Silly Hong Kong action thriller transported - for box office reasons - to the South of France.

Rating: 5/10 (14 December 2004)

Given that politics and old age have side-tracked the last generation of action stars a search for new generation must proceed a-pace. Jason Statham was OK in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and a little better in Snatch (both directed by fellow Brit Guy Richie) so he is given the reluctant nod in this action no-brainer.
The fact that he can do stunts helps too (although not all of them, unless he grew more hair while parachuting!) making him more than suitable for this nervous try out. Sadly he can't do the needed American accent to save his life!
JS plays a strange "no questions asked" transporter. The guy charges more than Federal Express, but Federal Express don't allow the transportation of girls in sacks with tape across their mouths. When our hero breaks his own rules and interferes with "the package" all kinds of problems unfold.
What we have here is - in all reality - a Hong Kong pot boiler with a bigger special effects budget. Sadly the script seems to have cost the same as it would down Sweat Shop Avenue and some of the dialogue is truly gut turning and terrible. Clearly the work of people that don't have English as their first language.
However when it moves, it moves well, in a James Bond kind of way. The modern audience might not know it, but the quality of the stunts on display would have probably knocked the 1960's audience on to the cinema floor. How times have moved on!
This product has nothing further to report on other than the fact that Taiwanese female lead - Oi Shu - is sexy beyond belief. Although the tape across her mouth does constitute something of an improvement...