Hong Kong Digital #96a: Sharp Guns

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February 18th, 2002	Issue #96a

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Hong Kong Digital is a recurring series of movie reviews by John Charles -- associate editor / film reviewer for Video Watchdog magazine and the author of The Hong Kong Filmography.

Sharp Guns
(2001; Golden Harvest / Golden Movies International)

Cover art courtesy Mei Ah.

RATING
10 A Masterpiece
9 Excellent	8 Highly Recommended	7 Very Good
6 Recommended	5 Marginal Recommendation	4 Not Recommended
3 Poor	2 Definitely Not Recommended	1 Dreadful

Cantonese:	*Him gok*
Mandarin:	*Xian jiao*
English:	*Dangerous Corner*

At the request of his boss, hitman Tricky On (Alex Fong Chung-sun, who manages to be cool even

when decked out in some really hideous suits) returns to Macau from Holland in order to rescue the man's daughter, who has been kidnapped by double dealing cop Coke (Ken Wong Hap-hei). Enlisting the aid of sharpshooter Wood (who sniffs out gunpowder the way a hunting dog tracks his prey) and tattooed "SM Killer" Rain (the fetching Wu Anya), On quickly deduces that the story behind the abduction has been fabricated. Determining the girl's true whereabouts, the team affects a rescue and make their escape with the aid of race car driver Kangaroo (EXTREME CHALLENGE's Ken Chang Chi-yao).

Alex Fong Chung-sun and Wu Anya. Image courtesy Mei Ah.

The assignment, however, turns out to be much more complicated than On thought and, soon, he and his associates are wanted by both the underworld and the police.

This is a refreshing and diverting return to the more modest, low-tech crime thrillers HK filmmakers produced in the early 80s and 90s and, while it is not a major production, SHARP GUNS never looks threadbare. As proven on earlier pictures, like RED TO KILL and WILD, director Billy Tang Hin-sing has a great visual sense and the Macau locations are fresh and well utilized. The story is best not examined too closely but the wrap-up remains satisfying, and there is some decent gunplay and motor vehicle mayhem, courtesy of action director Ma Yuk-shing. Eric Wan Tin-chiu and Moses Chan Ho (in a very low key performance) also appear.

DVD Specs:

Mei Ah #DVD-458
Dolby Digital 2.1
Cantonese and Mandarin Language Tracks (both post-synched)
Optional Subtitles In English and Chinese (Traditional or Simplified)
9 Chapters Illustrated In the Menu With Stills
Letterboxed (1.79:1)
Coded for ALL Regions
86 Minutes
Contains brutal violence, torture, and drug use

DVD menu courtesy Mei Ah.

Film Board Ratings and Consumer Advice

Hong Kong: IIB
Singapore: PG [Passed With Cuts]

Presentation

This is one of the best looking HK DVDs in some time, boasting a sharp, slick image with gorgeous colors and deep blacks. Some mild, DVNR-induced jitter is occasionally perceptible but not really an issue. The mono sound is slightly compressed but still buoyant enough to be effective. SHARP GUNS is a Mei Ah release, so no extras and no time coding.

SHARP GUNS is available at Poker Industries.

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