When Kun Wei, an undercover agent, is sent to Hong Kong, he realizes that there is a bigger threat than his worst enemy Poo Kwong, which is his own family. Leaving behind a karate star son and a wife who is claustrophobic, he pretends as if he is sent for a dawning meeting with Po Kwong (Yu Rong Guang). On their briefs, Kun Wei allies with Darkie (Blackie Ko), one of his crew mates, and Fong is held hostage only to be rescued by widow plea on (Anita Mui) to save Kun Wei’s son. He explores Hong Kong further only to understand that his father is already there to save him. Tough times test bonds when the two families come face to face with a boat jam packed with explosives.
Watching films before the 1997 transfer could make one reminisce about history a bit too much. With the current claim of almost unanimous bias view of China, it would be a little difficult to visualize a world when suppressive dictatorship like crime and gigantic level of corruption existed in Hong Kong too. “The Enforcer” doesn’t particularly make Hong Kong into the land of opportunities either but then again, China is not even close to the smallest island in the world as portrayed in present day films. It manages to add an exceptional yet unintentional sense of rawness and realism to a location which could’ve been more than less concealed at the period of its presentation.
At this stage of history, Jet Li was still searching for his proper bearings in modern action. He has a number of good dramatic scenes and has some chemistry with actress Xie Maio. He does have less so with singer Anita Mui but then she was limited in what she could do due to the writing as much as the interaction between the two stars. It is clear that he is doubled a fair bit but while there are many criticisms of this, it is quite unfounded considering it is often caused by feedback with Stuntmen\Stars and while it is exciting to see someone do his stunts, health factors definitely matter.
Yu Rong Guang is one of the lesser-known gems in the industry. A man who never got the fame that he was destined for but was still able to give some good performances. Usually a very straight, sullen screen image, here we get the comic book villain type, played very much to the hilt. He has no fear or mercy to kill off his own men whenever there is an opportunity of earning a greater share of wealth. Never taking his gloves off, he avoids getting his hands dirty and displays a psychotic energy which one can’t see him wearing anywhere else. This exaggerated performance is facilitated by Yuen’s idiosyncrasies such as frequent close ups on certain actions. Supporting him at that period are regular thugs Ngai Sing (AKA Colin Chou) and Ken Lo.
As Inspector Anne Fong, Anita Mui rides in the story but never over shines. She started off with the regular girl next door roles, but at this point she has morph into a fine actress and is very good with the action as well. As an interesting aside, she also seems to carry on the tradition of strong female policemen having weak men around them which seems to be a common thread during the girls-with-guns era which seems to have been in vogue at this time. Damien Lau is this policeman who doesn’t want to cut off his relation with the current babe he has and seeks to promote himself by taking credit of her works. This is a peculiar phenomenon that from the outside really does not appear to make much logic. It is almost as if there is a requirement of a prerequisite of having a police woman of exceptional skills combined with a difunctional home life in order for them to be acceptable. There are perspectives that romance could develop between her character and Jet Li’s Kung Wei but the development is really casual at best. Anita Mui is a good character actress and she gives life to the role by adding some humor warmth and most importantly toughness to the character, which in its conception is quite one-dimensional. In most movies, she would walk away with it, but “The Enforcer” has a trump card that goes on to do exactly this.
As a performer, you are advised never to work with animals or children, in this case, it is best to avoid working alongside Xie Miao. He ensured that every single scene he was on as a son was hit since Miao Xie is a boy tornado with innumerous walking martial arts talents. He goes through the emotional treadmill, losing his mother and possibly his father, etc., who beats him up throughout including once being made unconscious by his own father! Xie Miao is a person full of valor and strength who at this point is inhuman he virtually gets swung with a human dart by his own father in order to kill the opponents. It is safe to assume that his character will barely manage to survive without going to a therapy regarding that entertainment impact.
A job Well Done should also finally be presented to Blackie Ko. He is one of the very few car stunt coordinators in Hong Kong though he would occasionally appear onscreen and most engaged in most memorable hit as the nemesis in “Curry & Pepper”. Voicing an audience wishing gathering compassion along his Xie Miao scenes, here he is the ill-fated conscience bothered lackey with most of the audience empathy.
Renowned for his works, Corey Yuen illustrates the best and worst in Hong Kong Cinema of this period. It is odd for a contemporary piece to have quite a lot of wire-enhanced work. Of course, the human dart is quite entertaining (and a standout), but it might be a bit out of context with the rest of the considerable dramatic effort. Remember his signature slow cranking during action scenes? Definitely, he has a wealth of talented performers in this film that would deliver any great action sequence. Jet Li’s arsenal’s usage is commendable, and his stick fighting is well highlighted. Xie Miao is given a platform throughout with his Wu Shu skills; from the opening tournament to taking on the villains, he is a match for anyone else. A good point about any film is the undercranking, though it can be slightly exaggerated at times taking you away from the “reality” of the footage.
Despite Wong Jing’s involvement in the story building, it is interesting to note that there is a certain level of restraint on the use of pop culture elements. This has not always been the case and there are still instances from time to time when the narrative spans across comic relief, pathos, drama, or action. To some degree, the drama can be overly romantic and Xie Miao’s character is used for a lot of it. Somehow, it makes you emotionally invested in the main characters and amounts to some sincere tension towards the end as one starts to ponder how many members of the family will actually survive till the final scene.
What is distinctly odd about this film, “The Enforcer”, is the appeal to the weak hearted and the crazy action sequences that Hong Kongers are so accustomed to but never really being able to mesh all that together accurately. Where Wong still has appeal, it may certainly be pleasing for some and definitely not disappointing. It’s one of those films that had so much potential to be a classic, it just lacked the finesse to achieve that status. Instead, it is just another greatly entertaining action film, don’t dwell on the parent issues too much though!
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