El corruptor

The Corrupter is beset by expectations of Yun-Fat Chow in another John Woo flick. This isn't a John Woo flick (and I mean the old John Woo pre-American Studio), but it does evoke moments that are very John Woo/Yun-Fat Chow esque ala The Killer and the blind girl.

This film is a character study of Nick Chen and Danny Wallace (played very well by Mark Wahlberg) as cops that must make decisions that may compromise their professional and personal integrity, but the lines drawn are not as simple as that. The film really asks people under what circumstances is it okay to bend the rules in order to achieve results that otherwise would not be possible? Would it be okay to let one guilty person go in order to catch ten more in the future? Would it be okay to convict one innocent person in order to catch a thousand guilty in the future?

Danny Wallace joins Nick Chen in the Chinatown task group. Danny is forced to ask himself whether the short term actions, and their moral implications, are worth the long term good of the force, himself, and his family.

This is a Hong Kong action flick with a distinct taste of the west. The movie starts off with a bombing and small store shoot-out that is right out of John Woo's stylebook but then it under goes a change. The story starts taking over and it is one of intrigue within intrigue. There are great moments of action with two guns blazing and an unbelievable amount of bullets but the story becomes the main thing. This works as glue that a lot of Hong Kong movies don't have. There are long pauses of plot developments between double crossing bad guys that are a real change to what is a typical Hong Kong action flick.

The director John Foley likes to place people in positions where they have to make critical decisions under pressure (At Close Range and Fear) and this is no exception. A caring cop caught up in a situation of corruption is under constant pressure to decide what is right. You are kept guessing as to his ultimate decision but the pressure is there under a dozen different situations. The sub-plots add to the texture of this movie and add to its richness. These side stories of the bad cop father in trouble, the interaction of rival Chinese gangs and his love of Asian culture are all parts of the puzzle that is Danny Wallace played by Mark Wahlberg. Foley knows Wahlberg from the direction of his acting breakthrough in Fear and uses him at what he does best, the confused tough guy with the sensitive agenda. (His latest movie `The Yards' is an example of what I mean). Nick Chen the experienced street cop played by Chow Yun-Fat is the perfect slightly crazy hard-hitting loner, who has embedded himself in the struggle of rival gangs in New York's Chinatown. There is no black and white here, only shades of gray, in a world of who is doing what to whom but like the cultural differences between East and West the relationships between individuals overcomes the hard facts of doing business on the street.

A very good blend of the Hong Kong actions movie that was brought in by Chow Yun-Fat (if you hear the commentary that Foley never saw a Woo movie) and what Foley's image is for street life in New York. Coming from New York and living and working in Asia gives me insight into the homework that went into the making of this movie and I will say they did a very good job.

While not perfect, The Corrupter is far from lacking when it comes to delivering the action goods we've come to expect from a Chow Yun Fat movie. People who say it needs more action or character development must have watched the wrong movie. To add more of either would have had to resulted in a longer movie. From start to finish, no time is wasted in conveying the story or showing Hong Kong style gunplay that is above and beyond what American audiences are used to. Extremely violent and full of imaginative ways to kill people with a gun, I don't see how anyone who would even consider watching this would give it a low rating. Unlike today's action flicks who strive for their precious PG-13 rating, this movie takes it over the top and is full of gratuitous nudity, immoral activity, and point-blank head-exploding gunfire. If you're into any of the aforementioned goodness, then you more than likely won't be disappointed by this flick. The famous car chase scene is perhaps the most violent ever put to celluloid. Mark Wahlberg isn't the greatest actor but is believable nonetheless. Chow Yun Fat plays the role of desensitized Asian gang taskforce detective Nick Chen perfectly. This isn't a movie to watch with the kids as Chen's antics can sometimes leave one questioning his sanity. With a touching ending and adrenaline pumping action, The Corrupter delivers on all promises - so much so that I must wonder if some of the other reviewers here were even watching the same movie. 9/10

On the surface this is just an old fashioned tale of a slightly wet newbie cop teaming up with a hardened veteran , in short it`s a buddy movie that were very common in the late 80s/early 90s but what sets THE CORRUPTER apart from similar movies is just how stylish it all is . James Foley started his career by directing videos but with one brief exception this doesn`t really show too much with his action style being inspired by the likes of John Woo and Hong Kong action movies . There`s some superb technical aspects such as the editing and the cinematography is breath taking especially the scenes where light filters through windows and we see the spectrum imposed on the characters faces

There are some flaws to the movie of course . One is Foley has cast actors whose native tongue is not English which does cause some unintentional sniggers namely when the characters mention the word " Fokkien " , yeah okay I know it`s set in Chinatown but as is common in movies no one will complain if the characters speak perfect English no matter their ethnic origin or upbringing . The script does get a bit confused and complicated in the final third which did spoil the movie slightly and some people will no doubt be put off by the sometimes over the top violence , but as a violent thriller I was entertained by this movie

A young Caucasian cop , Danny Wallace (Mark Wahlberg) , is assigned to New York's Chinatown precinct and partenered with a shrewd veteran , Nick Chen (Chow Yun Fat) . The expert policeman attempts to eliminate drug-trafficking , illegal immigrant and corruption at whatever cost and he'll stop at nothing to get it , but two Chinese bands confronting each other . Then things get complicated when the Triads try to bribe the cop . Both , Danny and Chen are drawn into a cobweb of treason and deception. If you have a secret , he knows it. If you have a weakness, he exploits it. If you have anything good in you, he destroys it...You can't play by the rules when there aren't any. Geen recht. Geen regels. Geen gerechtigheid. No law. No rules. No justice.

Nail-biting action movie with thrills , action-packed , violence , betrayal and bloodletting shoot'em up . The movie has a John Woo style , there are amount of shoot-outs , frenetic action and running men while they are shooting . The thrilling script and interpretation are top-drawer , and there's crossfire enough to satisfy the average appetite for destruction. Chow Yun-Fat finally receives a Hollywood stardom that already had before internationally in Asia . Nevertheless , the action segments suffer in comparison to his work in John Woo films . While Mark Wahlberg is fine as the tough cop and he showcases the talents that previously showed in other movies . A good starring duo , Chow Yun-Fat as Nick Chen and Mark Wahlberg as Danny Wallace giving acceptable performances , being well accompanied by an appropriate support cast , such as : Ric Young , Paul Ben-Victor , Byron Mann, Jon Kit Lee , Andrew Pang , Frank Pellegrino , Tovah Feldshuh, Elizabeth Lindsey and special appearance by the veteran Brit actor Brian Cox as Mark Wahlberg's father who get into trouble .

It contains an adequate and evocative cinematography by the Spanish Juan Ruiz Anchia who has photographed various James Foley's films . The motion picture was competently directed by James Foley , providing from his standout cast some top-drawer interpretations . Foley originally did not want to do John Woo's trademark "Mexican Standoff" in this film , but producers begged him to include these kinds of rip-roaring scenes . Foley is a fine craftsman ; however , he got two Razzie Nominations for Worst Director , as in 1988, he was nominated for Who's That Girl? (1987). Then in 2018, he was nominated again for Fifty Shades Darker (2017). Foley is a good director who has made movies in all kinds of genres with penchant for dramas . As Foley has directed important and some successful movies , such as : ¨Reckless¨ , ¨At Close Range¨ , ¨After Dark my Sweet¨ , ¨Two Bits¨ , ¨Fear¨ , ¨The Chamber¨ , ¨The Corruptor¨, ¨Confidence¨ , and directed one Oscar-nominated performance: Al Pacino in ¨Glengarry Glen Ross¨ . Rating : 6/ 10 . Acceptable and decent movie ; it will appeal to action fanatic enthusiasts and fans of the phenomenal duo of main actors : Chow Yun-Fat and Mark Wahlberg.