★ 6 / 10
Ambitious but uneven crime thriller that does deliver
Johnathon W
Ambitious but uneven crime thriller that does deliver some good fight scenes and a complex story, but not without a lot of grace. The cast is solid across the…
Ambitious but uneven crime thriller that does deliver some good fight scenes and a complex story, but not without a lot of grace. The cast is solid across the board, with the actors giving layered performances that show they are not one note (Donnie Yen's Ma is haunted by crippling a criminal while Sammo Hung's Wong Po's crime boss is a loving husband and father). Behind the camera, writer/director Wilson Yip delivers some cool fights scenes, especially the final battle, along with a somewhat nuanced story as the police unit try to frame Wong Po for a crime he didn't commit. However, its done with such a heavy hand its almost laughable. Overall, a solid watch but not a great one.
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★ 9 / 10
Incredible martial art scenes with the music to
Norman B.
Incredible martial art scenes with the music to capture each moment and an ending I didn't see coming. Outstanding movie
Incredible martial art scenes with the music to capture each moment and an ending I didn't see coming. Outstanding movie
★ 10 / 10
Insane martial arts combat from a young Donnie
Matthew D
Insane martial arts combat from a young Donnie Yen fighting police ethics violations! Director Wilson Yip’s martial arts crime thriller SPL: Kill Zone (2005)…
Insane martial arts combat from a young Donnie Yen fighting police ethics violations!
Director Wilson Yip’s martial arts crime thriller SPL: Kill Zone (2005) is super cool and stylized. Kill Zone is a hard critique of police brutality, falsifying evidence, and police corruption. I loved the brutal violence, tender characters, moral conflicts, colorful cinematography, rooftop meetings, split screens, outrageous editing, smoky rooms, gorgeous music, and stunning Hong Kong skyline. Yip’s dedication to earnest heroes, ruthless villains, and ultra fast martial arts fights is commendable. Kill Zone has some crazy duels from Sammo Hung against every cop. Sammo Hung versus Donnie Yen in the final fight is killer. Donnie Yen battling against Wu Jing’s assassin in a dangerous alley is a legendary duel of baton versus blade. I loved SPL: Kill Zone!
Writers Jack Ng Wai-Lun, Szeto Kam-Yuen, and Wilson Yip craft a complex crime drama narrative about older detectives breaking ethics to catch a Hong Kong Triad boss, while a new inspector arrives with real ideals, ethics, and morality. It’s all about the curious choices we make in life that make us either evil or good men. I thought of Cop Land and Infernal Affairs when thinking about police corruption, police brutality, falsifying evidence, stealing seized money, and the value of following protocol to capture criminals. There’s interesting ethical questions for cops to consider here in a very thoughtful movie. Every cop is punished for being evil just like the villain gets poetic justice. There is an insane twist at the last moment.
Donnie Yen is excellent as the moralistic young Inspector Ma Kwun. Yen demonstrates restraint as Inspector Ma is trying to atone for hurting a young man with police brutality, while also dealing with the older cops framing a triad boss just to imprison him. Yen’s dramatic acting is quite compelling and moving. Him trying to be a good cop in the face of heinous triad murderers and corrupt police is fascinating. I continue to be amazed by his lightning fast kicks and punches. Likewise, Wu Jing’s assassin in white Jack is ruthless. His jeering as he stabs cops with his short blade is sinister. His ultra quick movements and martial arts are outstanding. The best fight in Kill Zone is Donnie Yen against Wu Jing.
Sammo Hung is very entertaining as the vicious Hong Kong Triad boss Wong Po. He’s a relentless fighter, fierce commander, brutal murderer, and is shown to also be a loving husband. Simon Yam is very touching as the Inspector Chan Kwok-chung, dying of cancer while trying to raise a little orphaned girl. He tries to frame Hung for crimes, then keeps breaking the law in hopes of stopping this gang.
Liu Kai-chi is great as the amusing Inspector Lo Kwun-wah. Danny Summer is a riot as Inspector Kwok Tze-sum, who also wants his daughter back in his life. Ken Chang is great as Inspector Lee Wai-lok, who takes money from a crime scene. Liang Jingke is incredibly pretty as Wong Po's wife. Lau Ching-lam is adorable as the sweet girl Hoi-yee. Poon Mei-kei is gorgeous as Inspector Kwok Tze-sum's daughter.
Editor Cheung Ka-Fai pulls off fast cuts within fights for clear movements, but all wild split screen decisions and interesting transitions. Kill Zone is a thrilling 93 minutes because of these fun early 2000’s style cutting choices. Cinematographer Lam Wah-Chuen’s wide shots capture fights and conversations alike. The heavy use of hazy green lighting and icy blue lighting is awesome. Kill Zone visually looks impressive.
Stunt choreographers Kenji Tanigaki, Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, So Tung, and Donnie Yen provide exciting and intricate martial arts moves for the adrenalizing fights. Composers Comfort Chan Kwong-Wing and Ken Chan Ka-Yip’s mesmerizing film score has dreamy synths and delicate piano parts. They create a foreboding atmosphere that really makes every evil decision by a police inspector seem ominous.
In all, SPL: Kill Zone is a truly daring critique of police corruption alongside spectacular martial arts displays.
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80%
TOMATOMETER
· 5 reviews
79%
AUDIENCE
· 5K ratings
6.9/10
14.1K
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Is it possible to have it in 4K in Chinese dub