Michiko Nishiwaki, in a rare good-girl role, is a policewoman who, along with her they-always-argue-but-deep-down-inside-they-like-each-other male partner, are after a gang of vicious bank robbers. "Big Circle Blues" is a wrongheaded "action" (actually, indiscriminate violence would be a more accurate description) movie, in which the top "star", Nishiwaki, has a secondary role; the film tries - and fails - to build sympathy for the criminal gang, despite the fact that they're not just bank robbers, they're also mass murderers (and rapists). The gang has a female member, played by musclewoman Gwai Fa To, and the prospect of her fighting one-on-one against the equally muscular Nishiwaki sounds mouth-watering; they do have three scraps, but they're brief, nothing special in quality, and they're likely to leave you wondering "that's it?". Also, both women are overdressed. This film will disappoint any of their fans. * out of 4.
2 Reviews
Big Circle Blues (1992)
horseboxingkiller23 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The dangerous and trigger-happy 'Chuan Gang' rob a jewellery store in Hong Kong and manage to flee to Taiwan in the hope of selling the goods to a triad boss, Mr. Young (Siu Yuk-Lung).
Young, showing disdain for the gang, severely short changes them on the jewellery deal by taking advantage of their naivety and lack of knowledge in fencing stolen goods. They decide to even the score by hitting Young's various illegal operations which sends the gang into hiding to recuperate and plan their next move.
Meanwhile, a local Taiwan cop, Wai (Mark Cheng) reluctantly teams up with a female officer, Show Yun (Michiko Nishiwaki), who has been sent from Hong Kong to assist with taking down the gang. They are given a deadline of one week to bring the crooks to justice. Pressure begins to mount on the gang as both the underworld and the law begin to close in on them.
Most people who hunt this film down will probably be fans of Michiko Nishiwaki, hoping that her top-billing equates to some quality screen time and bone-crunching girls with guns mayhem. Not so! Unfortunately, the character of Show Yun is quite poorly developed, as is Mark Cheng's, and the pair spend the bulk of their screen time together squabbling and trading insults.
Instead, director Chow Cheung, who also helmed the nasty CATIII Horrible High Heels (1996), chooses to concentrate squarely on the Chuan Gang, providing them with some backstory to add slightly more depth to the bad guys than usual. However, a flashback montage of the gang playing on some swings accompanied by a sappy Mandarin ballad was definitely unwelcome and well out of synch with the overall tone of the film!
The always imposing Tu Kuei-Hua plays the female baddie in the gang and, good news for girls with guns fans, she gets to face off with Michiko Nishiwaki in three brief but quality confrontations.
The Category 3 rating is most likely earned for the bloody shootouts (some headshots), a home invasion (mostly off-screen), a child is killed (also off-screen) but maybe also because the director appears to be trying to elicit some form of sympathy from the viewer for the gang, who are essentially rapists, child killers and thieves! And, considering the amount of time invested in the gang, I would argue that the finale is a little anti-climactic and over all too quickly.
I give this a mild recommendation for fans that enjoy the cheaper side of Taiwan/HK triad action cinema. If you lower your expectations, and can forgive the fact that Michiko Nishiwaki is badly under-used, Big Circle Blues is certainly worth a look, though not a highlight of the genre.
Note: Mandarin should be the more natural audio track of choice considering the largely Taiwanese cast. Compared to the relatively flat Cantonese soundtrack, the Mandarin track also contains some more dynamic music cues.
2.5 out of 5
Review source: Universe Laser & Video, Laserdisc (Hong Kong) (Mandarin language with English subtitles)
Young, showing disdain for the gang, severely short changes them on the jewellery deal by taking advantage of their naivety and lack of knowledge in fencing stolen goods. They decide to even the score by hitting Young's various illegal operations which sends the gang into hiding to recuperate and plan their next move.
Meanwhile, a local Taiwan cop, Wai (Mark Cheng) reluctantly teams up with a female officer, Show Yun (Michiko Nishiwaki), who has been sent from Hong Kong to assist with taking down the gang. They are given a deadline of one week to bring the crooks to justice. Pressure begins to mount on the gang as both the underworld and the law begin to close in on them.
Most people who hunt this film down will probably be fans of Michiko Nishiwaki, hoping that her top-billing equates to some quality screen time and bone-crunching girls with guns mayhem. Not so! Unfortunately, the character of Show Yun is quite poorly developed, as is Mark Cheng's, and the pair spend the bulk of their screen time together squabbling and trading insults.
Instead, director Chow Cheung, who also helmed the nasty CATIII Horrible High Heels (1996), chooses to concentrate squarely on the Chuan Gang, providing them with some backstory to add slightly more depth to the bad guys than usual. However, a flashback montage of the gang playing on some swings accompanied by a sappy Mandarin ballad was definitely unwelcome and well out of synch with the overall tone of the film!
The always imposing Tu Kuei-Hua plays the female baddie in the gang and, good news for girls with guns fans, she gets to face off with Michiko Nishiwaki in three brief but quality confrontations.
The Category 3 rating is most likely earned for the bloody shootouts (some headshots), a home invasion (mostly off-screen), a child is killed (also off-screen) but maybe also because the director appears to be trying to elicit some form of sympathy from the viewer for the gang, who are essentially rapists, child killers and thieves! And, considering the amount of time invested in the gang, I would argue that the finale is a little anti-climactic and over all too quickly.
I give this a mild recommendation for fans that enjoy the cheaper side of Taiwan/HK triad action cinema. If you lower your expectations, and can forgive the fact that Michiko Nishiwaki is badly under-used, Big Circle Blues is certainly worth a look, though not a highlight of the genre.
Note: Mandarin should be the more natural audio track of choice considering the largely Taiwanese cast. Compared to the relatively flat Cantonese soundtrack, the Mandarin track also contains some more dynamic music cues.
2.5 out of 5
Review source: Universe Laser & Video, Laserdisc (Hong Kong) (Mandarin language with English subtitles)
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