A Little TLC(w): Europe Raiders (2018)

I recognize that there are definite diminishing returns in the _______ Raiders franchise, but I do continue to enjoy them, even if Tokyo Raiders is clearly the best one. Though the third film jumps back in quite a few years later, it’s still up to a number of the same old tricks.

When the doomsday computer program known as the Hand of God (because of course it is) is stolen out from under the CIA, two globe-trotting Hong Kong-based investigators are tasked with finding it. One, naturally, is our old friend Lin (who I’m now remembering was called Lam in Seoul Raiders? Gotta love those subtitle shenanigans.) The other is Ms. Wang, Lin’s old flame and current professional rival. The thieving hacker Sophie holds the Hand of God ransom, demanding her brother Rocky’s release from prison in exchange, but Lin hopes to instead enlist Rocky to help him bring Sophie in.

I’ll admit, I got a little behind on my A Little TLC(w) write-ups, so this movie isn’t as fresh in my head as a film normally is when I write a review. However, while I did still enjoy myself watching this movie, I did find it a little less entertaining than its predecessors. There’s still good fun actions sequences, Lin is still a smooth operator with dozens of tricks up his sleeve, and I like the dynamic of bringing Rocky and Sophie into the mix, but it isn’t quite as wild-and-audacious-in-a-good-way for me as the films that came before it.

Wang is probably my least favorite female lead to date in a _________ Raiders film. I wouldn’t say she’s bad, but I definitely enjoyed Macy in Tokyo and J.J. in Seoul more. Here, I think Wang gets a little bogged down by lots of backstory with Lin that doesn’t particularly serve the story.

I won’t turn down a repeated performance from Tony Leung Chiu-wai as Lin, although, again, I recognize the diminishing returns. While he still brings the charm, the comedy, and the fisticuffs, there’s a slight by-the-numbers feel to the performance, a sense that this is more of the same and his heart maybe isn’t in it as much.

He does speak a decent amount of English, though, since he’s roped into this mission by the Americans. For whatever reason, I always like to hear Leung speaking English (I think it’s partly because I’m not super familiar with Hong Kong-accented English, so I just think it’s cool to hear,) and it has me even more eager for Leung to make his Hollywood debut in Shang-Chi.

Recommend?

In General – Maybe. Even though I’d rank it below Tokyo Raiders and Seoul Raiders, it’s still some good, mindless action/comedy fun.

Tony Leung Chiu-wai – Again, maybe. Leung’s performance as Lin in the first two movies is definitely superior, but if you liked him there, you’ll probably still have a good time watching him here.

Warnings

Violence, sexual content/references, drinking, and language.

A Little TLC(w): Seoul Raiders (2005)

While I haven’t quite decided how I think it compares to Tokyo Raiders, I really enjoyed this movie.  It’s a lot of fun to see Tony Leung Chiu-wai as Lam again, and sure, the plot is pretty popcorn-flick, but I could watch those action scenes all day.

When Lam comes across a multi-million-dollar McGuffin – the “Avenger” Plate, for anyone who cares to know – he steals it from the crooks who stole it in the first place and attempts to return it for the reward money, only to be double-crossed by the intelligence agents he was liaising with.  He’s then recruited to tail the crooked agent to South Korea and recover the plate before it can be sold to a notorious gangster.  Along the way, he acquires a partner/rival in the form of J.J., a hungry young thief who’s eager to improve her circumstances.

At first, I found myself missing Macy and Yung from the first movie, as I hadn’t realized that only Lam was carrying over.  Although I’d easily call Lam the franchise’s best asset, I did enjoy the makeshift team-up vibe of the first film and had been expecting to see those relationships continue.  As the film went on, however, I got invested enough in Lam’s dynamic with J.J. and Owen, the agent who stole the plate, that I didn’t miss the old crew as much.  And while the characters are different, I enjoy the fact that Lam apparently has “an entourage of cute girls” he can enlist to help him in any country, who are all devoted, resourceful, and scrappy.

As in the first film, the action scenes are the biggest selling point for me.  You can certainly find greater skill/mastery in other films, but the fights here have so much style and personality, enough that you don’t really mind that the story is little more than an excuse to string one fight scene after another together.  We’ve got fights in bath houses and subway cars, fights on escalators, and fights involving dinner plates.  They’re endlessly fun and watchable and, for me, never feel repetitive.

With Leung back as Lam, the film is anchored by his entertaining, charismatic performance.  It’s essentially just more of the same from the first film, but I don’t mind that. They obviously aren’t the kind of movies, and this isn’t the kind of character, where you expect dramatic personal growth.  You’re in it to see Lam be smooth and cocky while simiultaneously a little ridiculous, and the movie delivers handily on that front.

In addition to the excellent fights, I like Leung’s breezy, mildly-adversarial chemistry with Qi Shu, who plays J.J., and I love the offbeat notes of humor.  In particular, I like Lam’s moment of pettiness with Owen on the subway, a ludricously-held pose in one of the fights, and Leung’s 100% dedication to delivering the line, “There’s nowhere to run with a naked butt.”  Ha!

Recommend?

In General – I would.  It’s not hight art, but it’s hugely entertaining.

Tony Leung Chiu-wai – Yeah.  While it’s nothing new from Tokyo Raiders, I love watching Leung in this role.

Warnings

Lots of violence, language, drinking, and thematic elements.

A Little TLC(w): Tokyo Raiders (2000, PG-13)

Full disclosure:  I pretty much loved this movie.  Is it high art?  No, but it’s a damn good time, with an engaging cast and wonderfully-entertaining action sequences.

When her fiancé is a no-show at the altar, Macy heads to Tokyo in the hopes of finding him.  She’s followed there by Yung, the interior decorator who insists on collecting the fee her beau owes him, but once they arrive in Japan, it’s immediately clear that there’s more going on here than a delayed flight or a groom with cold feet.  Bad guys who work for worse guys are also on the hunt for the missing Takahashi, and Macy and Yung additionally catch the attention of Mr. Lin, a Chinese private eye working in Tokyo who’s been on the case.

I’ll concede that it’s not a perfect film.  There are cheesy moments here and there, and some of the twists are plainly there to disguise the overall thinness of the plot, which at times feels merely like a means of getting from one action set piece to another.  All that said, it is a perfectly-serviceable action mystery with comic flourishes.  It clips along at a good pace and always entertains, even if it doesn’t always hold together as a tight narrative.

Some good performances here.  I’m not familiar with either Kelly Chen or Ekin Cheng, who play Macy and Yung, but they’re both very likable.  Together with Tony Leung Chiu-wai’s Lin, they make for an engaging trio.  I know this is a film that, since its release has spawned two sequels, and I don’t know if either is any good, but I’m still looking forward to seeing them based on the chemistry generated by this cast.

But far and away, Mr. Lin is my favorite thing about this movie.  He’s mysterious, suave, magnetic, and just the right amount of ridiculous – there are some great bits, especially in his action scenes, that neatly balance on the right side of goofy without veering into cheesy.  The “but can they trust him really?!” signs are practically flashing in neon, but that’s okay.  Mr. Lin pulls people in, throwing them offguard and leaving them unsure what to make of him even as they’re getting into a car with him.  There’s even something fun about how he uses his terrible Japanese to his professional advantage:  he gets the juiciest, most secret cases because people assume no one’s talking to the Chinese P.I. who barely speaks Japanese.

Leung is fantastic in this role.  I can’t quite describe the overall effect of his performance here.  Lin is super capable and frequently unflappable in the seemingly most-hopeless situations, but at the same time, there’s just the slightest air that he’s making it all up as he goes along and is flying by the seat of his pants.  I don’t know what it is, but I love it and I’m excited to see more of this character.

Recommend?

In General – I would.  Great action, really entertaining, and a good jumping-off point for this franchise.  I hope the other two movies are this much fun.

Tony Leung Chiu-wai – Definitely.  While this character is pretty well designed to make audiences enjoy him, Leung plays it for all he’s worth.  He’s like a charisma bomb wrapped in an investigator package and pulling off some audacious action scenes.

Warnings

Violence, brief sexual content, language, and drinking/smoking.