| Product: |
The Corruptor (DVD) |
| Date: |
16/06/01 (36 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Decent plot basics, OK music
Disadvantages: Underdeveloped plot, Underdeveloped action
As pained as I am to say it, I think we've seen the best of Chow Yun Fat already. His Hong Kong films, teamed with John Woo, were fantastic, but since he started working in the US the quality of his films have dropped - no doubt from lack of input from John Woo. The Corruptor is a decent enough film, but would struggle to reach four stars.
Is this an action film or a drama? Both, and the film sits firmly on the fence, so to speak, so we neither get an involving drama nor an exciting action film. The action comes mostly in the form of fairly standard gunfights - nothing overly spectacular, but fine nonetheless - and a very good car chase in which the two leads .... chase a car (how much better the chase would have been had it found itself in a similar, more developed film).
The story is of a veteran Chinese cop breaking in rookie white-boy Mark Whalberg, introducing him to the (corrupt) ways of Chinatown law enforcement. Before long a friendship emerges, while the Corruptor of the title (a Chinatown crime boss) tries to get Whalberg on side. A well-executed twist in the plot leads to an impressive emotional climax, although the attempt to throw in a bit of action into said climax could have been done without (oh sorry, I forgot, it's an action film, isn't it?)
Chow Yun Fat is not the best of actors, but does a fine job of action hero, father figure and troubled cop in The Corruptor. His contribution to the action scenes are much needed. Mark Whalberg does not show his better side, in a rather cringe-worthy role he unfortunately puts across a message of "what am I doing here, what are all these cameras doing?" A great shame really, although we do see one or two glimpses of the real Whalberg. The rest of the cast is nothing worth a special mention, I'm afraid to say, but still help to sustain a reasonable film.
The music is actually one of the slightly better aspect of the film, pushing the pictu
re along and accompanying the plot well. Unfortunately, we have to rely on the music too much in working out what emotions we're supposed to be feeling; but still, its pretty decent.
The Corruptor is not a bad film, but neither is it as good as it could have been. Had it gone all the way on the action side it may have been more enjoyable, or on the drama side it may have been more involving. Trying to be two things at once does it no good, so we are left with a three star film - a great watch, but nothing outstanding. Try to rent it if possible, but don't go out of your way to buy it.
Summary:
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Last comment:
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utero - 16/06/01 it has a great car chase but I never understood the story |
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