Cooler Than 007 The Corruptor
By Ross Anthony
Chow Yun-Fat (of Hong Kong action film fame and "Replacement Killers") is cool. Cooler than 007 (I'd give him a 009 on the cool scale) but in a Clint Eastwood, not spy/gadgetry, kind of way.
Take a not so simple game of who-can-you-trust?, fine cinematography, a great amount of gun fire, a slice of prostitution on the side and you've got the ingredients for "The Corruptor."
After stylishly swank opening credits, the picture explodes onto the screen -- a bomb in Chinatown. Yun-Fat is the tough, slightly crooked cop respected in his district. Mark Wahlberg ("Boogie Nights") plays the rookie (refered to as "the boy") whose white face and green bottom aren't welcomed on Yun-Fat's Chinese team. The two grudgingly befriend each other while eliminating members of gang A (like targets in a video game) as they are seduced into a corrupt loyalty by gang B.
Despite a few unlikely plot developments, "The Corruptor" is compelling from start to finish. Yun-Fat, following up "Replacement Killers" with style, is beginning to show his age. But like Eastwood and Connery, I don't expect him to loose his cool any time soon.
Starring Chow Yun-Fat and Mark Wahlberg. Directed by James Foley. Produced by Dan Halsted at Illusion Ent./Newline Cinema.
Grade..........................A-
-- Copyright © 1999 Ross Anthony, currently based in Los Angeles, has scripted and shot documentaries, music videos, and shorts in 35 countries across North America, Europe, Africa and Asia. For more reviews visit: http://RossAnthony.com
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