Review of Seoul Raiders

Introduction

Best described as an Eastern hybrid (replete with Kung-Fu action aplenty) of `Mission Impossible` and `Charlie`s Angels`, with the ghost of James Bond omni-present throughout.

The (curiously named) Jingle Ma`s Tokyo Raiders opened some five years ago and became Hong Kong`s best-selling film of 2000, knocking Gladiator and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon for six.

It`s easy to understand why, even if you don`t agree. Tokyo Raiders was full of the mindless action, crazy humour, ultra-violence with no one getting hurt (so OK for families) and plenty of good-looking and charismatic guys and gals (Tony Leung, Kelly Chen, Ekin Cheng etc).

So what of its follow up? Well, there`s no doubt that this sequel is just as formulaic and derivative as its predecessor. In this outing Agent Lam (Tony Leung )sets out to get get hold of `The Avenger`, a set of virtually pricelss American counterfeiting plates (a `licence to print money`). But he`s not alone. His quest takes him to Korea`s premiere city and he soon finds that another `crook` is also after the plates (the gorgeous Shu Qi). And this doesn`t even take into account the interest that enigmatic crime boss, `The Polar Bear` has taken in getting his paws on the plates too.

The plot constantly twists and turns and for a while it`s hard to see the good guys from the bad guys though this is (literally) spelled out later in the movie for those too slow to catch on.

In common with Bond films there`s a calm irreverance to adversity (`Fight me if you want but don`t mess up my hair`) - very much in keeping with its predecessor.
Despite being constantly surrounded with beautiful girls (all experts in the martial arts), Agent Lam is strangely cool towards them. Maybe something`s `lost in translation` here, but he appears to be patronising to the women around him who seem happy to jump to his every order (`Yes, Boss`). One assumes that, like Charlie in Charlie`s Angel`s , he`s paying them a pretty penny for their services.

The movie`s score is less than inspiring too, sounding like mid-80`s AOR, and adding little to the excitement.

For those who like well-choreographed fight and action sequences, there are many to be enjoyed here, and despite it being pretty full-on stuff, no one seems to get too badly hurt with even the most violent kicks resulting in little more than the ruffling of a victim`s hair or resulting in them slowly rubbing their chin before re-entering the fray.

Apart from the curiously `normal looking` Tony Leung, there are some seriously good looking folk here to help keep your interest piqued. It`s worth adding in Mr. Leung`s defence that his fighting abilities, however well choreographed they might be, are completely spell-binding.

I guess in the final analysis that, as this has so much in common with its vacuuous but fun predecessor (`Tokyo Raiders`), it could be argued that it`s an entirely superfluous production. It adds absolutely nothing new or fresh. However, for sheer mindless excapism, it gos through all the right moves.

Video

This a reasonable transfer of a movie that flitters between looking as glossy as a Bond movie and like an episode of CSI, with all its gritty camera moves and lo-fi hand held action. No complaints.

Audio

Cantonese DD5.1 & DTS 5.1 Surround, it all works well enough though is a very centred 5.1. Sound effects are really quite good, making the fight scenes in particular an electrifying treat.

Features

· SEOUL GIRLS: A TRAVELOGUE - this really does play exactly like a travelogue, showing primarily the girls in the cast out and about in Seoul. It`s divided into chapters that are pretty self-explanatory, though decidedly less spicy than their titles might suggest. `Hot & Steamy` is a visit to a Korean bath; `Tasty Treats` a trip to a restaurant; `Hitting The Town` is a trip to a market and a nightclub; `Shop Till You Drop` is (surprise, surprise) a shopping trip; and `The Body Beautiful` a trip to a beautician. Apparently plastic surgery is as common in Korean cities as having your nails painted!

· THE MAKING OF SEOUL RAIDERS - is divided into spotlights on Tony Leung, Shu Qi and Richie Ren; The Heart And Seoul Of Korea; and Working Hard, Looking Good. It`s a fast moving, relatively short piece that is more fun than information.

· DIRECTOR`S CUT: AN INTERVIEW WITH JINGLE MA - is the misleading title for a 23-minute interview with Director Jingle Ma. It`s a dry appraisal of the movie, the locations, the actors and the effects, frequently cutting away to either the movie or `making of` bits by way of illustration.

· DELETED SCENES - there are some extended sequences here that are OK in their own right but which were presumably cut for reasons of pace, such as Shu Qi`s character preparing a noodle breakfast for Agent Lan, and then having a discussion about percentages.

· PROMOTIONAL GALLERY - this pans and tilts over a series of promo posters and pictures, all set to the same AOR rock soundtrack that supports the movie.

Conclusion

If you saw `Tokyo Raiders` then you`ll know exactly what to expect. More of the same. Nothing more and, in the final analysis, possibly a little bit less.

Of course all the key ingredients are here for a mindless romp - plenty of martial arts influenced fighting sequences, great looking people in great looking locations, and a convuluted plot that sits perfectly in the same action genre that houses James Bond, Mission Impossible, and Charlie`s Angels.

On a final note, despite `Tokyo Raiders` considerable box-office success, this one did much less well. Audiences must have smelled a rat and realised that this was a rather unimaginative and cynical bit of opportunism.