Despite having a fairly solid cast that includes Alex Fong, Lam Suet, and Eddy Ko Hung, director Wai Tat's one and only feature, 2004's Cop Unbowed, fails to impress by not offering a glimpse of originality or sliver of passion during its' thankfully brief eighty-five minute running time. This is a prime example of cheap cop drama movie-making at it's "finest" that offers really nothing of interest to the viewer.

The plot, lifted straight from dozens of similar productions, centers on Lam (Alex Fong), a man who is framed for the murder of a crime boss' (Eddy Ko Hung) wife. Fleeing to the country with his girlfriend Kelly (Yoyo Mung), Lam starts a new life as a cafe owner. But his past won't let him go easily.

If you don't know how this is going to go, then please pass me some of whatever you're on. Maybe that would have made sitting through this snoozer more entertaining. But then again, perhaps no amount of mind-altering substances could make a production like this -- which throws in not one, not two, but three, musical montages into the mix to pad the running time -- truly enjoyable in any fathomable way.

It should be noted that some people out there seemed to enjoy this movie, at least per a few other internet reviews. Some signs point to there being two cuts of the movie, one released to general audiences, and the other censored for Mainland China. Certainly, that theory seems to be at least rooted in legitimacy, since the version I watched (Tai Seng DVD) had some obvious "after-market" editing including hard cuts on some of the more violent bits, beginning and end title cards that seemed tacked on, and a couple of scenes where dialogue was obviously (and badly) overdubbed.

But, really, unless we're talking about absent footage on the level of the missing reel from The Magnificent Ambersons, I don't truly think much would change about Cop Unbowed no matter which version you watch. This is the sort of production where it looks and feels like everybody involved just mailed things in, and not worth your time.

RATING: 3