The Storm Warriors (2009) @ 风云II

At a glance:
Storm Warriors has a lot of fans. We have the type who read the 1989 source material and saw the first movie. Then we have the electronic type that are brought in by the producers in large numbers to blow at Aaron Kwok and Ekin Cheng's hair. More graphic novel movie than martial arts epic, this sequel to 1998's HK cinema milestone Storm Riders is the greatest incarnation of Ma Wing Shing's celebrated Fung Wan comic and nothin short of box office blitz is expected when entrusted in the able hands of directors Danny and Oxide Pang. However, when the brothers themselves tell you that no decent movie critic can avoid comparin this wuxia reupdate to that Spartan SFX feast 300 because it uses the same software (!) that's when you know you have a novelty movie in your hands. Indeed it's special effects before story as we're swirled and twirled into the windy world of Nip Fung (Ekin Cheng) and Bou Keng Wan (Aaron Kwok) as the two heroes (and their emo hair) return to the silver screen after so long to battle evil once more. The story starts off coherently with some reference to the first movie and we are soon made to understand that this will be a two-hour battle with Wind, Cloud and Nameless (Kenny Ho, pic) against evil Lord Godless (Simon Yam) and his equally evil son Heart (Nicholas Tse). Layabout Piggy King (Lam Suet) joins the story later on, together with Lord Wicked (Kenny Wong Tak Bun), Second Dream (Charlene Choi) and Chu Chu (Tang Yan).
Bad news on the doorstep:
However, this synopsis is too simple - or frankly, unnecessary. In a CGI-heavy project such as this, too much have gone into dazzle and the story predictably suffers. Borin, really. Aside from Aaron Kwok who sustained some over-reported injuries, the supportin cast have little to do. That's why you won't mind soft porn actor Kenny Wong as an armless sifu or cute newcomer Tang Yan, who replaces Shu Qi as Cloud's romantic interest Chu Chu to no useful effect.
Perennial wonderment:
Ekin Cheng and Aaron Kwok never age.
Watch out for:
Incredibly bad actin by Ekin Cheng near the end. Very poor.
Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?
I slept through this movie TWICE. Let the next one be better, since we know Ekin and Aaron will still look young enough to do it. ★★

Vengeance (2009) @ 復仇

At a glance:
Johnnies Hallyday and To combine as French rockstar meet HK art film auteur, with mixed results. It's a revenge story (to risk overstatin the obvious) washed in Western themes, about a French ex-hitman arrivin in Macau to avenge his daughter. Milkyway's fave cast Simon Yam, Lam Suet, Lam Ka Tung and Maggie Siu are all also here but like all of To's flicks, they only need to be, never mind act. That goes for Monsieur Rockstar (pic) as well, who apparently landed the role after producers Michèle and Laurent Pétin failed to sign the even more iconic Alain Delon. I've only seen him in L'Homme Du Train (The Man On The Train) to be honest but he does cut a great figure to simply sit down and watch, especially in noirs. He looks like a demonic, unnaturally blue-eyed beast, really. New Moon could use him.
Bad news on the doorstep:
Obviously I'm not happy Maggie Siu didn't do much here but perhaps the greatest lament is that of Triangle - a lot of glossy gunfire but very skint on some meaningful cinematic glute. There's even that umbrella motif again that To already referenced in Sparrow, in tribute to the '64 Les Parapluies De Cherbourg (The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg). The Guy Pearce-Memento bit doesn't look necessary either, especially when the academic discussion on a revenge-seeker's 'forget v remember' dilemma is brief.
Perennial wonderment:
Waheyyy - can I go a day without talkin about Anthony Wong? Here he's the leader of the assassins that befriend Hallyday's dogged character. You can read that life does imitate art because Hallyday told in interviews that Tone's the only guy who spoke English so they both naturally talked more on set and they felt comfortable with each other throughout the shoot.
Reminds me of:
Taken, Election and No Country For Old Men - but told in a decidedly style-over-substance manner.
Watch out for:
The outdoor stairway chase. That's organisation for you.
Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?Johnnie To gets my three and a half stars and remains the international choice for a HK director to watch, despite every other movie from him seemin like a playthin. It's captivatin cinema you can't dismiss as hollow. That Lo Ta Yu music (who scored To's Election and All About Ah Long as well) didn't hurt one bit either and looks like they flew in the Frenchman to town for a good reason after all.