Reviewed by: mrblue Date: 09/19/2003 A series of bizarre murders on some Hong Kong's top crime bosses (committed by a loner played by Patrick Tam) attracts the public's attention as they are put into a newspaper serial written by Jordan Chan. Detective Sunny Chan is put on the case and tries to use the writer to his advantage by drawing the killer into a trap. Like a lot of Milkyway's films, this one has a sense of quirk to it. Though it is not over the top like some other Milkyway films -- it's almost like a Quentin Tarantino movie on quaaludes. And that may be why some viewers may be put off by this movie. It's pretty slow paced and deliberate about its' business. We're not talking Wong Kar-Wai slow here, but compared to some other recent Hong Kong movies, it seems kind of sedate. Not that I am complaining much. I enjoyed watching the story of the three characters, both individually, and then together as the film draws to its' close. The script is smart with few cliches -- a nice break from the deluge of crap scripts in movies from both sides of the ocean -- and the cast's performances help things move along. Jordan Chan takes a nice break from his usual hot-headed characters, and Sunny Chan (known for roughies like Cheap Killers) suprises as the warm-hearted and compassionate cop. Patrick Tam also crates a nice minimalist performance. He's given the fewest lines to work with, but we seem to get to know him the best out of the three main characters. I also liked the way camera tricks were occasionally thrown into the mix. It was done enough to be interesting, but unlike many other recent movies trying too hard to be cool, it never went into overkill. All in all, Comeuppance is an interesting take on a crime movie that's worth a look if you want to check out something a bit different.

Reviewed by: Inner Strength Date: 03/02/2003 1.5/5 Reviewer Score: 3

Reviewed by: Dyogenez Date: 05/06/2002 Summary: A little twist This is one of my favorite Hk movies out there. Hak is a simple newspaper reporter who writes mystery stories. These stories start to come to life when Sung starts to carry out these murders on Mob bosses. Micheal, the chief police cop on the case, plays an upbeat cop who follows the case. At times he seems almost omnicient. What stands out in this story is the relationship between these 3 characters who have never met, but all share many of the same feelings and come extremely close to meeting left and right. Saying much more would start to give away too much of the story, but I would definetely recommend it as a more of a police mystery than an action film. Definetely one of my favorites. 9.5/10 Reviewer Score: 9

Reviewed by: Sydneyguy Date: 10/17/2001 Summary: a weird little movie When i finished watching this, i was not too sure what to think!! It did entertain and it was interesting, even though you know what was going to happen, but HOW it was going to happen was the fun part. I dont know what else to say about this movie!! Just watch it for yourself 8/10 Reviewer Score: 8

Reviewed by: magic-8 Date: 03/07/2001 Summary: Good Serial Killer Story Ends Up Flat "Comeuppance" is a movie about a serial killer that is presented in a very understated manner that unfolds slowly, but surely. At first glance, the film seems like any other triad-gangster flick, as Sunny Chan, playing a cop, investigates the murder of a triad member. The deliberately paced presentation hooks you once you realize that something more than the typical triad murder has taken place. The story centers on Patrick Tam, who plays the serial killer. He begins his killing almost innocently. Patrick slowly develops a killing style, using poison as his weapon of choice. Jordan Chan is the reporter, who is writing a newspaper column, serializing the murders. The killer and the reporter build a relationship through his column. Jordan Chan reports/hypothesizes how the killer did his evil deed, while also listing the next possible victim. The killer, in turn, takes some of the information from Chan's newspaper article to commit his next murder. The detective, Sunny Chan, finds the connection between the reporter and the killer and takes action. The first half of "Comeuppance" is compelling and well played in its low-keyed tone of storytelling. The second half doesn't really go anywhere. For example, Patrick Tam's character, Sung, is never really fully defined. Although he has a great deal of screen time, Tam only has about a half dozen spoken lines in the entire film, so you don't get a good sense of his motivation to kill. Only suggestions are presented for his killing spree. The ending of the film felt totally false, as a happy ending seemed to be tacked on. Derek Chiu's direction went from understated to flat. What was refreshing in the beginning turned tired and limp in the end. Chiu, thankfully, didn't use any over-exaggerated camera movement or editing, relying more on the actors to flesh out the story, but this is where the problems pop up. The filmmakers assume that audiences will accept that only evil or bad people (triad members) are killed, so it is all right to commit murder. This was the easy way out of a sticky situation, and not very satisfying. The moral implications are never really addressed. The audience has to swallow the over simplification of the serial killer's lack of motive, causing the viewer to suspend his/her disbelief all the way to the end, which can be quite a challenge. The actors did a good job with what was essentially a screenplay in need of some fine tuning. Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: MilesC Date: 03/03/2001 Summary: Original, surprising, offbeat. What a nice surprise! Tacked on the end of the year like an afterthought and, without an easy selling point, bound to be overlooked by most with all the noisy, stupid movies released at Christmas time, Comeuppance is not one to miss. Patrick Tam is a normal guy... Who one day poisons a triad boss and his entourage, and finds it rather satisfying. Jordan Chan steals ideas from the actual case for his newspaper serial... But then the ideas he makes up himself start to be carried out in real life. Who, then, is the real killer? Derek Chiu has come up with a very intriguing movie with what must've been a fairly minimal budget; other than renting out a handful of business locations, there's little other than film and actors that would've cost much money. The appeal isn't in bloody gun-battles and massive CGI explosions; it's in the stories unpredicatability and originality. Chiu presents what feels like an alternate reality; the movie reminds me of the way I feel after staying awake for 36 hours, the entire world seeming to be shifted slightly off-kilter. From the three triads who use three consecutive urinals and chat loudly (guys know what I'm talking about) to the scenes shot through Jordan Chan's glass desk, barely a scene in the movie feels quite "right." The pace could perhaps have been sped up a bit; just enough to make the movie 5-10 minutes shorter, as it starts to ramble towards the end. Still, Comeuppance is easily recommendable for those looking for something different. I really can't think of another Hong Kong movie like it. Derek Chiu's name has consequently one up several notches in my consciousness.

Reviewed by: Chuma Date: 02/23/2001 Summary: Beware the killer donut! A notorious triad boss named King and two of his henchmen are found dead in a bar from poisoning. The police can't seme to work out who did it. Michael is assigned to the case to try and track down the killer. The editor of a major daily newspaper wants to cover the story, but he also needs someone to write a serial for the paper. A journalist called Hak volunteers his services and he decides to base his serial on the poisonings and calls the story 'Kings of the Underworld'. The serial proves very popular, especially with the triad bosses it is about. While covering King's funeral, Hak is assaulted by a triad boss called Po, who Hak says will get his 'comeuppance'. He is right, not long after he publishes his article, Po is poisoned in a restaurant by the killer (a mild-mannered photolab technician called Sung). This latest killing sparks the interest of a triad boss called Sepik who invites Hak around for dinner and says he likes his serial in the newspaper. Almost the next day there is an attempt on Sepik's life. This freaks Hak out, who out of desperation says he will get the killer in his serial to use a donut as his weapon next time. The very next week, two men from Sepik's gang are killed by poison donuts. Hak spins out and is questioned by Michael at the station. I'll let you see the rest for yourself, but it gets fairly busy towards the end. This is a rare crime story that actually manages some humour effectively. The performances of Hak and Sung stand out along with some moments from Michael. I would recommend this movie to people who like crime films, but with a twist. Rating : 9/10