( 1982 / Hong Kong )
Review by Paul Cooke
Director: Wong Jing Starring: Ti Lung , Wang Yu , Lieh Lo , Pak-cheung Chan , Phillip Ko , Wai-Man Chan , Lung Wei Wang , Yue Wong & On-on Yu Source : Celestial Pictures / Wide Screen Ratio 2:35:1 /Anamorphic 16:9 / Mono Soundtrack / English Subtitles /Cantonese & Mandarin Language / Production Notes / Selected Biography & Filmography / Picture Stills / Trailers‘‘A Devil is a Devil’’
The legendary Shaw Brothers trade big swords for big guns and take one of their star players , Ti Lung , from colourful period piece to a more modern day bloodied battle ground of drug dealers , kidnappers and killers. The result is still just as assured , Ti Lung deals out retribution to all deserving , but this time there’s a much darker and ultimately nihilistic tone to proceedings !.
Ti Lung’s youthful heroic heyday is firmly ensconced across the latter part of the Sixties and throughout the Seventies , a more mature persona is delivered here in his performance and one that would set the style for his future roles to come. A platform perhaps along the way to his award winning performance , just a few years plus later , in the defining classic of Director John Woo’s bullet ballet ‘A Better Tomorrow’. From the opening sequence where Ti Lung’s character is seen physically training it is evident that he is in peek shape and as strong and agile as ever. Without period part costume or hair extensions he shows himself here to his audience as the man Ti Lung and for the role of a mercenary it fit’s the criteria perfectly. Once he completes his exertive regime , and mops the perspiration from his brow , you just know its all business ahead when he opens up a cupboard to display an array of weaponry that would make a black market arms dealer retire on the proceeds.
Renowned and prolific writer , producer , actor , Director Wong Jing is afforded here his first Action movie. The talented film maker marks his future signature calling card very well , as what was to follow is Hong Kong Action cinema legend. With such great Action flicks as ‘God Of Gamblers’ , ‘The Last Blood’ and ‘City Hunter’ to follow Wong Jing’s style for the genre is intrinsically etched upon ‘Mercenaries From Hong Kong’. Afforded the likes of the assembled cast along side Ti Lung this is pretty much a Hong Kong Action fans dream ticket that would be difficult to match today !.
Life has been a fight for survival for Ti Lung’s character , a seasoned vet of many a battlefield in Vietnam ,Cambodia and Kampuchea. He and his surviving friends from the fighting days have all suffered through the system of reintegration into civilian life and most of them have nothing to show for their heroic endeavours. Ti Lung’s lead is embroiled in the world of drug gangs in Hong Kong and when the daughter of a big boss hires him to rescue her apparently kidnapped father , from a ruthless competitor , he takes the opportunity to make for a better life for himself and his old Vietnam war buddies. The young female is empowered with her fathers leadership but as any concerned daughter would she seeks the return of her parent. The seemingly charming , yet businesslike woman , offers Ti Lung a million dollars to him and each of a handful of his own chosen men to go on a rescue mission back into Cambodia , where her father is being held by a ruthless soldier known as the Devil.
The process of seeking out and reacquainting with five of his most trusted men from the old days plays out as short segments of highly enjoyable set pieces. Like Yul Brynner hiring his men for ‘The Magnificent Seven’ Ti Lung sets about recruiting five colleagues , all of whom have a specialist talent for weapons , explosives and combat. Six mercenaries going up against a small army of drug dealers and killers in a hell hole where just surviving is a day to day struggle. Posing as medicine traffickers , their packs neatly concealing their choice of modern weaponry , the small unit of men begin their mission unaware that all is not quite as it seems !.
The encampment where the Devil dwells is easy enough to find and infiltrate , but soon the six soldiers are battling not just to escape but also against an opposing faction that has chosen the same time to reign an attack against the same antagonists. Ti Lung and his brave streamlined battalion break out the big guns and strike against both groups in a battle to escape with the Devil as part of their retrieval plan. His relationship with the daughter of the big boss back in Hong Kong is wildly contrary to what Ti Lung had been led to believe. Bringing back the Devil brings home the war for the surviving vets and the promise of big money affects the dynamic of the group with devastating results. Twists and turns along the way keep proceedings very interesting amidst the always well paced Action backdrop. Throw in some early Jackie Chan styled frenetic stunt work with vehicles speeding , flipping and ploughing into solid structures , and all the body bashing fisticuffs you could wish for , and this proves to be an old school Eighties Action reawakened gem.
There is a plenitude of limb bashing , bodies exploding , guns a blazing and all out mid scale screen filled explosive Action to entertain throughout its perfectly balanced ninety minute framework. There’s much welcome gunplay and events are spiced up with moments of bloody violence. Included is a torture scene involving a hand drill and its blood dripping outcome , as drill bit is forced down through a shackled hand and is clearly visualised exiting out through the table below !.
Ti Lung clearly grasped an extension to his career in this type of modern day Action role. One that just as ably suits him , yet affords a grittier edge to his likeable persona but fully allows him to diversify his characterisation of a dynamic hero with a darker side to his psyche. ‘Mercenaries From Hong Kong’ is a great example of the Eighties styled renaissance for Hong Kong cinema and the tone of proceedings , along with the fairly dead pan closure , was trend setting for the jaw dropping non Hollywood peppiness to follow. If you like your movies hard bitten with no guarantees as to good winning out over evil and your heroes tainted with a less than perfect history then ‘Mercenaries From Hong Kong’ is an aspiring jump on point for what followed , and a very good slice of Hong Kong Action cinema to either pick up with or indulge a seasoned viewer. Director and cast are perfect , along with the newly restored print. Hong Kong heroes for hire doesn’t come much better packaged than this !.
Film : 4/5 Ti riffic Slaps Picture : 4/5 Ti riffic Slaps Sound : 4/5 Ti riffic Slaps Overall : 4/5 Ti riffic Slaps
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© 2006 cinema-nocturna.com
