Task Force (1997) User Reviews (3)

Likable characters and a good mix of action, comedy and drama

[ckormos1 · 7/10 · 11 September 2017]

It opens with Leo Koo Kui-Kei as narrator explaining why he has hired a prostitute. The twist is he is a cop trying to arrest Chinese nationals who illegally entered Hong Kong to work as hookers. Charlie Yeung plays a hooker but she is a Hong Kong citizen, so the sting operation is called off. Charlie Yeung is unforgettably cute in this first scene. She just gets cuter an more adorable as the movie goes on.

Eric, Karen and Leo play atypical Hong Kong cops. All the character relations are complicated but easy to follow and interesting. Nothing about this movie should be good if you examine the individual elements yet it is crazy good. It has action, both straight hand to hand martial arts and bullet ballet. It has romance and comedy. The characters as Hong Kong cops seem impossible, appearance-wise, yet the characters are likable and everything fits together and works.

I must add though that the viewer needs some experience with the Hong Kong comedy genre as a prerequisite to enjoying this one. For example the comedy is mixed with drama. Viewers used to Hollywood movies never see this kind of blend yet in Hong Kong movies the flip from dead serious to crazy funny can be quite abrupt and often.

I enjoyed this movie completely and agree with the current rating of 7.0 and add my duplicate rating.

Engaging and Fun

[KarzaK · 8/10 · 5 August 2006]

A Truly Hong Kong creation. A Police Soap opera that blends comedy, action and melodrama to very likable affect. It's virtually plot less, but this works in favour of the film. We get to know the character surprisingly well, as they go through their changes that everyone can relate too.

And while not entirely realistic, there is a certain charm and poignancy to the simplistic scenes. Patrick Leung is no auteur, but his lack of pretension serves the likable script well.

The cop soap opera genre has since pretty much dried up, with the exception of Crazy in the City.. But it's worth checking this out. If you have to see one, make it this.

A shame that Patrick Leung has gone overly commercial since.. Oh well, it's a gem either way

Great!

[bluesekai · 9/10 · 10 August 2000]

I'm not usually a big fan of romantic comedies, they generally place people in such improbable circumstances. However, this is more than just a romantic comedy. There's exploration of several characters and their lives, not just the two lovebirds, and it adds to the story rather than draws from it. There is the _Pretty Woman_ improbability problem to deal with, but the movie is so fun, it's not a big problem.