1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
(3.5 STARS) Terrorist Who Lost His Memories: Above Average Hong Kong Action, August 2, 2006
This review is from: Purple Storm (DVD)
Hong Kong action film `Purple Storm' has one clever idea at the center of it, but you may not like it exactly because of its total implausibility. Still the idea - turning an amnesic terrorist into a secret agent working for the police - is an interesting one, and Daniel Wu playing a young terrorist who begins to be aware of his better side of personality did a fantastic job together with capable supports and terrific actions.
Khmer Rouge terrorist Soong (Kwok-Leung Gan) arrives in Hong Kong with his faithful and deadly men. His mission is twofold: one is to accomplish his `revolution' in Asia, and the other is to retrieve his own son Tod (Daniel Wu), who is captured alive by the Hong Kong police after he got shot, and lost completely his memories.
While Soong prepares for the plans, Ma Li (Emile Chau) leader of Anti Terrorist Force decides to adopt an audacious plan suggested by Doctor Shirley Kwan (Joan Chen). That is, master and manipulate the unconscious part of Tod's mind, and create the false memories of the past for him as an undercover agent working for the government. This could be naturally an ingenious plan to kill Soong who is searching for his lost son.
As the film is set in today's Hong Kong, the actions of the film do not use much wires or kung-fu, but during the running time tension almost always prevails all over the scenes. There are numerous plot holes and incredible situations, and the CG images should have been brushed up for the finished version, but the actors' superb acting and good photography convey the intense atmosphere that this kind of action needs. Among many good things about the film, the most memorable is the acting from Daniel Wu, Kwok-Leung Gan, Emile Chau, and Josie Ho as deadly female terrorist.
And `Purple Storm' is also a "welcome back" work for Joan Chen who returned to the Asian film industry after so many disappointing projects like `Judge Dredd.' Though her work here is slightly better than a cameo, Joan Chen went on to appear in a series of acitically acclaimed films like `Jasmine Flower' or `Sunflower.'
`Purple Storm' is an above-average action film, which might look slightly Americanized. But the basic part of the film is that of Hong Kong films, and for those good parts the film is worth seeing.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
