The Bullet Vanishes

Song Donglu is a prison police officer who is very friendly with all the Prisoners and also has a brilliant mind to solve cases. He got promoted as a detective and posted in a town where crimes are high. Donglu team up with a local cop Guo Zhui to solve the case of vanishing bullets. The victims were shot, but the bullets are missing from their body. Like Sherlock Holmes, the logic explanation scenes were very good and also some action scenes that come from nowhere. Apart from this, the film has good sound effects and gorgeous frames. The pace of this mystery movie was constant and visuals tells the remaining things. Both Ching-wan and Tse delivers a stylish performance and loved it. Overall, it's a good investigation movie even though some scenes were inspired from Sherlock Holmes movies.

Hong Kong's answer to SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009). Lo Chi-Leung's THE BULLET VANISHES is a stylish period whodunit blessed with charming two leads (Nicholas Tse and Lau Ching-Wan), clever plotting and impeccable technical areas. Best of all, it's a huge relief that Lo Chi-Leung has finally made his true comeback after his once-prolific directing career took a huge tumble in 2010's CURSE OF THE DESERTED.

Set in 1920/30s Shanghai, the movie opens with a suspicious death of a young female worker named Yan (Xuxu) of an ammunition factory, who is accused of stealing a bullet by his boss, Ding (Liu Kai-Chi). To prove her innocence, Ding challenges her for a game of Russian roulette. She is unlucky enough to end up dead after she shoots herself into the head.

Meanwhile, Song Donglu (Lau Ching-Wan), a quirky and eccentric prison superintendent who is known for his obsessive investigation method, is summoned by police chief Jin (Wu Gang) to investigate the murder of Chen Qi (Liu Yang), a foreman who has been hit by a bullet that went through his skull and made a dent in the wall. Teaming up with hotshot "fastest gun-in-the-region" detective Guo Zhui (Nicholas Tse), they head over to the ammunition factory where Chen Qi's death took place. Strangely enough, they find no trace of bullets. The workers there claims it must be the work of Yan, who returns as a ghost exacting revenge but Song and Guo figures there must be a less supernatural explanation in their investigation.

Lo Chi-Leung and Yeung Sin-Ling's screenplay surrounding the complicated mystery is especially intriguing and fun to watch for. Elsewhere, there's an intriguing subplot involving Fu Yuan (Jiang Yiyan), an inmate convicted of murdering her husband (Chin Kar-Lok) where Song is trying to learn the truth -- together with an entertaining flashback scene shot in stylized black-and-white silent movie-style. Somewhere in between, director Lo Chi-Leung also inserts a couple of lively action set-pieces especially the final Mexican standoff and the slow-motion explosion sequence.

The cast is top-notch, with Lau Ching-Wan being the best of the bunch. His eccentric performance is always fun to watch for, and his character easily recalls the one he did before in MAD DETECTIVE (2007). Nicholas Tse is charismatic as usual, while Liu Kai-Chi gives a gleefully over-the-top performance as the crooked Ding and Jiang Yiyan is captivating as the icy Fu Yuan.

As for Lo Chi-Leung, his direction oozes with plenty of style and enthusiasm to keep the viewers intrigued throughout the movie. But still, his movie is not without some of the glaring flaws. The pace is slow and draggy in some parts, while the obligatory romance between Guo Zhui and Little Lark (Yang Mi), who plays a fortune teller, feels like an afterthought. Then there's the unexpected twist at the finale. It's a surprise that baffles me, but it also feels unnecessary and also convoluted.

Despite the setbacks, THE BULLET VANISHES remains one of the best Hong Kong movies of the year.

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Its my first review and i actually don't know much about reviewing a movie. But i have to say something about this super thriller movie!

I watched this movie yesterday and what can i say that i am totally surprised. what an awesome movie! I wasn't expecting so much twist in this movie at all! But who knows! People who like Sherlock TV series, i can say this is the movie for them . No matter what your language is! I watched this movie like within a breath! People who like twist & wanna be thrilled , it is the movie for them!

About acting Nicholas Tse & Ching Wan Lau are at their best! Especially Nicholas tse was awesome! Hats off to Chi-Leung Law (director). I am not telling anything about the story . Just watch it & get twisted!

THE production design of The Bullet Vanishes is gorgeous, the actors are commendable, with a little bit of eye candy thrown in, but, unfortunately, the storyline is tedious and has been rehashed a million times.

Detective stories are nothing new and viewers would have seen two Sherlock Holmes movies and thousands of episodes of CSI over the past few years. Even the Russian roulette idea comes from The Deer Hunter.

Also, the pairing of an elderly, more experienced detective with a young handsome hotshot is blasé.

The movie's social critique, about the working class being under the thumb of a tyrannical rich guy, while praiseworthy, is also nothing new.

Two detectives, Song (Lau Ching Wan) and Guo (Nicholas Tse), probe a series of mysterious shooting deaths in a bullet factory in Shanghai in the 1930s. The workers blame this on the ghost of a young female worker wrongly accused of stealing and then killed while being forced to play Russian roulette.

The explanation is too complicated too reveal, but viewers get to visit a morgue headed by a pretty doctor and listen to vague theories on bone and ice bullets.

What about the eye candy, you ask. That comes in the form of China's Yang Mi, 25, who plays Guo's informant girlfriend called Little Lark. Viewers, be prepared for her languorous figure and stunning beauty.

As I said earlier, the sets and lighting are excellent, and credit goes to production designer Silver Cheung. The Silent War, starring Tony Leung and set in post-war China, also boasts terrific production sets and lighting.

As the movie winds down, viewers get to view a Russian roulette face off between the two detectives. I don't know the reason for director Lo Chi-leung using this method for both of them to extract the truth from each other, but it's uncalled for and contrived.

Finally, the flick is about good people doing bad things. Does this include the filmmaker and producers of The Bullet Vanishes?

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I just finished watching this and I was quite impressed. Do yourself a favour and ignore the jaded, critical comments in the 1 or 2 other reviews which are completely unfounded.

I DO though fully agree with all the other 'GOOD' reviews here and their strong praise for this beautiful looking and engaging film! And, when I say 'Beautiful', I mean frigg'n BEAUTIFUL! The Blu-ray that I saw had a picture quality that was so stunning, it virtually leapt off the screen and was VERY 3 dimensional.

And YES it does very much bring to mind Guy Ritchie's recent 'SHERLOCK HOLMES' in the look and with the soundtrack. But, it is NOT as hyper stylized. The Mystery is very involving; the writing, direction, and acting is excellent. YES, the final twist at the end may or may not be completely necessary, but I personally do not think it detracts that much from the story and overall impact of the film.

So, if you DO happen to like Asian Action / Crime films that are sharply executed and very entertaining, not to mention beautiful looking, then you will indeed very much enjoy this movie!