(1992)
4
Genevieve Williams
Grim, stark portrayal of honor, bloodshed, and betrayal among gangsters is to director Ringo Lam's oeuvre what Hard-Boiled is to John Woo's. Frequently outrageous and over the top, Full Contact is nonetheless a well made film that helps set the standard for the genre. Though comparisons to Woo (like that made above) are inevitable, especially because of Chow Yun-Fat in the lead role, Lam is a different kind of director and, accordingly, Full Contact is a different sort of beast. Although it opens with a robbery that rapidly turns into a shoot-'em-up, there's none of the balletic, elegant violence that characterizes Woo and his imitators. When the camera lingers over the carnage, it's not a lovingly choreographed sweep; structured like a Western, Full Contact might be Hong Kong's answer to Sam Peckinpah. And unlike in Chow's films for Woo, for which he is best known in the West, there's little that's noble about Chow's character in this one; he's heroic only by comparison to the psychotic gangsters he takes down one by one. Fortunately, Chow is up to the challenge of portraying a character of questionable morals in an honorable light, and Anthony Wong and Ann Bridgewater, respectively playing his best friend and wife, are equally top-notch. Three-dimensional characters are almost a bonus in a film like this, but the cast helps raise Full Contact head and shoulders above its counterparts. Lam's direction is excellent as well; his fine control of the action and pacing keeps the film from peaking too soon, and even a bullet's-eye view during a climactic shoot-out in a nightclub works in the movie's favor. The level of violence makes most of what Hollywood produces tame by comparison; then again, Full Contact is also a far better film, that belongs on the must-watch list of any fan of the genre.
releases for Full Contact on AllMovie
Full Contact (1992)
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Title/Studio |
Release Date |
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Full Contact [Special Edition]
Tai Seng
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June 27, 2006 |
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Full Contact
Hong Kong
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August 30, 2004 |
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Full Contact [Dubbed]
Columbia TriStar
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May 13, 2003 |
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Full Contact [Subtitled]
Cav Distribution
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February 4, 2003 |
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Full Contact
Tai Seng
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