With 2002's The Wall, Marco Mak travels down the well-worn path of a gangster trying to go straight. The film's uninventive script and Mak's workmanlike direction don't break the mold for the genre, but solid performances from Jordan Chan and Patrick Tam end up making this movie still worth a viewing if you're not particularly picky and in the mood for some triad shenanigans.

The wall of the title refers to Pik Uk prison, where Cho (Jordan Chan) has spent the last dozen years after getting nailed with a manslaughter charge. Upon getting released, Cho just wants to live a normal life, but his old friend Dik (Patrick Tam), who is now a top gang leader, has other plans. Cho begins working in one of Dik's restaurants, which turns out to be a front for nefarious activities that attract the attention of a hot-headed policeman, Ming (Simon Lui).

The Wall's story plays out exactly as one might expect, especially if they have seen more than a handful of Hong Kong crime pictures. There's a romantic subplot with Cho and a young lady played by Cherrie Ying complete with slow-motion montages and syrupy Cantopop ballads. There's a bit of comic relief via Chapman To, who plays Cho's bumbling sidekick. And, of course, there's plenty of double-crosses and severed relationships, which results in a bloody finale featuring oversized knives and akimbo handguns where most of the participants don't walk out in one piece.

All of this results in an end product that is the cinematic equivalent of a White Castle cheeseburger -- a bit bland, yet oddly satisfying. Sure, there are probably dozens (if not hundreds) of Hong Kong crime movies that would rank higher up on the celluloid food chain. But if you find this film popping up on cable late at night or nestling near the top of your Netflix queue, there's really no compelling reason that you should take a pass on watching it.

RATING: 6