"Prove the truth in words. - Tang Lei"
Is there anyone in this world who likes to watch "bad movies"?
probably doesn't.
So, is there anyone in this world who is willing to make "bad movies"?
From the original intention, of course there would be no such thing, but if we consider it from the perspective of "commercial profit-seeking", as long as we can make money, it doesn't seem to matter whether it is a "good movie" or a "bad movie".
A hundred years of Hong Kong film history.
From the era when hundreds of flowers bloomed, to the two heroes competing for hegemony between kung fu and comedy, to the rise of gangster movies, and as time passed, police and gangster movies turned the tide.
However, it seems that in a blink of an eye, the era of "thousands of horses and horses are silent" has arrived.
When it comes to Hong Kong police and gangster movies, the themes are outdated and the story routines include drug arrests, undercover agents, gun battles, car chases, explosions, big scenes, action scenes, and fierce fights.
Is everyone afraid?
said in recent years.
Personally, I feel really scared.
At least from "Edge Walker", " Detective vs. " and " Tomorrow War " in 2022, to 2023's " is coming again, ", " disconnected from the Internet ", " Anti-drug 3" : People at the end of the world ", "Assassination Storm", "Trapped Beast", "Breaking Point", "Stealth" and "Goldfinger ", even including the 2024 " Temporary Heist ", which movie is there? , dare you say that your reputation is strong enough?
In these fourteen movies in three years, "all members" are policemen and criminals.
Just imagine, when you see the chaotic plot of "Edge Walker", you may expect that "Detective Wars" will reproduce the style of "Detective", and when you see "Detective Wars" full of devastation, you may have extravagant hopes that "Tomorrow's War" will show off Magnificent.
But all the way down, there is only a pile of disappointment.
Under this situation, even the so-called "die fans" probably dare not talk about optimism anymore.
So, how can we not be afraid?
Of course, the so-called "bad movies" have been around for a long time.
is even inevitable.
But in the past years, although there are still "bad movies", there are always "good movies" to offset them. Even the probability and momentum of "good movies" are far greater than that of "bad movies".
For example, in the past ten years or so, "Cold War" was good, "Anti-Drug" was not bad, "Blind Detective" was okay, then "Sha Po Lang 2" was good, "Cold War 2" was top-notch, " Chasing the Dragon " ” received good reviews, as well as the commercial and artistic excellence of “无双”, the unconventional plot of “Bomb Disposal Expert 2” and the signature action of “Fury·Crime”.
Under this trend, who will cling to so-called "bad movies"?
Those "bad movies" mixed in the above-mentioned "good movies" are either ignored by everyone, or are regarded as a matter of "probability" and let go lightly. This is logic.
And the momentum of Hong Kong movies is certainly not low.
has even been welcomed by the market and praised by the audience due to the unique style of some movies and the innovation of plots, techniques and performances.
They are the driving force behind the rise of Hong Kong movies.
So the problem is not with the police and gangster type movies at all.
is totally out of the question. I'm afraid of Hong Kong police movies.
In terms of style, genre and vision, Hong Kong-style police and gangster movies will still have their unique charm.
Because under the structure of Hong Kong-style police and gangsters, the movie is more like an "urban fairy tale".
You may not think that the story in it is true, but it does not prevent you from following the characters in the play to pursue a "realistic" journey that involves all your body and soul, such as "Before the powerful, neither humble nor arrogant, before the old and the weak, will "My heart is bigger than my own", such as "You choose, idol", and "My name is Wu Shihao", and "Among a million people, there is only one protagonist."
We saw before our eyes how Liu Jiehui protected Hong Kong, how Ma Haotian was in a dilemma between love and justice, how arrogant and domineering the lame man was, and how audacious and unpredictable Li Wen was.
These creations come from the soil of Hong Kong movies.
is unique.
Let’s first take a look at the behind-the-scenes director lineup.
Chen Musheng has passed away.
Tsui Hark, Lam Chiu-yin, Lau Wai-keung, and Peter Chan, these four great directors, occasionally or still pay attention to Hong Kong films, but they have almost taken root in the mainland, and the probability of making Hong Kong films again is extremely low.
Some time ago, it was said that Johnnie To had made a new film, but it was probably just a top-notch film by a newcomer, so I didn’t have much expectations.
Weng Ziguang's film "When the Wind Rises Again" ruined his future of transforming into a major commercial production.
Qiu Litao made sixteen films in a row over seven years, almost shocking every step of the way.
Zhuang Wenqiang's "Wu Shuang" was a hit, and then he made another "Goldfinger" with a good narrative but extremely mediocre, but the basic skills are stable, so we can still look forward to it.
Mak Siu-fai has been sluggish in his solo career, waiting for the release of "Insider" to make further observations.
Huang Qingxun filmed Aaron Kwok twice in a row. The real-life literary and artistic "Mai Lu Ren" does not talk about the box office. Although the narrative rhythm of "Disconnected" is acceptable, the script polishing is obviously seriously insufficient, and the aesthetic ability is extremely weak.
Mak Qi-kwong made his debut in "Temporary Robbery", which is considered qualified.
Liang Lemin finally appeared and launched "Cold War 1994" and "Cold War 1995" alone.
Who should be expected?
And actors.
Aaron Kwok, Tony Leung, Louis Koo, Donnie Yen and Andy Lau are the super-class giants who are still active.
Below them are Nicholas Tse, Raymond Lam, and Daniel Wu of the Mesozoic generation, and the younger ones are Liu Junqian, Hu Tong, Wu Yunlong and others. However, in the field of commercial films, they still need to be polished.
Green Leaves aside, there are more young actors whose names the public may not know yet.
Many people always like to say that it’s time for veteran actors to give way.
But in fact, for both investors and audiences, without the top-notch giant actors, the attention will only drop significantly, or even be ignored.
So if you want to make a Hong Kong-style police and gangster movie, how can you leave the giant lineup?
Bringing in the new with the old is the right way.
The Hong Kong film " Kowloon Walled City: The Siege " is currently being screened.
Zheng Baorui and others took a breath.
And this movie also allows the audience to see that Hong Kong-style action movies are not only not dead, but also still very powerful.
So when will Hong Kong-style police and gangster movies make a comeback?
no one knows.
But things in the world are strange. Many times, the scenery is just around the corner.
