Customer Reviews

First Shot

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Unfairly accused of being a shameless HK "The Untouchables" clone, First Shot rises far above the almost comic book feel of its supposed source material.

The story of the fight against widespread corruption in the Hong Kong police hierarchy in the 1970's, this film stars the estimable Ti Lung as "Tamerlane", an unflinchingly honest cop. Tamerlane is shot in the neck by one of his own men for his refusal to overlook the corruption of his colleagues.

After his release from the hospital, he is approached by Maggie Chung's Annie Ma who has been deputized to pursue and prosecute corrupt cops on the HK police force.

Assembling a group of fellow "incorruptibles"--including, paradoxically the very officer that shot him (Simon Yam's Sam Mok)--repentant and reformed Tamerlane and his secret squad go after "Faucet" (Waise Lee Chi Hung)--the triad boss who is the financial source of the widespread bribery, murder and mayhem.

The cast is universally excellent--Ti Lung is a strong, dignified--yet haunted Tamerlane. Maggie Chung is a strong female presence, the focal point who holds the group together when tragedy and treachery threaten its existence. Simon Yam has never been more appealing as the tormented but ultimately heroic Sam and Waise Lee Chi Hung plays the evil Faucet to chilling perfection.

For a compelling look into an anti-corruption squad with a story every bit as compelling as Ness's crew--forgo the big screen "Untouchables" and give "First Shot" a watch. You won't be disappointed.

Ti Lung does it again with a terrific performance as a cop who
is wronged by corruption. The actor who protrayed the main crime boss is the kind of guy you love to hate (I think he was Sheng from A Better Tomorrow Part 1).
Anyway , on to the technical aspect. The subtitling is built into the picture and is a so-so legible quality. Half the time , some of subtitles are outside the viewable area , so I just zoomed out using my dvd remote. The subtitles are also replete with spelling and grammatical errors.
The sound quality is okay (though mono). It's better than some fake 5.1 mixes i've seen. The picture quality shows its age but is workable. For people who can speak Mandarin , there is a Mandarin dub.
The extras are rather lousy. They have a trailer for First Shot and some other flick. There's also some bios but nothing too fancy.
Bottom line , definetly worth a rental if you like HK action movies or Ti Lung. The main theme alone is worth a listen.

Not electrifying by any means, but definitely a solid picture of police corruption in HK circa 1970. Ti Lung can do no wrong, literally, in his starring role. Simon Yam is fine as the bad-turned-good savior. Waise Lee comes through as the evil kingpin, and Ti Lung's 2 sidekicks turn in admirable roles, each with some flavor (one a Bruce Lee devotee, the other a vain gunman.) Yes, it is a very familiar Untouchables story, but told well, and with no plot holes or ridiculous moments. Well, one scene in a gay bar really pushes the boundaries of good taste, but it's over quick enough, and acts as decent comic relief. Though the film is formulaic, it will hold your attention throughout. There is some gunplay, some martial arts combat, and plenty of fast-paced action throughout. It keeps up a brisk pace, with some wry comedic bits (some of which are actually funny) and ends how it begins: predictably solid. Not an A, but a solid B of an HK cop movie.

Like much modern Hong Kong cinema, this film is wildly unoriginal, but has just enough action to keep you watching to the end. An accomplished cast makes the ride easier, but you have to wonder why so much talent appears in a film that cannot be described as anything more than mediocre.