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A group of Cambodian terrorists try to secretly enter Hong Kong but get
into a fight with local police that leaves one of them knocked out.
The ATF (Anti Terrorist Force) is thrilled because the knocked out man
is Todd (Daniel Wu), top terrorist & son of terrorist leader Soong
(Gan Kwok-Leung), & he might be able to give them information about
Soong's future plans (all they know is that Soong plans to release
poisonous gas called Ricin X into the atmosphere - which isn't good) ...
thing is though, Todd has completely lost his memory (for real) so he
couldn't help even if he wanted to.
But ATF officer Ma-Li (Emil Chau) & psychiatrist Shirley Kwan (Joan
Chen) have an unorthodox idea ... why not persuade Todd that he really is
an undercover cop, then send him back to Soong's gang to sabotage their
plans. The ATF goes into great detail to give Todd a believable identity
as a cop, even provide him with a phoney ex-girlfriend ...
Ma Li's calculation seems to have been perfect, as before long Soong
really does show up & goes to great length to break his son, who has
now turned into a Trojan horse, free from the ATF - & of course he
succeeds. At first, Todd works great as an informer, because noone seems
even to begin to suspect him, but then some of his real memories come to
the surface, that are totally contrary to what he should believe, & in
a shoot-out with the ATF, he not only gives away a chance to shoot Soong,
but even saves his life - twice.
Confused, he leaves his father & companions & goes to his
phoney girlfriend to persuade her to go away with him - which she
understandably refuses -, then thrashes his appartment only to find ut
that many of his things might never have belonged to him in the
first place.Finally he shows up a t Shirley Kwan's appartment, to shoot
her out of revenge - but finds out he can't any longer kill anyone (which
pretty much rules him out as a terrorist).
At his father's, Soong still welcoems him back even though he knows
Todd might not be the man he was anymore, & thus has to cut off one of
Todd's fingers. However, Todd stays with the group as they are the only
ones he feels he belongs to. But more & more memories from his past
come to surface, & not all pleasent in respect of Soong's gang, like
when Todd's own little son was killed in a terrorists attack, consciously
sent to his death.
Finally the gfroup has hijacked a plane to leave the country with the
Ricin X, when they get into another fight with the police, where Guan Ai
(Josie Ho), one of Todd's closest associates within the gang, is fatally
wounded & noone but Todd seems to care about it & drag her to
safety. Aboard the plane where he has dragged her to though, she blows her
brains away as the only means to get out of the gang ... which is when
Todd realizes he indeed has a choice, takes the Ricin X & runs away.
soon he is hounded by the gang, & above all Soong, who in turn is
chased by the police, & in the sewers they have their final showdown,
where Soong is gravely wounded but left with just enough strength to
release the Ricin X. Fortunately for Todd though, Ma Li was close behind,
& he drags Todd off to safety & seals off the sever duct. &
ironically the only one who dies from the Ricin X is Soong, who wanted to
use it on pretty much everyone but himself.
The earth is saved, & as a thank you, officer Ma Li lets Todd not
only get away but also gives him money for a new start.
Part character study part action pic that carefully balances out the
components of the 2 genres to neither bore the audience with too many
talky scenes nor just blow them away with meaningless action, instead the
film goes for intelligent entertainment. & tries to raise some
ntelligent questions along the way, like what makes a man a terorist,
& can a terrorist be changed, without giviing any simplified &
stupid answers.
Recommended.
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find Purple Storm at adultvideouniverse.com
