Flash Point – Two Disc Ultimate Edition (Dragon Dynasty DVD)

 

Picture: B-     Sound: B     Extras: C+     Film: C+

 

 

Yip Wai-Shin’s Flash Point (2007) has a mixed start, telling the story of a cop who can get carried away (Donnie Yen) when going after criminals when tracking them down, which get shim in trouble.  But before you think Lethal Weapon 1 or Dirty Harry, know that the film is more comical in a John Woo way.  At first, it looked like it could be either a bad comic romp (ala Jackie Chan) or a Gangster thriller (Infernal Affairs) until it takes a different turn.

 

Instead, it turns into a sort of Kung Fu version of a Revenge Western, throws out more story that it should and becomes a series of fights, fights and more fights.  The goods news is that the fighting is very good, but it is too bad they could not have a stronger backing storyline for this to be a winning film instead of yet another Martial Arts film that will offer moiré highlights than a full-fledged feature you can watch again and again.  Yen helps the film big time, but it could have been so much more.  Louis Koo and Colli Chou also star.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image once again is a winner from Genius/Weinstein and though the shots can be soft, that turns out to be from the way it was shot.  I don’t know when the company switched transfer facilities, but it is most welcome.  The DTS Cantonese 5.1 mix is superior to the Dolby Digital 5.1 English and Cantonese mixes, with decent dialogue recording, soundstage and overall presentation.  Extras include another winning audio commentary by Hong Kong Cinema except Logan Bey on DVD One, while DVD Two adds a three-part behind the scenes gallery/featurette, two-part ultimate fighters look, deleted scenes, and promotional gallery with teasers, trailers, TV spots, the “Gala” Premiere and a good interview with Yen.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo