Raid

Rating:
Summary: The Raid
Review: Set in Manchuria in the early 1930's, a small army is controlled by an emperor in exile, forced to this far corner of China by invading Imperial Japan. Dr. Cho is a skilled medicine man who discovers a plot to manufacture poison gas, and is forced to help a group of rebels try and destroy the factory where it is produced.

The movie is a comedy, with frequent action sequences involving furious gun battles and explosions. It is fun and exciting, even if it does almost resemble the Three Stooges at times.

Rating:
Summary: Japan vs. China in WWII Comic Adventure
Review: THE RAID (1991) is a fast-paced Hong Kong blend of comedy, martial arts, WWII-era action and high-flying stunts that is never boring but never exhilarating either. The plot involves a band of Chinese nationalists and an ever-expanding crew of petty crooks, aspiring martial artists and a legendary doctor, all at war with a Japanese officer and a female Japanese spy masquerading as a Chinese glamour girl. The latter are aligned with puppet ruler Pu Yi (the famed Last Emperor, who was actually re-installed by the Japanese to run the Manchu-kuo government during the war).

Given the touchy subject matter, emotions are surprisingly low throughout as the filmmakers stress slapstick over tension, even in the midst of bloody shootouts. Despite the large, capable cast, no one character is allowed to dominate the action, so the audience never gets a handle on whose story this is. No martial arts stars are on hand either, so the fight scenes are never very exciting, depending more on outlandish stunts and quick cuts than any real confrontations. The cast includes Dean Shek, Chu Kong, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Joyce Godenzi, Jacky Cheung and, in a key supporting role as gang boss Big Nose, HK action director Yuen Kwei (Corey Yuen).

Given the participation of producer-director Tsui Hark and co-director Ching Siu-Tung, the final result is quite a disappointment. This is the team, after all, that gave us CHINESE GHOST STORY I to III, SWORDSMAN II, and THE EAST IS RED: SWORDSMAN III, all examples of Hong Kong fantasy action at its best. The imaginative staging and exuberant action that distinguished those films are noticeably absent from THE RAID.