Wonderful character development!

I'll tell you why so serious

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

This movie really surprised me. Maybe it's the quirky title, but I really know that Takeshi Kaneshiro is great in this one. His non-verbal acting is so expressive as the guy who says so much without speaking one word. Whether it's the blackjack game, getting beat(!) in mahjong, negotiating for a magnum, or his discussion with a hotel manager, Mo's facial expression shows he means business, but also displays a funny, even tender side. There are so times I was laughing out loud which only a handful of recent films have done. Then, there are some dark, serious scenes and even a touching romantic side to it. It is definitely great viewing and a good way to introduce yourself to Takeshi Kaneshiro, epitome of "cool". Then, try Fallen Angels if you like what you see.

This is not an action movie. It is an entertaining character study of small time streetgangsters and for those of you who likes to watch something different than the ordinary, something romantic yet violent and who appreciates that all people are not like everyone else, I strongly recommend The Odd One Dies. The story is simple, in a good way, and easy to follow. The dialogue is very good and when Takeshi Kaneshiro does not speak it is often even better (you will understand me when you see the movie). Lead actors T Kaneshiro and Carman Lee are outstanding. In my opinion this is a better movie than the much hailed Expect the Unexpected (see my review) from the same talented director, and even though his The Longest Nite is more violent I find The Odd One Dies superior to that one too, with a more engaging and clearer story and characters to really care about. I found the movie involving from start to finish. Thankfully, there is no childish Hong Kong humor in this movie but it will still have you laughing in a couple of places. And yes, you will see some bloodsquibs too. 9/10

This is actor/director Patrick Yau's first film to direct, and it is surprisingly good. He is certainly one of the most interesting and innovative action directors working in Hong Kong during the past few years. If you like this one, check out his other two films: Expect the Unexpected, and The Longest Night. In this movie (The Odd One Dies), Takeshi Kaneshiro is at his grungiest best as a lowlevel street punk with a real bad gambling habit, and a tendency to get the crap beat out of him by those higher up on the food chain. To raise some much-needed money, he accepts a $12,000 contract to kill someone. The night before the hit, he takes his deposit money and plays like a high roller in a game of blackjack, which he eventually wins big in. Because of the type of person he is "working" for, he is committed to do the job or die trying, so he decides to hire another hit man to do the job for him. The killer he ends up hiring is a woman, and she seems to be in worse shape than him (as far as being a general lowlife loser goes). He tries to help her out, and they end up getting romantically involved on the side. In the process of all this, he stumbles upon an understanding of the meanings of life and mercy, and more or less cures himself of his sociopathic mindset by becoming a sympathetic person toward those around him. This results in a major change in their attitudes, in that those same people (both bad ones and good ones) begin to like him instead of wanting to kill or kick him around. But there isn't too much moralizing. This is a great offbeat action-drama, and worth a repeat viewing. Even the music soundtrack features some pretty good light jazz/rock. I've enjoyed Takeshi Kaneshiro's work in other movies, but this is the first one that made me realize what a really good actor he is.

I saw this movie at last year's Fant-Asia film festival in Montreal and it was easily one of the most enjoyable films of the festival.I had seen Takeshi Kaneshiro in other films (Chungking Express,Dr. Wai and the Scripture Without Words, etc.) but this is the film that turned me into a true fan. If you don't know this man's work, you should.