They
are not just moles. They are also orphans. Six ultra-deep-cover police officers
are now decidedly out in the cold, after their handler, Chief Inspector Hong To
Hang of the Hong Kong CIB took a suspicious header off a tall building. Apparently,
he saw it coming, because he managed to delete their files first, for their
protection. Ting Siu-ka (a.k.a. Ding Jie) was one of them. Now she helps her boss
Inspector Q search for the other five. They might have made contact with the mysterious
source known only as “Blackjack,” or they might be getting played. You never can
be certain of anyone’s loyalties in Jazz Boon’s Line Walker: The Movie (trailer here), the feature film
spin-off based on the hit HK limited TV series, which is now playing in New
York.
Somewhat
embarrassingly, it is not the CIB who find Blackjack. Instead, he rather coyly
reaches out to them. He will make them jump through hoops, but since they
involve a stay in a luxury Macao casino, Ding is okay with it, at least
initially. It turns out Blackjack is Siu Ye, the right-hand man of Ah Lam, a
high-ranking Triad—or perhaps not. Siu Ye and Ah Lam have a long and complicated
history together. Their mutual bro-affection is genuine, but their trust is a
different matter. Even if they suspect one another of varying sorts of
betrayals, they will still have to work together to survive when a drug deal in
Rio goes spectacularly bad.
For
fans of the show, the big news is Benz Hui is back as fan favorite Triad leader
Foon Hei Gor (you’ll know him when you see him). Those unfamiliar with its previous
television incarnation should also take heart, the third act is just as
baffling even if you are hip to all that backstory. Frankly, this is not a film
for the pedantically inclined, but if you want to see a superstar cast engulfed
in some spectacular action sequences, then Line
Walker is your huckleberry. Seriously, Boon has some shout out loud mayhem
going on here. For old school HK action, Walker
can hold its own with White Storm and
Firestorm, which is saying something.
Nick
Cheung is as steely as ever as Ah Lam, while Louis Koo elevates his shark-like
charm to new levels of lethalness as Siu Ye. Of course, Hui steals every scene
he appears in, like the wily old pro he is. Korean supermodel Clara Lee also
makes quite an impression as an assassin sent to kill Siu Ye (again, there is
just no way you can miss her). Although it is not exactly a star turn, former
Shaolin monk Xing Yu (a.k.a. Shi Yanneng) generously lends his considerable skills
to several throw-downs as the “Brazilian.” However, when it comes to action
chops, Zhang Huiwen out-classes everyone serving as Ah Lam’s loyal bodyguard.
All
thing considered, it is rather remarkable how effectively Charmaine Sheh
anchors the film, reprising the role of Ding. She also has surprisingly endearing
chemistry with the eternally reliable Francis Ng as the likably inappropriate
Inspector Q-sir.
