BELIEVER coming to Digital, Blu-ray™ Combo Pack & DVD on Oct. 30

Well Go USA

Entertainment

Presents

Believer

Directed by LEE Hae-Young

South Korea, 2018, 124 minutes

Directed by Lee Hae-Young (The Silenced), Believer, the stylish, action-packed remake of Johnnie To’s Drug War, hits digital, Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD October 30th from Well Go USA Entertainment. While technically a remake, Cary Darling of The Houston Chronicle notes that “Lee Hae-Yeong’s gripping retelling ... stands on its own and is different enough from the original to make it less a clone and more of a genuflection.”

The story follows an investigator who, in an effort to bring down the boss of Asia’s biggest drug cartel, conspires with a lowly member of the gang seeking revenge against the boss. BELIEVER, stars Cho Jin-woong (The Handmaiden), Ryu Jun-yeol (A Taxi Driver), Kim Joo-hyuck (The Servant), Kim Sung-ryoung (The Target), Park Hae-jun (Unforgettable) and Cha Seoung-won (Man on High Heels).

Synopsis:
A low-level drug dealer facing prosecution conspires with a dangerously ambitious cop to bring down a major cartel’s psychotic kingpin in this electric crime thriller, based on Johnnie To’s critically-acclaimed Drug War.

Johnny To's THREE is available today on Blu-ray and DVD

Well Go USA

Entertainment

presents

Three / San ren xing

Directed by Johnnie To

Starring Louis Koo, Vicki Zhao, and Wallace Chung

Hong Kong/China, 2016, 89 minutes

Tensions mounts and bullets fly in master filmmaker Johnnie To’s (Drug War, Exiled, Election) Three, his latest showdown between cops, robbers and everyone else caught in the crossfire. The action-packed thriller will become available on Blu-ray™ and DVD on April 4th from Well Go USA Entertainment. (It's been available on digital since March 7th.) My review is based on watching the Blu-ray version.

When a police sting goes bad, a cornered criminal (Wallace Chung, Drug War) makes a desperate choice: he shoots himself, forcing the officers to cease fire and rush him to the hospital. Once there, he refuses treatment, waiting for his cohorts to break him out. Caught between an obsessed cop (Louis Koo, Triad Election) and the dedicated surgeon assigned to save his life (Zhao Wei, Red Cliff), the hospital is now a battleground of deception, double-crosses and a coming onslaught of violence.

Synopsis:
When three disparate souls—a doctor desperate to redeem her reputation (Vicki Zhao), a policeman who will go to any length to seek out justice (Louis Koo), and a criminal with a gunshot wound to the head (Wallace Chung)—are thrown together in the hustle and bustle of an emergency room, a hospital descends from a pristine sanctuary to an explosive battleground.

Disc Specs:
-- Audio:
   -- Cantonese DTS:x
   -- Cantonese 2.0 Stereo
-- Subtitles:
   -- English / Chinese / Off
-- Bonus Materials:
   -- Making of featurettes
      -- “Master Director Johnnie To”
      -- “Three Complex Characters"
   -- Trailer
-- Previews:
   -- Sky on Fire
   -- Cold War 2
   -- Operation Mekong

AsianCineFest Rating: 2.5 out of 4 stars; a fairly decent action film from To, but not one of his best.

Johnnie To's THREE coming to Blu-ray & DVD on April 4th

Well Go USA

Entertainment

presents

Three / San ren xing

Directed by Johnnie To

With  Louis Koo, Wei Zhao, and Wallace Chung

Hong Kong/China, 2016, 89 minutes

Tensions mounts and bullets fly in master filmmaker Johnnie To’s (Drug War, Exiled, Election) Three, his latest showdown between cops, robbers and everyone else caught in the crossfire. The action-packed thriller will become available on Blu-ray™ and DVD on April 4th from Well Go USA Entertainment. (It's been available on digital since March 7th.)

When a police sting goes bad, a cornered criminal (Wallace Chung, Drug War) makes a desperate choice: he shoots himself, forcing the officers to cease fire and rush him to the hospital. Once there, he refuses treatment, waiting for his cohorts to break him out. Caught between an obsessed cop (Louis Koo, Triad Election) and the dedicated surgeon assigned to save his life (Zhao Wei, Red Cliff), the hospital is now a battleground of deception, double-crosses and a coming onslaught of violence.

Synopsis:
When three disparate souls—a doctor desperate to redeem her reputation (Vicki Zhao), a policeman who will go to any length to seek out justice (Louis Koo), and a criminal with a gunshot wound to the head (Wallace Chung)—are thrown together in the hustle and bustle of an emergency room, a hospital descends from a pristine sanctuary to an explosive battleground.

Bonus Materials Include:
-- “Master Director Johnnie To” featurette
-- “Three Complex Characters” featurette

COLD WAR 2 coming to Blu-ray & DVD on March 7th

Well Go USA

Entertainment

presents

Cold War 2

Directed by: Lok Man Leung and Kim-Ching Luk

Starring: Aaron Kwok, Tony Leung Ka Fai, and Chow Yun-fat

Hong Kong/China, 2016, 110 minutes

Cold War 2, the sequel to the 2012 Hong Kong box-office smash, continues the original film’s saga of intra-police rivalry. This second installment will debut on Blu-ray™ and DVD March 7th from Well Go USA Entertainment. (It's been available on digital since February 7th.)

Picking up some time after the events in the first movie, Sean Lau (Aaron Kwok, The Monkey King franchise) is now the Commissioner of Police. Things turn bad when his wife and daughter are kidnapped and he must seek help from a former rival (Tony Leung, The Taking of Tiger Mountain) to save their lives. Joining Kwok and Leung from the original cast are Charlie Young (Kung Fu Killer), Eddie Peng (Call of Heroes), Aarif Rahman (Young Bruce Lee), Ma Yili (Badge of Fury) and Alex Tsui (Merry-Go-Round). They are joined by new cast members, including legendary Hong Kong star Chow Yun-fat (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), Janice Man (The Midnight After) and Tony Yang (Phantom of the Theatre), in the “superbly acted” (Edmund Lee, South China Morning Post) ensemble drama.

Synopsis:
A suspected criminal mastermind escapes from police custody, throwing the city into turmoil. With the police department now divided, rival police chiefs are forced to take their fight to the streets of Hong Kong—with deadly consequences.

Bonus Materials Include:
-- A Powerhouse Cast
-- The Story
-- The Three Powers
-- VFX and Action

Johnnie To's THREE debuts on Digital March 7; on Blu-ray & DVD on April 4

Well Go USA

Entertainment

presents

Three / San ren xing

Directed by Johnnie To

With  Louis Koo, Wei Zhao, and Wallace Chung

Hong Kong/China, 2016, 89 minutes

Tensions mounts and bullets fly in master filmmaker Johnnie To’s (Drug War, Exiled, Election) Three, his latest showdown between cops, robbers and everyone else caught in the crossfire. The action-packed thriller explodes onto digital March 7 and on Blu-ray™ and DVD April 4 from Well Go USA Entertainment.

When a police sting goes bad, a cornered criminal (Wallace Chung, Drug War) makes a desperate choice: he shoots himself, forcing the officers to cease fire and rush him to the hospital. Once there, he refuses treatment, waiting for his cohorts to break him out. Caught between an obsessed cop (Louis Koo, Triad Election) and the dedicated surgeon assigned to save his life (Zhao Wei, Red Cliff), the hospital is now a battleground of deception, double-crosses and a coming onslaught of violence.

Synopsis:
When three disparate souls—a doctor desperate to redeem her reputation (Vicki Zhao), a policeman who will go to any length to seek out justice (Louis Koo), and a criminal with a gunshot wound to the head (Wallace Chung)—are thrown together in the hustle and bustle of an emergency room, a hospital descends from a pristine sanctuary to an explosive battleground.

Bonus Materials Include:
-- “Master Director Johnnie To” featurette
-- “Three Complex Characters” featurette

Happy Birthday wishes to Johnnie To

Writer, producer and director Johnnie To was born in Hong Kong on April 22, 1955. He's probably best known for his crime/action or policier films. Among the more than 50 movies he's directed are:

The Mission (1999

 

PTU (2003)

 

Drug War (2012)

 
Such well known Hong Kong stars as Simon Yam, Andy Lau, and Suet Lam frequently star in To vehicles.

So Happy 59th Birthday wishes to you Johnnie. Looking forward to more great films from you in the future.

ACF 2076: DRUG WAR available tomorrow from Well Go USA

Well Go USA 

Presents

 Drug War / Du zhan

Directed by Johnny To

Starring Louis Koo, Sun Honglei and Michelle Ye Debuting

China/Hong Kong, 2012, 107 minutes
In Chinese with English subtitles

Veteran Hong Kong producer/director Johnnie To's hit police procedural Drug War will be debuting on Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital (video-on-demand, electronic sell-through and streaming) tomorrow, Tuesday, October 15th, 2013, courtesy of those fine folk at Well Go USA. The film had its New York premiere at the New York Asian Film Festival this past July 5th and later in the summer enjoyed a limited nationwide release. Now those in North America who haven't seen it can find out first hand what all the acclaim was about and those who have seen it will be able to enjoy it again and again at their leisure. (Note: This review is based on the Blu-ray version.)

Timmy Choi's car crashes into a restuarant

The film begins by focusing on three vehicles, each one in some way tied to the meth trade. One is a car being driven erratically by Timmy Choi (Louis Koo); a factory of his for manufacturing the substance has just been destroyed in an explosion. Another vehicle is a bus that develops mechanical problems at a Jinhai city toll both. The third is a truck transporting the raw ingredients for manufacturing meth. It's being trailed by Guo and Chen, two members of the Yuejiang Anti-Drug squad.

Booking time for Timmy (Louis Koo)

After Timmy's car finally ends up crashing into a restaurant, his involvement in the drug trade is discovered and he's taken into custody by Captain Zhang (Sun Honglei) of the Jinhai Anti-Drug Squad. The situation isn't good for Timmy because in China manufacturing as little s 50 grams of meth carries a a death sentence, and his production was way beyond that. He's able to strike a deal by agreeing to provide vital information to Zhang so that he can effectively wage a drug war against the providers of the raw ingredients, the factories that make the drug, and those involved with its distribution.

Timmy, left, and Captain Zhang (Sun Honglei)

The film is a remarkably taut policier, beautifully structured so that it can maintain edge-of-your-seat suspense even when there's no action per se. For example, Zhang, with Timmy's assistance and tutelage, goes undercover as both a provider/manufacturer and then as a distributor. Things can go wrong at any moment, and sometimes they do. But just when, in what way, and how badly -- well, that's what keeps things suspenseful.

There are really only two really big action sequences, but they're done -- as one would expect from Johnnie To -- with class, style, and a lot of firepower. The truly climactic shootout finale rivals the street battle in Michael Mann's Heat (1995).

Zhang during the final set-piece shoot-out

Although the disc is essentially bereft of special features (there's just a trailer for the film and previews of other Well Go USA releases), Drug War would be a welcome addition to the collection of any fan of Hong Kong cinema, Johnnie To's films in particular, or police procedurals in general.

ACF Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars; very highly recommended.

Below are some links for further reading about Drug War.

Other reviews of Drug War:
AsianCineFest (Guest review by Colleen Wanglund)
David Bordwell
HeroicSisterhood.com 
Ric Meyers (Drug War is the third film reviewed in this article)

Interviews with Johnnie To:
Ain't It CoolNews.com
BadAssDigest.com
Film.com
TwitchFilm.com

ACF 1951: Johnnie To's DRUG WAR at NYAFF tomorrow evening

 Drug War / Du zhan

Directed by Johnnie To

Hong Kong/China, 2013, 105 minutes

When: Friday, July 5, 2013 at 7:45 PM

New York Premiere

Where: New York Asian Film Festival

The Film Society of Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater

165 West 65th Street, New York NY

Map

Tickets

(Note: Colleen Wanglund is the author of the following review. Like me, she contributes to VCinema, and she also writes for other venues, including Cinema Knife Fight, More Horror, The Horror Fiction Review, and Monster Librarian. It's a pleasure to have her as AsianCineFest's first guest contributor.)

While not one of Johnnie To’s best films, Drug War still shows us why To is as successful in films as he is prolific. This is To’s first action film done entirely in Mainland China, and he had to deal with many bureaucrats, as well as the censors. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, To explained how some of the scenes were filmed two different ways in case the censors had a problem and they needed to be changed. Some of the original film needed to be edited according to the Chinese censors, but most of To’s film got the green light without too many changes.

Drug War opens with a car accident but quickly switches to a sting operation on a toll road in China, where multiple drug runners are arrested. Captain Zhang (Sun Honglei), who was undercover in the sting and is in charge of the anti-drug squad, is told of the accident, in which the driver was arrested. The driver is Timmy Choi (Louis Koo) an illegal drug manufacturer who now faces the death penalty. With an explosion that destroyed one of his labs and killed his wife, Choi agrees to cooperate with Zhang’s squad and do whatever it takes to stay alive. He introduces Zhang to two different connections, one of whose identity Zhang will assume in order to take down the big boss, a legendary drug lord who goes by the name Uncle Bill. Things initially go well for Zhang and his team as they manage to get a meeting with the elusive Uncle Bill. The cops discover that Bill is just a front for other gang leaders but still manage to arrange a buy that will hopefully lead to a major drug bust. Unfortunately things don’t go as planned for either side which leads to a dramatic and unexpected ending.

While Drug War lacks the action of some of Johnnie To’s past films, such as Election (2005) and Exiled (2006), it still tells a compelling story and packs enough punch to be a really good film. Much of the film’s intensity comes from the enigmatic Timmy Choi and the question of his motives—is he a coward, a rat or seriously seeking redemption? Zhang and his team are scrupulous and incorruptible, taking their jobs very seriously. The gang leaders are almost a parody of what you would expect from hardened gangsters, but the characters still work without being laughable. While Drug War is light on action, it has some intelligent dialogue and enough tension to keep the viewer riveted to the screen. The last fifteen or twenty minutes of the film will have you on the edge of your seat, with enough violence to make up for the absence of action in the rest of the movie.

If you go to see Drug War at the NYAFF festival, you will not be disappointed. If you can't make it there, not to worry. Well Go USA will be presenting the North American theatrical release of Drug War starting July 26, 2013.