Saat po long 2 (2015) Reviews

• A worthy sequel to SPL

  minh_le2015-08-26

  I came into this movie with high hopes having been a huge fan of similar movies such as SPL, Flashpoint, and many of tony Jaa's films. I always felt HK action movies' plots were only there to connect the action scenes together. I've never been too impressed with any plot from an HK movie, and unfortunately SPL2 continues that trend. The plot relies on far too many coincidences to occur and often times, the characters motivations seem really questionable. If you can ignore the flimsy plot, you'll be treated to some of the best martial arts action since the original SPL. There are 4 actors in this movie that can REALLY fight and their skills are well highlighted in several scenes. The choreograph and framing of the scenes was so well executed allowing the viewer to fully appreciate the skills of the fighters. There are a handful of memorable fight scenes in the movie but special mention has to be reserved for the final fight. It's quite a lengthy scene and is full of extremely satisfying action. I'd rate it on par with any scene in SPL1 / Flashpoint.. 9 seems like a very high rating given the substandard plot but i've been itching for a good martial arts movies and even the latest Donnie Yen / tony Jaa offerings have left me slightly disappointed. SPL2 reminds me what i love so much about Martial Arts movies and I'm glad there is so much promising talent in Wu Jing, Andy On, and Zhang Jin to replace the likes of Donnie Yen / Jet Li / Jacky Chan.

  More

• Retaining the gritty, no-holds-barred spirit of the original, this in-name only sequel is a compelling crime thriller with some worthily exhilarating action of its own

  moviexclusive2015-06-26

  It has taken slightly more than a decade for someone to pull off an 'SPL' sequel, but not for a lack of trying. Hey, it isn't quite so straightforward to make a sequel to a movie which had the balls to kill off each one of its three main characters played by Donnie Yen, Hung and Yam, and this long-awaited sequel is even more gratifying because it is in many ways as good as, if not better, than the original. Rather than be tied down by the events of the first movie, incoming writers Jill Leung Lai-yin and Wong Ying have gone for a completely new narrative that honours the themes in the original. Yes, for the uninitiated, 'SPL' stands for the names of the three stars in Chinese astrology that signify destruction, conflict and greed, and just as these elements drove the characters in the first movie to their fateful end, so too do they propel the destinies of the main characters here – Kit (Wu Jing), a drug-addicted Hong Kong undercover cop in an organ trafficking syndicate who finds himself in a Thai prison after his cover is blown; Wah (Yam), his uncle and handler also assigned to the same case; and Chai (Tony Jaa), a guard at the prison Kit is locked up in whose daughter Sa is suffering from leukaemia and needs a bone marrow transplant soon. As it turns out, the potential donor which the hospital has identified for Chai's daughter happens to be Kit, though both will remain unaware of that stroke of fate until much later. It is a somewhat implausible coincidence no doubt, one that we would readily scoff at in any other movie, but which you'll have to accept as being central to 'SPL 2's' very premise. The other intertwining thread of events has to do with Hung (Louis Koo), the ailing leader of the aforementioned syndicate which he runs with the corrupt prison warden Ko (Max Zhang) at the penitentiary Kit has been sent into. Hung himself is in need of a life-saving heart transplant, although because of his rare Bombay blood type, his only hope lies in his younger brother Bill (Jun Hung), whom he resorts to kidnapping when the latter refuses to donate his very organ. Whereas the emphasis was very much on Yen's action and action choreography previously, this sequel pays a lot more attention to both character and storytelling. Indeed, each one of the many characters is distinctly defined by their proclivity to preserve their own life and/or that of a loved one, while being forced to confront how far they are willing to go to compromise their own sense of morality, justice or duty. In particular, Jaa gets his meatiest role yet playing a father who is forced to choose between a human cure for his daughter's blood ailment in exchange for his silence on the illegal skin trade happening right under his watch, and the actor gives probably his most nuanced performance to date. Also noteworthy is Koo's villainous turn, whose character justifying his selfish deed by the countless other lives he has saved before. It is to Cheang's credit that the various narrative threads never get confusing, especially so at the start when he jumps back and forth to explain how Kit landed in prison. Though it may seem like a gimmick, the non-linear manner in which Cheang introduces us to his disparate characters eventually makes for a surprisingly compelling plot for a film of its genre, which often treats the latter as no more than filler in between the crowd-pleasing action sequences. Not that Cheang neglects the latter though – it is for its hard-hitting action that its predecessor was known for, and with action director Li Chung-Chi, this sequel honours that spirit with some truly exhilarating fights of its own. Because Wu Jing, Zhang Jin and Tony Jaa are martial artists in their own right, there is no need for that sort of distracting camera-work that Hollywood action movies seem to be very fond of in recent years. Yes, Kenny Tse's cinematography is clean, simple and crisp, conveying the balletic moves of the stars who are front and centre in each and every one of the sequences. Li choreographs the poetic mayhem with flair, which consists of impressive set-pieces, such as a shootout at Hong Kong's new cruise terminal following a sting operation and no less than a full-scale prison riot filmed in one single unbroken tracking shot, as well as intimate mano-a-mano fights between the principal characters. The best is saved for last, as Kit and Chai make their last stand against Ko and his henchmen in the penthouse of the Lotus Medical Centre in Thailand. The scenes towards the end where Kit and Chai tag-team to take down Ko are especially exhilarating, and most certainly match up to the sheer thrill of watching Donnie Yen and Wu Jing go at each other in a narrow alleyway in the first movie. Yes, those wondering if this sequel lives up to the action orgasm of its predecessor need not worry; the combination of Tony Jaa, Wu Jing and Zhang Jin makes for just a lethal concoction of bare-knuckle fights and bone-crunching violence. But more than just a pastiche of well-staged action sequences stitched together, this sequel is a better film on the whole than the original thanks to an engaging story and some genuinely empathetic characters. Yes, the premise itself guarantees a certain degree of narrative contrivance, but Cheang's film preserves the no- holds-barred spirit of its predecessor while delivering a compelling crime/ morality thriller. It's as good a follow-up as fans will get, and well-worth the decade wait for one of the best action films you'll see this year.

  More

• For action films this is a good as it gets.

  nikkd2015-09-18

  I loved the story and at times it actually gets a little hard to follow since a lot is going on but eventually you will figure it out. After seeing this film TIFF midnight madness I raced home and I am currently trying to get a copy of SPL 1 Kill Zone. The fight scenes are incredible and if you are into that stuff you will go gaga for this film. It is strange some scenes are straight hand on hand combat, while others rely on knives and yet others focus on guns. But in the end the hand on hand fighting wins hands down. The jail house riot was well shot and the final fight scene had some incredible choreography. I really cant wait for SPL 3. The best part of the whole film is that after all the fighting, dying and blood shed it actually had a moral which is always nice. Do yourself a favor and see this movie. And if you can do so on the big screen even better.

  More

• This One Has More Nuts and Bolts Than a Jet Plane and it Almost Worked

  ctowyi2015-07-06

  One of fave armed combat scenes is Donnie Yen and Wu Jing going mano a mano in the alley in SPL (2005). So visceral, so blood-chillingly intense and raw. Can any of the fights in this by name only sequel even approach that level of intensity and ferocity? Yes, oh yes. Frankly a direct sequel is probably impossible since Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung and Simon Yam's characters all died. What the writers did was to borrow the themes and spirit of the first and tell a different story. Like the first film, Sha Po Lang are Chinese astrology signs which symbolize destruction, conflict and greed. The first half hour is audacious filmmaking because instead of linearity for maximum clarity, director Soi Cheang went for an extended flashback for all the major characters. Did it work? I have mixed feelings about it, but the moment all the narrative threads interlocked I felt the stars were aligned for WWIII. In terms of plot, SPL 2 has more nuts and bolts than a jet plane. The story is balancing so many elements to the point it became Planet Coincidences. But sitting in the cinema I was willing to buy all the machinations and contrivances because I was enjoying all the character arcs, from the little girl to the bad guy played by Louis Koo. Plus, there is a strong element of Godpermeating throughout the story, playing with all the human chess pieces and sitting back to find out how it all plays out. Even though Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung are not in this sequel, the rest of the cast carry the movie very well. This is definitely Wu Jing's career defining role and he not only delivers the action, he has the acting chops in some of the emotional scenes. Tony Jaa put on some superb acting heft too in his scenes with his daughter. This is the best non-Thai film that showcases his talent, way way better than what was asked of him in Furious 7. The bad guys are over the top and their fighting skills do the acting for them. In terms of action we get some by the numbers beat-downs and three set-piece extravaganzas - a shootout in a ferry terminal, a Thai prison and a medical centre. The action is viscerally filmed and it is only spoiled by some slightly over-used wire-work. The prison fight scene in particular is done in one mouth-watering long take. Each of the set-pieces improves and they culminate to a no holds-barred eye-popping climax. All is going well until an extended final epilogue that feels like a quick after-thought and a CGI wolf is also inserted to bring out the Lang in Sha Po Lang, but I would be lying if I said it spoiled the entire film for me. It has been a long time since I was willing to give a story so much leeway and prayed so hard that everything would coalesce in a meaningful manner. It sort of did.

  More

• Forget Batman v Superman, we've got Tony Jaa v Wu Jing!

  ebossert2015-09-06

  Note: Check me out as the "Asian Movie Enthusiast" on YouTube, where I review tons of Asian movies. SPL 2: A Time for Consequences (2015) (Chinese Action/Drama). Tony Jaa has been on a streak of underwhelming movies lately. I have yet to see his collaborations with Dolph Lundgren, but I can say that "Ong Bak 3" and "Tom Yum Goong 2" were not up to his previously established levels of quality martial arts action. Thankfully, he's back in form here. Wu Jing's manager wasted his talents on middling films for the past half decade, but he's back on track as well. SPL 2 is here. I'm sorry, but you can have your Batman v. Superman movie, because Tony Jaa v. Wu Jing is every contemporary martial arts lover's dream come true . . . and it friggin' delivers! A drug-addict (Jing) and prison security guard (Jaa) try to save themselves and/or loved ones while trapped within a black market organ theft organization. This film spends quite a bit of time developing the story and characters, and is mostly successful at doing so despite a few improbable coincidences. The performances are good all-around, and both leads give what is likely the best performances of their careers. But what about the action? Well, it's very impressive and plentiful enough to satisfy. The choreography is fast and precise, with only marginal use of wires. Watching Jing and Jaa fight within the same camera frame is both orgasmic and exciting.

  More