Firestorm
is what I imagine The Town or Heat would have looked like, had the
director been John Woo rather than Ben Affleck and Michael Mann. The storyline
is a rather straightforward crime narrative that is built around gun-heavy
action sequences. It is cops against criminals, and most of the time this
battle is carried out with an old-school appreciation of the bullet-ballet.
There are even a few sequences that utilize pigeons, within the battle and the
cinematography.
The story
follows a tumultuous investigation into a series of deadly armored car heists
occurring in broad daylight. Because the villains wear masks and have a network
of accomplices, these criminals are only concerned with escaping, regardless of
who they have to kill in the process. One police inspector has a theory on who
may be responsible for masterminding the thefts, and his suspicions lead him
down a solitary path within his department.
Andy Lau is arguably the star of Firestorm, as well as a debatable hero
in the occasionally incomprehensible narrative. While most films would have had
no problem making the tough Inspector Lui (Lau) an admirable protagonist,
however, Firestorm takes his
narrative into the sub-genre of crooked cops. His choices make the film more
difficult to view, because a majority of the villains in the film are not
developed enough to care about. There is a bit of mystery behind the man that
Lui suspects above all others, but it is not enough to add any depth to the
film or the heavily stylized action sequences.
Above all else,
this is a popcorn movie. It is filled with senseless action sequences, many of
which defy logic but provide an allotted amount of eye candy. There are far
better police procedurals available for those wanting realism or good
characters. Firestorm provides what the title offers, and a gluttonous
overindulgence of it. The Blu-ray release highlights these assets, sending
bullets whizzing around the various speakers of my surround sound for much of
the running time. The extras on the disc include a making-of featurette and a
trailer.
Entertainment Value:
8.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6.5/10
Historical
Significance: 5/10
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