Review of Throw Down

I expected a clichéd Rocky-like ('underdog fights his way to the top against all odds!') melodrama from the plot description, and was very glad to discover that the Judo only holds a very marginal role in a movie that's driven by its characters. And to make it even more unique is a very cheeky sense of silliness - only once or twice does Throwdown take itself seriously, and, contrary to just about every other Hong Kong movie I've ever seen, the drama doesn't get confused (or overblown to the point of embarrassing melodrama) in the translation. At times it's very subtle (again, alien to most Hong Kong movies I've seen) and poignant, in addition to sometimes being very funny.

And as for the acting, I don't believe I'd seen Louis Koo act before, but I think this was a fine introduction. The same goes for Cherrie Ying, who nearly steals the show with her performance that's in tune with Faye Wong's in Chungking Express (read: so cute you just want to wear her as a hat). And Aaron Kwok, I believe I'll have to reevaluate my apparently unfair opinion of him. He was excellent -- both funny and intense, and fully convincing as a brawler (let's see an American pop singer get the same review).

Anyway, if you expect a somber action movie, I can see where you might be disappointed. Personally, I'm very pleased to know of a movie that's so relentlessly fun and charming.