Vengeance (2009)

Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

I didn't know who Johnny Halliday was and someone here hilariously described him as an alien lizard, which apparently plastic surgery has helped with the transformation. I'll say that 5 is an average forgettable film. This one is a little better, but it's nothing new and ultimately fails to be a movie you'd look forward to after repeat showings.The actors are actually quite good and the leads have character. The sets and cinematography is also good - as is the camera-work - and much better than your traditional Hong Kong chop-socky films. Unfortunately this film ultimately fails in too many ways and that is really a shame. Too clichéd, too much focus on style and too little on sense with a middling script that is a little questionable, to say the least.1. Scene one there is a display of the master level of proficiency each of the "good" villains have with a gun. Forward a short while later and nobody can hit an elephant if it was standing still - since that would probably spoil the length of the chase scene.2. The opening scene itself didn't make any sense, since the characters themselves admit what they "should have done" and which the Johnny himself could have made clear right from the start. This is not the only examples of characters doing things for a movie style and to further a plot rather than what is clearly natural.3. There is almost a sense of characters doing things and "dying in honor" because of the plot, not because of the way people generally act. If you've got problems, you get out. You don't stick around believing you'll pull off the impossible. And then there are some pretty interesting scenes that are "cool to watch" but also seem like stunts that go beyond even suspending disbelief.And then there are the clichés, clichés, clichés... I'd really like to give this film a better rating and will say that it's certainly watchable. It's just a failed opportunity.... especially the ending... which could not be more predictable and utterly clichéd in the way it is handled. More disbelief. Enjoy it for what it is.

Though I agree to a certain extent of why you don't like this movie, you have some pretty weak reasons why. "you barely care about the family murdered in the beginning". You are not supposed to care about the family, you are supposed to care about Costello. You are supposed to bond with him, Kwai, Chu, and Fat Lok as a team. "his amnesia never presents itself at all until the end of the movie, and Fung just suddenly realizes he has it with no explanation how." Costello takes pictures of Kwai, etc. because he cannot remember. The amnesia doesn't get really bad until the end, after having shot at Fung (meaning he knows what he looks like), that he needs the sticker to remind him who Fung was, and since Fung is a smart guy (BOSS!) I'm pretty sure he doesn't need someone to tell him that Costello has amnesia. This movie has many similar themes to other Johnnie To movies, and although it's not his best work, he does a very good job. If you don't like the English dialog because it's not perfect of "silly" go move to HK and help them make a better script and teach them better pronunciation. Also, remember this is a French/Honk Kong production, not an American one, so things like "serious crimes unit" are OK, since most of the target audience doesn't speak English as well as we do. They don't know the difference, and it really doesn't matter. Check out To's other films, like the Mission, Exiled,etc. if you haven't.

if you ignore all the deaths.Awesome movie. I went into this movie not knowing anything. Grabs you right away.If you don't speak the language, get the dubbed version so you can better enjoy the cinematography (sacrilege to some but I thought I was going to be watching subtitled, but once it got going I decided this was better for an action film).I really enjoyed the interactions with these characters. I mean I really enjoyed these actors.I won't bore you with recaps of the movie because there are plenty here. As a side note this is supposedly part of a trilogy/pseudo trilogy including "The Mission" and "Exiled" but this is my only experience so far. I hope they are just as good...now where to find them? Forget Kill Bill....Enjoy this one!!!

If you are familiar with Johnny To's gun movies you know you can expect beautiful almost dancelike gun play sequences. This movie is no exception.The 1st Johnny To movie (that I know of) was The Mission, the poses, camera angles and shots of guys with guns were breath taking beautiful, almost erotic. Same with the follow up in Exile. Vengeance brought it to a new level. The shoot out in the park added, "moonlight" and "shadows from clouds" to the effect.The usual suspects of course are great, these guys have portrayed triad hit men so often its probably as natural as breathing. Throw in Johnny Hallyday, the French Elvis, into the fray. Johny is OLD, 66 when this movie came out, and he looks old. His acting is still as bad as ever but luckily Johnny To's movies does not require deep acting nor dialogue. In fact i found Johnny rather off putting, especially shots of his face...he looks like a mummy with dead eyes.The movie is great, the story is the usual gangster fare. Johnny's travels to Macau to avenge the murder of his daughters family. teams up with the local hit men to go after the killers. Plot twist, seems the hit mens' boss was the one that ordered the hit. Big gunfight ensues.....The part that i found disappointing about the movie was the lack of character development on Johnny's character "Costello". He says he's a chef but can handle a gun. Then he reveals in 1 line of dialogue that he was in the business before as the hit men. Thats it and the point is simply never brought up again. Oh he suffers from Alzeihmers from a bullet tot he head.Good movie, something I would recommend just on the beauty of the gun "dance".