In the summer season, it is traditional for the Hollywood studios to release their action blockbusters. China has a similar tradition where all the HK studios release their big budget blockbusters around the Chinese New Year holiday. One of the biggest HK action films of 2000 was TOKYO RAIDERS. The movie is produced by Raymond Chow’s Golden Harvest, and directed by former cinematographer Jingle Ma, who also handled the successful HK films, HOT WAR and FLY ME TO POLARIS. TOKYO RAIDERS has the novelty of being a Hong Kong action film that does not take place in Hong Kong. This angle translated to a successful Hong Kong box office, and the film was quickly snapped up by Columbia Tristar, who had finally run out of Jackie Chan films to release. Columbia Tristar wisely skipped a theatrical release and opted instead to release it direct to video (perhaps still smarting from G2K?). The DVD contains the uncut version of TOKYO RAIDERS along with English and Cantonese soundtracks.

Macy (Kelly Chan) is left stranded at the altar by her boyfriend, Takahashi (Nakamura Toru), who has ties to the Yakuza. She is heartbroken and humiliated, and goes to Takahashi’s empty HK apartment where she discovers he has left China and gone to Japan. In the apartment, she meets Tommy (Ekin Cheng), a martial arts body guard pretending to be an interior designer (a combination you see only in HK action films). Tommy tells Macy that her boyfriend owes him a huge amount of money. When Macy says she is going to Tokyo to look for Takahashi, Tommy invites himself along to collect the money owed him (although he is really along to protect her). Once arriving in Tokyo, they head to Takahashi’s apartment, only to find it is as vacant as his HK one. They meet a bunch of Yakuza members in the apartment building, who immediately begin to assault Macy and Tommy. Tommy uses his martial arts skills to fight off the Yakuza members and escape the building. Once outside, Macy and Tommy are met by a group of Japanese femme fatales, who work for a private investigator, Lenny (Tony Leung). He informs them that Takahashi is involved in a love affair with the head gangster’s wife. Thus, Macy is now the target of the Yakuza, who want to use her to get to her former boyfriend. But all is not what it seems--the entire situation is a front for a scheme involving counterfeit money, the C.I.A., and the Yakuza.

Modern Hong Kong cinema becomes increasingly like its shallow Hollywood counterparts, and TOKYO RAIDERS is no different. Beneath the glittering surface of TOKYO RAIDERS, lies a very hollow piece of cinema devoid of any emotion, characterization, or depth. It’s a classic example of style over substance. One of the things that drew me to Hong Kong cinema during the New Wave, was that it was so different than Hollywood standards on all levels. But now modern Hong Kong films (except for the faces) have become virtually indistinguishable from Hollywood fluff. TOKYO RAIDERS suffers from the same flaws that plague American films, namely a weak and formulaic script. While TOKYO RAIDERS has its share of twists and turns, the film just listlessly reveals revelation after revelation, without ever truly going anywhere with it. It’s as if the screenwriters (Felix Chong and Susan Chan) were just making this stuff up as they went along, without ever thinking about the circumstances surrounding these characters. The conspiracy theory within TOKYO RAIDERS is patchworked together with a decidedly rushed feel.

TOKYO RAIDERS also suffers from an identity crisis. There is comedy in the film, but it is not a spoof. There are elements of espionage in the plot, but this is nothing like a James Bond film. It tries to be a suspense thriller, but director Jingle Ma is no Brian Depalma. Jingle Ma has a flashy visual style that is as glossy as the faces of the cast members. The high-tech neon landscape that is Tokyo is captured on film by Ma with fashion-magazine precision. But Ma employs lots of annoying MTV-style start and stop editing effects and slow motion. Even the action scenes are blandly staged, and will surely bore anyone except maybe newcomers of HK cinema. The boat chase scene at the conclusion is a real let down, and creates no excitement or tension. The only refreshing aspect of the action sequences in TOKYO RAIDERS is that they play out in Japanese locations instead of the streets of Hong Kong. While his cinematography looks good, Ma lacks any sort of cinematic emotion. For instance, the sequences showing the leads in peril, generate absolutely no sense of tension or suspense. Michelle Yeoh would always allow herself to get involved with a stunt, thus allowing a sense of involvement with the audience. But the new breed of glossy HK stars like Kelly Chen cannot match this intensity.

The cast fares much better than the script. Being the only true experienced actor, Tony Leung carries the film with his prissy portrayal of the suave super spy (who is also adept at Kung Fu). Tony brings his usual charm, wit, and timing to the role. Ekin (THE STORM RIDERS) Chung is actually tolerable as Tommy, who is both tough and goofy, without being stern or macho. Kelly (HOT WAR) Chan sure is a looker, but she’s got a limited range. Her unengaging performance is the weakest link of the cast. She’s young; perhaps she’ll mature into a decent actress someday. The Japanese portion of the cast are also good, including the actresses who play the parts of Tony’s henchwomen. Toru (GEN X-COPS) Nakamura is enigmatic as the heartbreaker with a secret, Takahashi. Bad guy specialist Hiroshi (YAMATO TAKERU) Abe is perfectly vile as the lead villain, Ito.

The only extra is a making-of featurette (the same one that was on the HK import discs). Only now the disc has English subtitles to keep up with the behind the scenes interviews with Jingle Ma and the cast members. There is no trailer on this disc.

-  Tony M