Special ID (2013)

Redundant and unnecessary.

One of my all time favorites.

Boring

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

You have to have a special place for Donnie Yen and not be too cynical about this movie to enjoy it. I'll give you that, but the action, when it is on screen is impeccable. He still knows how to do things properly. And I think he also has the charisma to elevate mediocre movies like this above their level.The fighting almost seems realistic (apart from the one at a time attacking of the bad guys, which every action movie has) and the scenes are well choreographed. It's not only action though, as this tries to tell a story. A very predictable one, but that shouldn't put you off the movie. A nice action movie that might please Donnie Yens fan base until his next movie comes out

A lot of criticism has been raised at SPECIAL ID for its production problems, resulting in a slightly choppy, hastily put-together movie and a story that isn't entirely satisfying. To be honest, none of this stuff bothers me when I watch an action or martial arts film; all I care about is the calibre of the action. After all, who watches something like WARRIOR KING for the story? The good news is that SPECIAL ID is a film packed with the best kind of action pulled off by Hong Kong producers: wonderful car chases, hard-hitting martial arts fights, and all manner of bruising brawls and showdowns. I could care less about the story, as long as I see Donnie kicking ass in a well-choreographed way, and SPECIAL ID gives us ample opportunity to see the star at his best.Okay, this film isn't of the calibre of KILL ZONE, or FLASHPOINT. But then, I didn't expect it to be; few films are. Instead, it's a decent thriller with some cracking and spectacular action scenes destined to be enjoyed over and over again. I really enjoyed watching it, and if that makes me an undemanding viewer, then so be it.

Let's just say I know Special ID by heart now! After watching Donnie for 3 straight screenings, I recommend fans take another look at this film. So some spoilers here! The storyline was simple but the action fits the storyline. When you first watch Special ID, like any movie, you may miss some details. So it was exciting to see the "why" behind a character and the action. I thought it was mad funny how ever time he went to meet with the other gangs, he always got in trouble or had to fight his way out. He could never just leave. So this confirmed his mother's statement in how he is always getting in or causing trouble. I agree with Donnie. I wish they had not edited the relationship his character had with his mother. I had a lot of favorite and funny moments I liked. But two of my favorite lines was one when his mother said, "I've always wanted to protect you", when she revealed that she knew for years he was undercover. That was very heart-warming. The second, when his superior told him what his role will be when he went to the Mainland for the case. He whispered in his ear "Special ID" and Donnie's character responds, "What the hell is that?" Mad funny! Special ID reminded me of Donnie's "In the Line of Duty", "Tiger Cage" and "Cheetah on Fire" days for someone reason but just updated, more modern. In spite of the negative reviews from the get go, which was such an injustice and may have prematurely tainted fans opinion about the film, I predict Special ID is going to find a following in spite of its limited release.

The six years since 'Ip Man', Donnie Yen has not looked back on the kind of contemporary action that fuelled his latest career resurgence, preferring instead historical epics like 'Bodyguards and Assassins', 'Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen' and 'Wu Xia'. No wonder then fans of 'S.P.L.' and 'Flash Point' have been waiting in eager anticipation for his return to MMA-type action that this latest 'Special ID' promises, in particular since Donnie himself has promised this to be the epitome of the techniques he had used in his earlier two movies.Good news is that Donnie doesn't disappoint - as the action director and of course his own choreographer, he makes great use of the tight enclosed quarters of the sets to stage some thrilling MMA fights. Right from an invigorating opening that pits him against veteran Jackie Chan stunt team member Ken Lo in an old-school mah-jong parlour, it's clear Donnie is going for the jugular when it comes to his blows, kicks and head-locks. This is none of that poetic grace we saw in 'Wu Xia' or restraint in the 'Ip Man' movies; rather, this is no holds barred Donnie, and boy is it awesome to watch him in full macho mode.And throughout the 100-minute run time, Donnie gets to go ballistic twice more - once in the middle when he first confronts his protégé turned arch-nemesis Sunny (Andy On) and again right at the end where the two go mano-a-mano against each other. Both are unique in themselves; whereas the first sees Donnie take on dozens of Sunny's lackeys on his own (think Donnie's one against many in 'Ip Man 2') within the narrow confines of a two-storey restaurant and its kitchens, the second gives Donnie more latitude to brawl with a well-matched opponent both in attitude as well as in ferocity.Impressive though they may be, we do have a few caveats to make. One, much as Donnie had wanted to top what he accomplished in 'S.P.L.' and 'Flash Point', the truth of the matter is that you're probably not going to be wowed to the same extent as watching Donnie go up against Wu Jing in 'S.P.L.' or against Collin Chou in 'Flash Point'. Despite packing bare-knuckled brutality, it lacks the 'oomph' to make it a contender amongst Donnie's best fights. Two, despite adding Collin to the cast as the head of the mafia clan Donnie's Zhilong is infiltrated into, there is no match-up between Donnie and Collin - which in itself is already a disappointment. And lastly, even though Donnie had wanted a female Michelle Yeoh in Mainland star Tian Jing, the actress is largely unremarkable in the few scenes she gets to show off her moves.Now that we've covered the failings in the action department, it's probably opportune to talk about the rest of the movie, which can be summed up in a single word - dreadful. Let's start with the script by the late veteran Hong Kong screenwriter Szeto Kam Yuen, who had also penned Donnie's 'S.P.L.' and 'Flash Point' - while the former two shrewdly chose a simple but tightly wound narrative around the action, 'Special ID' sees Yuen channelling 'Infernal Affairs' into its story of an undercover cop who wants out but is forced to take on one last mission by his superior (played here with comic but unconvincing effect by Ronald Cheng). Not only is Zilong's character arc of a tortured cop clichéd, it is tacked on with an equally hackneyed pseudo-romance between Zilong and his Mainland partner Fang Jing (Tian Jing) from which he is supposed to find a sense of composure to his brash aggressive self.It might have been better if a stronger director was at the helm; unfortunately, the person behind the camera was also behind Donnie's most atrocious movie in recent years 'Together'. We're talking of Clarence Fok, best known for his work on the 1992 Wong Jing scripted film 'Naked Killer'; here, Fok literally 'f**ks' up the direction with poor continuity between scenes, annoying fadeouts and most of all, a utter lack of coherence in the tone of the movie - the latter in fact is particularly ingratiating, as Fok reveals yet again how he has utterly no clue how to build a credible romantic arc, in this case between Zilong and Fang Jing.But Fok's shortcomings don't stop there - there is absolutely no subtlety in the entire movie, so much so Donnie ends up embarrassing himself by overacting in every single dramatic scene. Fok even manages to screw up Donnie's transformation from impulsive to out-of-control, a supposed crucial turning point in the story where Zilong's dual identity catches up with him and exacts a punishing toll on the one sole family member he has left - his mother (Paw Hee Ching); as it is, the ending that sees Donnie chasing Sunny down the roads of Shenzhen is rushed and jarring, another frustrating sign of incompetence by a director who should have stayed in retirement.No thanks to multiple shortcomings, 'Special ID' ranks as a queer disappointment. Sure, one goes to a Donnie Yen film for the action, which he does deliver to good - though not great - effect; but there need at least be a competent story to form the narrative glue in between the fights, which in this case is sorely lacking. If Donnie is listening, we'd also advise him to simply stick with dubbing or with his native Cantonese tongue for his next movies - let's just say that his Cantonese-accented Mandarin is quite the unintentional cringer here.