So Close

I thought this movie would be just a Hong Kong version of Charlie's Angels, but it is not. The movie was about two sisters who became professional killers because of their traumatic childhood of witnessing the murder of their father. Their father has developed a high-tech GPS technology just before his death. The sisters used this technology to aid them in their profession. The effect used on this movie is a lot like Matrix'. I thought the movie used the effect properly and therefore, the movie itself is a lot of fun to watch. The storyline is rather predictable, so also is the drama. However the fighting scene is cutting edge. Any scene that can make Vicky Zhao (Zhao Wei) looks like a vicious fighter is worth seeing :)

I found this film wildly implausible but hugely entertaining. It's no masterpiece but surely an excellent piece of popcorn cinema from Hong Kong. The martial arts make the movie. Without these high-caliber stunts, the film wouldn't work. Some of these are cheesy and over the top. Yet they are performed with energy and I can see why this film is liked by fans of martial arts. The storyline sags a bit in the mid-section but makes up for it with a slightly overlong but exciting climax. Worth seeing if you are a fan of Hong Kong cinema or just enjoy martial arts.

Overall 7/10

"So Close" is a terribly unremarkable and uncharismatic title for a movie that should have been called, simply, "Sexy Action Chicks!". There's a lot of cool action and style, mostly to do with wire-aided martial arts and the three immensely appealing leading ladies, who were obviously having fun doing this. So if you like Asian action and kick-ass heroines, this is a must-see.

The premise with two girls being an action team, one a computer whiz and the other a field agent, is extremely similar to the comic book "Birds of Prey", which was also a short-lived (but abominably bad) TV series recently. Being martial arts assassins, the characters can also be compared with other comic book action chicks like Elektra or Lady Shiva, or, for that matter, Danger Girl. This movie seems very comics inspired.

Unfortunately, there is also some bad news: the story is pretty awful. In fact, you hardly notice it. The film-makers almost appear to have forgotten about it. Once again Asian producers do not realize the importance of having a proper plot. This is formulaic assassin/police/revenge clichés ad nauseam, with nothing even remotely original or surprising. One of the girls has a crush on the female police officer, and while that's sure-fire fodder for male fantasies, it's also gratuitously voyeuristic. Oh well, peace be with that - I admit I enjoyed it! Also, this was the first time I saw Karen Mok (outside of cameos), and she made a great impression. She's not drop-dead gorgeous, but she makes what she has go a long way! And she's a very sympathetic kind of person.

The CG effects were a little grating, esp. all the smashing glass. You'd think it would have been cheaper to just use real glass - but I guess they didn't wanna clean up afterward! Some of the other effects, like the elevators and many of the shots of the office building, were very well made.

I would have liked to rate this movie very highly, but at the end of the day it doesn't have much substance. It does however have beautiful women, some cool fight scenes, and great style. The entertainment value is definitely not bad, but I can't rate it higher than a 7 out of 10.

(Edit: Actually, yes I can! In hindsight I think it has enough intriguing elements, also story-wise, to warrant an 8 rating, and that is what I have now revised my rating to.)

This movie demonstrates Hong Kong movie making at it's best. Martial arts, CG work and an engaging story. The fights scenes are flashy without being overdone and the quieter parts of the movie are not too long winded. The performances of the three leading ladies are well balanced however the supporting cast let the side down a little. All in all a good movie that demonstrates Hong Kong directors and producers ability to take the Hollywood recipe and re-mix it. How many Hollywood directors would put the Carpenter's song "Close to you" over a gun battle? Definitely one for the collection if only for the fight scenes, but watchable for the story as well.

Despite the fact that this is a super-slick action thriller with guns, swords, cars and martial arts, So Close is a refreshing and unusual movie. It's NICE, to put it simply. Lovely girls, dressed in white much of the time, hanging around their picturesque house messing around and eating cakes and having baths. Despite all the asses they kick, they actually behave like young women and not ultra-agressive 'I-want-to-be-a-man' type female heroes, like Xena or Sarah Connor.

The action is sleek and graceful - feminine. It's also rather slow and lo-key compared to most films of this nature. The real action doesn't come until the climax, but when it does, director Corey Yuen pulls out all the stops, climaxing in a two-against-one sword fight that ranks alongside that of The Phantom Menace.

Despite how it's advertised, So Close is not a skinflick. The women are certainly not sex objects. They are sexy, but in a wholesome way. It's their natural beauty rather than their sex appeal that is most noticable.

So Close is a great movie, and should entertain any mainstream audience regardless of their farmiliarity of Asian films.