21 reviews
....and a goofy, half-baked plot it is. When you set your movie in a fictional country named Lavernia (?) and expect people to take it seriously, you've definitely started off on the wrong foot. But when the film is not slowed down by its story, it does have some very good action scenes. It is mainly a showcase for Chiu Man Cheuk, who has a likable screen presence and is a graceful, impressive fighter; although he's not quite "the next Jet Li", why he never became a bigger star in the field is a minor mystery. The fight choreography is brutal and efficient, and the main villain (Andrew Lin) is impressive in his own right, but the final showdown goes too over-the-top for my tastes. The beautiful Shu Qi is mostly wasted, but she does have a great scene where she fiercely stabs a man to death. (**1/2)
"The Blacksheep Affair" was not one of the better Hong Kong action movies, though it wasn't a total waste of time either.
I picked up this movie from Amazon because Shu Qi is in it, and I am a fan of hers, and she did a great job in the movie, despite having a small supporting role only. The lead role was held by Chiu Man Chuk, and he was actually also doing a good job.
The story in "The Blacksheep Affair" was a bit too silly for my liking. It didn't have much continuity in it, and there were some holes in the plot here and there. But still, not the worst Hong Kong movie I have seen, but there are a lot far better Hong Kong movies available.
I found two things odd in this movie. The first was why people would be speaking English in this fictional country, Lavernia. And not just English, but poorly dubbed English with a strong lack of emotion and commitment. It was just hilarious, and it brought the movie down a notch. The second thing was the out-of-touch-with-reality-sounds that was used whenever people were throwing punches, kicking stuff and using swords. Those sounds were so bad.
One of the best things in "The Blacksheep Affair" was the ending, that was actually a nice surprise, and that made it up for the lack of proper storyline throughout the entire movie.
I picked up this movie from Amazon because Shu Qi is in it, and I am a fan of hers, and she did a great job in the movie, despite having a small supporting role only. The lead role was held by Chiu Man Chuk, and he was actually also doing a good job.
The story in "The Blacksheep Affair" was a bit too silly for my liking. It didn't have much continuity in it, and there were some holes in the plot here and there. But still, not the worst Hong Kong movie I have seen, but there are a lot far better Hong Kong movies available.
I found two things odd in this movie. The first was why people would be speaking English in this fictional country, Lavernia. And not just English, but poorly dubbed English with a strong lack of emotion and commitment. It was just hilarious, and it brought the movie down a notch. The second thing was the out-of-touch-with-reality-sounds that was used whenever people were throwing punches, kicking stuff and using swords. Those sounds were so bad.
One of the best things in "The Blacksheep Affair" was the ending, that was actually a nice surprise, and that made it up for the lack of proper storyline throughout the entire movie.
- paul_m_haakonsen
- Apr 30, 2012
- Permalink
This movie was my first encounter with any Hong Kong film. I watched this movie back in 1999 (on a VCR cassette).
The story line is like many other holly wood movies produced at that time: "A patriotic cop in a difficult and life saving situation". Action is sloppy sometimes but the martial arts is quite good.
Acting of lead cast both hero and villain is convincing (except the female lead because her performance was over-loud and not up to the standards).
Dubbing could have been more better. Over all 6/10.
If you can bear the 90's action, it is a good movie to watch.
The story line is like many other holly wood movies produced at that time: "A patriotic cop in a difficult and life saving situation". Action is sloppy sometimes but the martial arts is quite good.
Acting of lead cast both hero and villain is convincing (except the female lead because her performance was over-loud and not up to the standards).
Dubbing could have been more better. Over all 6/10.
If you can bear the 90's action, it is a good movie to watch.
- mlaeeqhassan
- Sep 8, 2013
- Permalink
Allun Lam's The Blacksheep Affair (1998, Hong Kong) is a fast paced action pack set in some fictional East European country Lavernia. Man Cheuk Chiu's character Yim Dong, a policeman, is sent there as a punishment for his disobedience towards his authorities during the film's opening plane hijacking. In Lavernia, there's an evil Japanese Mishima (Hoi Lin) captured and his group has done some very severe damage to the people and he thinks he's on mission from God to "cure the world" by killing and so on. Qi Shu plays Dong's old love Chan Pun who also happens to be in Lavernia. What follows is action and brutality as the evil Japanese kill and kill innocent people and the good Chinese cop must fight them to death.
The film is very annoying in its attitudes towards foreigners, Japanese mostly. They are depicted as evil and rotten killers that cannot be good or change. The screenplay is filled with lines like "those evil Japanese this and that.." and I really can't appreciate a film that has so incorrect attitudes and undertones for no any apparent reason or real importance. And that's not everything that's wrong with this film.
Qi Shu's character, a young and attractive female, is depicted as total moron who can't do anything in a hot situation but scream hysterically and act as if she had no idea what's she screaming for and could she perhaps do something to it. This film suggests that females can't really do much and they are just useless pieces of flesh in a dangerous situation. All that seem to be good and capable for something noteworthy are of course the Chinese men and their police.
The music is very bad in my opinion and even though it tries to make the goings on more dramatic, it fails and sounds almost naive. None of the characters become too interesting or close to the real person so their destinies don't touch and make me feel anything either. There's only one thing this film manages to do somewhat good and that is the action.
The action choreography by the great Ching Siu Tung is not as near as kinetic and inventive as in his masterpieces (Chinese Ghost Story trilogy, various John Woo films plus many others) but his talent make the action scenes easy to watch and thus the whole film much easier to watch. The violence is surprisingly brutal and almost exploitive so there's plenty of evil acts committed by evil, uncharismatic and unreal characters in this film. Not too nice an experience for a lover of ambitious and unique Eastern cinema.
The Blacksheep Affair is very close to the most boring and needless HK category and is worth watching only for the occasional action scenes and some inventive usage of camera. For most of the time, the twisted and moving camera angles and drives don't mean anything special, they're just there to make the film look more "stylish", but at least occasionally they manage to depict something, too. A good example is at least the scene in which Qi Shu's character escapes from the raging masses. Otherwise there's nothing special or memorable in this film, and thus it is among the least convincing pieces of the more recent Hong Kong cinema.
3/10 and barely so.
The film is very annoying in its attitudes towards foreigners, Japanese mostly. They are depicted as evil and rotten killers that cannot be good or change. The screenplay is filled with lines like "those evil Japanese this and that.." and I really can't appreciate a film that has so incorrect attitudes and undertones for no any apparent reason or real importance. And that's not everything that's wrong with this film.
Qi Shu's character, a young and attractive female, is depicted as total moron who can't do anything in a hot situation but scream hysterically and act as if she had no idea what's she screaming for and could she perhaps do something to it. This film suggests that females can't really do much and they are just useless pieces of flesh in a dangerous situation. All that seem to be good and capable for something noteworthy are of course the Chinese men and their police.
The music is very bad in my opinion and even though it tries to make the goings on more dramatic, it fails and sounds almost naive. None of the characters become too interesting or close to the real person so their destinies don't touch and make me feel anything either. There's only one thing this film manages to do somewhat good and that is the action.
The action choreography by the great Ching Siu Tung is not as near as kinetic and inventive as in his masterpieces (Chinese Ghost Story trilogy, various John Woo films plus many others) but his talent make the action scenes easy to watch and thus the whole film much easier to watch. The violence is surprisingly brutal and almost exploitive so there's plenty of evil acts committed by evil, uncharismatic and unreal characters in this film. Not too nice an experience for a lover of ambitious and unique Eastern cinema.
The Blacksheep Affair is very close to the most boring and needless HK category and is worth watching only for the occasional action scenes and some inventive usage of camera. For most of the time, the twisted and moving camera angles and drives don't mean anything special, they're just there to make the film look more "stylish", but at least occasionally they manage to depict something, too. A good example is at least the scene in which Qi Shu's character escapes from the raging masses. Otherwise there's nothing special or memorable in this film, and thus it is among the least convincing pieces of the more recent Hong Kong cinema.
3/10 and barely so.
The storyline is basically about an exiled HK cop living in a fictional ex-Soviet country, and sounds like something from a Jackie Chan film. The action comes thick and fast yet theres something missing...
However the swordfight at the end is definitely the best I have ever seen and it is a shame that it's so short as it really shows the talent of Chiu Man Chuk.
The dubbing is absolutely dire, so I would recommending watching the DVD version with subtitles.
However the swordfight at the end is definitely the best I have ever seen and it is a shame that it's so short as it really shows the talent of Chiu Man Chuk.
The dubbing is absolutely dire, so I would recommending watching the DVD version with subtitles.
- moviecriticuk
- Apr 30, 2001
- Permalink
One of the most moronic HK films ever. Even the original Cantonese dialogue is horrendous. The hero is dull and the love interest is excessively annoying.
The gunplay is also ridiculous, filled with scenes where 10 gunmen miss the 2 heroes despite them being out in the open. In John Woo movies (The Killer, Hard Boiled), the heroes at least pretend to hide behind something. There's also one scene that has to be seen to be believed. A bad guy shoots a bazooka, and we see the missile come out. Then the explosion happens *behind* the target, as though it magically passed through. I can suspend belief for action films, but this is just sloppy choreography.
The martial arts is okay, but overemphasizes flashy acrobatics over real fighting or tactics. The lead actor seems talented enough, but is wasted in this action fluff. I would only recommend this movie if you've seen every other HK action movie already.
3/10
The gunplay is also ridiculous, filled with scenes where 10 gunmen miss the 2 heroes despite them being out in the open. In John Woo movies (The Killer, Hard Boiled), the heroes at least pretend to hide behind something. There's also one scene that has to be seen to be believed. A bad guy shoots a bazooka, and we see the missile come out. Then the explosion happens *behind* the target, as though it magically passed through. I can suspend belief for action films, but this is just sloppy choreography.
The martial arts is okay, but overemphasizes flashy acrobatics over real fighting or tactics. The lead actor seems talented enough, but is wasted in this action fluff. I would only recommend this movie if you've seen every other HK action movie already.
3/10
These comments are based on watching the film in Cantonese with English subtitles; it was clear from viewing that characters had been given Anglicised names in the subtitles; I'll stick to those names.
This Hong Kong action film is centred on Arthur, a Chinese soldier. After disobeying orders, to stop a plane hijacking, he is posted to the fictional country of Lavernia... apparently an ex-Soviet nation somewhere in Eastern Europe. Almost as soon as he arrives he witnesses a terror attack being committed by Mishima; the leader of a Japanese cult. He manages to catch Mishima but local forces take credit for the arrest. Soon afterwards he bumps into his old flame Tammy, who fled China after the events in Tiananmen Square. Mishima may be in jail but he had previously been working with a traitorous Lavernian minister and he plans to use the Chinese by having them escort him back to Japan, where he is facing terror charges, and then ambush them leaving no witnesses... this leads to a confrontation in the Chinese embassy as Arthur faces Mishima while the Laverian arm shoots at anybody leaving the embassy compound.
If you want plenty of exciting martial arts action then this film delivers; especially during the climatic fight in the embassy. Unfortunately some of the other action isn't so good; when characters are shot with automatic weapons they stand jiggling in an almost comical manner and several explosions look fake. A degree of comedy is added by the fact that none-Chinese characters talk in not so brilliantly dubbed English. The story is decent enough; it provides a good excuse for action although the sub-plot involving his girlfriend is a bit of a distraction. The cast is solid enough most obviously Chiu Man Cheuk as Arthur and Andrew Lin as Mishima. Overall I wouldn't call this a must see but if you like martial arts action it is worth watching.
This Hong Kong action film is centred on Arthur, a Chinese soldier. After disobeying orders, to stop a plane hijacking, he is posted to the fictional country of Lavernia... apparently an ex-Soviet nation somewhere in Eastern Europe. Almost as soon as he arrives he witnesses a terror attack being committed by Mishima; the leader of a Japanese cult. He manages to catch Mishima but local forces take credit for the arrest. Soon afterwards he bumps into his old flame Tammy, who fled China after the events in Tiananmen Square. Mishima may be in jail but he had previously been working with a traitorous Lavernian minister and he plans to use the Chinese by having them escort him back to Japan, where he is facing terror charges, and then ambush them leaving no witnesses... this leads to a confrontation in the Chinese embassy as Arthur faces Mishima while the Laverian arm shoots at anybody leaving the embassy compound.
If you want plenty of exciting martial arts action then this film delivers; especially during the climatic fight in the embassy. Unfortunately some of the other action isn't so good; when characters are shot with automatic weapons they stand jiggling in an almost comical manner and several explosions look fake. A degree of comedy is added by the fact that none-Chinese characters talk in not so brilliantly dubbed English. The story is decent enough; it provides a good excuse for action although the sub-plot involving his girlfriend is a bit of a distraction. The cast is solid enough most obviously Chiu Man Cheuk as Arthur and Andrew Lin as Mishima. Overall I wouldn't call this a must see but if you like martial arts action it is worth watching.
A little bit like Die Hard/Executive Action, only much better because it's Hong Kong produced. Great fight scenes. Especially in the end, kung fu/sword fight sequence was just unforgettable. A must see for Hong Kong action fans.
This movie is just so brilliant. I have no idea how they created such an extraordinary action sequence. There's intense gun fighting, and my favorite..... Kung fu fighting. Qi Shu was just so superb doing this film.
The story was a little bit hard for me to understand because there was some things that they talked about that I didn't get, but you'll probably understand later on in the ending.
That Qi Shu is so cool, that he should be like the next Jet Li. I really enjoyed this movie, and I hope that I can get it. I recommend this movie to anyone who loves action.
The story was a little bit hard for me to understand because there was some things that they talked about that I didn't get, but you'll probably understand later on in the ending.
That Qi Shu is so cool, that he should be like the next Jet Li. I really enjoyed this movie, and I hope that I can get it. I recommend this movie to anyone who loves action.
- daan_de_geus
- Apr 20, 2007
- Permalink
Ever since SONY/Columbia/Tristar/(Disney)(silent partner) decided to release the Jackie Chan canon, it's become more and more clear that 1) they want a monopoly on redistributing Asian films on secondary markets (e.g. DVD); 2) they have no intention of allowing these films to go before an American audience without alterations; 3) they want to confuse Americans concerning the nature of these films by giving them spurious titles (most obviously "legend of this" or "legend of that" - almost none of these films have the word "legend" in their original titles).
Here's yet another example. This film is not and never claimed to be (in its original title) a sequel to the Jet Li film "Meltdown". Whereas "Meltdown" is really a very dark satire in the draping of an ultra-violent action film, the present film is a dramatic confrontation with a troubling event in Chinese history - the massacre in Tianemen Square; in fact it's the only Chinese film I can think of that explicitly addresses that terrible event; and the fact that the government allowed production of a film that admits the primary responsibility for the massacre was the government's - and that the government was mistaken - indicates that China has come a long way since Tianemen Square. But of course SONY/Columbia/Tristar/(Disney) doesn't think a film of this nature ought to be viewed with any sympathy, so they gave it a title and a promotion package sure to confuse - and disappoint- many American audiences.
On its own merits, the film is really quite good; the dramatic moments are well-handled and neatly performed. The action sequences - choreographed by the great Ching Siu Tung - are fast, high-impact, innovative. And they help move the plot along, they're not just tossed in to make this an action film. The dialog is just so-so, but the actors are determined to raise it above mediocre, and accomplish this in several key moments. The direction is solidly professional and we are left knowing that we have witnessed both a dramatic film AND an action film.
It's not the among China's best, but it is worthwhile entertainment on its own terms.
Hopefully SONY/Columbia/Tristar/(Disney) will one day realize that people who come to a film made in Asia want to see a film made in Asia, and not a re-interpreted "legend". However, there's still the hope for an anti-trust suit to break their bank....
Here's yet another example. This film is not and never claimed to be (in its original title) a sequel to the Jet Li film "Meltdown". Whereas "Meltdown" is really a very dark satire in the draping of an ultra-violent action film, the present film is a dramatic confrontation with a troubling event in Chinese history - the massacre in Tianemen Square; in fact it's the only Chinese film I can think of that explicitly addresses that terrible event; and the fact that the government allowed production of a film that admits the primary responsibility for the massacre was the government's - and that the government was mistaken - indicates that China has come a long way since Tianemen Square. But of course SONY/Columbia/Tristar/(Disney) doesn't think a film of this nature ought to be viewed with any sympathy, so they gave it a title and a promotion package sure to confuse - and disappoint- many American audiences.
On its own merits, the film is really quite good; the dramatic moments are well-handled and neatly performed. The action sequences - choreographed by the great Ching Siu Tung - are fast, high-impact, innovative. And they help move the plot along, they're not just tossed in to make this an action film. The dialog is just so-so, but the actors are determined to raise it above mediocre, and accomplish this in several key moments. The direction is solidly professional and we are left knowing that we have witnessed both a dramatic film AND an action film.
It's not the among China's best, but it is worthwhile entertainment on its own terms.
Hopefully SONY/Columbia/Tristar/(Disney) will one day realize that people who come to a film made in Asia want to see a film made in Asia, and not a re-interpreted "legend". However, there's still the hope for an anti-trust suit to break their bank....
- Leofwine_draca
- Nov 23, 2015
- Permalink
No matter how the world changes, no matter where Hong Kong people flee, Hong Kong cinema will always have its kung-fu. Members of China's elite corp are dispatched for overseas duties for disciplinary action. But the post-Communist eastern European countries are in tatters and under military dictatorship. Then there are terrorists from Japan's cult religions. What is to be done? The answer lies in Zhao's kicks. Ching Siu-tung's martial arts direction makes a brilliant flying circus. Together with massive location shooting in Eastern Europe to broaden the film's horizon, they make the ridiculous story and inert plotline easier to stomach.
The is a great action movie. Ching Siu Tung furnishes some his best choreography and Zhao Wen Zhou gets to use a lot of good wushu. Full of gunplay, explosions, and kung fu. Don't miss the end sequence, it's a classic. My main problem is the excessive blood and brutality. I thought it undermines a lot of the action. Setting that aside, a good film for people who like HK action.
soon as this film ends you will want to watch it again and again and pray for it not to end. This is action in hyper gear folks enjoy the 90 minutes of bliss now!! :) As for the story, what there is of it :) it centres around Chiu Man chuek (who is awesome i will add :)) as a detective send to some place called 'Lavernia' after a botch mission,and once there doesn't stay out of trouble for long. as we meet Mishima. Then the film is just non stop action!! that every body will love! buy it or rent this film now!!
The story of several special agents dispatched to Sarajevo for an offense that they did not commit, complete with their experiences in exile and the discrimination they suffer, complemented with bad guy Ken Tsang's impotence in a situation where "Chinese fight Chinese", and "embellished" with Chinese boat people sent to the open sea in an inhuman manner... in the end all these efforts have just one message to convey: survival in adverse situations depends on joining forces. The action set pieces are masculine and eye-catching, but the love scenes are corny. The film's creators can't tell a story straight. The saving grace are the solid tech credits.
I've given this film 10 on the strength of it action and fight scenes which are some of the best i've seen, Forget about all those Hollywood Blockbuster action films, for serious action fans thay don't come much better than this Hong Kong classic, Get yourself a copy of the DVD and enjoy.
Overall I would have to say that this film is good, although it could have been excellent. Great fight scenes, wonderful camera work, a reasonable plot and decent performances all round. However, there are a few unfortunate failings which I feel could have been avoided with little trouble.
My major complaint with the version I own on DVD is the dubbing. While I make a point of always watching foreign films with subtitles it is impossible to avoid the voiceovers on the one because all of the Russian-speaking characters have been dubbed into English with varying degrees of success. Obviously this is a criticism of my version, not the film itself, but unless I learn to speak Cantonese I will not be able to enjoy the original version. Another problem is with the action scenes: while they are spectacular to say the least (as a martial artist myself I particularly enjoyed them) I cannot help thinking that they could have been a little more realistic. In the final showdown Chiu Man Chuk and Andrew Lin practically fly around the screen. This would not be so bad, but everything they touch shatters to pieces, be they tables or stone busts. As for the gunplay, a veritable army of terrorists with automatic weapons are almost completely unable to hit four soldiers standing still on an exposed bridge with no cover. My final complaint is the music in the romance scenes, which makes them seem a little slushy. Oh, and one misplaced blind guitar player in a subway showdown.
Obviously, I have been highlighting the bad points, rather than good - but this is simply because I want to illustrate that aside from these quibbles there is nothing wrong with this picture, which is why it is one of my favourite Chinese action movies.
My major complaint with the version I own on DVD is the dubbing. While I make a point of always watching foreign films with subtitles it is impossible to avoid the voiceovers on the one because all of the Russian-speaking characters have been dubbed into English with varying degrees of success. Obviously this is a criticism of my version, not the film itself, but unless I learn to speak Cantonese I will not be able to enjoy the original version. Another problem is with the action scenes: while they are spectacular to say the least (as a martial artist myself I particularly enjoyed them) I cannot help thinking that they could have been a little more realistic. In the final showdown Chiu Man Chuk and Andrew Lin practically fly around the screen. This would not be so bad, but everything they touch shatters to pieces, be they tables or stone busts. As for the gunplay, a veritable army of terrorists with automatic weapons are almost completely unable to hit four soldiers standing still on an exposed bridge with no cover. My final complaint is the music in the romance scenes, which makes them seem a little slushy. Oh, and one misplaced blind guitar player in a subway showdown.
Obviously, I have been highlighting the bad points, rather than good - but this is simply because I want to illustrate that aside from these quibbles there is nothing wrong with this picture, which is why it is one of my favourite Chinese action movies.
- alunrichards
- Dec 18, 2000
- Permalink
This film's plotline may not be much but who cares when there's superb action going on? Zhao Wenzhuo delivers as usual as does Andrew Lin Hoi as the evil cult leader. The fights are an eyeful..checkout the subway fight. Also the final fight was indeed eye-popping..granted a little over-the-top due to wire-fu but still when Zhao Wenzhuo flashes his sabre..look out!!
It's a must-see for action fans tired of poseurs like MI:2...!
It's a must-see for action fans tired of poseurs like MI:2...!