Summary
A drug cartel boss who is arrested in a raid is coerced into betraying his former accomplices as part of an undercover operation.
A drug cartel boss who is arrested in a raid is coerced into betraying his former accomplices as part of an undercover operation.
In his native Hong Kong, Johnnie To has earned the respect accorded a godfather of the crime genre. Over here, his gangster films tend to receive more under-the-radar releases, but they are always worth seeking out - and the compelling Drug War is no exception. The action is set on the Chinese mainland, where dogged narcotics squad captain Zhang (Sun Honglei) apprehends drug lord Timmy Choi (Louis Koo) after his meth lab goes up in smoke. Facing the death sentence, Choi bargains for his life by ratting out his associates just as a major deal is about to go down. The uneasy alliance between cop and crook creates plenty of tension, especially as Choi will seemingly do anything to save his own skin. The director marshals the set pieces with his usual aplomb, while the story rattles along to a devastating final confrontation, and a decidedly chilling pay-off.
role | name |
---|---|
Captain Zhang | Sun Honglei |
Timmy Choi Tin-ming | Louis Koo |
Yang Xiaobei | Huang Yi |
Xu Guoxiang | Gao Yungxiang |
Guo Weijun | Wallace Chung |
Chen Shixong | Li Guangjie |
role | name |
---|---|
Director | Johnnie To |