SYNOPSIS:
PTU Officer Jim (Simon Yam) and his teammates beat up Shing, a habitual criminal when on duty, and is under investigation. The team is going to arrest Shing and solve this problem their way. Whereas Jim's teammate, Double Eight receives a transferal letter due to his big debt problem. He has to return his gun to the station after the last beat. However, the full force chasing to Shing induces his unstable emotion and decides to use his gun to do the last thing for himself...
MOVIE REVIEW:
Fans of Johnnie To’s award winning police drama movie PTU (2003) will lap this up. This is one of the five PTU spinoffs which star the original cast of Simon Yam (Ip Man, Fatal Move), Maggie Siu (Exodus, Linger) and Lam Suet (Shinjiku Incident, Legendary Assassins). That’s a huge plus point. Another huge plus point is that To plays the producer role here, and you can be assured that the movie will be of a certain standard which is evident in all his works. While this movie never saw a theatrical release in Singapore, viewers may feel that they are watching a TV movie which lacks the usual high production value (cue those chiaroscuro lightings!) which are signature Johnnie To shots.
The action crime thriller tells the story of how tensions are built up between a group of PTU officers and the officers from the Complaints Against Police Officers (CAPD – there actually is a unit like that?) when a security camera captures a triad member being brutalized by PTU officers. Themes like ethics and professionalism surface when elements like a unit transfer, a heavy debt problem and the returning of a gun are put together in this engaging drama.
Viewers who are familiar with To’s work will be happy with Yip Tin Shing’s screenplay here. The intricate displays of comradeship and friendship are played out nicely between the different characters in the movie. The issues of right and wrong, black and white are never absolute in this movie, which makes it a good reflection of how policemen are human beings who face problems too. Besides, it does not take itself too seriously as there are moments of humour and lightheartedness which make the viewing a breeze.
As mentioned, do not expect too much style and chic in this movie. There are no wowing camera movements and innovating framed shots – everything here is straightforwardly simple to grapple. While the 90 minutes are engaging and will appeal to your senses, there is not much in terms of visuals that you’ll remember after the end credits roll – probably except the intense performances put in by Yam and Lee Kwok Lun, who plays a cop who is torn between duty and personal commitments.
The manliness of this movie is evident – those who love to see men running around in fitting police uniforms will enjoy the pacing of the movie. Although Siu is the only female member of this drama, she fits in nicely with the gang. You’d probably want to see the other four movies to make this a complete experience.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
This Code 3 DVD contains the movie’s Trailer.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The visual transfer of the DVD is fine, and is presented in a dubbed Mandarin audio track.
MOVIE RATING:
 
DVD
RATING :
Review
by John Li
|
