This movie is marketed as a movie that make the average Joe (especially if you were a Hong Kong citizen) "feel good". I'd say, to a certain extent, mission accomplished ... but with lots and lots of flaws.
It's ironic the protaganist, Dayo Wang's character talks about "Common sense" in the court scenes in this movie, because common sense is exactly what this movie really lacks. A good story should have surprises and twists, that much is true, but the twists gotta be within the boundaries defined by common sense and logic. That is, unfortunately, where this movie fails.
It tries SO HARD to create a rich vs poor contrast. And how the rich can literally run the table even in the courthose, to a point all the common sense gets thrown out of the window. But you have to remember, at the end of the day, the entire movie is based on a court case, and the courthouse has rules and governance. How can the prosecutor just flat out asks questions that accuses his own witness? Why would the judge allow the laywers to freely give a 5 min monologue of their own sentiments unrelated to the case? Why is there no order in court?
And the case has plenty of holes in it too, common sense is twisted, basic logic is bent, just to create this big contrast between the rich and powerful vs the poor and helpless. The rich use their political power to keep Dayo Wong in police custody, and then at 11th hour he just gave up the name of the PI and the police would let him go? Really? That's it?
The movie has the right intentions, it rallys the emotion of the average Joe's in the society who feel so powerless vs. The rich in Hong Kong. It sure has its moments too. Yet at the end of the day, the foundation which the movie tension is built upon is simply way too fictious, it ignores defined court and society laws and procedures, it just feels forced and childish.
It's ironic the protaganist, Dayo Wang's character talks about "Common sense" in the court scenes in this movie, because common sense is exactly what this movie really lacks. A good story should have surprises and twists, that much is true, but the twists gotta be within the boundaries defined by common sense and logic. That is, unfortunately, where this movie fails.
It tries SO HARD to create a rich vs poor contrast. And how the rich can literally run the table even in the courthose, to a point all the common sense gets thrown out of the window. But you have to remember, at the end of the day, the entire movie is based on a court case, and the courthouse has rules and governance. How can the prosecutor just flat out asks questions that accuses his own witness? Why would the judge allow the laywers to freely give a 5 min monologue of their own sentiments unrelated to the case? Why is there no order in court?
And the case has plenty of holes in it too, common sense is twisted, basic logic is bent, just to create this big contrast between the rich and powerful vs the poor and helpless. The rich use their political power to keep Dayo Wong in police custody, and then at 11th hour he just gave up the name of the PI and the police would let him go? Really? That's it?
The movie has the right intentions, it rallys the emotion of the average Joe's in the society who feel so powerless vs. The rich in Hong Kong. It sure has its moments too. Yet at the end of the day, the foundation which the movie tension is built upon is simply way too fictious, it ignores defined court and society laws and procedures, it just feels forced and childish.