mawhite2001

After watching Chow struggle uncomfortably through his U.S. debut film "The Replacement Killers" I was pleased to see him back in form with this follow-up film "The Corruptor".This time Chow is a Chinatown cop who is partnered with a white cop played by Mark Walhberg,an undercover from Internal Affairs investigating Chintown corruption.In the process of the investigation Walhberg confront his demons from the past and struggles between his loyality towards Chow (who turns out to be a corrupt cop) ,and his I.A. unit.This angle makes this film a cut above your standard action fare and a perfect vehicle for Chow's talent.

From the first moment I saw Chow Yun Fat in John Woo's "The Killer" in the early 90's, I became a big fan of the works of both men.So when I heard that Woo was going to executive produce Chow's U.S. debut film,I was really looking forward to seeing it.Watching the film was a totally different story.While Antoine Fuqua is a talented director with a visual style similar to that of Woo, the whole film seems empty at the core with Chow delivering his worst performance since Woo's "A Better Tomorrow,Part 2".The otherwise cool Chow appears to be uncomfortable in his acting and delivering his lines in English.The only thing that saves this film from being a total waste are the woderfully staged action pieces that are on the level of Woo's best work as a director.I also found that while I thought Mira Servino out of place in a film like this,she is such a doll it didn't bother me after a while.While not a bad film,it could've been better.To see a more relax performance from chow in a U.S. film,check out his follow-up film "The Corruptor".

For a long time I have noticed that the major Hollywood studios have no idea how to make a good dark comedy and this film is a perfect example of that.The film teeters unevenly between the usual silliness of Carrey's performance and near dark comic moments which I found unsatifying.And the "happy" ending was a real cop-out(typical Hollywood mentality at work once again).Lovers of this film who accuse those of us who did'nt of being disappointed because it was not another "Ace Ventura" or "Dumb and Dumber" seem to miss the point.The point is that when you make a dark comedy you should go all the way with the dark humor and not hold back for the sake of a "happy" ending or trying to please everyone.