I am (of course) a huge fan of Jacky Wu Jing. He has been "the new Jet Li" to me since his earliest movies. What a shame that he had such a long hiatus from movie-making, and what a thrill that's he's back in a lot of new movies these last couple of years! Hope his career will really take off now!
I really liked Fatal Contact. Note that, early in the movie, Kong (Wu) even mentions his intention to be the new Jet Li! This movie is sort of about what might have happened to Jet Li if he'd been led astray and had become an underground prize fighter instead of an action movie star.
Hong Kong plot logic is not always easy to grasp, but I thought this movie did everything right. I think the ending was as it had to be. Tin had been using Kong, and she killed herself because she hated herself for betraying him so. Kong then goes on a gangster killing spree and gets himself shot by the police - exactly the kind of thing that would realistically happen. And not only is it realistic, it's also a moral lesson: don't get involved with organized crime, 'cos it'll surely lead to no good. In terms of poetic justice, getting shot was Kong's punishment for getting involved in illegal brawling in the first place. His big mistake was taking up with Tin, whose true nature he was too naive to see clearly. His sifu must have taught him skill, but not wisdom... :-/
Anyway, very cool movie with very cool fight scenes and a good story; much better than what we usually see in kung fu movies. I rate Fatal Contact 8 out of 10.
While we're waiting for Wu's next film (Legendary Assassin), let me express the hope that he will start doing period pieces again (like Tai-Chi Boxer and Drunken Monkey). I don't know why all the recent kung fu movies have to take place in the modern-day world. It's just not the same. The movies set in the past are much more atmospheric, and kung fu makes a hell of a lot more sense in a world without guns.
I really liked Fatal Contact. Note that, early in the movie, Kong (Wu) even mentions his intention to be the new Jet Li! This movie is sort of about what might have happened to Jet Li if he'd been led astray and had become an underground prize fighter instead of an action movie star.
Hong Kong plot logic is not always easy to grasp, but I thought this movie did everything right. I think the ending was as it had to be. Tin had been using Kong, and she killed herself because she hated herself for betraying him so. Kong then goes on a gangster killing spree and gets himself shot by the police - exactly the kind of thing that would realistically happen. And not only is it realistic, it's also a moral lesson: don't get involved with organized crime, 'cos it'll surely lead to no good. In terms of poetic justice, getting shot was Kong's punishment for getting involved in illegal brawling in the first place. His big mistake was taking up with Tin, whose true nature he was too naive to see clearly. His sifu must have taught him skill, but not wisdom... :-/
Anyway, very cool movie with very cool fight scenes and a good story; much better than what we usually see in kung fu movies. I rate Fatal Contact 8 out of 10.
While we're waiting for Wu's next film (Legendary Assassin), let me express the hope that he will start doing period pieces again (like Tai-Chi Boxer and Drunken Monkey). I don't know why all the recent kung fu movies have to take place in the modern-day world. It's just not the same. The movies set in the past are much more atmospheric, and kung fu makes a hell of a lot more sense in a world without guns.