Another of the great 1990′s run of Milkyway films, though this returns to Johnnie To directing. A strange buddy tale of 2 villains on either sides of a gang war, and this pushes the heroic bloodshed films to new levels, and admittedly goes a little far for my tastes, becoming my least favorite of the run of Milkyway films, having a few unanswered questions, and the fact that Leon Lai Ming is not the greatest actor in the world, and how this film is just so ridiculous making the two leads seem like 2 sides of the same coin (shots of them and their henchmen pissing on the same trees in Thailand with the same music playing). I know some of my friends will disagree on this but, I just like the other Milkyway films better from TOO WAYS TO BE NO. 1, THE ODD ONE DIES, and EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED all do better for me. Also this DVD is one of the worst transfers I have ever seen. The film has ghosting and just looks totally awful, especially since so much of the film is dark with high contrast, which is rendered so badly, maybe I would like it better with a better transfer.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

This is the story of 2 hitmen and right hand men to their bosses who are the best at what they do, but their gangs are caught in a bloody and brutal gang war. These are Jack (Leon Lai Ming as stone faced as ever) and Martin (the great Lau Ching Wan decked out in cowboy hat and leathers, oh yea). The two would be friends if not for their loyalty and gang affiliations and both collect expensive wine, and have a great, though ridiculous scene where they are each trying to offer each other a glass, but breaking the glasses by throwing and spinning coins. Eventually their respective girlfriends come YoYo Mung Ka Wai is Jack’s and Fiona Leung Ngai Ling is Martins, with Yoyo being new to having a gangster boyfriend, but as Fiona says she can’t be friends with her because their boyfriends expect to kill each other. Martin has screwed up one attempt but on the next he almost does it, but he and Jack face off and almost kill each other, leaving both of them bleeding and Jack’s boss shoots Martin in the legs and then beats Jack with a chair not believing in his loyalty or liking the loyalty of his henchmen to Jack. The two killers are left to rot in a Thailand hospital, Jack is saved from hitmen by YoYo who is burnt almost to death and who eventually asks him to kill her. Martin loses his legs at the knees and his girlfriend Fiona tries to get his boss to recognize him, and reward his loyalty, but the boss is having none of it, and it isn’t till Fiona is killed that Martin decides to fight back. he tries to get Jack to come back, but Jack is taking care of YoYo, so Martin builds a cart to get around and trains his arms and gets a sniper rifle, but a pole stops his shot and he is shot and left to die, and he climbs back to his perch on a building to die, still looking through his scope. Jack returns to take revenge on the 2 evil bosses, sending a message that he and Martin are returning and for the loyal brothers to step asside, and many of them do, and Jack comes in with Martin already dead, but in a wheelchair with guns and takes on the remaining gang leaders and with Martin’s help kills the bosses as well (in a scene where Martin’s arm is shot and his dead hands start shooting at the bosses) and they get their revenge, though both are now dead, as well as their bosses with no loyalty.

Lau Ching Wan is the best part of the film, refusing to even move as a cripple and pissing himself until his girlfriend dies for him, and he decides on taking revenge. The rest of the cast is only mediocre, though I did love to see Lam Suet who dies honorably protecting his boss from Martin.

An interesting film and enjoyable though something about it just doesn’t hit me right. I think it jut goes a little too far for my taste, and too much into the honor of it, and not the comedy of the situation. Maybe it is taking itself a little too seriously.