Shock Wave 2: Andy Lau Back in the Blast Suit

Frankly, the bomb squad is probably the only department of the Hong Kong Police Force that hasn’t generated complaints for brutality so it makes sense that Andy Lau’s newest film involves bomb disposal. Of course, he has been here before, playing bomb squad Superintendent JS Cheung in Shock Wave. His story was pretty self-contained, but the franchise continues with a thematic sequel, in the tradition of the Overheard films. However, Lau’s new character is much darker and more conflicted this time around in Herman Yau’s Shock Wave 2, which releases today on VOD.

Nobody was better at disarming bombs than Poon Shing-fung, not even his partner Tung Cheuk-man. Tragically, it will be Poon’s career that will be cut short when the two are suddenly engulfed by a hidden bomb, after defusing two explosive booby-traps. Despite a prosthetic leg, Poon exceeds all the physical requirements to return to service, but the brass will only give him a desk job. Soon, Poon is consumed with self-destructive anger and anti-social resentment.

He is also quite suspiciously found knocked unconscious at the site of a hotel bombing. Rather inconveniently for everyone, the resulting shock wave left him in a state of complete amnesia. His old colleagues suspect he was working with the anarchist terrorists known as Vendetta, but we have to believe he was really working under deep-cover to infiltrate them, right?

Believe it or not, the handling of the amnesia angle is somewhat original and pretty intriguing. This being a Herman Yau film, a lot of stuff gets blown-up—in this case, a whole lot. However, the timing of Shock Wave 2’s apocalyptic images of mass destruction terrorism problematically come at a time when the puppet Carrie Lam regime is hyping up the threat of terror to justify Beijing’s draconian National Security Law. Yet, the truth is the law is being applied to forbid Hong Kongers from reading certain books, viewing certain movies, and voting for genuinely democratic candidates—none of which would prevent any of the crimes depicted in this film. As a result, there is a disingenuous vibe to the SW2 and its timing.

Andy Lau gives one of his best performances in recent years, seething with existential rage as Poon. Nevertheless, Lau’s fans have been disappointed by his cautious wait-and-see attitude during the height of the 2019 demonstrations and it was less than thrilling to read he serenaded the CCP at its anniversary bash. Again, seeing him now turn up in a “terrorism” thriller sets off alarm bells.

Shock Wave: Andy Lau Defuses Bombs

You can’t use the term “bridge and tunnel people” derisively in Hong Kong. At this point, you must be pretty lucky and well off to have a nice place and Kowloon. From there, the Cross-Harbour Tunnel is the only practical way to get to Causeway Bay and the Hong Kong Island business district. Unfortunately, a villainous madman has wired the bridge to explode and he holds a grudge against the cop who stands the best chance of defusing it in Herman Yau’s Shock Wave (trailer here) which releases today on DVD.

Typically, Superintendent JS Cheung’s bomb squad work is short but intense. He cuts the right wire and its Miller Time. He cuts the wrong one and he wakes up at the Pearly Gates. So far, so good. However, Cheung was briefly loaned to the major crimes unit to go undercover with Peng Hong’s gang, because of their frequent use of explosive devices. Cheung helps bust most of them, after a bloody and protracted heist attempt descends into utter chaos, but Peng gets away.

Six months later, Cheung is reinstated, promoted, and seriously dating school teacher Carmen Li. Suddenly, Peng is also back, apparently financed by shady Southeast Asian interests. After testing Cheung with a few warm-up bombs, Peng takes the Cross-Harbour hostage, wiring it up with enough explosives to cause a total collapse. He also has hundreds of hostages, including an off-duty cop.

Shock Wave starts with a bang worthy of Lau’s massively explosive cop thriller Firestorm, but the second act falls into a repetitive pattern, basically focusing on Cheung’s efforts to defuse each new device, while Peng ominously chuckles up his sleeve. However, the last half hour or so returns the film to its combustible form, even eclipsing the earlier bedlam. Yet, throughout it all, Lau’s megawatt star presence shines through. It is easy to see why he is still the most bankable worldwide male movie star, whose name isn’t Salman Khan. Lau also develops some appealingly complicated chemistry with Song Jia’s Carmen Li. It is a surprisingly awkward and honest relationship, which makes it much more believable than most cop movie romances.

Jiang Wu opts for the quiet slow-burn as Peng, but he certainly projects a fiercely single-minded drive and a stone-cold ruthlessness. However, Philip Keung and Babyjohn Choi steal a number of scenes as Cheung’s major crimes colleague on the brink of a nervous breakdown and the young cop among the hostages.

Yau is an old hand when it comes to action movies, so you can count on him to not be stingy with the explosions. Indeed, it is not called Shock Wave in English for no reason. Things happen in this film that will stun viewers who only watch focus-grouped Hollywood movies, but it all makes perfect sense if you know your HK-Chinese language cinema. Recommended for Lau fans and anyone who digs ticking time-bomb movies, Shock Wave is now available on DVD.

NYAFF ’13: Ip Man—the Final Fight

Ip Man was such a powerful kung fu master, he could actually warp time.  Fans can only assume as much if they wish to justify the conflicting timelines of the various Ip Man films released in recent years.  The dates and places might change, but Ip Man remains the grandmaster of masters.  Herman Yau dramatizes his twilight years in Ip Man—the Final Flight (trailer here), which is sure to be a hot ticket tonight at the 2013 New York Asian Film Festival.

In the 1950’s and 1960’s, Hong Kong’s go-go economy had yet to blast off.  Master Ip earns little more than a subsistence living teaching his Wing Chun style of kung fu to students.  Well known throughout the city, Master Ip could probably do a brisker business were it not for his own self-imposed restrictions.  Kung fu is a way of life for him—not a commodity to be commercialized.

In a way, The Final Flight is a bit Gumpish, casting Master Ip as an observer of two decades of Hong Kong’s growing pains, including the rise of trade unionism and rampant gangsterism within the Walled City.  However, when it finally gets down to fighting, Final delivers some spectacular street melees.

While produced independently of Wilson Yip’s Ip Man films, Anthony Wong is not a bad likeness for Donnie Yen in his AARP years.  Wong might not look particularly spry, but he is a steely old cat, so it is easy to buy into him as the veteran martial artist.  After all, the genre has a long history of butt-kicking greybeards.

Indeed, Wong’s Zen-like gravitas is perfect for the venerable Ip.  He also develops some appealingly ambiguous chemistry with Zhou Chu Chu, playing a scandalous nightclub singer attracted to his old bad self.  However, the film is overstuffed with Ip’s disciples.  You would think half the city was studying under him. Regardless, Jordan Chan adds real hardboiled heft to the film as Tang Shing, a not completely corrupt copper and former student of Ip’s.  He creates a spinoff-worthy character should the filmmakers wish to further complicate the Ip Man universe.

Festival special guest Yau should satisfy fans with his gritty street action and humanistic portrayal of the Ip family.  In fact, Ip’s son, Ip Chun served as a technical advisor and appears in a small supporting role.  Final Fight is also bolder than its predecessor films depicting Ip’s most famous student, Bruce Lee.  Although never named as such, it is hard to miss the implication when Master Ip meets with a former student turned famous actor, whom the audience only sees from behind, sporting conspicuous sunglasses.

It was the apostolic connection to Bruce Lee that launched the Ip Man filmmaking craze to begin with, but the Master has since taken on a media life of his own. Nicely choreographed with a wistful vibe that sets it apart from the pack, Yau’s latest Ip Man is a worthy addition to the Ip canon.  Recommended for martial arts fans with a strong appreciation of tradition, Ip Man—the Final Fight screens tonight (6/30) as part of the 2013 New York Asian Film Festival.