UNTOUCHABLE (逆鳞) (2024)

Genre: Drama/Crime
Director: Da Qing
Cast: Shen Teng, Zhang Yuqi, Jack Kao, Cai Wenjing, Qu Zheming, Wei Xiang, Liu Huan
Runtime: 1 hr 53 min
Rating: NC16 (Some Drug Use and Coarse Language)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 19 September 2024

Synopsis: ZUN Fei (Shen Teng) brought a group of brothers and took refuge in HUANG Chaojing (Jack Kao), a rich merchant whose hands are in both legal and illegal business, becoming his trusted right-hand man and thriving in the “Golden City” – Macau. However, facing violence, power struggles in the underworld and complex human drama, Fei was torn between comradeship and righteousness. He was trapped in a deadly gamble set up against him with his life at stake… 

Movie Review:

Shen Teng (Successor, Pegasus) sheds off his usual comedic persona in this serious, we mean very serious crime drama named Untouchable.

Distributed by Hong Kong-based Mei Ah Entertainment and set in 90’s Macau, Shen stars as Zun Fei, a boxing champion-turned-lawyer-turned-henchman for local Kingpin, Boss Huang (resident Taiwanese bad guy Jack Kao). Leading his buddies comprising of right-hand man, Yaowu (Liu Huan) and newcomer, Xi Lai (Qu Zheming), Fei helps in the running of Huang’s lucrative but illegal casino ship business.

Despite the good amount of money coming in from the business, Fei plans to escape to Australia with Huang’s girl, Xiao Xiao (Kitty Zhang Yuqi) whom he has smitten with since they first met five years ago. Unfortunately or expectedly, fate has other plans for Fei as a series of betrayals, killings and the past start to haunt Fei just as he is about to go clean.

Untouchable’s story plot is like those “Jiang hu” or triad flicks from the 80’s and 90’s starring Andy Lau and Ekin Cheng except it’s set in Macau and stars Mainland A-list star Shen Teng. The brotherhood theme is explored but sketchy. Among the group of six Fei’s followers, only Yaowu and Xi Lai has the most screen time and ultimately has the most character development.

The screenplay by Shang Ke focused mostly on the power struggles between Huang, Xiao Xiao (who turns out to be more than just a foxy siren) and Fei. The villainous Huang makes use of Fei’s name to run the cruise ship while the latter hopes to make more money for his buddies and himself before running off with Xiao Xiao. Those who watched enough movies will know the “Romeo and Juliet” outcome of this pair of tragic lovers. And perhaps to please the censors, there’s a lack of sizzling sex scenes and worse, lack of chemistry between Shen and Kitty to justify their soap drama love entanglement.

Don’t get us wrong, Sheng is still serviceable as the suffering hero. His character is written as a fighter with brains, however the script doesn’t have much chances to showcase Fei’s wits and splashy moves making Fei more of a brooding hero. On the other hand, Jack Kao doesn’t disappoint as Boss Huang. At the age of 66, Kao continues to ignite the screen with his brand of outburst violence and his trademark Taiwanese Hokkien swear words making it a lively affair whenever he appears onscreen. Kitty Zhang remains as gorgeous as ever and luckily garnered a role that has more acting than all her appearances in Stephen Chow movies combined.

Though making a very decent amount at the box-office, Untouchable isn’t going to be a memorable movie down the road. But you can’t deny the production values such as the cinematography is top notch and the overall effort is enormously entertaining. As a crime thriller from China, the movie ends on a cautious, predictable note. The bad guys get their karma and we are told Macau is a much safer place after the 1999 handover. Maybe the authorities should visit certain European countries where even minor crimes are a common thing in public.

Movie Rating:

(For an average crime drama, Untouchable still delivers a compelling cinematic experience)

Review by Linus Tee