One of those rare jewels in cinema that is both enormouslyentertaining and artisticly original and exciting, like some of Hitchcock's great works. The story is about a gang of former red gaurds led by Ah Tung sneak into Hongkong from China, trying to rob a jewel shop, make a quick buck, then fleeing back to China. The plan goes terribly wrong from the begining because of an unexpected incident. The gang is held up in Hongkong trying to figure out what to do next. During which they are unwittingly trapped into killing a plainclothed cop, thus trigguring a police man hunt for them.... I don't want to spoil the fun of watching the facinating plots being unfolded, just find it out and prepare to be dazzled by one of the all time greatest action movies. Anyone who want to see Jet Li or Jacky Chan type of Kung Fu fights might be disappointed though because it's not the usual romanticizing violence. It is real violence in its rawest form. It is about advanture, survival, lost love, betrayal...(now I sound like a movie publicity guy :))) Few things in this movie: the director Mak Dong-Hung (in my humble opinion much better and more original than John Woo) uses only amature actors, like all amature actors (example: those in Pasollini's films) their actings are more unpretentious, real, unpolished and powerful, it also shows the artistic courage and confidence of the director. It is not a moralist tale like most movies from Hongkong or for that matter from Hollywood are. There is no good guys or bad guys. Characters are victims of the circumstances. The former red guards are driven by greeds and desperations for survival. Cops are corrupt and brutal and trying to catch the thiefs with any cost. The finale is one of the most violent, spare-no- hostage type of shoot-out I've ever seen in movies. Compared to Mak, Tarantino seems tame and timid, John Woo a sissy and Ringo Lam really lame. One thing though, one of the biggest draws in this movie, for me, is its language. I've lived in Guangzhou and Hongkong both long enough to appriciate the witty use of slangs and local dialect. The subtitle in our tape is pretty inadequate. Still, despite of it, rent it and enjoy!"

[Reviewed by Anonymous]