The White Storm 2 - Drug Lords 掃毒2天地對決 (2019) - Hong Kong / China
Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critics Circle of Australia)
In terms of over the top and ridiculous entertainment fun, few can top Benny Chan’s “The White Storm”. The sequel directed by Herman Yau is equally bombastic, except it uses Hong Kong rather than Thailand for its most impactful action display in the midst of the business centre of Hong Kong’s key locations and transportation system. What I thoroughly enjoyed about the film is not the suspension of belief storyline, but rather the bond fide leading actors Andy Lau and Louis Koo going at each other at the most dramatic scale.
Andy Lau is understated throughout depicting a character with conflicted emotions on drug fighting and a looming high society persona, meanwhile Louis Koo is the nemesis whose rises the ranks to become a true drug lord with senseless emotions. In fact, in many scenes, Lau seems to have carried over the “Infernal Affairs” internal turmoil of what makes a person good and evil. Koo continues his good form of over the top drug related roles as his resemblance to the nuisance of Joker is stunningly impactful. The much missed Karena Lam plays Lau’s wife is effective in emotive scenes in a largely forgotten role. Michael Mui tries his best to play the morally high standing drug fighting cop with a dead wife and a child to take care of.
All in all, “The White Storm 2” is highly enjoyable from start to finish, even if it requires more than a fair share of suspending our beliefs and cynicalness. Still the film comments on larger corruptions, the negative impact on drugs and society. We get decent characters and performances from the Always engaging leading stars. We also get a total blast of how to destroy Hong Kong Central with plenty of smash and bang. The result is an enjoyable ride with all that is happening in the reality of Hong Kong today.
I rated it 7.5/10