Mike H.

By now, I would think that most of you who want to see TPM have...but for those of you who haven't, let me assure you that it is indeed a stirring addition to the Star Wars mythos. What many critics have called a "lack of involvement" in the story really has very little to do with the film; Episode I is not meant to be consumed purely by itself. Unlike the original trilogy, which Lucas was constantly afraid he would be unable to finish while making the first one, this first chapter is merely a staging point for the events to follow in Episodes II and III, as well as being an enhancement to the original saga. Those critics that claim a "lack of involvement" are merely showing just how far the film's scope and purpose went above their heads. Enjoy the film as part of the greater saga, and all the wonderful hidden intricacies of the Lucasfilm universe will be laid out for you in spectacular fashion.

I just can't say enough about Full Contact...the film is your typical Hong Kong revenge play, set against a backdrop of low-rent gangsters and seedy relationships. But it's the little things that really set this film apart: Ringo Lam is one of the few HK directors who has a decent grasp on how to use music in his films, not being as obsessed with Canto-pop inanities as his contemporaries; the body count is much lower than the typical bullets-n-bloodshed HK gangster film, thus giving each action scene an edge above other movies that end up reducing the impact of each death by trivializing them; Simon Yam's "viper queen" is a truly...different...kind of villain, one who makes you laugh while you're hoping he dies; the bit characters are better realized...I could go on and on.

In short, Full Contact is a real shock to the action fan's system: it has a visceral quality that so many action movies try for and miss. Ringo Lam's work is not for everybody, but if you're looking for the true edge of HK cinema (keep in mind that movie-goers in Honk Kong didn't like this film, as it was considered TOO dark and nasty by an audience used to this sort of thing, and not a soft, Western audience), here it is. Full Contact is the perfect English title for this brutal trip.

Hard Boiled may be one of the best Hong Kong action films ever made from an action standpoint, but true fans of the genre(not just those few who have seen one or two John Woo movies and think they know the score) may very well find themselves disappointed in the film's lack of identity. Woo touches on his usual themes of loyalty and brotherhood, but with nowhere near as much success as he did in The Killer or A Better Tomorrow. The characters are also even more archetypal than usual...and in this case, the only real life in the characters comes from the amazing charm of Chow Yun-Fat and the likeable appeal of Tony Leung, both of them more than able to save even the thinnest characters. Hard Boiled is still a great flick, though...don't get me wrong! In fact, it's probably the perfect HK action film to watch with a roomful of newbies and recent converts. Loaded with great action and jaw-dropping stunts, Hard Boiled is spectacular eye candy, but for those of us already spoiled by more intense HK action films like Ringo Lam's Full Contact, it falls just a hair short in other departments.