This uneven, yet sporadically thrilling Hong Kong action film about imperiled firefighters follows a close-knit squad (Nicholas Tse, Shawn Yue, Andy On) at a busy fire station who are called to a scary, decrepit power station on Christmas Eve, where eerily wafting smoke foreshadows the cataclysm to come. Director Derek Kwok's As the Light Goes Out interweaves lots of convoluted subplots, making it sometimes difficult to track the thorny histories between lead characters as the narrative repeatedly breaks down into talky interruptions with repeated emphasis on loyalty, honor, sacrifice, and bonding among the men. But the action sequences are suspenseful as the men heroically struggle in the maze-like burning building, thanks to hair-raising stunts and digital effects, including the spooky smoke that seems to take on its own persona. Likely to appeal to fans of Chicago Fire, this is a strong optional purchase. (T. Fry)
As the Light Goes Out
Well Go USA, 116 min., in Cantonese w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: $24.98, Blu-ray: $29.98, Nov. 18 Volume 30, Issue 1
As the Light Goes Out
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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