Beast Stalker Movie Review

A long wanted criminal Cheung Yat-tung (Keung Ho-Man), who have been eluding the dragnet, was spotted by Sergeant Tong Fei and was given a chase in a car. There were gunshots and in the melee the criminal got in a traffic accident which threw him in a coma.

Meanwhile the indiscriminate firing of Tong had crippled a fellow officer and also accidentally killed the eldest daughter of Ann Ko (Zhang Jingchu), who is a public prosecutor. Ann Ko, has no other kin but her only younger daughter Ling whom  she  had to shower with all her unbridled love. The Sergeant eventually succumbs to moral guilt.

After three months, Cheung wakes from his coma. His awakening provokes Ann to seek reparation, and files for immediate court trial. Cheung’s accomplice Hung King ,a professional killer, tries to rescue him by kidnapping Ann’s  daughter Ling and demands dropping of all legal charges against Cheung for returning Ling. However Sergeant Tong fails miserably to stop the kidnapping or in rescuing her. Besides, Ann was also warned against going to the police, failing which, Ling will be killed.

Tong, to atone for his past mistakes, seeks the help of a colleague Master Sun, who helps him to locate the hideout of King’s. But to pin-point his den the clue is in Ann’s cell phone. Her hatred for Tong’s killing of her daughter though accidental, prompted her to close doors against him. Tong was forced to seek help from his colleagues though he was not in good terms with. Meanwhile, Prosecutor Ann, steals the case files of Cheung, rendering prosecution difficult and in an attempt to save daughter Ling. All of them have committed offences.

Actor Nicholas Tse who rose to stardom from the famous movie Invisible Target and also Connected, is now enrolled as a cop with a conscience. Donning the role of Sergeant Tong Fei, he amply portrays the emotions of a failed cop, who wounds his colleagues and kills a promising girl of a public servant.

Even when he neared the hide out of the kidnapper, he could not locate the whereabouts and misses both his twin target of arresting the culprit or stopping the kidnapping itself.

The scene of the traffic accident is well captured for the portrayal of the incidents of coma, wounding, killing and eventually kidnapping. Nectar in a sieve- as everyone’s efforts has gone bust, of the prosecutor,cop,colleagues.

The plot of kidnapping, missed targets, chasing may seem stereotyped, but the emotions brought forth by the established cast such as Nicholas Tse, Nick Cheung, Zhang Jing Chu, Liu Kai-Chi, Sherman Chung, Miao Pu is worth mentioning.

The shadow of “Connected” by the same proudcer lingers with mobile phone and kidnapping being the main plot. Despite that, the addiitonal element of cat and mouse between the main hero and villain is played out with more depth here.

One of the main strength of this film is the production as the music scores and visuals of Beast Stalker are a treat to the eyes and ears of the audience. Beast Stalker has all the important element of the classic Hong Kong action flicks, with over the top action and clever plots to tie it together. The film runs for one hour and fifty minutes but you feel like it would have been better with 20 minutes cut off. As it is, the overly dragged out drama in certain portions which make this film less tight packed is one of it’s flaws.

A long wanted criminal Cheung Yat-tung (Keung Ho-Man), who have been eluding the dragnet, was spotted by Sergeant Tong Fei and was given a chase in a car. There were gunshots and in the melee the criminal got in a traffic accident which threw him in a coma.

Meanwhile the indiscriminate firing of Tong had crippled a fellow officer and also accidentally killed the eldest daughter of Ann Ko (Zhang Jingchu), who is a public prosecutor. Ann Ko, has no other kin but her only younger daughter Ling whom  she  had to shower with all her unbridled love. The Sergeant eventually succumbs to moral guilt.

After three months, Cheung wakes from his coma. His awakening provokes Ann to seek reparation, and files for immediate court trial. Cheung’s accomplice Hung King ,a professional killer, tries to rescue him by kidnapping Ann’s  daughter Ling and demands dropping of all legal charges against Cheung for returning Ling.

Sergeant Tong fails miserably to stop the kidnapping or in rescuing her. Besides, Ann was also warned against going to the police, failing which, Ling will be killed. Tong, to atone for his past mistakes, seeks the help of a colleague Master Sun, who helps him to locate the hideout of King’s. But to pin-point his den the clue is in Ann’s cell phone. Her hatred for Tong’s killing of her daughter though accidental, prompted her to close doors against him.

Tong was forced to seek help from his colleagues though he was not in good terms with. Meanwhile, Prosecutor Ann, steals the case files of Cheung, rendering prosecution difficult and in an attempt to save daughter Ling. All of them have committed offences.

Actor Nicholas Tse who rose to stardom from the famous movie Invisible Target and also Connected, is now enrolled as a cop with a conscience. Donning the role of Sergeant Tong Fei, he amply portrays the emotions of a failed cop, who wounds his colleagues and kills a promising girl of a public servant.

Even when he neared the hide out of the kidnapper, he could not locate the whereabouts and misses both his twin target of arresting the culprit or stopping the kidnapping itself.

The scene of the traffic accident is well captured for the portrayal of the incidents of coma, wounding, killing and eventually kidnapping. Nectar in a sieve- as everyone’s efforts has gone bust, of the prosecutor,cop,colleagues.

The plot of kidnapping, missed targets, chasing may seem stereotyped, but the emotions brought forth by the established cast such as Nicholas Tse, Nick Cheung, Zhang Jing Chu, Liu Kai-Chi, Sherman Chung, Miao Pu is worth mentioning.

The shadow of “Connected” by the same proudcer lingers with mobile phone and kidnapping being the main plot. Despite that, the addiitonal element of cat and mouse between the main hero and villain is played out with more depth here.

One of the main strength of this film is the production as the music scores and visuals of Beast Stalker are a treat to the eyes and ears of the audience. Beast Stalker has all the important element of the classic Hong Kong action flicks, with over the top action and clever plots to tie it together.

The film runs for one hour and fifty minutes but you feel like it would have been better with 20 minutes cut off. As it is, the overly dragged out drama in certain portions which make this film less tight packed is one of it’s flaws.

Score:

[Rating:3.5/5]