Hap do Ko Fei

Long ago I heard about an "ultimate Hong Kong action film" called "Full Contact". It starred Chow Yun Fat and was directed by Ringo Lam ("Maximum Risk") who is not as well known over here as other Hong Kong directors but with a good action script could be up there with John Woo and Tsui Hark. So while visiting a new video story in my area, low and behold there was a copy of it sitting there on the shelf calling to me. After watching it the first aspect of the film that struck me were the outrageous villains. There were three of them, a homosexual magician who could make guns appear out of nowhere, an over-the-top rock star looking guy that reminded me of a pro-wrestler, and a nymphomaniac female companion that........well let's just say she had problems keeping her clothes on. Chow Yun Fat plays a role fit for Stallone. It's got that '80s style "Cobra" look to it. He's kind of like an outlaw or desperado type, who must avenge his near death by the hands of the deadly trio. If you are a fan of any '80s action movie, then you'll love this. Keep your eyes open for the shootout at the end in the bar, with the bullet P.O.V. shots. Great stuff. **1/2 stars.

Another entry into the "cheer for the most likeable bad guy" series of Hong Kong action flicks. "Full Contact" tells the oft-told tale of betrayal and revenge, served up as a potent cocktail of Western convention mixed with the trademarked Hong Kong style. When Jeff's (Hong Kong superstar Chow Yun Fat in true hard-case form) friend Sam (Anthony Wong) steps on the feet of a local loan shark, Jeff comes to his rescue, creating a powerful enemy in the vengeful gangster. Seeking to skip town and make good, the two hatch a plan to hijack an arms shipment with the help of Sam's flamboyant and malicious cousin Judge (a delightfully sleazy Simon Yam) and his gang of dysfunctional thugs. What Jeff doesn't know is that he's being double-crossed by the wild group of brutal killers, who plan to bury him as they make their getaway. Judge forces Sam to off his loyal friend Jeff, but Sam botches the job, leaving Jeff to return for bitter revenge after dealing with an emotionally painful betrayal and a physically challenging rehabilitation. Lam foregoes the melodrama of Hong Kong counterpart John Woo and goes straight for the jugular with unremittingly stark and graphic violence. At the same time, the characters retain a certain amount of sympathy. Frequently outrageous and over the top, "Full Contact" is nonetheless a well made film suffering from a fairly weak script. Though comparisons to Woo are inevitable, especially because of Chow Yun-Fat in the lead role, Lam is a different kind of director and, accordingly, "Full Contact" is a different sort of beast. Although it opens with a robbery that rapidly turns into a shoot-'em-up, there's none of the balletic, elegant violence that characterizes Woo and his imitators. When the camera lingers over the carnage, it's not a lovingly choreographed sweep. Unlike in Chow's films for Woo, for which he is best known in the West, there's little that's noble about Chow's character in this one. He's heroic only by comparison to the psychotic gangsters he takes down one by one. Fortunately, Chow is up to the challenge of portraying a character of questionable morals in an honorable light, and Anthony Wong and Ann Bridgewater, respectively playing his best friend and wife, are equally top-notch. Lam's direction is excellent as well. His fine control of the action and pacing keeps the film from peaking too soon, and even a bullet's-eye view during a climactic shoot-out in a nightclub works in the movie's favor. The level of violence makes most of what Hollywood produces tame by comparison.

Ringo Lam's characters in Full Contact come in three flavors: bad guys with values, bad guys without values and victims. The first category is led by antihero Godfrey (Jeff or Gou Fei in other translations), one of Chow Yun-fat's most adversarial characters (not counting his Emperor role in Curse of the Golden Flower), who is a thief with a conscience who can deftly ride a motorcycle and wield his balisong knife. He is set to marry Mona whose creative dancing career apparently does not make enough money. Look for a later dance scene resembling something out of Encino Man. Their friend Sam (Anthony Wong: Exiled) had to borrow money from a loan shark in Thailand named Hung to help pay for her Mother's burial (the translation states this but I think it meant internment costs). Since he cannot pay back he is in deep trouble until Godfrey helps him out. This causes Hung to put out a hit on him.

Sam has a job coming up that could make him and his friends a lot of money. It is with his cousin the overly-flamboyant homicidal homosexual Judge (Simon Yam: PTU) and his two lackeys the muscular Psycho (Frankie Chan) who has a penchant for big guns and loose women and his girlfriend the nymph Virgin (Bonnie Fu). This job involves busting an ammo truck worth millions of dollars. However, unbeknown-st to Sam at the time they will get paid by Hung to take care of Godfrey and they will ultimately kill other pal Chung. In the meantime Mona has to take her Mom's ashes to Hong Kong. While Godfrey promises to marry her when she gets back, we all know that any promise before a big job will not be a promise kept. Those who see this will wonder why Godfrey takes this job when their initial meeting does not go well.

The operation goes almost exactly as planned for Judge. However, it is not as easy as he would have liked. While he finds Godfrey attractive he still has to kill him. This leads to an explosive showdown that leaves Godfrey with a missing thumb and trigger finger on his right hand, an innocent family dead and its daughter severely burnt. Sam capitulates in allowing this because he is a sniveling coward (his 180 degree personality change in the film is too unrealistic even though Anthony Wong still did a good performance with this character) and even shoots his friend and leaves him for dead. Why Judge doesn't check on the "death" of Godfrey, I do not know, but it allows him to live, take a cute dog, time to heal and time to learn to shoot with his other hand so he can exact revenge. His monomania allows time for Sam to sneak in on his girlfriend while everyone else thinks he is pushing up daises.

Lam's directorial style is grittier than John Woo's operatic mode of direction, but the spirit of Woo is in this film. He refers to Woo in a few scenes from the briefcase ending analogous to The Killer to Chow Yun-fat spitting out his cigar before killing like Tequila spitting out his toothpick in Hard-Boiled. While the action is not as hyperbolic as Woo's his characters are more exaggerated. Godfrey becomes a vessel for brotherhood (yi) in his quest for vengeance with his own code of conduct. He is not only taking revenge for a lost friend, he is taking revenge for a family wrongly slaughtered and a disfigured daughter. This film feels like a mixture of John Woo and Chang Cheh – it fits well in the sub-genre of heroic bloodshed. With a plot that could have been taken out of an old-school martial arts film what better place for Godfrey to get over his injuries then in a monastery with the help of a monk.

The one-dimensional characters are one of the biggest weaknesses with this film. When Judge states one sentence late in the film on why he acts the way he does it comes a little late – though Simon Yam's performance is a high point in this film. Virgin and Psycho are completely over-the-top as well but they do not have the finesse that Judge has. But in their excess with Psycho's muscle-bound dumbbell and Virgin's oversexed vixen there is a camp factor that I found enhanced the emotions and nihilistic content of this film. The triangle relationship between Sam, Mona and Godfrey annoyed me a bit but it did keep in line with the protagonist's revenge motif.

Where this movie excels is the gun-play scenes, fight action scenes choreographed by longtime Shaw Brother's actor/action director Lau Kar-wing and the excellent direction of Ringo Lam. He has a solid aesthetics in putting together scenes and creates a brute force style of action. The scene most mentioned from this film is club shootout between Godfrey and Judge. It sublimely employs the use of the bullet POV. There are also a couple of pyrotechnic scenes that are also quite extraordinary in explosive carnage and were a good reason for the overinflated budget.

This movie was not viewed as a success in Hong Kong. It was not a flop though since it made almost 17m HK dollars; however, since it cost over 23 million HK dollars it was a loss for Golden Princess. It has a better reputation here in the United States and along with City on Fire is it his most popular. I highly recommend it to viewers who are interested in action cinema. If you take a character first approach to film then you can probably avoid it. But for those who have gone this far in the review I figure you either have seen this movie or are interested in seeing this anyways. With great lines like "wash your butt and wait for me" I know you will like it.

Hong Kong action movies do not get any more stylish that this hard-hitting action flick from veteran film director Ringo Lam (MAXIMUM RISK, CITY OF FIRE). In this amazingly proficient import from the East, Chow Yun-Fat gives one of his best performances ever since his portrayal as Jeffrey, in John Woo's THE KILLER (1989).

In FULL CONTACT, Chow is Jeff, a merciless assassin who is involved in a double crossing deal, where he falls under the prey and manipulation of a deranged drug lord, Judge (Simon Yam, in an over the edge performance). Judge has a lust for both drugs and money. Jeff must protect his girlfriend, Mona (Ann Bridgewater), and his other friend, Sam, (Anthony Wong, who appeared in HARD BOILED, THE UNTOLD STORY, THE HEROIC TRIO) from the evil clutches of the ruthless Judge.

It was suppose to be perfect. The weapons heist was set up with precision and deadly accuracy. However, a fatal move has suddenly occurred, thus ruining the entire operation. Jeff is immediately betrayed by his once ally Judge, and in the process, Jeff's friend is systematically eliminated. As the action continues in full throttle, Jeff is shot and left for dead inside a burning house. However, Jeff is resilient...he does not die that easily...

FULL CONTACT (a.k.a. XIA DAO GAO FEI) is one of the finest action films ever to embrace audiences of any and all interests. It tells a compelling story of friendship turning into betrayal, and reprisal growing into a motivation for justice. Director Ringo Lam has done a fine job with one of his best masterpieces, and it is enhanced by better than average performances, particularly from Chow and Wong. Chow has fun as a vigorous hero who turns the tables just when everyone he knew has practically became his nemesis. Anthony Wong has a sympathetic supporting role as an old friend who may very well switch allegiances with a foul enemy. The villains are conniving and appropriately nasty. Simon Yam is excellent as an essentially slimy villain. His cunning attitude, his sick-minded, perverse personality, and tasteless vulgarity make him a repugnant yet compelling bad guy. Bonnie Fu has a debonair appeal. Her beauty is potent enough to ignite an endless array of fireworks. The strong performances establish substantiation in designing the main characters.

The action in FULL CONTACT is of course, at its breathtaking pace with absolute quality, and the film offers a surreal environment that is often rare in "pro forma" American made action movies. There are plenty of chances to cheer on for the good guy but the film has carefully mounted tension which will grip your interests. The "bullet cam" itself has to be seen to be believed.

FULL CONTACT is a rare movie, and I was lucky to stumble across a copy of this film at a local store in New York City's Chinatown. Audiences may have a hard time trying to decipher the incomprehensible English subtitles, but do not bother straining your eyes. The action itself makes this movie worth seeing. FULL CONTACT is one fashionably violent movie in the tradition of film noir.

Ringo Lam is a virtuoso at filmmaking who exhibits exceptional direction, slam bang camerawork, and majestic editing. He also has a proud technique of drawing audiences into the story. This movie continues to keep people amazed due to its technical competence and its poignant elegance. FULL CONTACT serves as a treat for action fans of all varieties, with a tale of romance, seduction, and retribution all weaving into one cinematic accomplishment.

RATING: *** out of ****.

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.