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馬路英雄 (1991)
Off Track


Reviewed by: mrblue
Date: 11/01/2005

In Off Track, Jacky Cheung plays a Triad boss and champion street racer who manages to stay on top of his game even though his dad (Wu Ma) is a cop. An unknown racer (Max Mok) challenges him and almost wins, which begins to damage his street cred. Things only get worse when Jacky's sister (Loletta Lee) begins falling for Max. Jacky becomes obsessed with proving to his followers that he is still the best, and his quest for revenge begins to harm all those around him.

Even though the whole street racing thing isn't (or rather, wasn't) anything new in HK films -- they've been digging on them for years, whereas the gimmick has just caught on the States with the popularity of The Fast and the Furious -- Off Track still manages to present a fairly enjoyable take on the tried and true Triad genre (which is saying a lot, considering how many films of the type have and still do come out). Even though the plot is pretty straight-forward, there are enough twists and turns to keep the viewer interested. It probably says a lot that the script of some obscure low-budget film like this is more well put together than most of HK's (and, for that matter, the US) output nowadays.

The smart script is helped along by solid performances by the cast. No one involved is really considered a great actor by any stretch of the imagination, but they do well and make their characters believeable. Again, it's saying something fairly bad about the state of HK movies nowadays when Max Mok (a HK B-list actor if there was ever one) does a better job than a lot of the top "actors" stinking up screens in HK lately.

So why doesn't Off Track warrant a better score? For how good it is, Off Track is ultimately the same old kind of thing all over again. Sure, the street races (which are pretty well done besides some really obvious undercranking in parts) add a bit of spice, but this is your usual Triad stuff all the way, right down to the syrupy ballads when characters die. Also, the movie's low budget is very apparent; it looks very stiff and dull in parts. Still, if you're a fan of the genre or Jacky Cheung, you'll probably enjoy killing 90 minutes with Off Track.

[review from www.hkfilm.net]


Reviewed by: ButterflyMurders
Date: 06/08/2002
Summary: Vroom Vroom

Make and model:

Jacky Cheung is a car racer who has some serious issues with his widowed father, Wu Ma. Part of their problems stem from Jacky's illegal activities and Wu Ma's occupation as a police officer. When a hot-shot driver, Max Mok, appears on the scene Jacky isn't impressed by the extra competition. He is less impressed when his younger sister, Loletta Lee, falls in love with him. Throw in conflicts with triads, stir well, and let simmer.

Specifications:

Eww, a melodrama. Actually, the film wasn't bad for the first three-quarters, with some nice race scenes. The acting wasn't bad either-Jacky Cheung and Max Mok are always good, and Wu Ma was quite entertaining as the pissed-off father, but then of course the makers of the film decided that some characters will have to martyr themselves. Wu Ma's death in a head-on car collison could have had some resonance (car/car racing/collison/death, you get the idea), if it wasn't done in such an over-wrought, TV soapie manner. And then, it just got boring.

That was the main problem I had with this film - it was all so predictable. For instance, the characters themselves. They were all so...TV soapie, and acted just like you would expect them to. You could almost read their personality specs from their appearances. The overly-concerned father, the rebellious but good-hearted son, the young, free-spirited daughter. And the ending was something you could spot from miles away.

Overall, I think my gear is stuck in neutral. 5/10







Reviewed by: jfierro
Date: 12/21/1999

Popular movie about a triad/illegal road racer (Jacky Cheung) whois under constant pressure from his father and girlfriend to change his ways. What's worse, his sister (Loletta Lee) has fallen in love with his main rival (Mok Siu-Chung). As with many movies from this period, the plot is way too melodramatic, but the Romeo and Juliet subplot is enjoyable enough.