The Weinstein Company spent so many
years collecting the rights to release many films and have kept them in their
grips till recently, which may explain the release of this 1993 action film
from Hong Kong , Above the Law. Although a release in 1993 would have made little
sense, it is surprising that this film is only now seeing a proper DVD release
considering the director is Corey Yuen. Yuen may not be a household name, but
after directing The Transporter he
should have had enough credibility for people to begin viewing his earlier
films. Still, Above the Law is
available finally on special edition from Dragon Dynasty.
When it is obvious that the law is
not able to protect innocent people thanks to a corrupt judicial system, a
renegade prosecutor sets out to take justice into his own hands. Each case he
builds against the local mob is destroyed when his witnesses are brutally
murdered, and it seems to be someone within the police force as well. What
begins as one murder turns into an investigation and plenty more deaths to
cover the first. Soon an intricate plot blurring the lines between good guys
and bad guys takes place.
What starts as a typical action film
is quickly overcomplicated with too many characters and a roller coaster of
genres. There is a vigilante prosecuting lawyer roaming the streets as well as
a vigilante cop who is also a bit more sadistic. On the other side of the coin
is a specialist female cop sent in to solve the vigilante murders and her
rookie cop sidekick. At times Above the
Law doesn’t seem able to choose between buddy cop, vigilante, action,
suspense and comedy films, so instead they are all just thrown in and mixed
around. There is no telling what the film might deliver from one scene to the
next, and yet each fight scene is always sure to be the most entertaining part
of the film.
The action in Above the Law is typical Hong Kong
full contact martial arts with a specific preoccupation with what feats the
human body can accomplish. Although cars are used in the film they are more
often an obstacle against a talented and swift human rather than used for chase
scenes. One scene in which a character avoids several cars in a parking garage
which are all trying to run him over is an impressively creative display of stunts.
At the same time the stunts involving the white females in the cast are not
quite as impressive, perhaps due to the fact that they obviously have stunt
doubles which look nothing like them despite the best attempts.
The DVD has an alternate ending, although
I think I prefer the somewhat bleak original ending although it does seem
strange considering the large amount of humor at the beginning of the film.
There is also a few interviews on the DVD, including one with producer and star
Yuen Biao and leading lady Cynthia Rothrock. There is also a short featurette
about Peter Cunningham, co-star and kickboxing champion. Once again Hong Kong
Cinema expert Bey Logan gives his traditional commentary track about the film.
There are enough facts to keep fans interested as always.
Entertainment Value:
8/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7/10
Historical
Significance: 6/10
Disc Features: 6/10
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