Full Alert
1/10/00
Review
Format: VCD
Stars: Lau Ching Wan, Francis Ng

Francis Ng's character is bent on gaining a large sum of cash and will go through anything to do it.

This really isn't an action movie at all. I bought it hearing about some incredible car chase, which wasn't really incredible. Instead, this is a very VERY well done cops and robbers film with a great mood setting and some great acting. In addition, the plot holds you and usually I don't get much into these movies, but this one I liked. But since this is an action review, I'll go into what's there, and give it a rating based on that to remain consistant, but just remember that this is an exceptional Ringo Lam film that you'd wanna watch if you're pissed off or something.



The first scene is the car chase that I was told about. Ching Wan is on the trail of Ng's friends, and there's some pretty crazy stuff like driving along a rail car line and some good stunt driving. Nothing weird like cars flying everywhere so it's real.



Ching Wan goes after Ng again and it's really intense. We learn from Ng that even he has trouble killing people, and he nails Ching Wan on the head with his pistol. Ching Wan, a bit out of it, follows and takes a shot at him, but hits a motorcyclist passing by and the guy does a big fall from the top of a stairway. So, brooding stuff.



The last part of the movie (this came quick huh?) has Ng and his friend breaking into the bet-money storage at a horse racing arena. They cut a hole in the ground from the sewer line and they get in easily. Pretty cool. Things heat up when Ng's friend gets greedy and Ng defends himself, guns down his friend, and continually shoots him in the face when he's on the ground out of total frustration. Ng escapes, Ching Wan follows through the sewer, and when he gets out, he holds Ng at gunpoint and beats him up pretty badly, and then throws Ng's girlfriend down and knocks her out when she tries to interrupt. So Ng fights back and they struggle for a while, with Ching Wan holding Ng in a headlock. Ringo Lam directed this so you could see every molecule of life in these guys come in and out of their bodies. Ng's girlfriend comes back, points a gun at Ching Wan, who takes Ng at gunpoint again, gets shot in the back and shoots down the girl, so Ng rushes to her and kills himself.



Full Alert is super intense. Lau Ching Wan and Francis Ng really show what they're made of, both of them are excellent. Though the action is sparse and not exactly my taste, it gives the movie a very professional image. If you like serious crime movies, this would definitely interest you.

4/5 - The other point would go to one more car chase or another action scene of some kind, but for plot and overall feel, easily 5/5.

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