Originally posted on 1/29/18
One of the most suspenseful plots I can think of is the straight-arrow cop going undercover as a bad guy and having to live the lifestyle 24 hours a day, with imminent discovery and death always a hair's breadth away.
It's what made "Donnie Brasco" (the non-fiction book and the movie) so harrowing, and it's what gives the Hong Kong action extravaganza EXTRAORDINARY MISSION (Cinedigm, 2017) such a visceral and emotional charge.
Directors Alan Mak and Anthony Pun and writer Felix Chong (THE DEPARTED, INFERNAL AFFAIRS) wring all the nerve-stretching tension they can from the concept before blasting the doors off with a final act that's pure rocket-fueled action.
Naturally, in order to gain the trust of his criminal cohorts he must engage in highly dangerous and often deadly exploits, with his life on the line at every turn.
This leads to some early action sequences that get us stoked for what's to come. But the main gist of the film's first two-thirds or so is to show Lin Kai using his wits, along with sheer guts, to climb the ladder toward the higher levels of the drug trade.
The higher up the food chain he goes, the farther down the rabbit hole he descends. And every time you think you've finally met the biggest, baddest bad guy, there's always someone worse who he must answer to.
When our hero finally reaches the heart of darkness, we're treated to some stunning twists and revelations that give Lin Kai's mission and everything about it a whole new, shockingly different perspective. The story keeps the now-familiar "undercover mole" concept fresh by adding intriguing angles to it which give it zing.
But that's nothing compared to what happens when Lin Kai, the ultra-ruthless drug kingpin, and one or two other surprise participants all engage in one of the most furious, action-packed shoot-em-up chase sequences ever filmed.
Once it starts you might as well buckle up because this is non-stop blazing action that doesn't let up until we've gone back and forth through the wringer at least half a dozen times.
It's dead serious (no wisecracks or one-liners) with an emotional core that gives the story heft, plenty of suspense, and enough frantic, mind-numbing action coming at us in the last 20-30 minutes for three movies. EXTRAORDINARY MISSION is one super-charged thrill ride.
EXTRAORDINARY MISSION BLU-RAY™
Price: $19.97
Street Date: February 6, 2018
Language: Mandarin
Runtime: 120 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Subtitles: English
EXTRAORDINARY MISSION DVD BASICS
Price: $14.93
Street Date: February 6, 2018
Language: Mandarin
Runtime: 120 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Subtitles: English
Extras: Making-of featurette, trailer
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