Dante Lam's 2008 crime thriller is one of my favourite modern Hong Kong films, and definitely one of the directors best. For me, this was the film that really set Lam in place with a style and tone we can now recognise as his, and right from there, we have had nothing but hit after hit from the director with pretty much everything that has followed!
Wonderfully directed by Dante, and filmed by his go-to cinematographer, Kenny Tse Chung To, Beast Stalker provides its viewers with an incredibly intense and spectacular ride, with great performances from all involved - especially from Nicholas Tse and Nick Cheung with the latter winning Best Actor at a number of award ceremonies for his role as the one-eyed kidnapper with an agenda. Nicholas Tse plays the unfortunate cop who, after chasing down some gangsters in their car, suffers a fatal crash that changes the lives of all involved forever. A twist in that crash extends the pain and grief of Tse, taking him on an intense journey involving the kidnap of a child and the lengths he will go to for her rescue.
Its hard to write just too much about this incredible film without spoiling things for you, but all I can say is 'watch it'. Gritty and realistic in its approach, the film moves at a great pace while capturing many emotional and tense dramatic moments. While there may be a thousand cop or kidnap movies to pick from, Beast Stalker just does something a little different highlighted with some great acting, with Cheung igniting pretty much every scene he is in. Dante uses a lot of hand-held shots; intrusive and involved, whether its drama or action, making for a lot of nail-biting scenes and exiting moments!
I just love Beast Stalker! The action is provided by Stephen Tung Wei, and is a great mix of violent hand-to-hand, gun-play and more. The chase scene on the 1 hour mark is particularly tense and kicks-off an insane second half that barely lets-up! The ending is pretty amazing, both in terms of action and story, that is both thrilling and painful to watch, with a heart-wrenching final moment from the gorgeous, Nic Tse. I must also mention how fantastic the little kidnapped girl was in her role...
John Woo was amazing back in the day, but for me, Dante Lam has taken that crown right off the legendary director and is one of Hong Kong's finest, delivering a string of amazing action films consistently. I would love to see Lam direct Jackie Chan in a tight, action-thriller, much like Crime Story but even more intense. Fingers crossed!
Overall: Stunning in its cinematography, action and performances, Beast Stalker is highly recommended and one of my favourites of 21st century, Hong Kong cinema!
Wonderfully directed by Dante, and filmed by his go-to cinematographer, Kenny Tse Chung To, Beast Stalker provides its viewers with an incredibly intense and spectacular ride, with great performances from all involved - especially from Nicholas Tse and Nick Cheung with the latter winning Best Actor at a number of award ceremonies for his role as the one-eyed kidnapper with an agenda. Nicholas Tse plays the unfortunate cop who, after chasing down some gangsters in their car, suffers a fatal crash that changes the lives of all involved forever. A twist in that crash extends the pain and grief of Tse, taking him on an intense journey involving the kidnap of a child and the lengths he will go to for her rescue.
Its hard to write just too much about this incredible film without spoiling things for you, but all I can say is 'watch it'. Gritty and realistic in its approach, the film moves at a great pace while capturing many emotional and tense dramatic moments. While there may be a thousand cop or kidnap movies to pick from, Beast Stalker just does something a little different highlighted with some great acting, with Cheung igniting pretty much every scene he is in. Dante uses a lot of hand-held shots; intrusive and involved, whether its drama or action, making for a lot of nail-biting scenes and exiting moments!
I just love Beast Stalker! The action is provided by Stephen Tung Wei, and is a great mix of violent hand-to-hand, gun-play and more. The chase scene on the 1 hour mark is particularly tense and kicks-off an insane second half that barely lets-up! The ending is pretty amazing, both in terms of action and story, that is both thrilling and painful to watch, with a heart-wrenching final moment from the gorgeous, Nic Tse. I must also mention how fantastic the little kidnapped girl was in her role...
John Woo was amazing back in the day, but for me, Dante Lam has taken that crown right off the legendary director and is one of Hong Kong's finest, delivering a string of amazing action films consistently. I would love to see Lam direct Jackie Chan in a tight, action-thriller, much like Crime Story but even more intense. Fingers crossed!
Overall: Stunning in its cinematography, action and performances, Beast Stalker is highly recommended and one of my favourites of 21st century, Hong Kong cinema!