ON THE RUN is a surprisingly serious and excellent slice of film noir from Hong Kong. With Yuen Biao in the lead role you'd expect this to be a kick-backside slice of action filmmaking such as ABOVE THE LAW, but in fact it's intensely serious and more of a character study than an action flick. In fact, there's just one stunt and one big fight scene, but on the other hand the film is seriously violent with a lot of graphic and surprising moments. I had a ball with it, thanks to the straight, great performances from a cast doing justice to their roles, and the fast pace which never hangs around to draw breath. In some ways it feels like a classic 'wronged man' movie from the 1950s, except with more intensity and bloodshed. Charlie Chin is particularly convincing in his transition from romantic role in MY LUCKY STARS to sleazy villain in this, and who can resist the trio of Lo Lieh, Phillip Ko and Yuen Wah?
Review of On the Run
