Tuesday, June 8, 2021

Undercover Punch & Gun Review: An 80s Movie Throwback With Kicking And Comedy

Philip Ng	...	Xiao Wu Vanness Wu	Vanness Wu	...	Hou Hu Andy On	Andy On	...	Xia Qiankun Nicholas Tse	Nicholas Tse	...	Officer He Wenjuan Feng	Wenjuan Feng	...	Eva (as Joyce Wenjuan Feng) Luxia Jiang	Luxia Jiang	...	Teach Aka Chio	Aka Chio	...	Xi Chen Shuai Chi	Shuai Chi	...	Mai Lin Jia Meng	Jia Meng	...	Phantom Aaron Aziz	Aaron Aziz	...	Top Carrie Ng	Carrie Ng	...	Miss Tong Susan Yam-Yam Shaw	Susan Yam-Yam Shaw	...	Master Suet Lam	Suet Lam	...	Brother Bao

Release date: June 8, 2021
Running time: 91 minutes
Directed By: Lui Koon Nam and Frankie Tam
Starring: Philip Ng, Van Ness Wu, Andy On, Chi Shuai, Feng Wenjuan, Aaron Mustapha Aziz (Aaron Aziz), Meng Jia, Aka Chio, Jiang Luxia

An undercover cop’s daring plan to infiltrate a notorious drug ring is severely compromised when a rival agency attacks mid-trade and kills the gang’s leader in the action-packed MMA thriller Undercover Punch & Gun.  Their cover blown, both teams are forced to unite and take to the high seas in an attempt to overthrow the ruthless smuggler behind it all. 

Produced by  Gordon Chan	...	producer Charlie Kai-chung Wong	...	producerFilm Editing by  Wai-Chiu Chung	Stunts  Cho-Kuen Chu	...	stunt coordinator Jason Li	...	stunt performer Philip Ng	...	stunt coordinatorAdditional Crew  Chin-Wai Lai	...	presenter
Undercover Punch & Gun has a martial arts pedigree that means it will have plenty of high flying action, and the film does not disappoint.  Coreographed by Philip Ng, this film has some high intensity, high energy fight sequences.  The characters use martial arts, MMA, and firearms to accomplish their task and these are all exciting to watch.  All three main characters show off their fighting skills with some imaginative fight sequences.  I especially liked Van Ness for his very unpredictable, free flowing style.  He played a sort of dilatant who also was quite skilled, and it was fun to see his humorous yet effective fighting.  But the film also is a comedy as well, thanks to some funny sequences by Van Ness Wu.  The movie has a slapstick style comedy that adds some levity to the overall film.  It is an enjoyable combination, and a throwback to some older Jackie Chan and other 80s Hong Kong films.  

But one thing that stood out that I wasn't expecting was the film's soundtrack.  It has a surprisingly good jazz soundtrack throughout that really fits the mood of this film.  It helps to give the scenes high energy but also to highlight the whimsical nature of some of it.  There are also dramatic pieces and other mood-setting sounds, but the Jazz really stood out.  However, like a lot of Chinese action films, the movie uses some CG for explosions and fire, which is noticeable.  I wish the film would have gone all out on these as the CG really takes away from what should have been exciting moments.  Additionally, the story is convoluted with sub plots and characters intertwining.  It made it tough to follow at first, but eventually I got to know everyone and it became an easier experience.  And finally, the film takes place in a few locales, but they often look similar, which means that you don't get much visual variety here.  

Undercover Punch & Gun's combination of action, humor, and strong soundtrack will entertain you while punching your funny bone.  

Rent it.

Directed by  Koon-Nam Lui	 Frankie Tam	Writing Credits (in alphabetical order)   Chun-Yu Ham	 Huihui Huang	 Yinsheng Li	 Link Ling	 Koon-Nam Lui	 Frankie Tam	 Zhi Yang
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To learn more about the film, check out my interview with the stars of the movie: Philip Ng, Andy On, and Van Ness Wu!
Undercover Punch & Gun is available digitally and on demand on June 8, 2021.  

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