Black Ransom - 撕票風雲

Black Ransom (撕票風雲) is a 2010 film out of Hong Kong. The movie stars Simon Yam and Michael Miu. The movie also features Liu Yang, Fala Chen, Qu Ying, Andy On, Kenny Wong, and Xing Yu.

The movie is about a cat and mouse chase between cops and kidnappers. In this movie, Michael Miu as Sam, is the mastermind behind the kidnappings. However, the people he kidnaps are mob bosses that do not get prosecuted. Simon Yam as Mann is a the leader of a group of misfit cops. Looked down upon for his old age, Mann is recruited by new police Madam Koo, played by Fala Chen. Mann is to help track down the kidnappers. You get a cat and mouse game after that.

This was a very good movie. Flawed in many areas, but still good enough to put those to the side. The movie does go back and forth in theory of good and bad. Does vigilante-ish merit the law to turn a blind eye? Does playing Robin Hood put you above the law?

Both Michael Miu and Simon Yam put on a performance for the ages. You can see the conflict in their eyes and you can see that really believe their side is the only way.

Wo Hu - 臥虎

Wo Hu (臥虎) is a 2006 film out of Hong Kong. The movie has a huge cast.

The movie starts with some gangsters telling cops that they can't do anything to them. So the police force decides to send 1000 undercover cops to the triads to take down the big bosses. Fast forward some time and we find out that the triads have heard a rumor that there are 1000 undercover cops. They find out and take him out. The police now start to move so as to prevent more cop killings. This puts the leaders of a particular triad on edge and suspicions start to rear its ugly head.

In the end, this was a standard triad movie for the mid 2000. On the heals of Infernal Affairs, there was a lot of projects that played that "undercover" angle. A lot. From 2007 to now, those type of movies have apparently gone out of fashion.

You should give it watch if you're into the HK triad films.

Brothers - 兄弟

Brothers (兄弟) is a 2007 film out of Hong Kong. The movie stars Michael Miu, Eason Chan, Andy Lau, Crystal Huang, Felix Wong, Ken Tong, and Gordon Lam (苗僑偉,陳奕迅,劉德華,黃奕,黃日華,湯鎮業,林家棟).

The movie starts 20 years in the past (fashion looks 70-ish which is 30 years ago). Yiu (Miu) and Shun (Chan) are brothers who hit a person while taking their fathers car out for spin. Yiu and Shun's father is at a temple and a fortune teller predicts that if the brothers are together, they will be at odds. Yiu stays in Hong Kong while Shun goes to the US with the mother. Yiu and Shun's father is a head of a Tam triad syndicate.

Fast forward 20 years. Yiu is now the head of the Tam triad syndicate now. The father is now retired. Nine Yim orders a hit on the father, but he survives. Shun comes back to Hong Kong to see the father. The father passes within hours of seeing Shun. The mother is now senile and cannot recognize her own sons.

Shun is feeling his way around Hong Kong and coming to grips with of his families triad ways. Shun doesn't like the triad ways and wants things to change. Yiu sets in motion a series of events that kills both Nine Yim and the son. Shun gets dragged in and spends a little time in Thailand.

Andy Lau's role in the movie is that of the police. Lau wants to take the triad bosses down. Gordon Lam plays his sidekick.

In all, the movie wasn't anything out of the ordinary. It played off a lot of assumptions about triad movies already. It was good to see Michael Miu back in action. This movie featured 4 of the "TVB Five Tigers" from the early 80s (sup Tony?).

It's not a bad watch, but not something you "have" to see.