Run and Kill (1993)

Director: Billy Tang

Cast: Kent Cheng, Simon Yam, Melvin Wong, Danny Lee

Running Time: ?

Plot: Fatty (Kent Cheng) is a man looking to take revenge on his wife for fooling around, but accidentally goes to far: while drunk, he hires a professional killer who won't take no for an answer. His problems begin to spiral, as everything he does after that only makes matters much worse. When he refuses to pay for the hit once it is done, revenge is taken on his family. In order to preserve his own life, Fatty must take on a deranged Vietnam vet (Simon Yam).

ALVIN GEORGE'S REVIEW: "Run and Kill" is a Category III movie that shows little, if any, mercy. For instance, we get to see a little girl set on fire. Unfortunately, the dark sculpture or whatever used to replace her is cheesy, somewhat muting the movie's overall emotional impact. It doesn't help matters that the main bad guy seems to switch gears too suddenly. For a while, he seems to have a heart of gold. After the death of the dude's brother, he turns back into a hateful killing machine that the viewer can hardly sympathize with. As for the DVD, it sucks! I could hardly read subtitles that aren't even electronic! Despite these flaws, "Run and Kill" is still worthwhile, even if it lacks the emotional impact of, say, "Red to Kill."

ALVIN GEORGE'S RATING: 7.5/10

GWAILO'S REVIEW: Here it is. Although not the first, in my opinion the patriarch of all Category III films. King of Category III director Billy Tang (Red to Kill, Street Angels) pushes stars Simon Yam (Full Contact, Dr. Lamb) and Kent "Fatty" Cheng (Powerful Four, Sex and Zen) over the edge in a sharp, dangerous, nasty, killer of a flick. Fatty arrives home one bird-chirping, sunny day and finds his wife boning some dude. Distraught, he sets out into the now dank, rainy HK nightlife and proceeds in getting tanked. After inebriated miscommunication with a hitman he unknowingly hired and a nice little overnight stay in an alley, Fatty returns home and again finds his wife with this dude. The nerve of this tramp! Not more than two minutes through the door, death comes knocking. Wife and new boy toy are dismissed from their existence and Fatty is left a blubbering mess, bewildered.

Fearing for his mortal being, Fatty packs up his daughter and sends her to live with granny and then hightails it to his summer home on the mainland. There he finds a neighbor and his big brother's(Simon Yam) gang squatting in his home. Yam is a rude, unflinching man of nasty spirits. He and his band of outsiders are involved in dirty deeds of their own and need Fatty's house to "hide up". Fatty in turn gets some protection from the 'bounty' hunters who are on his trail for the rest of Fatty's owed green. During a troubled encounter in a movie theater with the 'bounty' hunters, Yam's little bro' is mortally wounded, Fatty escapes unscathed. Yam blames Fatty for his younger siblings demise and, to say the very least, is pissed. When the chips are down, the chips are really down and Fatty now has to contend with two killers on the rampage. Poor ol' Fatty, and the audience, goes through and endurance test of sanity from here on in.

As if it weren't enough his hoochie of a wife is dead and he's to blame, he's on the run from this wicked, out of touch, ex-mercenary who's swearing revenge on him and his family. Yam proceeds in torturing and dispatching granny and Fatty's daughter in ways so horrific, i'm surprised they passed the ratings board. Oh, how I love Category III. Jeeeezzz....Fatty's poor little girl. This scene needs to be seen to be believed. In front of a tied up, tormented Fatty, Yam broils the little one to a crisp, picks up the chared carcass and plants it in front of the now out of his gord Fatty.

He then begins to mimic the little girl in a childlike voice,"Daddy, I'm so dark. Can you recognize me?" If that doesn't make you shake your head in disgust, after Fatty frees himself from capture he grabs his charcoal kid and double times it to safety. With his little girl in tow he accidentally smacks her head against the wall, shattering it into dust. Probably the most evil image I have seen yet in a category III film. An always reliable, and underrated, Kent Cheng gives his best performance and earn's our sympathy in a grimmy, mean spirited film that also boasts Simon Yam at his demented best. With the end of the category III hey day in the mid 90's, Tang has yet to return to this angry form. He is truly one of the most ambitious, angry, and wild filmmakers in HK. I can't recommend a film much higher. Insanely perfect.

GWAILO'S RATING: 10/10