Chasing the Dragon 2: Wild Wild Bunch 追龍II: 賊王 (2019) - Hong Kong / China
Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critics Circle of Australia)
There is a lot of issues with “Chasing the Dragon 2” namely having nothing to do with the original or its original stars (Donnie Yen or Andy Lau). It’s simply a film about crime boss Cheung Tze-keung who famously kidnapped and ransomed Hong Kong tycoons Li Ka Shing, Walter Kwok and the the alleged kidnapping of Macau magnate Stanley Ho that the film focuses on. Directed by veteran cinematographer Jason Kwan and the inflatable Wong Jing and largely due to Kwan, the film always look good, but hampered by an inconsistent script. In such political times within Hong Kong, the ending does not help local appeal with the proceeding as the criminal is caught by Mainland authorities and the film constantly praise the rule of law by Mainland authorities. It will find a large following within Mainland audiences.
Tony Leung Ka Fai headlines the film as the infamous crime boss Cheung Tze-keung and plays with the character with so much charisma and charm that almost manages to lift the film above its own material. Whenever Leung is required to act to the extreme, it is where he shines so well. Louis Koo appears in his 100th film of the year as he plays the undercover cop infiltrating Leung’s operations to kidnap Stanley Ho. Gordon Lam does well as the sidekick that secretly seek revenge for the death of his wife. Meanwhile, no Wong Jing’s film is completed without a sexy muse and this time, Sabrina Qiu more than fill that void with an intentional shower sequence and pool table showcase. Simon Yam takes a minor role as a veteran police cop on the case.
All in all, “Chasing the Dragon 2” fails to be as entertaining as the much flawed original and takes the idea of British allowing Hong Kong to become a crime-land in the years towards handover. In an attempt to bypass the Mainland censors, we also get cooperations between Macau, Hong Kong and Mainland police forces all working together for the greater good. Politics aside, the film is well shot and the action scenes are well defined. Still, with a half baked script and plenty of non-entertaining moments to boot, this is easily an underwhelming sequel to endure.
I rated it 5/10