2000 AD

I've never been a big fan of Aaron Kwok, but he's actually really good in this movie. Much better than in China Strike Force or Storm Riders.

Gordon Chan is one of the best Hong Kong -action directors, and he really knows how to combine drama and fastpaced action. The gunfights in this movie are very good and the kung fu scenes are pretty well made too. The fighting is mostly quite realistic (at least compared to movies like New Dragon Gate Inn, Iron Monkey or other high-flying action flicks) and all the characters aren't great kung fu masters.

Recommended for... anyone who likes GOOD action movies.

"2000 AD" was actually better than I had expected it to be. So why wasn't I expecting much from it? Well because I am not really much fan of neither Aaron Kwok or Daniel Wu. But I will admit that Aaron Kwok actually did a good job in this movie.

The story is a cat and mouse chase type of movie with double-crossing and deceit, leaving you unable to know whom to trust or not. Peter Li (played by Aaron Kwok) and Benny (played by Daniel Wu) are two young gamers who end up in over their head in a web of conspiracies, lies and treason, as Peter' brother is dead, leaving behind a key that leads to a safe deposit box.

There is a good amount of action in "2000 AD", and it was nicely executed and filmed, so that was good and entertaining. Sure, the storyline was plagued by parts being predictable, but still, it turned out to be a good movie that was fun and entertaining to watch.

And appearing to light up the movie is a great appearance by Hong Kong heavy-weighter actor Francis Ng, and as always he did a good job, despite having only a small role in the movie. Phyllis Quek (playing Salina) did a fairly good job as well, although I don't think I've seen her in other movies aside from this.

For a Hong Kong action movie, then "2000 AD" was adequate, unfortunately it didn't really bring anything new to the genre or really stand out from many other action movies. But still, it is well worth a watch if you like Hong Kong cinema. And if for nothing else, Francis Ng makes it worth to sit through the movie.

Hong Kong used to be seen as the home of unintentionally comical chop-socky movies of interest only to kung-fu freaks and those too lazy to reach for the remote and, while that's not a fair assessment of that country's current output, it's not a totally undeserved one concerning its past. So it makes a refreshing change to see that Hong Kong – along with other Asian countries – has begun producing stylish and energetic efforts like 2000AD.

Hollywood is obviously a major influence on this film – not least in the fact that the writing credits are shared between director Gordon Chan and American screenwriter Stu Zicherman (Chan took Zicherman's English screenplay and translated it into Chinese, although chunks of English dialogue remain). The storyline is typical Hollywood high-tech nonsense, but it's engaging and exciting, and injects high-adrenaline action sequences that match anything that has come out of the States – or anywhere else for that matter – in the last ten years.

The complicated storyline focuses on Peter Li (Aaron Kwok), an immature, bespectacled computer geek, who quickly matures after witnessing the assassination of his older brother while in police custody, and finds himself sucked into an ever-widening morass of lies and deceit as he struggles to identify the killers. Able to trust only a handful of the numerous characters offering him support in the aftermath of his brother's murder, Peter soon finds himself the target of the assassins, and becomes immersed in a world that mirrors that depicted in the video games at which he is so adept.

The core of the plot regards the search for a computer program that can destroy the world's computer network with the press of a laptop button, but that's really just a plot device from which an explosive cocktail of explosions, shoot-outs, car chases and fist fights are developed. The story starts slowly, introducing us to a bewildering array of characters that take some little while to sort out, and it's only after the first thirty minutes that the action kicks in. Despite this, it has to be said there's not a lot of character development going on in those first thirty minutes: Peter transforms into a grim-faced avenger, mysteriously jettisoning his geeky spectacles, and adopting a sort of Bruce Lee persona that never quite rings true; but, apart from thirty-eight-year-old Kenneth Ng, who delivers a superbly understated performance in the regrettably small role of Officer Ng, a senior police officer approaching his sixties, the other characters are nothing more than cardboard cut-outs – especially Janet (the wonderfully named Gigi Choi), Peter's girlfriend, who is given absolutely nothing to do throughout the entire picture.

But, then, since when was characterisation allowed to get in the way of an action flick? Chan hasn't set out to create true-to-life people in a true-to-life world; he's attempted to recreate the breathless, high-speed pace of a video game, one in which his hero has to ascend various levels before the game can be completed ("This isn't a game", says Ng at one point, "you can't start over again").

Director Chan, an insolent little brother to the Hollywood high-rollers, delivers the breathtaking action sequences with no little style, eschewing the slow-motion ballet so beloved of John Woo and his many pale imitators (who now, ironically, count Woo amongst their number) for furiously kinetic displays of concentrated carnage. Chan's gun-battles somehow manage to illustrate the brutal violence and terrifying confusion of the moment without confusing the viewer, and he stages each massacre with flair and purpose and attention to detail that is unusual (the car park shootout is actually a homage to the notion of the samurai's sacrificing of their lives in Kurosawa's Ran). True, he overplays his hand, leaving little for the disappointing showdown with the villainous 'cowboy' (another dig at Hollywood?), and some loose ends are left hanging (presumably for a sequel that has so far failed to materialise), but if what has gone before hasn't left your appetite sated then you've probably never seen an action movie you've liked.

With 2000 AD, director Gordon Chan cements his status as modern Hong Kong cinema's "King of Gun Battles". While his peers seem intent on putting together shootouts which are either a) amateurish and poorly edited (Extreme Crisis, Blood Rules), or b) oblique and artsy (The Mission), Chan proves there is at least one director left in Hong Kong who can deliver thrilling and explosive gunfights like nobody's business. He's not a John Woo clone though. Unlike the slow-motion beauty of Hong Kong cinema's most successful export, Chan prefers a hard-hitting and realistic approach. Think of the gun battle in Michael Mann's HEAT, and you will get an idea of how Chan likes to shoot and edit. Besides the action scenes, 2000 AD is an average Hollywood-style thriller. The story won't change your life, but you will be amused and that's enough. Best of all, the movie is WELL-PACED! That's one skill the current crop of HK directors seem to lack - Their films are too slow. Not 2000 AD. Well paced, good acting, amusing story, and awesome action. What are you waiting for?

When 2000 AD first came out I was quite excited for it! Starring the gorgeous Aaron Kwok and directed by Gordon Chan - who had impressed with some great titles previously - it was bound to be pretty damn good! The trailer had me hooked with its fast editing that showed non-stop action and some pretty cool shots. Then finally, it got its release in the UK via Hong Kong Legends...

And it certainly didn't disappoint!

While its first 5 minutes features some impressive jet flying which leads right to the attack of a passenger plane over the city - the following 30 minutes is definitely a slow burner as it introduces the characters, mostly in scenes without any music or atmospheric sound that starts to get boring as the story rolls along, but stick with it.

Because right after that, we are treated to a fantastic chase sequence as the yummy Kwok chases down sniper Ken Lo who has just attacked his brothers car (played by Ray Lui) with some close calls, fantastic shots and nice choreography courtesy of Yuen Tak. This change of pace thankfully shakes things up as gamer-geek Aaron starts to lose his cool in trying to find his brothers killer, all while trying to avoid the police team led by the great Francis Ng (who for once isn't playing a nut job)...

I really like 2000 AD. While it may annoy some viewers by taking its time here and there, it equally surprises with sudden outbursts of violence and action, delivered in style via some inventive gunplay and martial arts along with some very nice cinematography and editing that enhances the tension!

The music and sound editing itself did annoy me somewhat. While not terrible, it just seemed less polished than the rest of the film which really stood out to me - that, and a few odd editing choices during the more dramatic stuff and cut scenes that just looked out of place compared to the rest of the film. The wonderful Daniel Wu (Into The Badlands) plays Aaron's closest friend and gets to throw a few moves but ultimately, this is all about Kwok being the action hero. I do like Andrew Lin as the villain of the show. He looks and move well and comes across as a toned down version of his role in The Black Sheep Affair...

Yes the script and story may not be the greatest, and some co-stars and roles may seem oddly miscast and out of place, but I do think 2000 AD holds up as a great Hong Kong action thriller that (to me) is Gordon Chan's last great film as a director!

Overall: Although dated in some respect, 2000 AD is stylishly made with some incredible action and a lot of fun!!