Beast Stalker (2008)

I'll tell you why so serious

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

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

BEAST STALKER is one of those wonderful films – a crime movie with real heart behind it. The story may be hackneyed and predictable and the plot twists might be anything but, but in the end this film is a triumph because it gets to the real darkness and emotion behind the subject matter. Police procedurals and crime thrillers have long been popular in Hong Kong, but many of them are inevitably slick and soulless, providing entertainment but without real depth to back it up. Not so BEAST STALKER.The overall story is one of kidnapping, but there's much more going on with the film than that. Both heroes and villains are painted with the same level of painstaking care, so that in the end the film becomes all about character rather than cliché and the latest effort to make the hero look cool in front of a slow-motion explosion. The acting is a triumph; Nicholas Tse bags the fairly predictable role of the tortured cop and does a good job with it, but it's Nick Cheung as the would-be kidnapper who really shines. Cheung could easily have been over the top or theatrical in his turn as the film's villain, but instead he comes across as an all-too real person. He's one of the most interesting bad guys I've seen in a film, and he ignites every scene he takes part in with his dynamic performance.Of course, at the end of the day this is still a thriller, and director Dante Lam makes sure we don't forget it. There are car crashes, fist fights, shoot-outs and foot chases, and all of them are portrayed with the maximum excitement. This is the first time I've seen a film of Lam's, and I love his cinematography: he sets the scene in long shots before moving in close and staying in close whether dialogue or action is playing out. It adds a level of realism and catapults the viewer into the film in an effective, engaging way. On the strength of BEAST STALKER I'm already eager to track down more of the director's work.

Another film that I enjoyed on the whole but couldn't help thinking that it was a great film hidden inside a lesser one. It's not only Hollywood films which suffer from excessive lengths and this could have been tauter and more exciting with some judicious editing.I found the car chase immensely frustrating. To start, the actual chase was very badly done with evidence of speeded up film and very close camera shots to hide how few cars and real situations were involved. But then we have one of the most spectacular crashes I have ever seen on film just in terms of the angles and details which you normally miss in high speed crashes. It really was an object lesson in how to film a crash. The crash also becomes central in that it is seen through different people's eyes as the film progresses rather in the manner of Pulp Fiction and the construction of the film around this event is handled very cleverly.The film also suffered excessively from Shaky Cam, often used for no discernible point and to bad effect. There's nothing wrong with Shaky Cam per se – it was used to great effect in the Bourne films for instance but don't do it for the sake of it or because everyone else does it.However, despite these faults, this is a well acted, well written and beautifully designed piece of cinema which is well worth your time seeing. I am always happy to see a film in which actions have consequences and this shows it very well indeed.

I was surprised at the lowish rating of 6.8 with all of the reviews being complimentary.I thought it was gritty and realistic throughout, the car chase at the beginning a little over top, and there were some chilling and tense moments.The linking together full circle was great, and surprisingly there was also some empathy for the main 'baddie'.Tse's performance near the end was heart wrenching and emotional.Lets put it this way, I will watch it again, and my family will be watching this tomorrow. 3:30 in the morning as I couldn't stop watching. Awesome

Nicholas Tse is a cop who is responsible for the death of a little girl, after trying to bring down a gangster. A year on, the trauma of killing the girl still lingers heavily on his conscience, but when the gangster faces trial, he orders the kidnapping of the prosecutors daughter, which will escalate in ways one cannot even imagine.In my opinion, this is another classic epic provided by the masterminds of Hong Kong cinema, joining the ranks of 'Infernal Affairs Trilogy, One Night in Mongkok' , it will excite and exhilarate. I have no words the describe the sheer intensity of the film. Nicholas gives one of his greatest performances, as the cop is who has become suicidal with nothing to lose as he chases the one eyed kidnapper all over, on a relentless pursuit to deliver justice.Nick Cheung gives a performance just as amazing, as the one eyed fiend, he sends a cold chill down ones back as he commits the evil deeds.But all in all, the direction is the key to this films success, the close calls, the dangerous encounters and a finale that will leave you reeling.