Annie (Ngok Hung) is a cartoonist working on a popular fantasy comic series. She uses her close friends and those around her as inspiration for some of the characters in her comic, casting herself as the main heroine. Her real-life friends, Little Giao (Vincent Chiu Yan-Chun) and Sheh-Jeh (Alexander Lo Rei) are also cast as the villain and hero respectively. As the villain ends up getting the girl in the comic, Giao misinterprets this as Annie having affections for him. However, it is really Sheh-Jeh whom she likes which causes some friction between the three friends.
Meanwhile, Annie's sassy younger sister complains she was harassed by some workers at a garage, so Giao and friend, Chiu (Chiu Ying-Hong) go and teach them a lesson. The garage is actually a front for Boss Kuen (Chang Yi-Teng) and his illegal activities. As bad timing would have it, Chiu and Giao enter the garage at the same moment a transaction of valuable diamonds is taking place. During the scuffle, the diamonds disappear and our heroes become the prime suspects and given three days to return the goods.
Giao starts to become increasingly delusional, unable to separate the fantasy world of the comic with reality. In an almost trance-like state, Giao 'transforms' into villain "Gu-Yun" (from the comic) and begins to work for Kuen as a hitman, much to the disapproval of his friends. Closely mirroring the comic's plot, and unable to accept Annie's feelings for Sheh-Jeh, Giao starts to gear up for a duel to the death with his former best friend.
I wasn't sure whether the director was trying to make a point about how some people can be affected by the stories and violence they read in movies and books... but, although the overall premise of Giao becoming 'possessed' by Annie's comic is a bit ridiculous, it does make for an entertaining film!
The USA World Video cover art is very deceptive and makes one believe they're in store for a wuxia film rather than the modern day actioner that it is. In fact, the fantasy / period elements are only there to depict the action in Annie's comic book - a sort of film within a film. Although these scenes don't add anything to the actual plot, they are certainly welcome and very well done (complete with cackling white-haired villain and death by bloody palm strike).
The film blends the scenes of action, fantasy and romance well for its obvious low budget and the pace never lags. The few hand-to-hand fights on display are crisp and hard-hitting but Passionate Dream's director clearly favours gun play and explosions, and I mean lots of explosions!
For example, one shootout in a warehouse contains lots of conveniently stacked gasoline cans which explode with every bullet fired for maximum effect. Even a crossbow manages to cause explosions when fired during the finale! Speaking of the finale, it's an action packed and bloody one, with our heroes pitted against an almost indestructible Boss Kuen (who seems to defy the laws of gravity with some of his moves). Parts of the end fight are spoilt by some excessive wirework which, works well in the fantasy sections of the film, but are arguably un-necessary in the modern setting. Still, the finale is so over-the-top and frenetic, you won't really have time to criticise some of the film's shortcomings.
One last thing I have to mention is, there is a serious overabundance of bad hair on display in Passionate Dream! The male cast look like they've just stepped off the set of Conan the Barbarian with all those flowing manes of hair but, stick with it all, and under those curly locks lurks a decent little action film!
3 out of 5
Review source: Mei Ah, Laserdisc (Hong Kong) (Mandarin language with English subtitles)
Meanwhile, Annie's sassy younger sister complains she was harassed by some workers at a garage, so Giao and friend, Chiu (Chiu Ying-Hong) go and teach them a lesson. The garage is actually a front for Boss Kuen (Chang Yi-Teng) and his illegal activities. As bad timing would have it, Chiu and Giao enter the garage at the same moment a transaction of valuable diamonds is taking place. During the scuffle, the diamonds disappear and our heroes become the prime suspects and given three days to return the goods.
Giao starts to become increasingly delusional, unable to separate the fantasy world of the comic with reality. In an almost trance-like state, Giao 'transforms' into villain "Gu-Yun" (from the comic) and begins to work for Kuen as a hitman, much to the disapproval of his friends. Closely mirroring the comic's plot, and unable to accept Annie's feelings for Sheh-Jeh, Giao starts to gear up for a duel to the death with his former best friend.
I wasn't sure whether the director was trying to make a point about how some people can be affected by the stories and violence they read in movies and books... but, although the overall premise of Giao becoming 'possessed' by Annie's comic is a bit ridiculous, it does make for an entertaining film!
The USA World Video cover art is very deceptive and makes one believe they're in store for a wuxia film rather than the modern day actioner that it is. In fact, the fantasy / period elements are only there to depict the action in Annie's comic book - a sort of film within a film. Although these scenes don't add anything to the actual plot, they are certainly welcome and very well done (complete with cackling white-haired villain and death by bloody palm strike).
The film blends the scenes of action, fantasy and romance well for its obvious low budget and the pace never lags. The few hand-to-hand fights on display are crisp and hard-hitting but Passionate Dream's director clearly favours gun play and explosions, and I mean lots of explosions!
For example, one shootout in a warehouse contains lots of conveniently stacked gasoline cans which explode with every bullet fired for maximum effect. Even a crossbow manages to cause explosions when fired during the finale! Speaking of the finale, it's an action packed and bloody one, with our heroes pitted against an almost indestructible Boss Kuen (who seems to defy the laws of gravity with some of his moves). Parts of the end fight are spoilt by some excessive wirework which, works well in the fantasy sections of the film, but are arguably un-necessary in the modern setting. Still, the finale is so over-the-top and frenetic, you won't really have time to criticise some of the film's shortcomings.
One last thing I have to mention is, there is a serious overabundance of bad hair on display in Passionate Dream! The male cast look like they've just stepped off the set of Conan the Barbarian with all those flowing manes of hair but, stick with it all, and under those curly locks lurks a decent little action film!
3 out of 5
Review source: Mei Ah, Laserdisc (Hong Kong) (Mandarin language with English subtitles)
