Executioners

After seeing Heroic Trio, I expected a lot of this movie. But I have to say, this was a bad movie, because it didn't make any sense. Of course being a HK movie this normally doesn't bother me, but even the action was bad. If there was any action. Because at the time you were expecting a fight or two, they didn't fight. They justed talked. I almost fell a sleep during this movie. My advise to you forget this movie ever being made. Only watch the first part.

I've always loved the 80s trend of a sequel being completely different from the original, such as RAMBO compared to FIRST BLOOD, or SEASON OF THE WITCH to HALLOWEEN I & II, and especially apt here, MAD MAX to THE ROAD WARRIOR, where the sequel suddenly takes place after a nuclear war in a post-apocalyptic hell, which is what happened here in EXECUTIONERS. However, this is not a warriors-of-the-wasteland flick, but instead, a strange futuristic fantasy fight film where the Heroic Trio must face not only their own personal challenges but also a society devastated by war and a massive water shortage. Johnnie To returns as director to co-direct with Ching Siu-tung (A CHINESE GHOST STORY), and while the action is just as good as the original and I did enjoy the bombed-out post-apocalyptic city setting, the personal drama of the characters was pretty weak (Mui being a mother was a dumb addition) and not all that interesting. Outside of that, EXECUTIONERS is worth watching if you enjoyed the first film.

It pains me to have to post a negative review of EXECUTIONERS starring, as it does, the three greatest female action stars produced by Hong Kong cinema. But this film is a dark, bleak, muddled and frankly boring mess of a film.

This is probably not helped by the appalling "Engrish" subtitles of the Universe DVD release, which includes gems like:

"When the time comes you'll be retaliated" "The world is belonged to us soon," and the classic "You're immutable"

As I watched film I found myself asking "Who's that?" and "Why did that character do that?" and came away at the end not really understanding what was going on. Was the city everyone lives in the only habitable place on Earth? If the city had no water, why didn't people just leave?

Too many questions and sadly not enough answers.

Unlike other reviewers here, I'll say, "If you enjoyed HEROIC TRIO stay well away from EXECUTIONERS ..." My rating of 4 stars is because Anita Mui elevated anything she appeared in, even this piffle.

Watchable for Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung, and Anita Mui, but a big step down from the first film, The Heroic Trio. The post-apocalyptic plot is a muddled mess, the action too often centers around big shootouts instead of martial arts, and the three leads aren't together enough on-screen, an early scene in the tub and a few battle moments notwithstanding. There is also a dark, dingy aspect to the cheap sets that makes it visually unappealing, which is pretty tough to do given the cast.

The story progression for Mui's character is less than satisfying, as it uses the device of her being separated from her screaming child several times, we get syrupy scenes after disagreements with her husband the mayor, and then she ends up in prison for too long. Meanwhile, Cheung's character goes off searching for water in the dystopian hellscape, but it's with a rival (Ching Wan Lau) and (inexplicably) the child, leading to further overwrought moments. The little girl was adorable and all, but her character was a liability, all the way up through the final battle.

As in the first film, there are some bonkers bits, like the gunning down of some nuns who've administered medical aid, or the squeezing of a rat to drink its blood in prison. Yeoh's character also uses a whistle to control a man who's turned into half-animal, presumably from the radiation, though his fate set to swelling music was overly melodramatic. It wasn't that I wanted more of these over-the-top moments, but at least when they were on the screen the film had a little edge.

Still, despite all my complaints, the three leads have such screen presence that the film held my interest. I just wish it had been a better vehicle for them.

The Heroic Trio is a great Hong Kong action film. This is a fact. Executioners isn't quite as good but might be more interesting - set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, filled with crazed corporate owners, assassinations, bandits, and renegade military personel, this is a film that has a lot of ambition. It's also deeply flawed, if only because it's a bit messy and many of the characters' relationships and plot lines are confusing. But it does have some remarkable action scenes, great performances again by Yeoh, Mui, and Cheung, and a surprisingly dark ending that works very well. Anthony Wong also has some fun as the villain, a madman who owns the water company(!). He's completely unrecognisable behind the makeup and iron mask he wears, but he's having a good time. If you like The Heroic Trio, this is well worth checking out. It's not that film's equal, but it is an above-average action film in its own right.