- Actors: Peter Ho, Zitao Huang
- Director: Gao Xixi
- Disc Format: Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, THX, Widescreen
- Language: Mandarin Chinese (Dolby Digital 5.1)
- Subtitles: English
- Region: Region A/1
- Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Rated: Not Rated
- Studio: Well Go USA
- Release Date: October 3, 2017
- Run Time: 133 minutes
The
Game Changer is a period gangster film, but everything is exaggerated to
the point that it should be a parody. There is no humor though, and it is
quickly apparent that the filmmakers are taking the over-the-top style
seriously. Not only is the action cartoonish in its embellishments, the drama
is so high emotionally that it often slips unapologetically into melodrama.
While occasionally entertaining, the final result is a film that is easy to
forget despite all of the efforts to impress.
Like many
Chinese gangster films, the narrative is tied to a bond between two men. Based
on the television series “Shanghai Bund,” this 140-minute adaptation takes
place in the underworld of 1930s Shanghai.
Zi hao (Peter Ho) is a political prisoner after being caught in a protest as a
student, stuck in jail until gangster Fang Jie (Zitao Huang) crashes into his
cell during a prison escape. Fang Jie introduces his prison friend to Mr. To (Xueqi
Wang), the head boss of a crime family, who invites Zi hao into his operation.
The film
oscillates between typical gangster action and heavy melodrama typical of soap
operas, include several love triangles. Fang Jie is in love with Mr. To’s
daughter, To Fong Fong (Coulee Nazha), but she is in love with Zi hao, who
still pines for a lost love named Tang (Cha Joo Hyeon), now married to Mr. To.
The action is a welcome relief from the silliness of the coincidental romantic
entanglements, even if it ends up being even more difficult to believe. This is
likely due to the fact that there is hardly a single shot without CGI in the
action sequences, paired with the strange decision to give the heroes near
superhuman abilities with guns and vehicles.
The action
scenes are so overdone and lengthy that I found myself wondering what had even
started the violence long before it had completed. There are ridiculous car
chases early on in the film, and the climax feels like it belongs in a Rambo
movie. The entire thing would be hilarious if it didn’t take itself so
seriously. To make matters worse, the effects are always just shy of
convincing, so that the entire endeavor reeks of artifice on top of feeling absurd.
While it is entertaining in a distracting sort of way, little of The Game Changer has any lasting impact
despite its over-stuffed 133-minute run time.
The Blu-ray
release has no special features, though they do present the absurdly
CGI-reliant action in high definition. I can’t say it doesn’t improve the
image, but I can say that it doesn’t improve them enough.
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6/10
Historical
Significance: 4/10
Special Features: 0/10
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