moviewizguy The film centers on a police detective investigating a series of gruesome murderers. As the case pulls him deeper, he soon realizes that he may be a prime suspect.MURDERER is an example of a film that tries too hard to be unique and different from every other film with a similar plot. In fact, it tries too hard that the film falls apart. Let's start with the good: The first half of the film is interesting and captivating. The film lays out the puzzle pieces while our protagonist tries to put them together.Then comes in the dreaded second half. Whatever good was built up in the first half is now broken down, stomped upon, and lit on fire. Stupid and unbelievable things happen here. For example, our protagonist seems to be framed for some murders. Well, the easiest way to find out is some DNA testing, right? Nope. Somehow, nobody in this film ever thought of that. It's as if the film took place 50 years ago when there was no technology or DNA testing.There's also a twist that occurs that is so outlandish and utterly hilarious that you'd question how any of the actors held a straight face in the scenes they're in. At one point in the film, our protagonist says, "This is ridiculous! This is crazy!" He isn't the only person that is thinking that at that moment.However, I will say the film isn't completely terrible. The performance by Aaron Kwok is really good. Also, the film is really well made, from the cinematography to the score. However, one would think someone would have cared to fix the problems in the script. What starts off as a good detective mystery soon transcends into absurdness and soon into hilarity. The film is a prime example of how a perfectly good film can fall apart by a messy script.

Siamois Saat yan faan is interesting if only because it crams an awful lot of concepts that have appeared in some very effective thrillers. Its greatest fault is that those various elements do not always gel.The story revolves around Ling, a detective who seemingly suffers from amnesia. What's worse, there is a serial killer on the loose and clues start to point towards Ling as a suspect. Is Ling somehow responsible for what is going on? Does he really suffer from amnesia or not? How is he involved exactly? The movie goes through several twists and turns, some of which are rather cool and unpredictable. Director Chow Hin Yeung Roy goes for a feel that is reminiscent of occidental hits such as Se7en. Right from the film title, you gets loads of quick edits, sound effects and the like. Several film locations are rather interesting and it does feel like a big budget Asian movie. Unfortunately, as is par for the course in Asian thrillers, the acting is absolutely awful. Cheesy and over-dramatic doesn't even begin to describe the performances. The script is also terrible and seems to try hard to go for a Hollywood tone and fails. The whole movie would flow much better if it stayed true to its cultural roots.As the story unfolds and we get hold of what is really going on, the acting and dialog is too weak to allow us to suspend disbelief. We're still left with several cool ideas which might benefit from a remake of some kind, since this movie was so desperate to adopt a Hollywood feel.

changmoh SITTING through the first half of this crime thriller, an avid moviegoer would get a sense of 'deja vu'. The viewer recalls popular movies like "Seven", "Primal Fear", "Memento" and later, "Orphan".However, when the plot is unraveled, one would feel hugely disappointed. The script is badly contrived and so full of holes that we feel cheated at having to sit through two hours for this piece of drivel.The movie starts off promisingly with an intriguing premise: what if you are investigating a series of murders and all the evidence point to you as the culprit? Aaron Kwok's detective Ling, who is investing a serial killer that uses electric drill on his victims, is found unconscious on the seventh floor of an apartment building. On the ground below, his colleague Tai (Chen Kuan Tai) is critically injured after falling from one of the top floors of the building.Ling, who suffers from amnesia after the 'attack', believes it is the work of the serial killer - but as he starts his own investigation into the incident, he is shocked to find that he may have been framed by the killer! What's more, he learns that his wife (Ning Chang) and five-year-old son are likely targets.The lame script aside, we have to admit that the build-up is rather tensed and suspenseful - thanks to Kwok and co-star Cheung Sui-Fai who plays his cop buddy 'Ghost'. Kwok gives his Detective Ling the requisite touch of outrage and paranoia that help to sustain our curiosity. Cheung, on the other hand, plays a man of reason and logic - until he is overwhelmed by them.Ning Chang is solid as the long-suffering wife but it is Josie Ho who livens things up as Minnie, Ling's younger sister who arrives from the States.The movie collapses when the 'truth' is revealed. Director Roy Chow (who also wrote the screenplay with To Chi-Long) seems to have spent so much time on the build-up that he has to rush through the ending. Instead of explaining the plot (or mystery), he makes the ending more ridiculous, opening up lots of questions on the minds of viewers. A very unfortunate debut for director Chow. - By LIM CHANG MOH (limchangmoh.blogspot,com)

gordontli-1 A 40 year old midget posing as a 5 year old boy frames his adoption father (a cop) for a series of murder in this laughable suspense thriller that becomes an unintentional comedy by the end. Another misguided effort by Hong Kong cinema to try for a Hollywood touch but fails miserably. There are scenes that copied straight from a slew of Hollywood thrillers. Such as Seven and Angel Heart. Mememto comes to mind. Even the Omen has the unfortunate honor. And the outcome is this freak of a hybrid. For fans of slasher flicks, the amount of blood and gore in this one would serve their appetite just fine. 0therwise, this is not just bad. This is oh-my-god bad.