly emote while being choked with a piano wire...all without using his hair (which has been ever so slightly bobbed, greased and combed for this role.)

Daniel Wu plays somwhat the same role as in New Police Story, but was not given a lot of latitude here, and he comes off far too one dimensional.

The most disappointing aspect of the movie, performancewise, is Angelica Lee. Her acting and screen presence approach parody levels. And frankly just her appearance is spooky and inappropriate. It's hard to believe this is the same bubbly and loveable actress in Sylvia Chang's excellent 20:30:40.

Divergence selling point is Ekin/Aaron, and that's pretty much what you get...
less the flowing hair.

[Note the nice touch with the Storm Riders homage as Ekin (Wind) looks up at the clouds as Aaron (Cloud) stands behind him taunting. A screen capture of this has been added to the image gallery]