3 ½ Stars: Stylish, SEXY And Hard-Hitting! Action Director Corey Yuen Pulls it Off!

SO CLOSE is directed by renowned action choreographer; Corey Yuen (Transporter). Corey is a sought after action director with his fresh style and cool attitude. (He isn't as renowned as the legendary Yuen Woo-ping but he's close). "So Close" may give an impression that it is a "Charlie's Angels" knock-off and while it does look inspired by the idea, it successfully sidesteps that boundary and turned out to be one of the most entertaining flicks I've seen back in 2002. It is way better than the stupid remake with Barrymore and Diaz and it features three of the current hottest Hong Kong actresses. I'm a bit broke right now so excuse me if I just dig into my existing collection to write my next review.

Lynn (Shu Qui, My Wife is a Gangster 3) and Sue (Vicky Zhao Wei, Shaolin Soccer) are stunningly beautiful sisters with a job unlike any other. They are intelligent, sexy and lethal women who are also the most "in-demand" assassins in the city. They never miss and seems like they are unstoppable; until police detective Hong (Karen Mok) becomes hot on their trail. However, Inspector Hong may have to take a second look on where her loyalties lie...






Non-stop action is the main draw for "So Close". Corey Yuen once again proves why he is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to fast-paced action sequences. The martial arts scenes are truly lovely to behold, and while Shu Qui and Vicky Zhao aren't well-trained fighters in real life, but they sure look awesome performing the scenes. Corey still manages to pull off something fresh, stylish and downright sexy! The action sequence are hard-hitting but doesn't lose that feminine touch. Highlights include a close quarters mano-o-mano fight between Mok and Shu Qui; the fight is so well-choreographed that is so refreshing to watch--so sexy and so downright alluring. There is also a great car chase with Vicky Zhao with Shu Qui aiding her escape via satellite positioning while she fights off bad guys. Corey's talent shines through with the creativeness of the sequences and the mastery of their execution. Fantastic fights, sexy poses, alluring smiles are what's in store for you!








Now, I'm not saying that "So Close" is a perfect film but it is a very entertaining actioner. Despite the typical and unoriginal "cat and mouse" game, the film is a delight to watch. Also, the performances of Taiwanese actress Shu Qui and Hong Kong's own Zhao Wei offer some depth for a hyped-up action film. Their characters are well-rounded and their acting skills (while not the best they've done) are fitting for the plot that manages to add a little "meat" to its unoriginality. Karen Mok may not be the sexiest of the bunch but she is a delight to watch; her "tough cop" character adds a little flare of masculinity mixed in feminine sexiness in the proceedings.

The film does lack an intricate storyline, and the origins of our heroines are revealed rather quickly. Also, the screenplay has a lot of flaws that may will require a large suspension of disbelief. The script by Jeff Lau does lack some punch, as when there is no action, the pace seems to slow down like a turtle. I rather thought the budding romance between Lynn and Yen was unnecessary, and the screenplay should have focused more on the sisterly rivalry developing between Lynn and Sue. Corey Yuen does manage to cover up the rather lackluster screenplay with a lot of energetic scenes. While it did lose some of its momentum midway in the film that it almost fell to the canned melodrama entrapment, the final act of the film provided one of the most stylish, hyper-accelerated fight sequences that more than made up for its faults.