The Hong Kong gangster movie "Chasing the Tiger and Catching the Dragon" released on May Day this time claims to bring together the four major film emperors Of Wu Zhenyu, Leung Ka Fai, Gu Tianle and Lam Jia Dong to play on the same stage, the story is set in Hong Kong in the 70s, focusing on the history of the downfall of the black and white gangster "Lame Hao" and the head of the four major inspectors "Xu Le", as well as the establishment of the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
Everyone in the "Four Movie Emperors" has starred in excellent Hong Kong gangster movies, Leung Ka Fai, Koo Tin Lok and Lam Ka Tong have all created successful gangster roles in "Underworld", and "Ni Yongxiao" played by Wu Zhenyu in "Infernal Affairs 2" is also a role of the gods. Therefore, the joining of these 4 film emperors itself carries a strong atmosphere of Hong Kong gangster movies.
But in fact, in "Chasing the Tiger and Catching the Dragon", in addition to the "four movie emperors", there is also a fifth movie emperor hidden, that is, Zheng Zeshi, who plays "Lard Boy". Zheng Zeshi has played a "lard boy" in the same theme "Chasing the Dragon" before. For Zheng Zeshi, whether the opponent is Wu Zhenyu or Andy Lau, he can still contribute to god-level acting skills.
The 63-year-old Zheng Zeshi won the Best Actor of the Fifth Academy Awards as early as 1986 for "Why Have Me", becoming a film emperor one step earlier than Zhou Runfa. In 1997, Zheng Zeshi won the 16th Academy Awards again for "3 Injured Policemen".
The theme used in "Chasing the Tiger and catching the Dragon" can be said to have been "filmed badly" in Hong Kong gangster movies, and it is not easy to shoot well. However, this time, there are three highlights in "Chasing the Tiger and catching the Dragon" that make him stand out in the declining Hong Kong film. The first is that director Wang Jing is familiar with how to talk about movie gangster movies, the second five major film emperors have added a lot of color, and the third hong Kong police gangster movie is finally no longer only a big scene of action movies such as gun battles and car battles, but chooses to tell stories.
Wang Jing filmed the history of the downfall of "Lame Hao" and "Xu Le" this time, although there is no special portrayal of the scene in the story process, and even the overall story seems a bit unremarkable. The "chase" between ICAC personnel and gangsters is not designed to be brilliant. However, Sheng is told quite completely in the story, and the literary and opera parts reveal the essence of Hong Kong style everywhere.
The acting skills of the five film emperors deserve to be praised again, and every look is a drama. The rivalry between Wu Zhenyu and Zheng Zeshi is particularly exciting, especially the "escape" scene at the airport at the end of Zheng Zeshi, where the action and expression of the escape are well controlled and very fascinating.
The two villains played by Wu Zhenyu and Liang Jiahui have smoking plots when they are finally arrested, and the emotions of sighing and disobedience to fate are well pinched.
The integrity commissioner played by Gu Tianle and Lin Jiadong is not particularly brilliant, because the story to be expressed in the whole movie is relatively long, so the roles of Gu Tianle and Lin Jiadong are a bit "facial". However, it does not hinder the play of the two major film emperors, and the change in the micro-expression of Lin Jiadong and Gu Tianle's opponents is really wonderful.
In recent years, under the "leadership" of Gu Tianle, the production of police films in the Hong Kong circle is very large, but the reputation is uneven. Some police films even have only a visual feast of action scenes such as gun battles and car battles, and the story details and character portrayals are frighteningly hollow.
But this time "Chasing the Tiger and Catching the Dragon" accounted for far more than the action scenes, although the time is not very much, but each important role has a proper portrayal, whether it is Zheng Zeshi's "lard boy" or Jiang Haowen, of course, the actor's acting skills are the greatest credit.
Although the literary drama part is simple and does not set a brain-burning plot, this seemingly bland rhythm just shows the tone of the film itself with the meaning of "demise". The rivalry between Wu Zhenyu and Leung Ka Fai and Zheng Zeshi is very worth investigating.
The two major action scenes that are rare in the movie, the scene where the ICAC commissioner is chased by the gangsters and the lard boy is chased and killed at the airport is also very interesting, not choosing to shoot bullets on the road, choosing the life and death game in a small space to make the audience more nervous. This time, "Chasing the Tiger and Catching the Dragon" can be said to make the audience see the taste of the long-lost authentic Hong Kong gangster movie again.