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Cold War
寒戰
2012 102 min Hong Kong R 16+
★6.8
Action, Thriller
Director: Lok Man Leung, Kim-Ching Luk
Trailers
Description
Five police officers in Hong Kong are kidnapped. The police commissioner is on a business trip overseas. Two vice commissioners, Sean Rau and M.B. Lee, then take over the case. The two vice commissioners are rivals who both vie for the police commissioner seat. At first, M.B. Lee takes the lead in the case, but comes to a dead end. Sean Lau then takes the lead, but he falls into a trap. Both men are then investigated by the ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption).
Worldwide:
$8.84M
Starring
Aaron Kwok
Actor
Tony Ka Fai Leung
Actor
Charlie Yeung
Actor
Awards
Asian Film Academy 2013
— Best Actor
Key opinion
Cold War is an ambitious but uneven police thriller that benefits from a strong cast and high production values. While it effectively captures the dynamic tension of Hong Kong crime cinema, the film is hampered by a predictable screenplay and inconsistent pacing.
| Acting | Tony Leung Ka-fai delivers a compelling, seasoned performance that anchors the film's interpersonal conflicts. | |
| Cinematography | The cinematography utilizes striking aerial shots of Hong Kong and inventive visual sequences to create a sophisticated aesthetic. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay relies on an oversimplified plot that fails to deliver on its promises of complex intrigue. | |
| Pacing | The film's pacing is polarizing; some viewers appreciate the momentum of the crime-action formula, while others find the narrative progression mechanical and prone to dragging. | |
| Direction | The direction is viewed as inconsistent; critics point to a lack of balance between psychological interrogation scenes and traditional action sequences. |