Who payed the critics

A waste of 90 minutes of my life

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Interpol agents assembled from all parts of the globe have built evidence against a criminal known for armed robbery and drug trafficking, Panther Duen(Doi-yung Ng), cooperating with the Hong Kong Police force, operating under Commander Hong Sun(Simon Yam). But, a criminal alliance desire payback towards Hong Kong mafioso Tiger Duen(Ken Tong) who runs the Duen Syndicate getting rich off of gambling, drugs and prostitution..Tiger killed a man named Dominick(..along with others who participated in an armed robbery)whose brother, Petros(Michael Biehn), a former Captain for the Colombian army, seeks revenge, aligning himself with former Korean colonel, Ko Tsung Yuon(Jun-ho Heo) and his intimidating staff of talented killers. Soon the agents will join forces with a transportation cop, Kong Long(Sammo Hung), a demoted former Sergeant on the police force who cost the lives of six officers disobeying orders in a shootout with Ko Tsung Yuon and his men during a bank robbery, in an attempt to stop the criminal alliance from getting their hands on a roll of film containing the bank account number and password for all the firearms and drug dealers in the possession of Tiger's ex-lover, Yau Ching(Bingbing Li), for whom Petros gets romantically involved(..he instigates the relationship, at first, to get his hands on the film, but soon actually falls in love with Ching).When I noticed this movie at a local Blockbuster, I was quite taken aback regarding the very eclectic cast in this movie. It seems to feature the who's-who of Asian cinema. And, this has a really great part for Michael Biehn, who is still in fine form as a difficult adversary for the young, green(..but impressively talented)agents out to get him and his gang of highly skilled assassins. Maggie Q has a nifty role as a silent(..and deadly) sniper, working for Ko, often exchanging gunfire with Yu Xia(..as the agents' ace marksman Luo Zai Jun), including one superb sequence in a cemetery as gravestones are blasted apart, not to mention the phenomenal action set piece where both teams partake in an epic shootout within an alley. Vanness Wu is the inexperienced, but courageous(..also brainy)Wang Sun Ho, who becomes Petros main foe, with their highlight shooting match featured during the climax of the film. Talking about exciting, Sammo Hung and Jun-ho Heo have two classic fights, one in a locker room, another in an abandoned warehouse..Heo carries a mean sword and how Hung combats him without one has got to be seen. Even though Hung might be overweight, smoking away on his cigars, this man has some very fast hands(..I think one can tell, thanks to clever camera techniques and editing that Hung, no matter how athletic he might be, used a stuntman sometimes)and his work opposite Heo is a marvel to experience.Rounding out the cast of Interpol agents are Shengyi Huang as the agents' lone female teammate Pak Yut Suet(..her fate is heartbreaking, bringing a lump to the throat), Lawrence Chou as James Lam, and Shawn Yue as Hung Kei Lok. Accompanying Ko's gang are the brutish, hulking former Navy Seal Joe Pearson(Mark Henderson)and martial arts(..and gunner)expert Lee Chen Pei(Philip Ng). There are splendid shootouts between rival groups with lots of ammunition wasted without anyone even hit(..kind of amusing in that both teams are so talented they know how to keep from getting killed), although the casualties that result in the alley set the stage for the spectacular mall sequence featuring Biehn's Petros making life very difficult for agents Sun Ho and Lok as they attempt to halt his recovery of the roll of film. Also, the film features an exhilarating entrapment of Commander Hang Sun's police force where Ko and Petros somehow eliminate their enemies, allowing Tiger Duen to escape. Director Daniel Lee also provides characters with backgrounds and stories, fleshing them out as human beings..particularly Kong Long(..whose estranged daughter wants nothing to do with him, and his guilt losing officers thanks to a hasty decision on his part), Petros(..his willingness to kill whoever it takes to get his revenge, yet having a code of honor in regards to lying to anyone), and the talented young cast have moments devoted to their roles. Lee also provides the characters with B&W vignettes dedicated to each one's particular skill along with a brief description of who they are. There are times where Lee allows the film to get carried away with hyper-kinetic camera work and quick-cut editing, but there are still some awe-inspiring moments of sheer genius, plus some stunningly developed set-pieces. A real heart-pounding, cold-blooded, ultra-violent actioner from Daniel Lee.

There have been quite a few people that did not like this film and expected some sort of deep meaning from it and the characters, well that ain't gonna happen! Know why? It was not DESIGNED to be that way! It's a big budget shoot-em-up fest with an international cast, and it FAR and away succeeds at that! Most Asian film buffs are used to "Fireworks" or "JSA" or something with a solid story line and emotions, this film ain't it, but I found myself thoroughly enjoying it partway into it. Everybody is right, the characters are disposable for the most part, except strangely for the bad guys, they seemed to have all the personality which of course was not explored at any length, especially the female sniper. So why do I recommend a movie with stiff characters, a lame plot and little story? Because the action was so kinetic and fast-paced FUNNN! The gun battles were AMAZING and the concept of pitting two evenly matched Special Forces teams against each other was so strong almost anybody could have played the parts. I, like others were actually rooting for the bad-guys as they were more interesting and actually seemed to have some sort of motive to what they were doing. People complained about the stylish nature of the film, uh HELLO, we are talking Hong Kong here! And Mr. Biehn made for a good, believable villain, very convincing acting, he should get more credit for not phoning-it-in as some actors do when they are not on an A-List movie. In conclusion no, this movie is not "Masterpiece" and nor should it be judged as such, but for a HK shooter, it's at the top of it's class. Recommended.

Indeed, this is visually the most glorious movie I've seen. The Dircetor Daniel Lee gives us a lot of eye candy and he helms the action scenes well. This movie gives me an eerie feeling as I'm not used to see Asian movies and I like the flashback kind of scenes were we are given some background about the characters. All the actors give us good performances although I found the baddies more interesting. Especially Michael Biehn gives us a first rate performance, it's a shame he doesn't have any martial arts scenes. Maggie Q plays her role with ease, just by looking tough. Overall, this movie is well worth watching, maybe a little minus comes from the too shallow characters this movie creates. Maybe this is because of the fact that there are simply too many characters to plunge into. But the characters are still better improved than in many action movies. A big plus for the great soundtrack.

Amalgamate improbable characters speaking a multitudinous mishmash of languages, laughably OTT action, insane dramatics and a hokey story. Of course the result would be a travesty. Not! Such a concoction can only lead to 2005's best shot at a seminal HK action flick, courtesy of dependable helmsman Daniel Lee, who previously provided us with good but wholly underrated Star Runner (2002).Better yet, Dragon Squad erases much of the bitterness left after Election cast a pall on local crime-oriented cinema, and successfully brings to the fore almost all the celebrated ingredients we love so much and have been yearning for. Chief among these are guns, which here come in almost every imaginable shape or form, occupying a huge chunk of proceedings, to the extent of bullets flying as if typhoon season had no inclination to end. This leaden deluge culminates in one of the longest gun battles on record, a scene that does drag on a bit but when viewed in the proper context surely warrants our respect. Indeed, it has been too long.Make no mistake, DS also includes a sharp touch of choppers for good measure, and characters that can take numerous slices as well as gunshot wounds before even hinting at going down. What more on any planet could you possibly ask for in a gung-ho action bonanza? All this comes as both a surprise and drought-breaker, for too much of an interval passed since the last of this blessed breed of motion picture emerged from HK, and kudos to Mei Ah for supporting the project. Cast, crew and producers apparently made sure every classic detail made it, down to smoking, an activity so cherished from bang-bang watersheds like John Woo's, despite the anti-lighting-up trend currently sweeping the globe.So you clamor for story. Silly! At any rate, there is one if you insist. Sammo Hung, one of our favorite heroes when he's not meddling with crap like Legend of the Dragon, does veteran and almost retired cop Kong Long ("Dinosaur"), who gets called upon to mentor a posse of brash Interpol agents on their most vital task to date. The titular Dragon Squad consists of Shawn Yue as special Hong Kong police officer Lok, Lawrence Chou in the role of left-handed US SWAT shooter Andy Hui, Xia Yu (In the Heat of the Sun) as smooth mainland military sniper Cheung and Eva Huang, who depicts undercover hottie Suet. In addition, former F4 member Vanness Wu comes in to help save the day as UK SAS trooper Chang, and the whole kit and caboodle apparently showcase some kind of international cooperative effort, hence the resultant linguistic snafu, with Cantonese, Putonghua and English mixed to deliciously HK-ish effect. It's all way better than Star Trek's universal translator.And while none of the good guys really excel (save maybe Sammo, who's back to form with his ubiquitous cigar in tow), it's the villains that steal the show. Facing off against the Dragon Squad, our baddies arrive in the city to take care of personal vendettas aimed at local triad maestro Tiger Duen, causing the Dragons to step in as protectors of law and order.On the evil squad we have chilling Maggie Q (Naked Weapon and the upcoming MI:3) as somewhat-demented Vietnamese sniper Song, and what a marvelous job this girl does. She definitely comes in as a natural for the bitchy-murderous type. To bolster things further, Korean actor Heo Jun Ho appears as sadistic but honorable Colonel Ko, plus action stalwart Michael Biehn (Aliens, Terminator, The Abyss) puts his two cents in via Colombian assassin Petros, leader of the bad guy cartel. All of the above generate highly distinct characters with an ominous feel, while at the same time making sure we realize they're not truly wicked, but rather driven by genuine, even valid motives. The movie goes on to depict camaraderie among the opposition, something it does not achieve in dealing with the good people.Certainly, there is an attempt here to convey more than violence, and DS spends time on sentimental content periodically, flirting with love interests and Kong Long's relationship with his daughter (Isabella Leung). While not superfluous, these segments surely play second violin to the meaty action portions, at best amounting to a harmless variation.What this picture boils down to is top-notch gun battles, done with impressive attention to detail. There's almost none of the glaring continuity problems often afflicting HK products, so things make sense, and exchanges, no matter long or short, feel and sound substantial. Compliments must go to the sound department: audio-wise, Dragon Squad makes one believe they're being shot at. And while some cast members don't convince as bonafide weapons handlers (most notably Eva Huang), others come across totally skilled, as observed in Maggie Q and Biehn.Most importantly, DS is one violent movie, drenched in crimson start to finish. With that and several gratifying mature language moments, it probably deserves a Category III rating more than Election ever did. Speaking of which, Dragon Squad also features memorable cameos, including one by Election star Simon Yam (as police captain Hong Sun). Others join the fray, too, with both Daniel Lee favorite Andy On (Black Mask II, Star Runner, New Police Story) and Li Bingbing (World without Thieves) adding to the already intoxicating recipe.Perhaps it has to do with opting for world-acclaimed supervision (Steven Seagal co-produced), or maybe we were just due for some karma adjustment. Either way, this amounts to an action experience straight from the textbooks, and should not be missed by anyone hankering for old-fashioned bullet-infused antics with more than a modest dollop of Hong Kong mannerisms.Rating: * * * *