Hon zin 2 (2016) Reviews

• Better crafted, more tightly plotted than the first film... Blu-ray: Excellent A:9 V:9

  lathe-of-heaven2016-12-07

  I very much disagree with the people here saying that the first film was better and strongly disparaging this one (such as the review by 'Uhungmax') Yes, in the first movie, technically, there was a lot more 'stuff' happening. And, in a sense, although it was indeed engaging and exciting, after it was over I felt that some of the key plot elements and character actions did not really make a lot of sense. However in this 2nd film, although the plot is much more direct and simple, to me personally I thought that the story was much more tightly plotted and a lot better constructed. Here you didn't have the apparent twists and turns of the first film, usually an element that I like very much. But, like I said, AFTER watching the movie and thinking about it, there were certain character motivations and actions that didn't quite add up to me. Whereas with this movie, the story itself seemed to flow much more naturally. In my lowly and wretched opinion, I honestly felt that as a FILM in and of itself, it was put together and executed in a more streamlined and believable manner. Not that I mind AT ALL when movies are complex, or seemingly disjointed, or non-linear. I DO very much like that ***IF*** everything is well thought out and put together in such a way that it fits the internal logic of the film, and as a WHOLE all the parts work together. I think the tricky thing about comparing the two films is that the first one had a LOT more going on and was more complex. NORMALLY, that would be something that would be very appealing to me. But in this movie, I had more of a feeling that I was being carried along by the story and much more involved in what was happening, and therefore the overall effect had more substance, and I felt that the tension of the story was much more compelling. It's like with the first movie they were almost trying to be TOO clever with the twists and turns of the story where maybe it at times had the effect of almost stumbling on itself. Don't get me wrong... I liked the first film and it was quite good. But, I feel that this one was better... These 2 films seem somewhat different for movies coming out of Hong Kong in the sense that you normally would expect them to be a LOT more Action oriented. But, both films dealt more with inter-departmental politics and connections with highly placed officials than they were on action. But, with that said, there is ONE action scene in the middle of film that was quite effective and will blow your socks off (so to speak...) So, that is why I feel that on the SURFACE some people may get an impression that the first film was better with more 'going on' and more twists and turns. But, I honestly feel that this one was put together in a much more cinematic way with better internal logic (being a simpler story) and more believable character interactions that had a more substantial impact in the long run...

• It was like the first movie, but missing the "and then some"...

  paul_haakonsen2016-11-19

  Let me start out by saying that "Cold War II" from 2016 was just every bit as entertaining as the first "Cold War" movie from 2012. And with that being said, take it for what it was. If you liked the first movie, then you will also like the sequel, and if you didn't, then chances are that you will not like this movie either. I found it to be adequately entertaining, although it wasn't particularly outstanding or memorable - just as the first movie had been. "Cold War II" continues on a short time after the events of the first movie, and we see familiar characters return to the screen in this sequel. And having established characters return was a good thing. However, it just felt as if directors Lok Man Leung and Kim-Ching Luk set out wanting to accomplish too much with "Cold War II" and only delivering on about half of this. There was just a sense of it all being too rushed and forced, as well of an element of too much chaos going on. Which didn't really help the movie in any way. As in the first movie, "Cold War II" does have some impressive names to the cast list, including Aaron Kwok, Tony Ka Fai Leung and Yun-Fat Chow. "Cold War II" failed to make a lasting impression and also failed to stand out in the Hong Kong cinema. Surely, it was an entertaining enough movie, but it is hardly one that you will be watching a second time around. My rating of "Cold War II" ends on five stars out of ten, similar to the first movie.

• Watched this more than 7 times to appreciate its fullness!

  thomashee2017-07-09

  I have watched this film more than 7 times, review, rewind to catch some of the moments, character and conversation that i missed out in previous viewing. The 1st time when i saw it, i must admit, i was not able to catch the full meaning and why certain characters behaved the way they did and missed out some small conversations but are critical to the plot. But with each viewing my understanding of each character, sequence, and the entire story improves. This is a very well crafted movie that deserves nothing less than a 10/10 rating. The story is so well crafted, the characters so well acted, the conversations so well spoken and planned for you have to go through the film a few more times to fully appreciate if you find it hard to give it a 10/10 rating. I am very sure you will appreciate it more if you take your time to know what it is trying to portray. This is the only movie i have watched so many rounds and enjoy every session. The highlight is the exchange quick spats between Sean Lau and MB Lee when MB Lee came to confront Lau why Lau shot at his son. This sequence is so difficult to do and as an artiste myself, i know it really takes a lot to do this sequence so perfectly well and yet these 2 veteran actors did it so effortlessly! Go buy the original DVD and enjoy the show over and over again! This is one of the BEST the industry has to offer.

• Highly Entertaining and Suspenseful.

  stmalaysia2016-07-27

  I seldom watch HK police drama thinking they are all too predictable and I have not watched Cold War, without knowing that it's actually a continuation, especially on the part of Eddie Pang and the opening scenes. Nevertheless, I can still enjoy as an independent movie although it's better to see the original Cold War first. I will not spoil anyone's fun by revealing too much but just the followings: 1) There are not too much action scenes but more on intense drama and suspense which is good for me. 2) Tony Leung and Taiwanese Eddie Pang surprised me in their acting. They deserve a best acting award each for leading actor and supporting actor. Especially Tony, his role is tailored for a best acting nomination and he carried it well, flawless. I am sure no other actor could have done it so well. 3) Chow Yun Fatt obviously accepted this role all to his personal favour and likings. No surprise in his acting, just his usual self, a little overreacting and after something done to his face. 4) Aaron Kwok seems to be lost and undecided on what facial expressions to give, especially when facing his peers. Luckily, his role is easiest to understand. 5) Arif Rahman's part has no scenes to show off. Yang You Ling, a Taiwanese young actor gave a memorable scene. Veteran actor Zhang Guo Zhu(actor Zhang Chen's father) aged so much but surprisingly better than his younger days. 6) Of the actresses, Charlie Yeung as usual, still cannot act but looking tired in all her scenes like a younger Michelle Yeo. The other younger actress will be a great actress one day. *****SPOILER***** This movie will surely succeed in the box office and one of the 2 Taiwanese actors I mentioned above will definitely appear in the next part, as shown lying on a hospital bed at the end, but which one ?

• Absolute garbage

  timothylam-350992016-07-14

  Horrific, incoherent hack job of a film. Greedy producers bank on the finest actors in the region, and completely neglect the more important aspects of a film (eg. captivating story, interesting and diverse characters, logical process of events etc.). If anything, the music composer should have his license taken away and be sent to Bollywood. The abysmal, grotesque agglomeration of computer-generated french horns, generic clave rhythms, boring string ostinatos and a sound effect selection that is stubbornly stuck in the 80's. The amount of cliché and cringe in this film is overwhelming to the point that I wanted to disappear down my shirt collar. Famous actors mean f**kall when the writers have no idea what they're doing. The tragic part is, being a sequel to a much better film, this movie will likely do just as well, if not better, than its seasonal competitors, allowing producers to cry into more, thicker wads of $1000 banknotes as they scroll down the review section. AVOID at all costs