Chak daan juen ga (2017) Reviews

• Andy Lau stars in a great action flick!

  subxerogravity2017-05-11

  Andy Lau plays the head of the bomb dismantling division of the police who goes undercover to infiltrate a group of robbers who use bombs. This gang's careless actions when life is concern made this cop take drastic measures to bring them down. Because of this, the bad guy seeks revenge from this cop by taking his hostage negotiation to get his brother back very personal. And the bad guy for this movie was really bad ass. Just that right touch of evil that only makes the good guy that is Andy Lau look better. A very instance thriller that's very action packed, but there was also a sub story about Andy Lau's character finding love with a school teacher. It's rare that I've seen people kissing in Chinese Cinema. Maybe I'm watching the wrong movies, but I've seen Chinese action movies in which the lead star has girlfriends or wives, but they never touch each other, and even though I grew up in America were our action heroes go beyond touching the leading ladies, it was odd to watch Lau give so very long and romantic kisses to his leading lady. But as interesting as that was, first and foremost,this was a great action movie from beginning to end. Worth seeing. http://cinemagardens.com

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• Incredible action scenes.

  paulclaassen2018-06-28

  The film features some incredible action sequences and also a few very tense moments. A great premise convincingly executed thanks to believable acting and an experienced director. The humor was kept to a minimum, making the film an effective nail-biter.

• Best Andy Lau movie in a long time

  phanthinga2017-07-03

  Andy Lau is one of my favorite actor from Hong Kong cinema in every movie no matter he staring in lead role or supporting role he always give 100% and with this movie Shock Wave he proving one again he still on top of the game.Directed by Herman Yau also one of my favorite director Shock Wave is a action crime movie about a brave bomb disposal officer try to stop a group of terrorist that take over a underground tunnel.All the performance in this movie is good mostly about Andy Lau character and the movie direction.I have so much fun thought out this movie,it never have a dull moment,the tension always high and the action scene is very clear and awesome.Some minus point is the romance is very rush and the main villain is pretty disappointing.

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• Die Hard in Hong Kong

  kluseba2018-04-16

  Shock Wave is a quite intense action-thriller starring Hong Kong star actor Andy Lau. It tells the story of an undercover police officers who arrests the brother of a ruthless terrorist who is specialized in using explosives. About a year later, the terrorist has specialized in drug trade but is obsessed with getting his revenge. He kills one of the commanders in charge of his brother's arrest a year ago by making his car explode. The undercover cop who has a successful career, is respected by his peers and has met a teacher who has become his girlfriend over the past twelve months, realizes that the terrorist will challenge him to get his revenge. A series of bombs are found in Hong Kong and it becomes more and more difficult to dismantle them for the protagonist. However, nobody is prepared for the terrorist's magnum opus: he kidnaps hundreds of civilians by blocking the exits of a tunnel with two trucks filed with explosives. His goal is to discredit the Hong Kong police corps, make money with a ruthless businessman and reunite with his imprisoned brother. The undercover terrorist must try to deal very carefully with the excitable terrorist in order to save as many civilians as possible. There are numerous elements I liked about Shock Wave. The film has vivid pace and is entertaining from start to finish. The acting performances are great as Andy Lau convinces as calm and rational police officers while Wu Jiang delivers the goods as clever and pitiless terrorist. The action scenes in the film are always dramatic and intense. The special effects look great. The settings in Hong Kong are also quite interesting and especially the scenes in the tunnel make for a claustrophobic atmosphere. The film has a few nice ideas that keep it original such as the terrorist's brother who has found religion and unexpectedly doesn't cooperate with the dangerous terrorist. I also liked the movie's unusual ending which distinguishes it from similar movies where an honest officer is challenged by a pitiless terrorist. One wouldn't see such a resolution in an ordinary Hollywood flick. On the other side, the movie also has a few minor flaws. The story is quite predictable which makes the film lose momentum and tension. The relationship between the honest police officer and the emotionally unstable teacher isn't credible at all as the police officer has the charisma of an iceberg while his love interest seems to be constantly discouraged. Overall, Shock Wave is a quite good action-thriller that will entertain you from start to finish. It makes me think of the Die Hard series and similar franchises but since these movie have been mostly disappointing recently, it only makes sense to look for something similar but more convincing produced in Hong Kong with its know-how of spectacular action cinema.

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• Tense Thriller

  kirbylee70-599-5261792018-01-04

  While it may seem repetitive on my part let me say once again that in doing reviews one of the greatest joys is the opportunity to see movies from around the world. Far too frequently foreign films are treated like the red headed step child in the US market. This means that few people get the opportunity to see some great movies out there. Then again there are a number of people unwilling to take the chance to be exposed to those same great movies for fear of having to read subtitles. Get over it. Take the time to enjoy the movie and don't sweat it. That being said I was pleasantly surprised by a movie called SHOCK WAVE. Made is China this police thriller starts Andy Lau, a top star in the Asian market, as Cheung J.S., the top demolitions expert in the Hong Kong police department. The film opens with him on an undercover assignment as part of a bank robbing group that uses explosives to achieve their goal. After the robbery they've set up taxis with explosives to slow down or kill the police in pursuit. While the main organizer, Peng Hong (Wu Jiang) gets away, his brother Biao is apprehended. Off duty at a bar Cheung meets a young woman overly intoxicated. Taking her to the local precinct he lets her sober up before taking her home. The two hit it off and are soon dating. A year passes and Cheung is back on regular duty. When a series of bombs are planted throughout the city he recognizes them as the work of Hong. It isn't long before his plan is laid out for all to see. Sealing off both ends of one of the main tunnels that connect the mainland Hong Kong to the islands he takes everyone inside as hostage with the assistance of a group of mercenaries. He demands money from the government as well as the release of his brother to his custody. And the only person he'll talk to is Cheung, the man he feels betrayed him. The movie works on a number of levels. There is the story of Cheung, a dedicated officer who puts his life on the line daily for the safety of others. There is the police force determined to do anything they can to insure the safety of the public while capturing the villain and his men. There is the story of two brothers, one still a criminal and one who wants to stop. And there is the imminent threat of explosions at both ends of a tunnel that will not only destroy it but all who are within. Most people think of films from China as those old martial arts film with poor lighting, cheap sets and shot on terrible film stock. If that's what you think these films are then you're in for a surprise. Not only is the quality on display here equal to anything made in Hollywood the acting is superb as well despite the language barrier. But none of that would matter if the story was lame or it plot holes were so large that you could fall into them. Face it, there is no such thing as a perfect movie but this one does a great job of not falling into those old clich styled Chinese films of the past. Those days are long gone and movies like this are more the norm than the exception. While watching this film I kept thinking it wouldn't be a surprise to see it remade here in the US with a few twists along the way. By the end credits I found myself wanting to watch more of the films of Andy Lau. I've seen some in the past but look forward to more from him in the future. And I hope that others take note as well, taking the time to sit through and bear with the subtitles to discover a movie that is worth taking the time to watch. If you do my guess is you won't be disappointed.

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