By now, Hong Kong-produced movies pitting dedicated police detectives against the Triad are as numerous as Hollywood B-westerns pitting cowboys against rustlers. Actually, that's an apt comparison, as the clichés have long been firmly embedded in both genres. The only novelty in this one is top-billed Donnie Yen's new fascination with what's called MMA—Mixed Martial Arts. Director Yip Wai-Shun's Flash Point opens in 1996, prior to Hong Kong's turnover to China. Detective Ma (Yen) and his undercover partner Wilson (Louis Koo) have penetrated the rising Triad gang led by Tony (Collin Chou) and his brothers, but Ma's recklessness results in Wilson's cover being blown, after which the gloves come off and war erupts. The bone-crunching fight scenes one expects from action star Yen don't arrive until well past the halfway point of the film, but his exhibitions of MMA—which fuse traditional Eastern fighting techniques with Western boxing, Muay Thai kicking, and a Brazilian brand of jujitsu called Capoeira—certainly impress once they finally get underway. In fact, the fight choreography is sufficiently creative to provide a jolt of adrenaline to those who've started to doze off thanks to the plot's pedestrian machinations. Overall, Flash Point is a routine offering, but one that will appeal to Yen's fans. Optional. (E. Hulse)
Flash Point
Genius, 88 min., in Cantonese & Mandarin w/English subtitles, R, DVD: $24.95 Volume 23, Issue 4
Flash Point
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