GUNS N' ROSES (2012)

Genre: Action/Comedy
Director: Ning Hao
Cast: Lei Jia Yin, Tao Hong, Cheng Yuan Yuan, Yamazaki Keiichi, Guo Tao, Fan Wei, Sun Chun, Liu Hua, Huang Bo
RunTime: 1 hr 51 mins
Rating: PG13 (Violence)
Released By:  Shaw
Official Website: 
 
Opening Day: 14 June 2012

Synopsis: A small deceiver becomes a real hero story. In the dying Qing Dynasty, and Japanese invading China decade, an astonishing secret was dropped on our protagonist's hand. In a second, he shoulders the future of China. Baptized by the death bodies, crafty Japanese, love entranced girl, and undercover agents, he decided to drive a new legend.

Movie Review:

We don’t blame you if the only Mainland Chinese filmmaker that comes to your mind is Zhang Yimou. After all, in this part of the world where big budget Hollywood productions flood the cinemas, it is not every day we get Mainland Chinese productions screening in the theatres. Meanwhile, over in the land of opportunities, there are countless projects which make it to the big screen.

Director Ning Hao would probably just be another name if hadn’t made Crazy Stone (2006), a black comedy produced by Andy Lau. The immensely popular film was a box office hit. It starred a cast of unknowns, and was part of Lau’s “FOCUS: First Cuts” series. Thanks to the attention showered to the film which showcased a mishmash of dialects, Ning’s latest film is making its presence felt in local cinemas.

The heist movie set in 30s Manchuria under the Japanese rule tells the story of an impoverished thief and amateur magician who gets messed up in a conspiracy involving gold, weapons, revolutionaries, filmmakers and a pretty screen actress. In the midst of the cat and mouse game, there is also a touching story between a father and his son.

Granted that local viewers may not be familiar with names like Lei Jia Yin, Tao Hong, Cheng Yuan Yuan, Yamazaki Keiichi and Guo Tao, this film a decent job by doing away with a star studded cast (yes, we are referring to the Gong Lis and Zhang Ziyis in Zhang Yimou’s mega productions), and has you concentrating on the plot development instead. The 111 minute movie starts off on an engaging note, before it meanders into a directionless arena where it feels like the protagonist is simply relying on his antics to plod the story along. Fortunately, Lei, a good looking TV actor in his home country is likeable enough to anchor the show. His on screen presence is a nice contrast with the rougher (and sometimes, too showy) performances surrounding him.

Ning has also chosen to bank on the characters’ emotions in this movie, seeing how there are a number of scenes which have them breaking down affectionately. The scenes between Lei and his on screen father played by Guo Tao are especially fun to watch. They range from hilariously funny to movingly touching.

Viewers who remember being very impressed by Crazy Stone’s innovative story telling and originality may be a tad disappointed here. The script of Ning’s first film in three years (his last project No Man’s Land wasn’t screen in Singapore) is a safe one, pulling no surprises throughout. The predictable pacing of the screenplay may lose some audiences because one can guess the outcome of the heist.

Production values are evidently better in this moderately entertaining flick though. The cinematography by Zhao Fei (Let the Bullets Fly) is a visual feast, and you will also pay attention to the interesting choices of classical music (Khachaturian's Sabre Dance and Vivaldi's Four Seasons among them) which effectively heighten the emotions of the sequences they are played in.

Movie Rating:  

(Ning Hao’s latest project may not be as exciting as his breakout hit, but the heist movie is still an entertaining affair)

Review by John Li