Security just ain’t what it used
to be. Sure, technology has advanced to
the point that you can lock your doors and view closed circuit video from your
cellphone, but the actual strategy of how to go about securing things has gone
nowhere. Part of the reason, possibly,
is that honest people don’t or can’t think like a criminal. Yes, the basics, like locking downstairs
windows and so forth, are common sense, and would likely deter a normal
smash-and-grab guy or a crackhead looking for a quick score. But what of the super criminal or
professional thief who simply must get their hands on your mint, vintage Star Wars action figure collection? Here’s a person for whom the challenge is the
fun, the reward worth any risk. Could
you prevent such a mastermind from clambering down your chimney like a maleficent
Santa Claus with a series of trip wires and snares? Would you go so far as setting up a web of
death-dealing lasers in your living room?
No, most of us wouldn’t, because that would just be too much of a hassle,
and, as we so very often delude ourselves, it can never happen to me. This must be the logic behind the Shaolin
monastery’s security at the opening of Philip Ko’s Angel on Fire (aka Die Xue
Rou Qing aka Born to Fight 6 aka Only the Strong Survive). These monks have a relic apparently worth a
king’s ransom, and they leave it laying out on a table for people like May
(Melanie Marquez) to just waltz in and steal.
Surely, this is the ultimate argument for all Shaolin temples to have
more death traps.
Post-heist, May meets up with her
partner Rocks (Philip Ko), but quickly betrays him and the Syndicate they both
work for in order to keep all of the money from the sale of the relic for
herself. Inspector Lee (Waise Lee) sets
his two best cops, Wong Li (Pan Pan Yeung) and Mai Lei (Cynthia Khan), on May’s
tail. Action ensues.
Angel on Fire is a film wholly and
purely about a MacGuffin. Not unlike the
suitcase in Kiss Me Deadly or the
statue in The Maltese Falcon,
everyone and their brother associated with the Underworld wants this thing, but
none of them could probably tell you anything about it outside of its worth (which
is also indeterminate). Consequently,
this makes May another MacGuffin, since she holds the relic, and everyone is
searching for her like Waldo (she is much easier to spot). The entire movie, then, is little more than a
chase between various factions (the Syndicate, Tony’s [Lee Chun-Wa] gang, and
Interpol [which itself is split into two groups who never confer with each
other or work together, strangely enough adding a hint of verisimilitude to
some ludicrous goings on]). Every scene
revolves around May showing up somewhere, being attacked/pursued, and ditching
her assailants. One might think that in
the hands of a good director this could make for an exciting movie. This film leaves us with the twin dilemma of
believing that Ko is not that talented a director and that sometimes even simplicity
still needs a bit more detail to be compelling.
May is not only
an international super thief but also an international super model (what
luck!). On the surface, this is an
interesting idea. Here’s a woman for
whom the glamour of super modeling isn’t enough. Like a magpie, one of the only non-mammalian
animals that can recognize itself in its own reflection, May sees herself
reflected in her dual worlds, but those worlds are only a hair apart. Both worlds require a give and take. As a model, she gives her image for adulation
(and it should be mentioned, we never see her do any modeling; I’m running with
the surface concepts here). As a thief,
she gives her skills for a high monetary return. Both callings also trade on May’s beauty,
though, honestly, one of them really shouldn’t.
She is capable, I’m sure, of insinuating herself into certain places
because of her physical charms. Yet, one
really has to question the efficacy of making oneself up like they’re just
about to shoot a spread for Vogue
when infiltrating a monastery (I am not against the thigh-high leather boots
she sports, incidentally) or trying to hide from people who want you dead. I would say that May hides in plain sight,
but she makes no effort to hide at all.
I would like you to note how much of May’s capabilities it is left for
the viewer to determine. This is because
Ko in no way capitalizes on this aspect of the character. He simply uses Marquez as a good-looking
antagonist, nothing more. She struts
across the screen and does some fighting, and that’s about it.
This wasted
potential is the calling card of Angel on
Fire in toto, and the reason for this waste has to do with the film’s
ambition. Ko and company set out to
craft a wall-to-wall action film. In
fact, the last third of the movie is an extensive series of set piece
sequences, including an airplane chase and a great many explosions. This is all well and good, except for three
things. One, the way the film is shot
and edited is sloppy at best. It is not
enough to just keep moving the camera and then cut it all together. There needs to be a sense of geography and an
action/reaction approach to the events onscreen. Ko gets neither of these right with
characters just throwing arms and legs or shooting guns. There is no connection between these moments,
so they’re just action images that keep repeating over and over again. Even the hand-to-hand fights don’t tie
together. I constantly felt like I had
missed just enough between cuts for none of this to match up properly. Two, the characters are paper thin and
uninteresting. Obviously, we don’t need
to know every want or need from these people to find their adventures
compelling, but they should be more than just warm bodies. Mai Lei and her cabbie friend Harry (Ronnie
Ricketts) come closest to making this work.
Khan carries it off with her natural beauty and charm, and Harry is the
most honest taxi driver in the world (of course, they’d make great
partners!). Third, and worst, is that
the film has no story aside from the basic setup. As I stated, the picture is only concerned
with the MacGuffin, and that’s kind of opposite the entire point of a
MacGuffin. Thus, Angel on Fire is nothing other than a collection of scenes, with no
development and no purpose besides action (which is not well-handled). Wong Li is introduced early on then forgotten
about for large swaths of the film, occasionally popping up to remind you that
she exists (and that you don’t care whether she does or not). For someone who is hiding out, May is
incredibly easy for absolutely everyone to find. Characters pop up, just because, as if
they’re instant coffee spokespeople. You
can watch a collection of film stunts and come away with the same experience as
this film. And the collection of stunts
would likely make more narrative sense.
MVT:
Cynthia Khan is cute as all get out.
So, there’s that.
Make or Break: There is a cab chase which ends with one of
the vehicles just breaking down. This
was around the point that my patience did the same.
Score:
4/10
No comments:
Post a Comment