Louis Koo transcends the times with "The Siege of the Kowloon Walled City" revives Hong Kong action films
The May Day holiday is approaching, and the competition in the film market is intensifying. Among the many new films, "The Siege of the Kowloon Walled City" starring Louis Koo and Sammo Hung has attracted much attention. The film was screened in advance on the eve of the May Day holiday, and the results were well received by the audience, reversing the previous situation of being at the bottom of the pre-sale box office and moving towards the road of counterattack. Whether this movie can become a dark horse to save the reputation and box office decline of Hong Kong films is worth our careful discussion.
1. With the rise of young power, can Louis Koo buck the trend?
Since the beginning of the 21st century, the Hong Kong film market has been in a downturn for a long time, and local stars have gradually declined. In recent years, a new generation of actors such as Wang Yibo and Huang Jingyu have emerged and gradually dominated the film market, making people wonder if Hong Kong, which once led the trend of Asian films, is really going to be abandoned by the times.
In this context, the pre-sale data before the release of "The Siege of the Walled City of Kowloon" shows that the film is at the bottom of the live-action film, far behind "Peacekeeping Anti-riot Team". This undoubtedly shows that the audience prefers works starring young stars, and has lost interest in "old-timers" like Louis Koo.
After the screening of "The Siege of the Kowloon Walled City", word-of-mouth and pre-sale box office have increased significantly. This shows that despite the rise of young actors, the audience's enthusiasm for Hong Kong action blockbusters is still undiminished, and Louis Koo, the "old horse" in the Hong Kong film industry, still has his own strength.
As a veteran actor who has been in the entertainment industry for decades, Louis Koo has undoubtedly accumulated rich acting skills and strong appeal. In this movie, he played a maverick "tornado", far away from Sammo Hung the domineering "big boss", and the confrontation between the two naturally became the focus of the audience's attention.
In addition, the movie also invited powerful actors such as Ren Xianqi and Lin Feng to join, which can be called a work of "gathering male gods". Such a strong cast undoubtedly adds a lot of highlights to the film and arouses the audience's expectations. As the so-called "three stinkers, one Zhuge Liang", the joining of these senior stars may be able to inject new vitality into this movie and arouse the strong attention of the audience.
2. The main creative team of "Slaying the Wolf" is reunited, can it capture the hearts of the audience this time?
In addition to a strong cast, the behind-the-scenes team of "The Siege of Kowloon Walled City" can also be described as powerful. Director Cheng Po-swee won Best Director at the Hong Kong Film Awards for "Homicide", while producers Wai Shun Yip and Chong Cheng are the creators of the critically acclaimed action blockbuster "Kill the Wolf" series. The reunion of this elite team has undoubtedly injected a strong production force into this film.
The "Slay the Wolf" series is a classic masterpiece of Hong Kong action movies, known for its fierce action scenes and deep plot. And this time, Zheng Baorui, Ye Weixin and other behind-the-scenes teams will join forces again, which undoubtedly brings great expectations to the audience.
According to the introduction, "The Siege of the Kowloon Walled City" received unanimous praise from the audience when it was screened, and was praised as "an old-fashioned Hong Kong film, righteous spirit in the rivers and lakes, an action movie, fists to the flesh, excellent villains, and amazing by martial arts action scenes". This is undoubtedly closely related to the strong strength of the team behind the film.
As a senior martial arts instructor, Li Dachao has provided guidance for many action blockbusters, and has also made guest appearances in many action scenes. The action scenes he participated in choreographing are sure to feast the audience's eyes. Coupled with the joining of Sammo Hung, a Hong Kong action superstar, the fight scenes in the movie are even more exciting.
"The Siege of the Kowloon Walled City" relied on a strong behind-the-scenes team and cast to show its trump card in the competition of May 1st. I believe that with the help of these elements, this movie will definitely become the focus of the audience and is expected to become a dark horse in May Day.
3. The unique charm of "Kowloon Walled City" makes Hong Kong movies brilliant again
Not only is the behind-the-scenes team and cast strong, but the story background of "The Siege of the Kowloon Walled City" also adds a unique charm to this movie.
The film is adapted from the comic book of the same name, set in Hong Kong's "Kowloon Walled City", and tells a story about Hong Kong in the 80s of the last century. As a classic element in Hong Kong films, "Kowloon Walled City" has appeared many times in the works of Johnny To and Stephen Chow, and has become a unique cultural symbol of Hong Kong.
This time, director Cheng Baorui put this scene with Hong Kong characteristics on the screen, which can undoubtedly arouse strong resonance from the audience. For Hong Kong audiences, this is undoubtedly an intimate and exciting experience. For mainland audiences, it is also a rare opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of Hong Kong culture.
The background of the "Kowloon Walled City" not only has a strong Hong Kong style, but also fits with the social situation of Hong Kong at that time. In the 80s of the last century, Hong Kong was in a period of rapid development, but it was also facing a series of social problems. The film integrates these issues, not only reflecting Hong Kong's unique cultural temperament, but also conveying a deeper social connotation.
Such a unique story background and eye-catching action scenes are undoubtedly a powerful boost to the Hong Kong film industry. In recent years, the Hong Kong film market has been in a downturn, and many local film companies have turned to the mainland for cooperation. However, "The Siege of the Kowloon Walled City" can re-attract the audience's attention with its own unique charm, and may become a new driving force for the revival of Hong Kong films.
Fourth, the "rivers and lakes are full of atmosphere", can Gu Tianle set off a new wave of "killing the wolf"?
"The Siege of the Kowloon Walled City" is undoubtedly an "authentic" Hong Kong action blockbuster. Sammo Hung, who plays the villain "Big Boss" in the film, wears a necklace, a waist bag, and lights a cigarette, which is quite "Jianghu atmosphere". This visual element full of Hong Kong characteristics is undoubtedly a tribute and return to traditional Hong Kong action movies.
At the same time, the film also invited powerful actors such as Louis Koo and Ren Xianqi to join, and their styling in the film is also very comic. Louis Koo's "Tornado" has a combed back hair, glasses, and gray hair, while Ren Xianqi has long white hair, which is very different from ordinary characters. This kind of "non-mainstream" shape is undoubtedly more in line with the style of Hong Kong films, and it also gives people a refreshing feeling.
In addition, "The Siege of the Kowloon Walled City" has assembled an excellent behind-the-scenes team, including Yip Wai Shun and Zhuang Cheng, who previously directed the "Kill the Wolf" series, and Li Dachao, a celebrity in Hong Kong's action direction industry. The joining of these characters undoubtedly injected strong Hong Kong characteristics into the film, and also evoked the audience's good memories of classic Hong Kong films.
It is these unique elements that make "The Siege of the Kowloon Walled City" particularly interesting in the May Day film market. The audience unanimously praised it after the screening, thinking that it was "righteous in the rivers and lakes", "action film", and "fist to the flesh". This majestic visual experience is undoubtedly reminiscent of the classics of the "Slaying the Wolf" series.
In today's film market, it is not uncommon to see films with action elements, but there are not many that can really resonate with the audience. The reason why the "Kill the Wolf" series has become a classic, in addition to its outstanding action scenes, is that it can delve into human nature and dig into the inner emotional core.
If "The Siege of the Kowloon Walled City" can also maintain this balance, in addition to the wonderful action scenes, it will bring more thinking and moving to the audience, I believe it will become a dark horse in May Day, and it is also expected to revive the status of Hong Kong films.
After all, in this competitive film market, it's hard to win with action scenes alone. Only when a film can move the audience with a unique perspective and emotional tension can it really attract widespread attention and set off a new wave of films.
From this point of view, "The Siege of the Kowloon Walled City" is undoubtedly a work worth looking forward to. Under the leadership of powerful actors such as Louis Koo, combined with unique Hong Kong elements and action charm, this movie is fully qualified to become a dark horse in May 1st, and even a "dark horse" to revive Hong Kong films.