the latest batch of hong kong movies that i have viewed cant compare to the old 80's/early 90's HK movies. take 2002 for example. there is an infinetly better movie in the genre called "Magic Cop" which was made in the eighties. it shat all over this average movie. the action was awesome, the comedy was spot on, and the characters were likeable, none of these new breed of long haired, pretty boy actors that are all dark and introspective. one of the most pathetic things about this movie was its attempts to imitate/brazenly rip off the style of the matrix, with its clothing and action scenes. there were so many huge gaps in the plot and the romance elements just slowed the whole movie down to a snail's pace, and they seemed like filler, especially fung's "friendship" with the coma chick. the whole film felt rushed, with little attention paid to the details of the plot, and many basic questions gone unanswered. all in all, a fairly stylish, yet unsatisfying entry into the HK horror/action genre. 5 out of 10.

From director Wilson Yip - famed for his work on the Ip Man movies - comes a film that is nothing like those modern classics, although entertains on a different level altogether. Starring 3 of the Gen-X Cops (Tse, Fung and Lee), this action-horror-comedy has some funny moments that come courtesy of its tongue-in-cheek melodrama, comed situations, and over-the-top action. Its like Men In Black (where they chase ghosts instead of aliens) blended with a Stephen Chow Sing Chi film (albeit a weaker one), with action scenes that reminded me of the classic Saviour Of The Soul...

The comedy element of course was no doubt influenced more so by producer and co-writer Vincent Kok who directed Chow in the hilarious Forbidden City Cop, and helped write the equally hilarious God Of Cookery! This film is no where near as funny as those previous efforts, but it does bring some laughs to the table!

Action choreographer Tony Poon Kin Kwan has been in the business from the early 80's and is behind the action on some absolute crackers from Hong Kong's golden years. In 2002, with the supernatural influence his action is a mix of wire-fu, over-cranking and under-cranking, as well as special effect battles with fire and water. So don't be expecting any martial arts gold, but it still entertains.

While Sam Lee really only has a small part as Tse's ghost friend, its really Nicholas and Stephen who carry the film. As much as I enjoy them (most of the time), they seem almost too young for these roles with their boyish looks and giggles making it unconvincing when it comes to their job. If this had been made in the late 80's or early 90's, the team up of characters played by Tse and Fung would have easily been played by Andy Lau and Chow Sing Chi, respectively. In fact - I'm only sorry it wasn't as I would love to have seen that!

Look, I really enjoy 2002. Its nicely shot and promotes that awesome palette of Hong Kong film night-lighting that I love. It has comedy, it has action, it has fantasy - but it just never seems to reach that wow factor that makes me want to love it... There's nothing really bad about it, but it just seems to keep the same level of entertainment throughout (or less) - gently shifting gears a tad for the final showdown of course.

Overall: Hardly a classic, but 2002 wants to be loved and passes the time in a fun way!