Film: Fatal Move
Release date: 31st August 2009
Certificate: 18
Running time: 112 mins
Director: Dennis Law
Starring: Sammo Hung, Simon Yam, Jacky Wu Jing, Danny Lee
Genre: Crime/Thriller/Drama
Studio: Cine-Asia/Showbox
Format: DVD
Country: Hong Kong
Penned and directed by a man whose previous working credits include producer of the riveting Tria flick Election, a literal ‘kick ass’ lead, and a synopsis that includes the words violence and gang warfare, this was all set up to deliver on its title.
The story, which, to be honest, should have been copyrighted by now goes: Lin Ho Lung, played by the legendary Sammo Hung (Project A, Eastern Condors) is the head of Hong Kong’s most powerful Triad society. Danny Lee (The Killer, City On Fire) reprises his regular role as an honest police officer, who is trying to find a way to put the family in jail for good. One night, Lin Ho Tung, and an associate of Lung’s family, Simon Yam (Full Contact, Election), attend a big drug deal. Predictably, it all goes pear-shaped.
After that promising opening, the rest of the movie descends into badly put together fight scenes, even worse torture sequences, betrayal on both sides of the law, and the most unnecessary amount of violence committed to screen in a long time…
With a cast that consists of actors from classics including The Killer, Mad Detective, Exiled, Dragons Forever, it’s baffling how this ended up such a turkey, where you have no care for any of the characters.
Taking another Danny Lee film as an example, The Killer, without the narrative flowing perfectly, the action would not work - you feel engaged with Chow Yun Fat’s character by the way director John Woo chooses to craft each scene. In the final church battle, without the drive of Fat trying to escape his violent world, and take Sally Yeh to undergo eye treatment, the movie’s narrative wouldn’t go anywhere. The ending here is simply puzzling, with Sammo Hung and Wu Jing fighting for the trailer not the storyline – there is no reason for this event to happen.
Taking one scene, which sums up the problem: two random girls, the audience has never seen before, are sun-bathing on a beach. One of the girls suddenly feels the need to urinate. Whilst doing her ‘business’, without reason or indication, she begins to feel a rush of uncertainty about the space she is currently squatting in. Lo-and-behold, the girl finds the dead body of a Hong Kong Triad. Indicative of the movie as a whole, there’s no reason for such a convoluted interjection.
This movie was initially banned in some countries, due to its excessive bloody violence throughout. Jackie Chan’s The Shinjuku Incident suffered the same indignation. The difference is The Shinjuku Incident’s violence is pretty shocking - Fatal Move’s violence is only shockingly bad. Its inclusion only intended to cover the lack of depth.
That brings us to the most annoying element of Fatal Move - the constant use of black CGI blood, which ruins any chance of shock value. The moment the practical effects are on screen in deep red, it’s replaced with blatantly obvious computer-generated black blood. This movie follows the trend of modern stinkers such as Blood: The Last Vampire and Ninja Assassin, where this tool is used excessively. The reason Ichi The Killer, Martyrs and Battle Royale are so disturbing is down to the crucial use of practical effects.
It’s depressing to see such talent on screen, yet being subjected to an endurance test. Sammo Hung just walks around the screen with nothing to do – well, besides badly impersonating Bruno Ganz’s performance as Hitler in Downfall. The make-up department should also hang their heads in shame – giving Sammo the look of an aging, obese pensioner. More shockingly, the film makes no use of his talent in the fight sequences.
The DVD Cover reads “One Wrong Move, And You’re Dead.” The word wrong is outlined in red - take the hint. TJP
