2002

Ok, while it isn't as good as Ghostbusters, it was a very entertaining picture. The ideas of reincarnation and the afterlife were really cool to see, particularly Sam Lee's character being reborn. The martial arts were decent but it was painfully obvious that both Nicholas Tse and Stephen Fung aren't the best fighters if at all. It really didn't matter because the action was cut well and the fights seemed to be innovative, especially the pool fight. With top notch special effects, action, and some comedy, 2002 is a pretty good movie that may have gone under some people's radar. It's something that people should definitely check out.

Version: Cantonese, with English subtitles (by SBS)

When watching movies on SBS, I'm prepared for nearly anything. Obviously my definition of 'anything' didn't include an action/horror movie from Hong Kong that was essentially 'Ghostbusters' if it were a kung-fu movie. SBS rules.

'2002' follows a police-unit dealing with the supernatural. Each team is comprised of a human / ghost partnership. When Tide's (Nicholas Tse) partner is re-incarnated, Tide finds a new partner in Fung (Stephen Fung). Fung doesn't know about the human / ghost rule, nor does he realize that anyone close to Tide is doomed to die. Meanwhile, some nasty demons are running around Hong Kong, and they're pretty angry.

The story of '2002' is pretty good. The characters are likable, and the movie was well written. Some things weren't explained very well, but that shouldn't be a problem for anyone interested in these movies or the general subject (Chinese mythology).

Action-wise, '2002' kicks arse. There is a lot of wire-work and CGI. I normally don't like CGI, but I'll forgive it here as the fight scenes were pretty damn-cool. Be warned though, the fight-scenes in this exist to serve to explain the story, and not for the sake of action. Some of these fights are broken up by flashbacks, etc and may drag-on for those not keen on the plot.

8/10 - Check it out if like HK action movies.

In Hong Kong, the special force of the police known as 2002 is composed of the twenty-two year-old cop Chiu (Nicholas Tse) and his ghost partner and they fight against supernatural phenomena under the guidance of the mystic Paper Chan (Kar-Ying Law). When his partner reincarnates, the rookie policeman Fung (Stephen Fung) applies for the position; but Paper Chan explains Chiu that the team is to be formed by a man and a spirit, and Chiu has a death star on his hand that dooms his friends to die. Meanwhile, Chiu falls in love for Nurse Danielle (Danielle Graham), but he avoids her to protect her life against the fate of the death star. When the fiend Water Ghost (Alex Fong) possesses Fung seeking revenge against Chiu, he has to battle against the evil spirit trying to protect also his friend.

The melodramatic "2002" blends action, sci-fi, fantasy, fight scenes, drama, romance, comedy, free merchandise of a bank and an ice-cream brand and cheap philosophy; the result is an enjoyable, but very confused movie, with weird rules and no explanation for the ghosts and fiends in Hong Kong. The special effects work very well and in the end this film is a good entertainment. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "2002 – Exterminadores do Além" ("2002 – Terminators from Beyond")

2002 is the ghostbusting department of the Hong Kong Police. The hero is fated to cause the death of anyone he gets close to, which cramps his love-life somewhat. He gets through partners rather quickly too, since they die, become super-powered ghost partners and then get re-incarnated. His mentor sells paper offerings for the hero to burn for their ghost friends.

The script is always intelligent and witty. The action sequences are just right - they move the plot along without dominating it and are great fun. The acting and directing are both excellent and the main characters are likeable and sexy - strong, but vulnerable.

We laughed out-loud, especially at the comments that brought the characters down to earth. We didn't actually cry at the pathos but it was there.

This review relates to the English subtitled version shown on TV.

I've been waiting to see this film and when I finally did, I loved it. It was great to see the original Gen-X Cops in the same film again. Nicholas "Jack" Tse is the human cop who teams up with Sam "Alien" Lee's ghost character. When Lee is ready to be reincarnated, enter Stephen "Match" Fung as Tse's new partner, who is scared of ghosts. Excellent debut from former Olympic swimmer Alex Fong as the Water Ghost. The finale is a total surprise and it has to be seen to be believed!!! If you liked Gen-X Cops, you'll love 2002.