Film Name:導火綫 / 破軍 / Flash Point / Dou fo sin
《Flash Point》 is an action film starring Donnie Yen and Louis Koo. The film has a simple and straightforward storyline that revolves around the struggle between the police force and the Vietnamese gang. Donnie Yen plays Ma Jun, a grumpy cop, while Louis Koo plays Watson, a cop who goes undercover to collect evidence from the Vietnamese gang.
The film’s action design is swift and ferocious, especially the takedowns on the ground and the spatial displays during the chase, which are rich in variety. Donnie Yen’s character’s extensive takedowns on the ground are a highlight in the history of Hong Kong action films, where stand-up is the dominant action design.
As for the characters, Lui Leung-wai’s Jag is gangly, badass and elegant, possessing the general aura of a lord, while the roles of Qiu Ti and her bosses are somewhat stereotypical. The female characters in the film are set up as the female mud puppet character who has a vague background, is only gentle and considerate, and gives everything for men for vague reasons, and the boss who is stereotypical in handling the case, is impersonal, and disregards the logic of reality.
Thematically, the film opens with a self-critical attitude of “Did I arrest the wrong person?”, but shirks the responsibility of thinking about it at the end with the line “It’s up to the judge to decide whether or not I’ve arrested the wrong person”, which wipes out what little discernment there is.
Overall, 《Flash Point》 is a film full of action but lacking in plot and characterisation. The highlights of the film are the great fights between Donnie Yen and Louis Koo, and the innovative action design.
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