Reviewed by: STSH Date: 10/30/2010 Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: mrblue Date: 02/28/2006 With more than a little inspiration from De Palma's The Untouchables, David Lai's Tian Di is a violent period crime film that stars Andy Lau as a special government investigator who is sent to Shanghai to stomp the rampant trading of opium. The big problem is that everyone, including the local police force, seems to be under the thumb of the city's biggest crime boss (Damian Lau). Taking along a couple of loyal allies, Andy sets out to clean out Shanghai, and begins to find some success, only to soon learn that he might lose everything he holds dear in the process. Frankly, for about the first hour or so, Tian Di is a pretty boring movie. Characters are introduced and conflicts are set up, but nothing much seems to happen. One gets the sense that this movie was rushed through production to capitalize on Andy Lau's growing popularity. Seeing as how Tian Di came from Wong Jing's Jin Productions studio, which was cranking out several films a month at this point in time, "rushed" probably isn't strong enough of a word. It feels like the first or second take was used for a lot of the scenes. The script uses a lot of cliches and the acting is downright wooden at points, especially when Andy is supposed to be getting fired up or feeling sad -- he keeps the same expression on his mug throughout the movie. And there's little panache in the camerawork or editing; the film-makers go to the Woo-inspired slow-motion too many times to try and spice things up. However, during the last half-hour, action director Yuen Tak seems to have totally taken over the production, and the action quotient goes through the roof. It's nothing on the level of classics of the heroic bloodshed genre -- in fact, it veers dangeorusly close to the point of cheesiness in parts, since the bad guys can't hit anything with machine guns, and, of course, Andy can take them all out with a single pistol. But there are plenty of flying bullets and splattering blood, which should satisfy the action junkies out there, provided they can wade through the dull exposition first. [review from www.hkfilm.net] Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: MrBooth Date: 03/10/2002 Summary: It's not that bad, cynics! Yes it's true that the script and direction of the movie are not of the highest calibre, but the movie does at least try hard. The time is the 1920's, the place is obviously Shanghai (apparently the only place in China where anything actually happened in the 20's). Andy Lau is an officer sent by the fledgling Nanking government to help the city police clean up the drugs problem. Trouble is, the police *are* the drugs problem - controlling all the traffic and the opium dens in conjunction with the city's top businessman. Attempts to bribe Andy fail, as do attempts to intimidate him. With his (very) small band of faithfuls he decides to wage war on corruption and crime. The movie is mostly shot in the warm golden soft-focus that seems to typify 1920's Shanghai in most director's minds. It looks pretty good, with nice costumes and very effective scenery and props that convincingly evoke the time & place (convincing to me anyway - maybe not to somebody who'd actually been there). Characters here are poorly defined, it's true, and it does lessen the emotional impact that the movie could have had quite considerably. They're clear enough archetypes that you can understand their situation though. Plot and dialogue are not particularly smart or original, but it all makes sense at least. The action scenes are the big pay-off here though... you have to wait for a while to get them, but when it comes there are more bullets fired, things exploded and corpses on the ground than in the whole of John Woo's filmography. The 3 man assault on the drug lords' cavernous hide-out would put most armies to shame, and the Andy vs. entire world showdown in a theatre is very nicely staged. Sure, it's not the world's best movie, but it's certainly not utterly without virtue. Lighten up, fellow reviewers!

Reviewed by: MilesC Date: 12/09/1999 This is a movie that thinks it's a lot better than it actually is. The wish-it-was-artsy direction and pacing just emphasizes the film's weak points, like the fact that the characters are poorly defined and uninteresting. This in turn sabatoges the film's action scenes since the characters are so unsympathetic. The first big shootout is completely out of left-field; after about an hour of a poor "Godfather" or "Untouchables" wannabe, along comes a sequence out of "Armor of God" or "Eastern Condors." The only thing I particularly liked about this movie was when the villian fools Andy by playing dead. If I ever make a movie I'll rip that scene off. Other than that this movie is a pretty predictable snooze. Two stars just because there's a lot of stuff that's that much worse.

Reviewed by: hkcinema Date: 12/08/1999 One of the worst HK films I have had the misfortune to watch. It sets a new low in filmmaking. Hong Kong's credibility as a center of good filmmaking is in mortal danger; the colony's better business bureau should consider filing criminal charges against the producers. As cliche after cliche hits the screen, any suspense or energy is destroyed by the utter predictability of it all. You have seen it all before done much better. It represents a cynical approach to filmmaking, with sadistic and gratuitous violence and characters as shallow as they are unappealing. Technically sloppy and consistently mediocre, even the score is flat and derivative. It is a film without any redeeming qualities. [Reviewed by Anonymous]

Reviewed by: hkcinema Date: 12/08/1999 This is a Chinese riff on the "Untouchables" that might supply thefix that John Woo fans have been missing since he came to the U.S. Stylish, compelling at times, beautifully made, and incredibly, sensationally, ridiculously excessive in the gunfight department. More rounds fired than "Hard Boiled" and a higher body count than all three "Die Hard" films put together. Big. Really big. Starts out with great promise, but then the second half is actually derailed by its over- the-topness. If you loved "Hard Boiled" then you'll probably love this one. Put director David Lai in your Rolodex where you used to keep John Woo's name. If you like your story to keep one toe in reality, you might be somewhat disappointed. Cinematography, locations, and costumes are all exquisite, and 1930 Shanghai is recreated quite convincingly. [Reviewed by Michael Perry]

Reviewed by: spinali Date: 12/08/1999 Summary: NULL Set in the sepia-toned Shanghai of the 1920s, with great production values, this bloody drama stars Andy Lau (who also produced) as Cheng Ye-Peng, sent by the Nanking government to fight the opium trade. Bravely, and maybe a little naively, he actually tries to do his job. To gether with a recovering addict and a nationalist spitfire, they case out the smugglers' mountain headquarters and hijack a huge shipment of drugs; I have never seen so many machine-gun bullets stray so willfully from their mark as they do for Cheng Ye-Peng. The climax in a Shanghai theater is almost as clever and exciting as it is dubious. (2.5/4) [Reviewed by Steve Spinali] Reviewer Score: 6

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