chrichtonsworld
Two sisters, Lynn (Shu Qi) and Sue (Vicki Zhao). are on a crusade to eliminate corruption at the highest level. Only they do it by killing the evildoers. Naturally these kinds of activities attract the police and one inspector in particular named Hong Yat Hong (Karen Mok) who is determined to catch them. A large part of So Close is about the sisters, Hong and how they interact with each other. Essentially the three are equal to each other on many levels and would have made a great team together. If not for the fact that they are each others adversaries. Despite this Sue and Hong have a mutual attraction to each other which results in a playful cat and mouse play between the two. The two sisters are tight but younger sister Sue is a little fed up being treated as such and rebels causing some friction between them although we do learn that these sisters have each others back all the way. Normally in action films like this I hardly pay attention to the story. However in this film it's essential because it does add to the dynamics between the three main characters and helps make the action scenes more exciting. Even when the story itself is as average as in most action flicks of this type I do commend Corey Yuen hinting lesbian love and keeping it tasteful. I wonder if that truly was his own idea or that it was the actresses who came up with it. But it certainly made the characters more compelling. So good job nonetheless. Director Corey Yuen also choreographed the action and then you simply know that good action is guaranteed. However it is obvious that actresses Shu Qi, Vicky Zhao and Karen Mok aren't trained in martial arts and therefore their fights and stunts are enhanced with the use of slow motion and CGI. Surprisingly the way it's done is very effective so I wasn't bothered by it at all. Besides the sword fight in the finale is CGI free and is very well choreographed. One legitimate complaint one could have is that it takes a while for the action to really kick off. Almost a full hour and seven minutes to be exact. But then you can be certain you will be served some good and exciting action so it's very much worth the wait.Overall So Close is a very enjoyable and effective action flick mostly because of Corey Yuen's choreography and the likability of the three main characters. Both the action and the attractive women provide some scrumptious eye candy and who can resist that.
ebossert
So Close is THE movie that hooked me onto foreign cinema. Like many Americans I was ignorant to everything except horribly dubbed martial arts films from the 1970s. I visited my video store one day and noticed So Close in the Action section, immediately assuming that it would be a good film to laugh at. Subsequent to watching this film, however, I was confused. Had I just inadvertently watched an EXCELLENT film? Yes, I had! My criteria for excellence is quite simply entertainment value, regardless of the genre (i.e., drama, horror, action, romance, etc.). And yes, there are serious dramas that are quite frankly NOT entertaining, and therefore NOT good movies, regardless of how many awards the "official critics" want to give them. In like manner, there are actioners that are VERY entertaining, and therefore VERY good movies, regardless of how negatively the "official critics" want to rate them. Keeping this in mind, So Close is simply BURSTING with entertainment value.First of all, the action sequences are very well done, and are highlighted by the final infiltration of a corporate high-rise, which ends with an absolutely CLASSIC three-way swordfight. The choreography (both gunplay and swordplay) is phenomenal, and puts the vast majority of actioners to shame. It is admitted that this film focuses more on finesse than the power and brutality of Hong Kong films released in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This is actually a good thing when one considers the originality of the movements and the length of the scenes themselves, which greatly exceed most of the action sequences in previous (and subsequently released) movies. The stylish protagonists use a treasure chest of items – satellite imagery, high-frequency earrings, guns, wall-piercing high heels, miniature grappling hooks, swords, decoy programs, bamboo sticks, etc. – in a wide variety of ways to eliminate the antagonists. The sheer diversity that is showcased in this film is enough to overpower three typical action films put together. Finally, it is a delight to experience action sequences where the characters actually DO something, instead of making theatre poses and shooting little glowing balls at each other (as in Storm Riders and A Man Called Hero). It is also a delight to see carefully choreographed movements, instead of slide-shows with chaotic camera-work that makes the scenes completely impossible to follow (as in Ashes of Time).One important point to be made is that this film contributes characters that are LOVABLE. Regardless of who is present on screen (Zhao, Karen, Shu, or Yasuaki), it is an enjoyable experience. This adds significant entertainment value for scenes shown in-between fights, and therefore enables So Close to avoid the incessant boredom that most actioners inflict upon their viewers.In fact, So Close BLOWS AWAY virtually every other Chinese action movie from the apparent "Golden Age" era of the 1980s and 1990s (with the exception of a limited few, which include Hard Boiled, Fist of Legend, and She Shoots Straight). I almost feel sorry for anyone who is willing to cite movies like Yes Madam, Royal Warriors, In the Line of Duty 3, Women on the Run, Naked Killer, or The Big Heat – none of which can hold a candle to So Close (in terms of action, characters, or sheer entertainment value).Was this film so groundbreaking that it single-handedly opened the flood gates to an entirely new realm of cinema for me to explore? Is So Close the primary reason that I have thusfar viewed over 900 Chinese, Japanese, and Korean movies over the few years and have added over 300 more in my online rental queue? Yes, it was! Rating = 5/5 stars
jigger hovic
HK has always been able to produce quality movies. Chicks kicking the ass out of guys is just always a great ride. You see these 3 hot girls, who are smooth and graceful.The action is unbelievable. It's what you expect from HK, but it still bothers me that the glass cgi are visible fake. The acting is solid, but after all u don't need Oscar type of acting in these kind of film. I found Shu Qi to be the most sexy and captured the best performance. The others where great too.SPOILERS AHEADThere are only 2 things i didn't like: 1. Shu Qi death 2. Some bad CGI and simple plotEND SPOILERSOtherwise this is a great film to watch. It's sometimes funny, it has some h'wood type of drama, and of course it has HK action. So it's very very very Sexy, Action-packed, and entertaining.8/10 Because of the 2 things i disliked
