周處除三害

To those suggesting the film is from mainland China, it's important to clarify that, although I am from mainland China myself, this movie was entirely produced in Taiwan. The title may draw inspiration from a Chinese fable, but the creation is Taiwanese. It's crucial not to misattribute achievements or claim recognition undeservedly. Acknowledging our current position without misleading ourselves is vital. I've observed a significant increase in the quality of Taiwanese TV series and films recently, which meet international standards and indicate a thriving industry. In comparison, the market in mainland China faces different challenges. I greatly respect and admire the Taiwanese film industry for its distinct path and the quality it has achieved.

Wanted criminal Chen Guilin (played by Ruan Jingtian) is at the end of his life, only to find himself ranked third on the wanted list. He is determined to investigate the whereabouts of the top two wanted criminals and eliminate them one by one. Chen Guilin thought that he had become a contemporary elimination of the three evils in the world, but he did not expect that the never-ending greed, anger, and ignorance would be the sin and punishment that one must face in life.

Ruan Jingtian used violence to suppress violence, and Wang Jing made his debut on the mainland's big screen! It's not easy to introduce this movie from mainland China.

A twisted comedy thriller, starring Ethan Ruan as gangster who discovers he is only the 3rd most wanted in Taiwan. Well, that's no legacy, so he quickly plans to eliminate his competitors for the crown. Structurally this film is all over the place, but who cares? I can't remember the last time I had so much fun watching a movie. Played 100% straight, the astonishing comedy comes from the premise itself. No matter how brutally intense the film becomes, it's all hanging off the most ridiculous plot - turning the relentlessly violent proceedings into pure hilarity.

Some terrific performances from Gingle Wang, Yi-wen Chen, Lee-zen Lee and the ever wonderful Peggy Tseng. But this is Ethan's film and he's as compelling as always.

I rarely finished watching most of the Taiwanese movies due to their shallow, childish, naive screenplays, their bad acting with horrible dialogue deliveries in a complete unnatural and fake way of speaking by most of the actors and actresses. This movie, although still inevitably failed to improve the way of speaking the dialogue in Taiwanese Mandarin, at least it's bearable this time.

The cast of the No.1 and No. 2 villains when compared to the No.3, the leading actor who played the protagonist, were neither good enough nor appropriate, not even feasible or realistic. There's no way the No.2 villain, a murderous killer from Hong Kong, most of the time speaking Cantonese, could be so hard to catch. Besides, his physical strength based on his height and weight would not be able to cause so much damages to the protagonist.

The cast of the No.1 Villain is even worse than the No.2, a fragile, skinny con man, who could hide himself on the island and become the preacher and the cult leader. His illegal organization is somewhat copied from the Scientology cult that plagued America. The way he fools and cheats on those naive followers is just too shallow.

The actor who plays the die-hard cop is a great cast. He is also the second worthwhile element that has made this movie feel more humane and realistic.

The watchable value of this movie is completely relied on the leading actor, who indeed performed so believably well. The herb medicine woman cast is not bad, but her Taiwanese Mandarin is still felt a bit forced and unnatural, the formulaic way of speaking by almost all the Taiwanese actors, actresses in movies or in dramas. Their weird and unnatural way of speaking is the fatal weakness of all actors, actresses and even all of those reporters, news anchormen and anchorwomen on TV.

This extremely entertaining Taiwanese neo-noir works both as a pitch-black comedy and as a slick action thriller.

Lone hitman Chen Kui-lin, the film's protagonist, enters the scene with swaggering charisma, murders a gangster, then proceeds to daringly escape from policemen through buildings and rooftops. All of this shot with plenty of energy and bravado. And that's just the first 15-20 minutes of the film.

Soon he learns he's got stage four lung cancer, news that, understandably, put him in a depressive mood. But then he finds out he's only the third most wanted criminal in Taiwan, so he sets out to eliminate his competition before time runs out.

The premise is promising and lets you know you're in for some premium east Asian fatalism. You know that mix of melancholy and unpredictable, extreme violence that permeated the works of, say, Kim Jee-woon or Park Hoon-jung? Couple that with some twisted humor and you've got a winner.

In fact, I've mentioned those directors because this film has distinct two halves, and the first one resembles A Bittersweet Life or Night in Paradise somewhat. Until the second hour, it's a crime thriller with bursts of solid action, polished to a fault. Then it turns into a contemplative drama that reveals the film's more spiritual, reflective side. But surprises are still in store for the viewer.

I love tonally uneven genre films and this one sure fits the bill. Some might not like how it swerves into so many directions before settling down, but I felt like it only added to its charm. Director Wong Ching-Po isn't new to this type of film (if you've seen Revenge: A Love Story, you'll have some indication about how this one turned out), and his script extracts some great performances from the actors. Ethan Juan, as a homicidal protagonist, and Yi-wen Chen, very memorable as a spiritual leader, are standouts.

In all, this is a technically polished, fantastically shot and scored crime thriller which offers more than just surface-level genre pleasures. It's also got a deeply cynical worldview and an aura of eccentricism that work in its favor. Big recommendation.