Today's article, there is no need for too much foreshadowing.
Go straight to the point and say the latest raw Hong Kong drama.
I just advise everyone: before it explodes, enter the pit as soon as possible.
Recently, the "Hong Kong wind" has exploded for a while.
A "Poisonous Tongue Lawyer", which broke Hong Kong box office records, won the top spot at the recent mainland box office.
Another Academy Awards hit "The Corridor of Justice" that was popular all over Hong Kong caused repercussions among fans.
Once again, it proves that Hong Kong films do not lack audiences.
The same is true for Hong Kong dramas.
This time, TVB is not a small trouble.
In words that have become unpopular recently, "Invisible Team" can be called an S+ project in Hong Kong dramas.
Immortal lineup. The key is that they are all powerful -
Executive producer (director) Wen Weihong, representative works "Apostle Walker" and "Walled City Heroes", with a score of more than 8 points, the upper part of "Super Messenger" also has a good reputation, recognized as the ceiling of Hong Kong opera action dramas.
Actor, three-view emperor: Ma Guoming, Chen Shancong, Chen Zhanpeng.
After two eyes: Tang Shiyong, newly promoted Houjiang Meiyi.
Plus Hong Kong sister-level people such as Liu Peiyue, Liu Yingyun, Chen Ziyao, and old faces of Hong Kong operas such as Lin Zishan and Ou Ruiwei. There are 5 visual emperors and queens of TVB alone, and more than ten powerful people, one word, absolute.
The theme is TVB's best police drama. The main realistic (with real gun) riot theme, but the story has light science fiction, up is "zombie attack". One word, fried.
The Counter Terrorism Unit (CTRU) is a real Hong Kong Police Force unit established in July 2009 as a paramilitary special police unit and Asia's first police counter-terrorism patrol unit.
There is one question left - can Hong Kong dramas still be played?
Hong Kong dramas have always been the most special existence in the Chinese film and television industry.
At its peak, even the TV market in Southeast Asia swept away, and it has been selected every year since Malaysia's Hong Kong drama Emperor TV.
Hong Kong dramas are so popular, they can't do without three obvious characteristics.
First, the drama is fierce.
Hong Kong dramas rarely inject water, and the story develops very quickly. And only what you can't imagine, there is no Hong Kong drama that you dare not film.
The second is the fullness of character portrayal.
The plots of Hong Kong dramas are often brought out by plump and three-dimensional characters, and the characters are the core of rhythm, so they have cultivated Hong Kong film pillars such as Stephen Chow, Chow Yun-fat, Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Liu Qingyun, Wu Zhenyu, Koo Tianle and so on.
The third is the unique taste of Hong Kong.
When watching a drama, just by looking at the scene lines, it is easy to tell if it is a Hong Kong drama.
Although mixed with various commercial elements, the emotions of Hong Kong opera are very delicate, and the brotherhood of Hong Kong opera is an extremely unique stroke in Chinese dramas.
Among the many Hong Kong dramas, the police and bandit theme is the most window dressing category.
Not only integrating various strong plots, but also incorporating action elements such as riot prevention, gunfights, and actions, once upon a time, it was definitely the signature of Chinese dramas.
But like Hong Kong dramas, with the loss of artists and the loss of Hong Kong dramas, Hong Kong police and bandit dramas have lost their former glory.
However, shortly after the opening of 2023, as soon as this drama came out, I found that we are likely to wait for the "bottoming out" of Hong Kong police and bandit dramas. It premiered 2 episodes and rushed to the first place in the platform's Hong Kong drama list.
How good the reputation of this drama is, you can know it by reading a few groups of netizens' hot comments.
To sum up, "the emperor is fierce", "the plot is high-energy", "film-level production", and there is a sentence, "not inferior to Hong Kong action movies ten years ago." ”
Is this worth it? Why ten years ago? Because Hong Kong action movies were still fierce at that time.
How fierce is this one, come, take you to see -
01, the opening scene is "zombie attack", a solid serial action scene, let people into the pit in one episode
Unlike other police and bandit dramas, "Invisible Team" does not introduce the background first, slowly deepening.
Instead, Wen Weihong style as always: say what to say, hit and say.
How long does it take for a drama to grab an audience?
Wen Weihong tells you: ten minutes.
The first "fire" of "Invisible Team" burns to the boiling point at the beginning, cool, fast, and explosive.
The police and bandits of the past were nothing more than cat-and-mouse games.
This one is good, come up with "zombie attack".
The heroine played by Tang Shiyong led the team to patrol the street for less than half a minute, and a "female zombie" had appeared.
The so-called zombie, in fact, is due to smoking a new type of drug, causing the smoker's eyes to become red, irritable, hallucinations, loss of pain, super able to fight.
The patrol did not have time to deploy carefully, and when they got out of the car, they surrounded the "zombies" and prepared to catch turtles in the urn.
An order, rush.
When I started it, I found that this woman seemed to be different from her daily life.
Fierce, brutal, super fast, and even shot and flying.
Not only can he run, but he also stabs passers-by with a dagger.
The square is a mess.
On the other end, Chief Inspector Gu Jiaqiang, played by Chen Zhanpeng, was on a defense mission, but encountered another "male zombie" on the road.
Not only slashed and bitten on the street, but also jumped heavily on the police car and smashed the glass of the police car.
Scream, don't listen, shoot, don't hurt.
He also directly overturned a police officer, and went up and tore and bitten. Unfortunately, he provoked the wrong person, repeated warnings were useless, and Gu Jiaqiang decisively shot with heavy firepower.
And Tang Shiyong's end, it was difficult to subdue the "zombie" with a pistol beater, but fortunately, he met another newcomer in the police force to subdue the "zombie" and also left a living mouth for detection.
10 minutes, "zombie attack police", square battle.
In 10 minutes, the scene exploded and the suspense layout was completed.
——This is the efficiency of Hong Kong dramas.
sharp picture tension; High-intensity action duels... Chase murderers on the familiar streets of Hong Kong and capture them in dense crowds.
How many times has this cliché scene been played in Hong Kong dramas, but it makes the audience enjoy it.
It's over? Of course not.
After the action scene, the main story line opens: why do they become "zombies"? What drugs did you smoke?
The ensuing internal police meeting quickly brought up two departments within the Counter-Terrorism Intelligence Unit, one is the Counter-Terrorism Special Service Unit, led by Oriwei, which is responsible for supporting counter-terrorism experts, conducting counter-terrorism patrols and handling terrorist attacks.
The other side is the stealth mission strategic force led by Fang Guoxi, played by Jiang Meiyi, which is responsible for armed response and in-depth investigation, and to combat and eliminate potential threats.
Both departments are committed to this task.
In the end, the Stealth Team got the task, because the case involved an old case from two years ago, which is the new drug case that the Stealth Team is pursuing.
The story continues, and the pace does not slow down at all. According to the story style of Hong Kong dramas, the "infighting" between Jiang Meiyi and Ou Ruiwei has just begun, which should be the hidden line running through the entire drama.
Through this opening, the main characters also appear one by one.
Police and bandit action, sci-fi suspense, just one episode, all the elements are included, the most important thing is the rich Hong Kong breeze.
From the picture to the lines, déjà vu. It's like the culmination of all excellent police and gangster films.
But I just can't see enough.
Looking deeper, the ambition of "Invisible Team" is a comprehensive upgrade of Hong Kong-style police and bandit dramas.
02, no taboo scale, game in the middle, strong reversal, action scenes are explosive, the protagonist is difficult to distinguish between good and evil, and the Hong Kong flavor is full
Some people say that they have seen the shadow of many classic Hong Kong films in this drama.
But in my opinion, the show actually masters the core technology of the Hong Kong police and bandit action genre.
I learned face, but I also learned Lizi.
First of all, the pace is fast enough to fly.
As soon as it starts, it is the strong conflict and fast pace of the Hong Kong opera tradition.
One turn after another, character after character.
Hot scenes, layers of reversed character identities. Forcing you to take the bait.
As soon as the "zombie attack" case was investigated, Jian Yaoyang, played by Ma Guoming, appeared, came up to negotiate with the gangsters first, and was directly headshot.
So can you carry it? At that time, he was also a member of the police special forces, but because of a mistake in the operation, he left the police force, and now he has become a rising underworld brother, passing the hurdles one after another.
The first level, arresting people.
A little brother moved the goods of the gangster boss played by Lin Wei and was chased and killed by the road.
Jian Yaoyang followed the vine and touched the melon, directly touched the scene where he robbed his girlfriend's money and ran away, grabbed people, and ran away.
But the second level is more difficult: breakout.
Just walked out the door, the gangsters holding the guy rushed up, but fortunately, the running scumbag was disarmed by the male protagonist with a gun and just opened fire.
Only two shots were fired, and the patrol led by Tang Shiyong came again.
Fortunately, the underworld wants to kill him, and the police want to arrest him.
But stunned is to let the male protagonist rush out of a bloody road with the scumbag, and also solved the gangsters who targeted Tang Shiyong by the way.
No need to guess, the male protagonist is undercover.
When the male protagonist brought the scumbag to the gangster, he didn't pretend to be there, and showed the certificate: I'm sorry, I'm undercover.
It turned out that his undercover gang organization was doing the sale of new drugs, and everyone was stolen.
It's too late, go straight to the third level, continue to go undercover, and dig out the buyers behind the scenes.
The male protagonist continues to use the identity of a gangster to ask buyers to meet, "trade", and arrest people.
This plot density is enough for Hong Kong dramas.
Secondly, strong action scenes.
Wen Weihong is indeed Wen Weihong.
Next, there is the most wonderful police and bandit gun scene in recent Chinese police dramas.
A 10-minute action scene in which police and bandits fire at the scene of a transaction is dazzling:
Open-air coffee square, police and bandits meet to trade, test each other, undercover and buyer secret battles, real behind-the-scenes boss remote control.
Unfortunately, the male protagonist is recognized by the other party in the constant delay of time.
Until the last moment of the transaction, the other party used the on-site citizens as bait to force the male protagonist to appear.
Not pretending anymore! Save!
The other party wants to pull out a gun? Snipers at high places are killed directly.
The members of the anti-terrorist special service team and stealth team who were ambushed around directly used improvised shields, raised their guns, and arrested drug lord criminal gangs on the street.
The tactical deployment of the police is presented one by one, street shootouts, bullets flying, hand-to-hand combat, empty-handed guns, tons of firepower output,
Crush gangsters in an instant.
I have to admit that Wen is the ceiling of the completion of Hong Kong drama action scenes, this level, is the TV series police and bandit shootout?
The action design is completely the feeling of a movie, and it is not rude to put it directly into the theater, and it makes people feel adrenaline soaring.
The last time I saw scenes, actions, plots, and characters in Hong Kong dramas that could fit so well was "Apostle Walker". Think about it, it's still Wen Weihong's play.
At the moment of tension, a stroller was blocked between the drug lord and the police, a female police officer regardless of personal life and death, directly rushed forward, rescued the stroller, but found that there was no one in the car, Huang Shen was shot and fell to the ground, Cong Ge immediately killed, killed the other party, and completed the rescue.
Well, it's an authentic taste of Hong Kong drama. The routine is a bit of a routine, but it is still refreshing to fly.
Is it enough to have fun fighting? There is a third point: Hong Kong flavor.
What is Hong Kong flavor, look at a few elements and you should think of it.
Undercover, shootouts, rescues.
Times are changing, and so are painting styles.
The filming location of "Invisible Troopers" gradually approached the modern place from the old building in Hong Kong.
But the classic Hong Kong-style rescue has not changed.
For example, the male protagonist is tempted by a drug dealer, who pours the drug directly into the drink and serves it to the child. To save or not to save? Quest or citizen?
No need to choose, the male protagonist suddenly got up and saved the child.
In Hong Kong dramas, the safety of citizens is the overall situation.
There is also the most common in Hong Kong dramas, brotherhood.
The four-person group of Ma Guoming, Tang Shiyong, Chen Shancong, and Lin Zishan in the play, originally the first two were lovers, but because of a mission, the heroine brother played by Lin Zishan was hit in the knee by Ma Guoming's role and has since faded out of the line.
The four turned against each other, but can they really become enemies?
Watching the play, at the key moment, the male and female main shots are pulled in, the eyes are suddenly focused, a cross position, back to back, and kill the encirclement.
Sure enough, he killed the brothers who did not leave the Hong Kong drama.
The upgrade of "Invisible Team" has not left the soil of Hong Kong dramas.
03, three-view emperor, two-sight after help, Hong Kong sister bonus, high appearance and high acting skills, rewrite the ceiling of police and bandit dramas in 2023
Audiences familiar with Hong Kong dramas should know that in terms of actors' acting skills and appearance, Hong Kong dramas never disappoint, and the same is true of "Invisible Team".
In terms of acting skills, this drama has gathered three emperors and two queens.
The first one, Ma Guoming.
In these years, the wireless students of the year scattered things, but Ma Guoming, who was inconspicuous all the way, came later, and his acting skills gradually appeared.
In "Invisible Team", he played Jian Yaoyang as the most interesting male actor.
Undercover appearance, acting decisively, IQ is extremely high, smoking a gun is very imposing, playing undercover gives the audience a sense of emotional dilemma.
But after watching dramas such as "White Strongman" and "Apostle Walker 2", you know that Ma Guoming's villain portrayal is actually far better than positive roles, and in addition to the style of the old Hong Kong dramas, whether there can be more play is the key.
The second place is Chen Shancong.
He played Gu Jiaqiang, with strong combat effectiveness and a hundred steps through Yang.
As the fastest among wireless students in recent years, he has indeed played brilliantly in dramas such as "Golden Sky Mansion", but he eats the role extremely much, the role is mediocre, and his play is mediocre.
His role in this play is overly positive, relying on roaring throughout the line, and the current action drama is stronger than the literary drama, and I hope to improve it in the future.
The third place is Chen Zhanpeng.
As the most underestimated student, he was originally the male protagonist of the show, but he was temporarily changed, and finally only played the villain, and the scene was similar to "Clean Government Sniper".
Chen Zhanpeng's acting skills are the most important thing to worry about in this wireless student, and the villain is especially amazing, the only question is: What is the problem with the wireless high-level?
When will Chen Zhanpeng play the absolute protagonist again?
Let's talk about the two queens, the first one is the newly promoted Houjiang Meiyi.
Jiang Meiyi, who has been up and down in wireless for many years, has finally broken out in recent years, and "Killer" is already eye-catching, and it is well deserved to win the honor of "The Family".
In this play, she played the female chief superintendent Fang Guoxi is very sassy, and Jiang Meiyi, who played Yu Ji when she was young, perfectly grasped the aura of her eldest sister, and she was not angry when she appeared, and she could stand up the role with one look.
Facing the daughter who was shot, one look + one fist interprets all affection.
In contrast, the performance of Tang Shiyong, who played the heroine, is too bland, which is also her last drama on TV.
The other supporting characters are equally wonderful.
Lin Zishan has increasingly become a licorice supporting role in wireless dramas over the years, from "Tonight Mansion" to "Super Messenger", each role is outstanding, in this drama he played Qiao Daiyan, accidentally injured by his brother and retreated, and has since withdrawn from the front line, is a tragic role full of joy, has played.
As for Liu Peiyue as Du Xiaojie,
Xing Feng, played by Liu Yingxuan, takes the sexy and sassy route, and one appearance can hook the eyes of all male audiences.
I have to say that Wen Weihong is the director who can beat women the most in Hong Kong entertainment after Tsui Hark, and the female characters under his lens are all shining.
Wearing a tight vest stole the limelight of the heroine as soon as it appeared, and compared with the deformed aesthetic of internal entertainment, as long as it is thin and the legs are thin, such a sassy beauty is the essence of Hong Kong drama.
This also makes me unable to help but look forward to the appearance of another great beauty, Chen Ziyao.
04, Hong Kong flavor is still there, Hong Kong dramas will not die
Chasing "Invisible Team" is both cool and embarrassing.
The same quality, if it is changed to a national drama led by a national drama star, I am afraid that it has already been praised and become a hit.
But "Invisible Squad" is less vocal.
In the final analysis, the voice of Hong Kong dramas today is too small.
Especially in the past two years, the influence of Hong Kong dramas has further shrunk.
The wireless Taiwan celebratory drama in previous years can also cause group ridicule, and in recent years it has simply been silent.
Does anyone know the last Taiwanese celebratory drama "Tsundere and the True Scripture"?
Even if Li Yaoxiang led by 7.9 points of "Light Gong", 7.5 points of "Super Envoy", how many people know?
The last well-known Hong Kong drama was probably "Golden Sky Mansion" 3 years ago.
However, are Hong Kong dramas really outdated?
But if you count the Korean dramas over the years, you will find.
They simply use "take-ism" to the fullest. It can be said that it is "invincible to copy Hong Kong dramas".
On the contrary, the Hong Kong drama itself gradually lost its craftsmanship. The mantle was taken away by the Koreans across the Yellow Sea.
At this juncture, the appearance of "Invisible Team" is undoubtedly a shot in the arm.
Large-scale content such as "zombie terrorist attack", "living hunting", "killing people for eggs" and "bomb maniac" appeared in the play, but it is essentially the taste of traditional Hong Kong police and bandit dramas.
It is simple and direct, does not drag mud and water, although old-fashioned but sincere, that pure Hong Kong taste, but also particularly attractive.
The most important thing is that there are things in the play that cannot be learned by entertainment in Hong Kong dramas.
Why are Hong Kong police and bandit dramas good? Just ask, a hand-to-hand combat scene of the Hong Kong sister in the play, can she personally go into battle with a small flower in internal entertainment?
In "The Invisible Team", we can still see the dedication and excellent business ability of Hong Kong actors.
The old drama bones are more than confident and relaxed.
Young actors are really fighting hard.
The show took more than 5 months to shoot only the action scenes.
Not only actors, but even behind-the-scenes personnel, need to exercise in advance, otherwise they can't bear such high-intensity shooting.
Behind this is the real life of Hong Kong opera, a mature and skillful Hong Kong opera tradition.
Therefore, Hong Kong dramas can always bury their heads in specialization - the ultimate of drama power. The ultimate in action.
Hong Kong opera is always putting together a real "work".
Can such a core craft of Hong Kong police and bandit dramas be learned by internal entertainment?
As long as the craft remains, Hong Kong opera will not die.