Jeanskynebu the audience applauded

Merolliv I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Mandeep Tyson The acting in this movie is really good.

winner55 I've read that this has a cult following; I suspect that Yuen Woo Ping has a cult following, members of which are trying very hard to like this film.A few years before this film, Wong Jing (no one's favorite Hong Kong director) did a movie that was part "Die Hard" with kung fu (supplied by the ever-able Jet Li) and part satire on the career of Jackie Chan, "Meltdown". The film actually has some interesting moments, especially the finale, but the violence is too cruelly presented, even for a blood-thirsty old 'fu fan like me. The Chan satire makes the darkness tolerable, but is itself unnecessary.What Yuen Woo Ping has done in "Red Wolf" is given us "Meltdown at Sea". that's about the size of it; except that Yuen has no satire here - no comic elements at all. Which means that, given the raw tension, and the sheer violence of the film, the over-all effect is down-right depressing.I admit, it was so uncomfortable to watch, I couldn't finish the film. I don't know what happens at the end of the film. because the characters were so vapid, even watching them get killed didn't interest me.the stars are for the choreography, which is top-notch of course; but really, I'm sure you can find something more amusing to do; and I wish Yuen Woo Ping had tried.

gridoon "Red Wolf" gets off to a rather shaky start, but once the action kicks in, it is nonstop. The fight scenes are among the best I've ever seen; they are on the level of the rooftop climax of Jackie Chan's "Who Am I?", except they're not limited to one sequence, but they occur every 5 minutes or so. There is also a lot of shooting, and A LOT of shattered glass. But it's not a mindless movie; the characters often have to use their smarts to escape from sticky situations. Kenny Ho is a great fighter, full of intensity and conviction, and he appears to be doing all of his own stunts. Elaine Lui (who plays the BAD girl, NOT the hero's sidekick as others have said) is absolutely dazzling, a goddess of evil. Judging this movie on its own terms, I give it ***1/2 out of 4 stars. Sure, it's an "Under Siege" rip-off, but that's no reason to miss it.

Cactus-5 Nope, this didn't cut it by a long shot. For some reason, we accept a lot of flaws in Hong Kong-movies that we otherwise wouldn't, but there's just so much in this movie that we actually laughed at it quite a few times. The story is boring, the jokes are lame and the action is sometimes clever but mostly just falls flat on illogical actions or bad props. The 5.1 surround sound was anything but surround - the only things I heard in the rear speakers were some weird sound effects (check the drumming sequence for example). So what was good? The video on the Hong Kong Legends UK DVD were fantastic, and the extras section just leave most DVDs way behind. But, deconstructing the cover slogan: "Tense" (ordinarily people shooting people can be intensive but when that's all they do, you tend to not react much after a short while) "and dynamic" (as in "all actors expand their one-dimensional characters by having their one facial expression throughout the movie") "with elements of black humour," (yes, slapstick is VERY dark) "Red Wolf is an unstoppable martial arts showcase" (except for the 80% of the movie where people talk or shoot guns) "in the best tradition of action-master, Yuen Woo-Ping." Well, I'll make sure to never watch one of his movies again.

webhamster Don't expect too much - the action is good, but hongkie buffs have seen it all before. Also, the story is a UNDER SIEGE rip-off (rather than DIE HARD, as mentioned in another review above). If you want me to compare it with others of this kind - I personally prefer HIGH RISK (this! was the DIE HARD rip-off, fella). the webhamster sez 4/10.