The droll opening, set in a restaurant where the pecking order is rigorously observed, gives way to a complicated but uninvolving cat-and-mouse game between the police and rival gangs.
PTU: Police Tactical Unit (2006)
Rated: 15
Runtime: 88 mins
Theatrical Release: 22-06-2007
Synopsis: Johnny To (FULLTIME KILLER) directs this Hong Kong action film noir that takes place one dangerous night on the streets where the police tactical unit (PTU) are assigned to patrol. With shadowy alleyways, dingy restaurants, and seedy video game arcades setting the scene for the constantly... Johnny To (FULLTIME KILLER) directs this Hong Kong action film noir that takes place one dangerous night on the streets where the police tactical unit (PTU) are assigned to patrol. With shadowy alleyways, dingy restaurants, and seedy video game arcades setting the scene for the constantly violent action, PTU is a street war between police and underground thugs. Sergeant Lo (Lam Suet) cruises on his own, while groups of other police officers scan the streets, beating and brutalizing punk kids who report directly to the major thugs Ponytail, Bald Head, and Eye Ball. Lo's main problem is that he has lost his police-issue handgun and he badly wants it back. He follows any leads available trying to find it, even if it means betraying his fellow officers and making a deal with the thugs. A brutal film that nonetheless has moments of absurd comic relief--Lo slips on a banana peel while in pursuit of punks not once but twice--PTU is another solid contribution to To's entertaining repertoire of Hong Kong action flicks. This movie screened in October 2003 as part of the 41st New York Film Festival organized by the Film Society of Lincoln Center. [More]
Genre: Sports/Recreation
Starring: Lam Suet, Simon Yam, Maggie Shiu, Ruby Wong, Lo Hoi Pang
DVD Info
Release:
Jan 3, 2010
DVD Features:
- Region 1
- Keep Case
- Anamorphic Widescreen
Audio:
- Dolby Digitasl 5.1 - Cantonese, English
- Subtitles - English, Spanish - Optional
Additional Release Material:
- Audio Commentary - 1. Bey Logan - Cinema Expert
- Featurette - 1. INTO THE PERILOUS NIGHT - Interview with Director Johnnie To
- 2. ON THE TRAIL OF THE SMOKING GUN - Interview with Leading Man Simon Yam
- 3. COOL AS A KAT - Interview with Leading Lady Maggie Shui
- Trailers
Reviews
Characterisation, always a hit and miss affair in To's films, is deliberately rather thin. Instead, To and his cinematographer, Cheng Siu Keung, make the greasy, near-abandoned streets of the Hong Kong capital come alive
It's an oddity in some ways, and its brief appearance in cinemas can only be the precursor to a DVD release, which is how it will mostly be seen. It's a smart, sharp piece of work, however big the screen.
Johnny To favours atmosphere above plotting and though it looks tremendous it won't keep you on the edge of your seat
The point of the exercise is really the unfolding of sundry edgy night-time encounters and action set-pieces, each constructed with To’s customary patience, while his vision of Hong Kong after dark exudes an eerie calm that’s cumulatively hypnotic.
A conclusão interessante não compensa os 80 minutos necessários para contar um fiapo de história aborrecida.
...all the moody cinematography in the world can't disguise the inherently dull screenplay...
Fresh situations, haunting long takes, and a final showdown that is much more interesting than anything in Tarantino's Kill Bill make this film ... purely enjoyable.
Mr. To is a master of the game, and his command supplies pleasure, even when there are no surprises.
The characters are all defined by their place in the plot._They don’t come alive organically, but seem distant and abstract.
Has a very promising start and a big, noisy shootout of a finale, but everything in between has been done before and better.
Style doesn't trump substance in Johnny To's quickie circus act PTU because the style is the substance.
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