Long Arm of the Law III (1989)
Michal Mak's second sequel to his brother's action classic finds an ex-soldier/escaped death row prisoner fleeing to Hong Kong and forced to work for a gang of criminals when they kidnap the woman he loves.
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Reviews
Thanks for the memories!
It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.
If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.
This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.
Andy Lau is sentenced to death after being falsely accused of a crime, but he escapes and meets a girl while he is being smuggled into Hong Kong. The girl he meets is kidnapped and Lau is forced to do a robbery in exchange for the girl's life. Kirk Wong is the leader of the gang that is forcing Lau to do the robbery. Kirk Wong is so evil in this movie. And as if things aren't bad enough, Lau has a communist cop played by Elvis Tsui after him. Elvis Tsui has been in well over 100 movies, but this is definitely one of his finest roles. He is downright menacing.I thought the story could have been a bit better, but the action really surprised me. I didn't realize this was going to be a great action movie, but that is what I got. Great fights, great shootouts, and some awesome stunts. The action is done by none other than Tony Leung Siu Lung (brother of Bruce Leung), the same guy who did the action for (and directed) Bloodmoon and Superfights. He is not as well known as guys like Yuen woo Ping and Corey Yuen, but I like the action that Tony Leung provides much more (in this movie especially). It looks a lot more real.I don't want to give anything away in this movie, so just go and see it! And look for a cameo fight from John Ladaski. I would break down all the action scenes, but it is something you have to experience for yourself. Take my word for it. It is truly amazing. And don't worry, you don't need to see Long Arm of the Law I and II before you watch this.The picture quality on the Joy Sales DVD is not exactly perfect, but still more than watchable.