The Wicked City

WICKED CITY is a crazy Hong Kong slice of sci-fi action based on a Japanese manga and anime. It takes the wackiness of the 1990s craze of wuxia epics and transfers it to a contemporary or futuristic setting where monsters in human disguise roam the city and integrate with society. The film hits the ground running and throws you in at the deep end, trying to keep up with a fast-moving plot involving a war between cops and monsters that never makes entire sense.

It's bizarre stuff indeed and completely schlocky from beginning to end. Old dependables Leon Lai and Jacky Cheung play two cops hoping to avert an all-out war between humankind and monsters but the main emphasis of the film is on insane action sequences which have been inspired by TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY. Thus we get scenes of characters being chased around by 'liquid monsters' and even a laughable attempt to copy the motorbike-out-of-the-window shot in the Cameron film.

Of course, the Cameron movie didn't have any scenes of long-limbed monsters wreaking havoc in hotel rooms or the absolutely bizarre, random interludes seen here. It's pretty poor stuff, it has to be said, and the direction and editing is very choppy, but I enjoyed it regardless, although perhaps on a so-bad-it's-good level. Given it's a 1990s Hong Kong film, the main guys entangle with a sexy femme fatale, here played by Macau-born actress Michelle Reis. The familiar-looking sergeant is none other than Yuen Woo-ping. Bad guy Roy Cheung starred in the PRISON ON FIRE movies. Best of all is Kurosawa veteran Tatsuya Nakadai who bags a great support role and is effortlessly cool as always.

Mak Tai-kit co-directed this adaptation of the Japanese anime with Tsui Hark. This HK live version stars Jacky Cheung, Leon Lai and Michelle Reis as Taki, Ken and Windy, the characters from the anime whose names have been slightly changed as well as many other things, too. The anime has plenty of sex and nudity and this (of course) lacks all those elements and concentrates more on action filled mayhem. The plot is so confusing I don't even try to describe it, but it is about those reptoids who live "in peace" with humans and now someone is trying to destroy this peace and inhabit the world for reptoids only.

The action and mayhem-o-meter are as high as possible in this film. Still the story and plot are so hard to follow that it all looks little gratuitous, but maybe it is that way for Western eyes only. The cinematography and atmosphere created by blue and moody lightning is gorgeous and easily the greatest thing this film manages to give. The film bathes in this color and thus is very dark and takes place in night time only.

The film tries to say something about humans and our way of fighting and destroying everything and that is of course a positive point in a film like this, but still they don't concentrate too much on these deeper elements and they look little unconvincing. Also the fears of year 1997 (the film was made in 1992) when HK was given back to China are clearly visible and the film can be easily seen as a dark and pessimistic future vision of HK as well as the whole world of human beings. There is content but there is much more plain battles, shoot outs, chases and spectacular effects and monsters, which are really something rarely seen in Western films, but still they're miles away from those of the original Japanese anime, which I recommend very warmly for those interested after this film or in general.

I give this live version "just" 6/10 because of its mad and confusing elements and lack of any deeper meaning but still it is recommended for fans of fast paced Hong Kong action and fantasy cinema, but don't expect another Heroic Trio!

I would call this a bad movie, it doesn't follow the original in any way and the acting sucks. But this movie is insane! I can't help but recommend it, this movie makes no sense and so much happens I can't help but like it. Random stuff happens out of nowhere, characters say random stuff, and all if a sudden the Police Cheif has random powers even though he isn't a Reptiod. You know, that's all this movie is, it's just random stuff happening. It's a bad movie but if you have some drugs laying around I would recommend it.

I've seen this movie at least a dozen times, and never once, never, didn't I cry at the end! I'm glad this is my first impression of sci-fi movie (besides ET, when I saw it at 6, which I don't quite remember what was really going on until I become a grown-up) since I first saw it at the age 18. It forever influenced my view of sci-fi movies. Whenever I go to see sci-fi films, I always pay attention to the styles, the messages contained within, the connection between the imaginative world and the real life. For me, that is what sci-fi movies really about, not some fancy special effects.

The other day I was surprised to find out we have copies for sale in America, I order a copy at once. But I was also shocked to find that this wonderful film, probably the best Hong Kong movie I'd ever seen, was not received well here in America. Almost all the people who praise the film are Asian. I don't think this has something to do with culture gap, because this is a very unusual Hong Kong films, it didn't contain anything specific about the Asian culture. And that's the point. It is not anything you expect to see in a Hong Kong, or any other Asia films you can find here in the United States. It didn't have fancy martial art, no strange custom (which I strongly disagree with. They always portray Asia as bunch of strange, mysterious, sick places. Because that kind of films can easily won the prize in European film festivals). This is simply a film about humanity. At the same time, it was so beautifully done. Very stylish, with the music that was so heartbreakingly beautiful. But do see this film in its original language with subtitle. NO FOREIGN FILM SHOULD BE WATCHED IN ENGLISH DUBBED VERSION! IT IS ALWAYS THE BIG DISASTER!!! Do take a moment to think about what you see and enjoy that beautiful ending.

This movie just goes to prove that most anime or manga "A" titles do not translate well to live action. Taken from the Anime of the same title (or AKA Supernatural Beast City) by Kawajiri Yohiataki, it lacks the visceral punch of the original. I was sorely disappointed with the "soft-core" shots and "soft-core" action. It coulda been a contenda...