“Cold War 1994”, starring Daniel Wu, Lau Chun-him, Tse kwan-ho, Tony Leung Kar-fai, Chow Yun-fat, Aaron Kwok, Victor Koo Tin-lok, Yip Tung and many other Hong Kong stars, has attracted much attention after its release, the cumulative box office has reached 230 million yuan. The film has not only become the highest-grossing Hong Kong film so far this year, but also continues the characteristics of Hong Kong Police and gangster movies, setting a new benchmark for this“Most Hong Kong” commercial genre.
Still from“Cold War 1994”
As the latest installment of“The Cold War universe,”“Cold War 1994” intertwines two timelines. “Cold War” in 2012 has become a classic Hong Kong film because it has both the action scenes and suspense twists that Hong Kong Police and gangster movies are good at, and highlights the power game among the top police officials. But“Cold War 1994” not only inherits these elements, but also buries a deeper political game at this particular historical point in 1994, with all kinds of people trying to make money in the power vacuum, who wanted to make money in the power vacuum. The film’s multi-line narrative and group play, are reflected in the main beyond the traditional police film“Ambition”, after the release of many Hong Kong fans called fun.
“Cold War 1994” has earned a good reputation and box office, with a Douban rating of 7.2, which is slightly lower than“Cold War”’s 7.6, but the same as“Cold War 2” 10 years ago. At the box office, although“Cold War 1994” has been overtaken by“The Lost Man,” which was more well received in the same period, according to the current trend, the cat’s Eye Pro Platform predicts that its final box office is expected to reach 350 million yuan, this year’s Spring Festival hit Night King (220 million yuan) and last year’s Dec. 31 hit in search of Qin (250 million yuan) .
The first two“Cold War” films earned 250 million yuan and 670 million yuan at the box office respectively. Today, with the number and quality of Hong Kong films declining, “Cold War 1994” can still achieve such results, in addition to showing the deep cultivation and accumulation of Hong Kong filmmakers in police and gangster movies, it also embodies their unity and heritage. This is the reason why filmmaker Chiang Chi-keung strongly invited the stars, and the original intention of pushing Liu Junqian, Wang Dani and other new generations to take over the mantle of their predecessors.
Hong Kong filmmakers and the media had high expectations for“Cold War 1994,” which starred at its Hong Kong premiere, and the interaction between Chow yun-fat, a white-haired actor, and Tony Leung Ka-fai was even more impressive. “Hong Kong 01” called the film“A very good cop movie.” It combines almost all the best features of the heyday of Hong Kong cinema: commanding actors, gripping plots, moving lines, thrilling gunfights, breathtaking car chases, once the best genre film in Hong Kong, not only no silence, there are many worthy of attention to the details.
However, some media believe that“Cold War 1994” still has room for improvement, “There are so many clues in the film that it’s not easy to make sense of it, so there’s a jump when it comes to different angles. If we focus on M.B. Lee’s experience and the kidnapping case, it will be clearer,” said Ho, the film critic, “The plot is tight and the battle is big, but the plot is contradictory and a little abrupt, and the ending is not perfect because it is a preparation for Cold War 1995.”
In addition, chan Ka-wah, president of the Hong Kong restaurant trade association, said in a statement: “This prequel to ‘Cold War’ departs from the traditional Hong kong-style entertainment framework of gunfights and pursuits. Based on the sensitive countdown to the handover of Hong Kong in 1994, it uses a mysterious and unsolved kidnapping case to reveal the hidden political intrigues, power games and interest entanglements at the end of British colonial rule.”. “The film is not only about the transformation of the police force, but also a metaphor for Hong Kong’s 30 years of turmoil and confusion. It is a glimpse into the real destiny of Hong Kong today.”
Hong Kong’s unique style of police and gangster movies is also due to its different history, society and culture from other regions. The judicial system in colonial Hong Kong, the feuds of traditional gangs, bureaucratic corruption, capital monopoly and political game provide rich materials for Hong Kong films before the return. If the early“Rentouqi” and“Clean government storm” also had critical and realistic significance in reflecting the wealth gap and corruption imbalance in Hong Kong society, in the 1980s and 1990s, commercial films developed rapidly, hong Kong Police and gangster movies developed rapidly in the direction of action, comedy, legend, and other entertainment, classics such as Jackie Chan’s“Police Stories” series, Jimmy Hui’s“Best partners” and“A better tomorrow” and“The crippled hero” have created impressive characters and plots.
And around the time of Hong Kong’s return, the state of Hong Kong society was also reflected in police and bandit movies: the two-way undercover in the Infernal Affairs series is a reflection on the definition of“Police and bandit” identity, the“Underworld” series is a departure from the traditional world of morality. Hong Kong Police and gangster films need to find their way in the new millennium. In recent years, Hong Kong Police and gangster movies have gradually moved away from the pattern of street gunfights and introduced elements such as capital games, financial scams, and anti-terrorist disasters. For example, “Cold War” focuses its camera on the“Power grab” of police leaders, the villains in“The burning city” and“The hurt locker” can wreak havoc on Hong Kong.
In the opinion of Zheng Chuanqing, a film critic at the Hong Kong Film Critics Association, Hong Kong Police and gangster movies, such as“The loyalty of robes” and“Blackening the undercover,” have already appeared in films such as“PTU” and“Knowing the law and breaking the law.” Now, in the Cold War series, it’s not just office politics and parliamentary politics that have evolved, but also the institutions behind the Hong Kong- period, and these changes make one“Marvel at the ambition of the creator”, it also highlights that Hong Kong films are“The most gratifying because the real gold is not afraid of fire”.