leng tian-ying (chen kuan-tai), the 'killer constable' of the film's title, is charged with assembling a team to locate the two million taels of gold which have been stolen from the empress's treasury. it is an unenviable job, to be completed in a very short time-frame and one which failure will come couple with a death sentence. never the less, the constable with a reputation for getting things done, more often through foul means than fair, assembles his team and they head out to recoup the gold, unaware of what awaits them...

now, this is one of those films which starts and you soon start thinking that it might not be up to much. you now, there's something about the set-up and its execution which is rubbing you up the wrong way and then you slowly start to find enjoyment in it, before you start to realise that you're enjoying each scene of the film more than the last and, by the end, you're loving it? well, if you don't know that feeling, then you'll think i'm nuts, but this was a film that started off and i instantly though, this is going to be an ordeal to sit through. ninety minutes later i was hoping that this was one of the shaw titles which celestial reissued, as i'd like to pick up a copy of it.

so, this ended up being a really nicely done, twisting and turning narrative, filled with some enjoyable action sequences, which made for a very exciting watch.

cracking stuff...