Bi xie lan tian

Ever since SONY/Columbia/Tristar/(Disney)(silent partner) decided to release the Jackie Chan canon, it's become more and more clear that 1) they want a monopoly on redistributing Asian films on secondary markets (e.g. DVD); 2) they have no intention of allowing these films to go before an American audience without alterations; 3) they want to confuse Americans concerning the nature of these films by giving them spurious titles (most obviously "legend of this" or "legend of that" - almost none of these films have the word "legend" in their original titles).

Here's yet another example. This film is not and never claimed to be (in its original title) a sequel to the Jet Li film "Meltdown". Whereas "Meltdown" is really a very dark satire in the draping of an ultra-violent action film, the present film is a dramatic confrontation with a troubling event in Chinese history - the massacre in Tianemen Square; in fact it's the only Chinese film I can think of that explicitly addresses that terrible event; and the fact that the government allowed production of a film that admits the primary responsibility for the massacre was the government's - and that the government was mistaken - indicates that China has come a long way since Tianemen Square. But of course SONY/Columbia/Tristar/(Disney) doesn't think a film of this nature ought to be viewed with any sympathy, so they gave it a title and a promotion package sure to confuse - and disappoint- many American audiences.

On its own merits, the film is really quite good; the dramatic moments are well-handled and neatly performed. The action sequences - choreographed by the great Ching Siu Tung - are fast, high-impact, innovative. And they help move the plot along, they're not just tossed in to make this an action film. The dialog is just so-so, but the actors are determined to raise it above mediocre, and accomplish this in several key moments. The direction is solidly professional and we are left knowing that we have witnessed both a dramatic film AND an action film.

It's not the among China's best, but it is worthwhile entertainment on its own terms.

Hopefully SONY/Columbia/Tristar/(Disney) will one day realize that people who come to a film made in Asia want to see a film made in Asia, and not a re-interpreted "legend". However, there's still the hope for an anti-trust suit to break their bank....

This movie was my first encounter with any Hong Kong film. I watched this movie back in 1999 (on a VCR cassette).

The story line is like many other holly wood movies produced at that time: "A patriotic cop in a difficult and life saving situation". Action is sloppy sometimes but the martial arts is quite good.

Acting of lead cast both hero and villain is convincing (except the female lead because her performance was over-loud and not up to the standards).

Dubbing could have been more better. Over all 6/10.

If you can bear the 90's action, it is a good movie to watch.

This movie is just so brilliant. I have no idea how they created such an extraordinary action sequence. There's intense gun fighting, and my favorite..... Kung fu fighting. Qi Shu was just so superb doing this film.

The story was a little bit hard for me to understand because there was some things that they talked about that I didn't get, but you'll probably understand later on in the ending.

That Qi Shu is so cool, that he should be like the next Jet Li. I really enjoyed this movie, and I hope that I can get it. I recommend this movie to anyone who loves action.

These comments are based on watching the film in Cantonese with English subtitles; it was clear from viewing that characters had been given Anglicised names in the subtitles; I'll stick to those names.

This Hong Kong action film is centred on Arthur, a Chinese soldier. After disobeying orders, to stop a plane hijacking, he is posted to the fictional country of Lavernia... apparently an ex-Soviet nation somewhere in Eastern Europe. Almost as soon as he arrives he witnesses a terror attack being committed by Mishima; the leader of a Japanese cult. He manages to catch Mishima but local forces take credit for the arrest. Soon afterwards he bumps into his old flame Tammy, who fled China after the events in Tiananmen Square. Mishima may be in jail but he had previously been working with a traitorous Lavernian minister and he plans to use the Chinese by having them escort him back to Japan, where he is facing terror charges, and then ambush them leaving no witnesses... this leads to a confrontation in the Chinese embassy as Arthur faces Mishima while the Laverian arm shoots at anybody leaving the embassy compound.

If you want plenty of exciting martial arts action then this film delivers; especially during the climatic fight in the embassy. Unfortunately some of the other action isn't so good; when characters are shot with automatic weapons they stand jiggling in an almost comical manner and several explosions look fake. A degree of comedy is added by the fact that none-Chinese characters talk in not so brilliantly dubbed English. The story is decent enough; it provides a good excuse for action although the sub-plot involving his girlfriend is a bit of a distraction. The cast is solid enough most obviously Chiu Man Cheuk as Arthur and Andrew Lin as Mishima. Overall I wouldn't call this a must see but if you like martial arts action it is worth watching.

One of the most moronic HK films ever. Even the original Cantonese dialogue is horrendous. The hero is dull and the love interest is excessively annoying.

The gunplay is also ridiculous, filled with scenes where 10 gunmen miss the 2 heroes despite them being out in the open. In John Woo movies (The Killer, Hard Boiled), the heroes at least pretend to hide behind something. There's also one scene that has to be seen to be believed. A bad guy shoots a bazooka, and we see the missile come out. Then the explosion happens *behind* the target, as though it magically passed through. I can suspend belief for action films, but this is just sloppy choreography.

The martial arts is okay, but overemphasizes flashy acrobatics over real fighting or tactics. The lead actor seems talented enough, but is wasted in this action fluff. I would only recommend this movie if you've seen every other HK action movie already.

3/10