On the Run

This movie was OK, a little unrealistic, fairly violent, but when they are punching each other, the sound-effects were horrible. People kept getting shot in the chest, but they never die, they seem almost fine shortly afterwards. A lot of people seem to get shot in the eye. And I didn't understand why the bad guy wanted to get shot in the hand.

Alfred Cheung's ON THE RUN (1988) stars Yuen Biao as a cop who gets to know his boss and other colleagues are not as clean as they should be. His wife gets assassinated and he meets a mysterious hit woman (Pat Ha). It comes clear that they are tracked by some very corrupt criminals/cops and they are on their own to survive. No children or women are safe either in the gritty and infernal urban jungle the film takes place in..

This film is very impressive piece of Hong Kong crime/triad thrillers which hate the usual "humor" found in HK films as much as I do. The film is all the time serious and at the end, very pessimistic and nihilistic, too. The seemingly "good" character changes, again, and after all, he isn't any less violent and "bad" than those who originally hunted him and Pat. I'm not quite sure what the film maker's meant with the ending but I think it is there to depict the decay of the movie character's world and how it forced the worst and ugliest sides in Biao's character to see the light and become active.

Still this film is very impressive even if we leave these "deeper" sides of the script away thinking they don't necessarily mean as much as we wanted to. The photography and settings are dark and atmospheric and enhanced even further by the strong and menacing soundtrack and use of music. The streets, alleys and hallways are captured menacingly and claustrophobically on camera, and this film is an example of what makes other masterpieces of HK crime genre so great.

The action is plentiful and leaves no changes to breathe for the characters. This film is as bleak in its violence as it is in its visual style and look of the film. I give ON THE RUN 8/10 rating and I'm pretty sure this requires more viewing times in order to fully appreciate it and its all aspects. This is highly recommended for those who love their HK films honest and realistic without any unnecessary and irritatingly awful humor often found in HK films, action films included.

As I sat down in 2023 to watch the 1988 Hong Kong crime action thriller "Mong Ming Yuen Yeung" (aka "On the Run"), it was actually for the very first time ever. In fact, I had never heard about the movie prior to getting the chance to sit down and watch it. And given my fascination with the Hong Kong cinema, of course I opted to do so in a heartbeat.

Writers Alfred Cheung and Keith Wong put together a fair enough script and storyline for the movie. Sure, it wasn't really an outstanding movie, especially in comparison to some other Hong Kong movies from the late 1980s. But it was entertaining enough for what it was, and it was definitely a chance of pace for actor Biao Yuen.

There are some familiar faces on the cast list, with the likes of Biao Yuen, Wah Yuen and Lieh Lo. And I will say that this movie was definitely something else when you think of a Biao Yuen movie, as it was way more brutal and violent than his usual movies are.

There is a fair amount of action and shooting throughout the course of the 88 minutes that the movie ran for, but in comparison to other late 1980s Hong Kong action movies, then it wasn't really as intense. And there isn't any martial arts in this movie, even with it being a Biao Yuen movie.

"Mong Ming Yuen Yeung" is watchable a single time, but that is essentially it, because there isn't enough contents to the storyline to support more than just that first and only viewing.

My rating of director Alfred Cheung's 1988 movie "Mong Ming Yuen Yeung" lands on a five out of ten stars.

This is a crime drama in which he, as a police, is, "on the run" with a female killer (played by Wen-shi Sha). From every aspect of filmmaking, "On the Run" is one of the best HK crime drama ever made. In this movie, you don't see kung-fu, but solid action and the final fighting sequence is very realistic. Very moody and stylish, and IMHO, it's to some degree better than most of John Woo's works.

I genuinely can't believe I put this film off for so long! A darker-than-dark neo-noir thriller, On the Run, is exactly the kind of film I adore one that's raised to another level by an incredibly dark sense of humour and a knack for doing the unexpected. It takes you for a ride, managing to assault, frustrate and delight regularly never ceasing to be entertaining or compelling. It's far from uplifting, a constant overhanging anxiety plagues its characters from the then-upcoming Chinese takeover of Hong Kong, even in 1988 they were worried about the future, it gives the film a suitably grim atmosphere even in the face of its stunning visuals. It's so weird to think that Alfred Cheung was more well-known for his comedies because watching this you honestly wouldn't know it. He perfectly complements the gloomy theme with dark cinematography of the black, Hong Kong horizon dimly lit with the traditional glow of neon lights. It is almost impossible to not be utterly captivated by its mood. As much as this is one of Yuen Biao's finest performances, the film is absolutely stolen by Pat Ha; displaying an intense physical presence throughout as a cold-blooded hitwoman with a heart of gold that commands incredible respect and sympathy. Aside from an incredible pole-slide stunt performed midway through by Yuen Biao, all the action is played with a brutal realism that's nothing short of spectacular, especially that final fight. Featuring a brilliantly crafted script that moves at lightning speed and a truly unforgettable musical score by Violet Lam, I cannot find myself praising On the Run enough, it's simply terrific.