THE CORRUPTOR (1999)
A film review by Steve Kong Edited by Steve Kong Copyright 1999 Steve Kong
I was once asked if I biased my film reviews based on the presence of a particular performer. Definitely! My admiration of Chow Yun-Fat comes from his collaborations with legendary action director John Woo (Hard Boiled, The Killer, Once A Thief). And like anyone who loves the work that these two have accomplished in Hong Kong, I await the day that these two will pair up again to do another film together. For now, I have to live with the above par releases of Woo sans Chow (Face/Off) and the below par releases of Chow sans Woo (The Replacement Killers). So, I was a little disappointed by the film The Corruptor, a Chow release without Woo at the helm. The Corruptor is an above average cop-buddy movie that is lifted up by the presence of Chow Yun-Fat but then dragged down by Mark Wahlberg and director James Foley.
Similar to The Replacement Killers, the title of The Corruptor does not refer to the character portrayed by Chow Yun-Fat. Nick Chen (Chow Yun-Fat) is a detective in the NYPD Asian Gangs Unit. The AGU is run by a tight knit group of cops, all Chinese. A bombing at a local convenience store changes all this. A new gang in town kills a foreigner and the mayor is screaming to have the AGU expanded. And before you can scream "buddy-film", Mark Wahlberg (Boogie Nights) shows up.
Chen who is on the take from a Chinatown businessman, Lee (Ric Young), re-evaluates his beliefs and actions when he has to take on the new recruit, Danny Wallace (Wahlberg). When Lee tries to put Wallace on the payroll, this tests Chen's loyalties -- as the film progresses, Wallace is also forced to take a close look at his loyalties through a great twist in the story.
The script by first-time pen Robert Pucci has enough twists in it to keep the attention of the moviegoer looking for a film filled with double-fisted gunfights, because the action in The Corruptor is sparse. And when the action fires up, it is done with such MTV style shooting and editing that I was expecting to find a complimentary airsickness bag.
The one thing that I despise most about the current crop of action films is the use of the "Shaky Camera" technique. This is a technique in which the director and cinematographer (Juan Ruiz-Anchia) decide that action is enhanced by bouncing the camera around. Put this together with quick cuts and razor sharp editing and what you get are action sequences that no one can follow. If you've seen the car chase in Michael Bay's The Rock and thought the camerawork and editing in it was horrible, wait till you see what James Foley can do with the car chase in The Corruptor. This car chase had me dizzy. I don't understand why directors haven't learned that the "Shaky Camera" technique does not heighten the tension in an action scene, but detriments it.
The one thing that saves The Corruptor is Chow Yun-Fat. And though Foley does not use Chow's talents to their full potential, there is enough of Chow in the film to make it a worthwhile screening. In every way Chow is the epitome of coolness. Whether he has two guns in hand pumping 50 rounds into a bad guy or just standing around talking to another cop: he is cool. In The Replacement Killers, Chow was held back by his weak understanding of English. In that film, his US premiere film, he was stoic and boring -- but still cool. In The Corruptor, his English is much better -- by leaps and bounds -- and he is freed to do what he does best: Act. In The Corruptor, Chow is freed to show off his onscreen charm. His low-key humor shines onscreen and that makes the film all the more better.
What drags down Chow is Wahlberg. Wahlberg tries to underplay his part, playing his Wallace more like his character in Boogie Nights than a real cop. The problem was that I never accepted Wahlberg as a cop. His performance in The Corruptor was horrible. Wahlberg adds nothing to this film except for some bare-chested scenes that are guaranteed to bring in the female audience.
Director James Foley tries his best at putting together an action film, but fails. The action in The Corruptor lacks excitement and tension, it is flat as can be. More often it's just a series of images flashed onscreen with loud noises. Foley is able to keep the story moving, but unfortunately he is unprepared for doing the action portion of the film.
I'm convinced that had two small changes been made to The Corruptor, it would have come out a much better and more highly enjoyable film. The changes would be the replacement of director James Foley with John Woo and the recasting of Danny Wallace with a stronger actor than Mark Wahlberg. As it stands, The Corruptor is still a Don't Miss film, but only because of Chow Yun-Fat's presence in the film. See The Corruptor for Chow Yun-Fat.
--- Steve Kong reviews@boiled.sbay.org
recipe for a hard boiled review: one egg, two cups water, a pot, a helluva attitude, and a guy who loves the cinema. i'm your hard boiled movie guide.
http://boiledmovies.sbay.com/
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