If I see the strings of the puppeteer, the game is over. Second rule for me is I never want to see the strings. That made me feel so dumb and when I watch a movie that is one feeling I never want to have. Then right at the end of the movie somebody has the bright idea to put title cards to show the statistics of the what if disaster if the bomb did explode. At one time I even turned to my wife and said "I seriously hope Hong Kong gets entirely destroyed".
For example, everybody keeps proclaiming the power of the bomb but I just couldn't feel the danger. First rule of the thumb is show me, don't tell me. There is so much lambo humbo mambo jumbo spewing out which might as well be nonsense to me. The actors talk and talk non-stop in such an overly serious tone and wear one single frowning/brooding/angry/nondescript expression throughout. Review - The whole movie is based on a MacGuffin which at first I thought is a weapon, but later on it becomes a criminal mastermind. Despite their efforts, the elusive criminal mastermind, Helios, is always a step ahead of Lee. He enlists physics professor Siu (Jacky Cheung) as an adviser and has to work with South Korean weapon experts Choi (Ji Jin Hee) and Pok (Choi Si Won). As the weapon will change hands in Hong Kong, Lee (Nick Cheung) from the territory's Counter Terrorism Response Unit sets up a task force, which includes police officer Fan (Shawn Yue), to deal with the crisis.
#HELIOS MOVIE 2018 PORTABLE#
Synopsis - A portable nuclear device, DC8, has been stolen from South Korea by a ruthless criminal (Chang Chen) and his accomplice (Janice Man). Viewers will have to decide for themselves if it's worth watching a movie that entertains mightily then reverses all of that good will in the last 10 minutes.įrom the writers-directors of Cold War, multiply their previous budget by a few times, with a cast of who's who from Korea, China and Hong Kong, come Helios, the most logic defying film I have seen this year.
Without going into specifics, just know that there is no satisfaction to be had in any way. Alas, the ending makes the recommendation much harder. Despite its flaws, Helios could normally be recommended as a fun "turn off your brain" action thriller and that would be that. It all still manages to be compelling, but none of it holds up on reflection. Sadly, Helios' plotting and narrative are also notably Hollywood- esque with shallow characters, contrived emotions, and ludicrous plot all held together by tightly paced editing and actors that demand you look at them due to their great acting or great looks. This action style works well for thrillers and HK cinema have gotten damn good at it in recent years. They resemble more the thrilling shootout in Michael Mann's Heat rather than John Woo's elegant work.
Speaking of action scenes, Helios' gun battles are firmly in the new wave of Hong Kong gun play: Hard-hitting machine gun battles with a dash of real-world tactical flare. The production value rivals Hollywood films with convincing large scale sets, international location shooting, subtle photo-real CGI, gorgeous cinematography, and rip-roaring action scenes. First things first: The surface aspects of Helios are outrageously good.
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