San Ren Xing
2016 / 88m - Hong Kong
Action, Crime, Thriller
3.5*/5.0*
Three poster

Watches

September 24, 2016

3.5*/5.0*

A good but not great Johnnie To film. Most fans of his work will recognize that To lost some of his shine during the 10s. The base quality is still there, so is the budget and star power, but the things that made his films unique are dearly missing. It's difficult to not compare this with his better films, so a small twang of disappointment is justified.

The film revolves around a gang member who finds himself surrounded by cops. In an act of desperation he shoots himself, so the police can't take him in but have to take him to the hospital. There he tries to stall until his mates arrive, the police are onto his plan, playing along while hoping to book the entire gang in one go.

With Louis Koo and Zhao Wei in the leads the cast is solid. The film also looks pretty polished, though it isn't until the finale that some of To's genius finds its way to the surface. Other than that, this is a fun and entertaining genre film, with no real issues or downsides. It just doesn't stand out enough among To's other films.