So it's been a while since I last posted anything. I've been out doin' thangs. Anyway, I had the idea that I would just sit down and pick a random movie from the Netflix streaming library that caught my eye as something enjoyable and then give an opinion on it.
Anyone who knows me more than in passing knows I have a penchant for international cinema. For the most part, cinema made in countries outside of the United States isn't done to just do it. For example, there aren't a lot of companies pushing out sub par sequels to franchises just so they don't lose the rights to them. I'm looking directly at you Fantastic Four.
With all of this in mind, I chose a Chinese film about firefighters. The blurb on the Netflix dashboard made it sound decent enough, and the little mini preview that the PS4 Netflix app plays got me invested. I sat in my little theater chair, popped some movie theater butter popcorn, cut out the lights and jumped right in. It's nice to see compelling movies about firefighters, who I think really don't get enough praise for their often selfless and always heroic acts. When everyone else is running out of a burning building, they're running in, and that's gotta make you tip your hat with respect on some level.
The film is called As the Light Goes Out, and it stars the versatile Nicholas Tse, who I really enjoyed in Shaolin as the evil commander, the always dependable Simon Yam, and even has a little cameo by Jackie Chan. I'll start you out with the movie's trailer, since it sort of sets the tone. Let it be noted that the trailer is dubbed into Mandarin, and the movie itself on Netflix is a mix of Cantonese and English.
The movie is a lot like Backdraft, Ladder 49, and The Tower in that it pits a group of firefighters against a blaze and great perils both incendiary and interpersonal. The principal story revolves around 3 buddies named (and forgive me, but some of the characters in this movie have really weird names, so just take my word for it) Yip, Chill, and Sam. A situation occurs which drives a wedge between them and causes distrust, jealousy, and uneasiness. This sets the stage for the crux of the film, which deals with a fire at a winery that sits next to a natural gas line that starts a chain reaction fire that the guys have to tackle head on. This is made all the more difficult when a hurricane hits land at the same time causing a chaotic situation to become even more tumultuous.
I really enjoyed the visuals that came with the film. It followed the 'Make An Action Movie' script pretty well in that it had a number of striking visuals, compelling drama that kept as on the edge of my seat as my fat ass could muster, and characters that were both relatable, and believable, at least from a personality standpoint. It wasn't without flaws though, and some of the positive aspects also hovered over to the negative side. For example, while some of the action set pieces were great, it gets to a point where you go, "How many times can one building explode?" The drama was exciting and compelling, but there were cliches in every corner. That's not an inherently bad thing at all, as I really enjoyed the movie, but I figured that I would at least point it out. You'll get all of the normal action movie tropes in your 2 hour viewing. Superhuman feats, sacrifice, slow motion stuff. Probably other things that start with s. I dunno, man. I'm not an expert.
I think that even with the flaws I noticed, which were pretty rare and more nit picky than anything. I'd suggest this to anyone who isn't opposed to doing a little reading while being entertained, unless you speak Cantonese of course, in which case, dive in with both feet. The excitement, tension, effects, score and message make this an easy 4 out of 5 shoe boxes.
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