Run and Kill (1993)
9/10
Category III Cinema: Run and Kill.
23 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Run and Kill (1993) has to be one of the most disturbing and twisted films that was ever made (and that's saying something about category III films). A police procedural film that like most of the films based in this genre was taken from a true life crime. This is tied with Billy Tang's other rough rides RED TO KILL and Dr. Lamb as one of the grimmest films of the category III films.

Fatty is a happy family man's (Kent Cheung) who's life is ruined one day when he discover's his wife sleeping with one of his co-workers. Instead of being a man about it, he get's plastered and meets a bar girl (Esther Kwan). He tells her his problem and asks him if he wants to meet someone who'll take care of it. Not in the soberest of moods, he makes a deal to have his wife murdered. The next morning, Fatty wakes up in an alley with a nasty hangover. Staggering home, he sees his wife and lover being murdered in their bed. The murderers want their money. But he can't pay them, so they burn down his business and threaten his family.

Desperate to rectify his current situation, he calls on his mainland friend for help. He finds out that the murderers are Vietnamese refugees and their camp is located in the outskirts of the New Territories. Fatty and his mainland friends storm the camp and demand to speak to the leader. The kid asks them to forget the debt. They reply by killing the kid's friends and torturing him. The refugees turn him into a living tap and one of the goons drinks his blood. Outside the camp, the kid's crazy brother Fung (Simon Yam) and his crew raid the camp and slaughter everyone. He rescues his brother, Fatty and the bar girl. But Fung sees the condition that his young sibling is in and vows to make Fatty's life a living hell if he dies. During the escape, the kid brother dies. Enraged, Fung promises to keep his word.

With nowhere to turn to, Fatty turns to Inspector Lee (Danny Lee) for help. Fung is in Hong Kong and on the prowl. It doesn't take him long to find Fatty's mother's house. Inside is his daughter and mother. Fung without hesitation tosses Fatty's mother out the window and takes Fatty and his daughter as hostages. Hours later, Fung, Fatty and the little girl are inside a warehouse. Fung has tied up the girl and douses her in gasoline. Fatty has a front row seat. No longer having a sane thought in his head, Fung turns the little girl into a bonfire. After the fire dies out, he grabs the girl's corpse and mimics her voice. Fung places the burnt husk in front of Fatty who also loses his mind.

Fung's crew is becoming tired of his psychotic behavior. The boss Melvin (Melvin Wong) tries to put him in his place. Too late for that, Fung in a state of rage kills his fellow gang members and wants to make Fatty suffer even more. He calls him out and Fatty answers. The two psychos begin to have the best one-on-one fight scene I have ever witnessed. Fatty and Fung beat, burn and bust each other senseless. Fatty blows up, shoots and stabs Fung several times until he doesn't move anymore. The police finally arrive, the bar girl tries to comfort Fatty but he's left in a gibbering catatonic state. Inspector Lee looks at the mess. Just another case for the files.

Highly recommended.
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