Film Review: Bursting Point 爆裂點 (2023) Hong Kong 🇭🇰
Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critics Circle of Australia 🇦🇺)
After a decade of churning out patriotic action blockbusters in the tune of “Operation Red Sea”, Hong Kong director Dante Lam returns to his roots to create a local crime action thriller “Bursting Point”. The result is a mixed bag, a film filled with body counts and bloody violence and death that recalls the 80s and early 90s era, whilst at the same time creating a significant lack of deeper characterisation and inner morality that we often used to see in Lam’s better films like “Beast Cops”.
Nick Cheung headlines and anchor the film as the jaded veteran cop who never gives up and in turn plants an undercover cop (played by William Chan, returning from Mainland China fame). Cheung is suitably intense and whilst this film will not advocate an award, he is efficient in the role. Chan on the other hand, matured since his early Hong Kong days, with a juicy role played to his advantage. Both actors are required to go all out in the action scenes, that includes plenty of fire, cutting of hands and legs and brutal killings that we all probably lost counts of. The ensemble casting includes a string of TVB veterans including Shaun Tam as the key gangster villain, Christie Chau as the love interest and we also see the return of Isabella Leong as drug making queen. All these adds to the fun, as one after another gets murdered or killed, dropping like a pack of cards.
All in all, “Bursting Point”, also co directed by first timer Calvin Tong who teams well with Dante Lam in creating a breathtaking action crime thriller that never stops from start to finish. Hollywood movies like “John Wick” goes for a similar mode, however, there are too many back story in this one, resulting in the audience inability to focus on the action on hand. Still, it’s always enjoyably to watch a full blooded Dante Lam - Hong Kong film that showcase why long time cinema fans love Hong Kong genre cinema. Keep it banging!
I rated it 7.5/10