The Worst Film Ever

I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

"As the Light Goes Out" is not the sort of movie I'd ever expect to see from Hong Kong. After all, most of the films we get here in the States from Hong Kong and the rest of China are mostly martial arts films or violent cop films. However, in an odd departure from the usual fare that they usually send to the West is an action-packed soap opera-like film about firemen. It's not the sort of film I'd like to see a lot of, but it certainly is unique, stylish and amazingly epic in proportions— and is worth seeing.The film begins with a prologue that is important later in the film—and this provides a lot of the dramatic tension and soap opera-like elements throughout the movie. As far as the soapy elements go, they didn't do much for me—so I really don't want to go into any detail about things like the betrayal, broken relationships, a lost child, redemption and the like—just see the film. What I do think is important is the action— something I usually dislike in films. I am just not a viewer who loves lots of explosions and stunts, though I was bowled over by this one and recommend it because of its effects. In many ways, this film looks better and more epic in scale than the sorts of movies Hollywood is doing. A typical Stallone, Willis or Schwarzenegger film pales by comparison to "As the Light Goes Out"! It is simply something to see and I hope you get a chance to see it on a big screen. And, combined with a HUGE scope is some amazingly evocative Chinese operatic music that makes the whole thing so unique and so gripping that it is a one- of-a-king experience—and I appreciate this the most about the movie.The film is set on Christmas Eve in Hong Kong. While most folks are taking time off from work and gearing down, the fire department is ever- vigilant in case of disaster. And, a disaster is exactly what is soon about to strike—as a fire in an abandoned warehouse ends up beginning a chain of events that plunges the city into darkness and threatens many lives. And, thanks to the many selfless firemen, the city might stand a chance at survival.The film is filled with one amazing disaster and explosion scene after another—this I grew to expect. But what surprised me is that much of the dialog was in English—mixed in with the Chinese! This also occurs in many Indian films and I assume it's a carryover from the old British Empire days. What also was a bit of a surprise was a cute little cameo from Jackie Chan…as Jackie Chan! The only parts of the film that just didn't work for me were some of the ultra-macho scenes (such as the fight at the 48 minute mark) and soapy situations—but mercifully they were not a major hindrance in the film. Overall, it's a unique and breathtaking film that is worth your time even if its plot is, at times, a bit sticky.

As The Light Goes Out (救火英雄) is another HK firefighter action thriller film after last year's Out of Inferno (逃出生天).The film is mainly character-driven as it follows a team of firefighters being called upon to stop a small fire at a liquor warehouse. Things were fine at first, until a series of unforeseen events happen that causes the fire starts to spread again to a nearby power plant, threatens to plunge the whole of Hong Kong into darkness during Christmas Eve. The film shows the brotherhood bond between the leads at first, provide sufficient back stories for mostly all the key characters for the audience to get to know them. It does a good job in balancing the drama and action. The lead and supporting actors provide decent performances in their respective roles as the film progresses. The action sequences in the power plant were quite intense and thrilling enough for the audience to watch. The film also does a good job in showing the real danger behind a fire - the thick smoke, not the flames, that kills. When a person is in a room filled with thick smoke, he/she will be unable to see, breathe or think clearly...constant smoke inhalation can kill a person within minutes.However, the chaotic shaky camera style is irritating as it makes action scenes quite difficult to follow at times. The CGI smoke and fire doesn't seem to be realistic or believable enough as you continue watching the film. Furthermore, some plot events are questionable and the film suffers from a few too many convenient contrivances to convince. The eventual sacrifice of a key character at the end of the film is simply not convincing enough to be accepted (he could have just throw the cigarette and run towards the locker room). It's also quite challenging to identify who is whom when they're all suited up in their firefighting outfits, helmets and oxygen masks.The film is said to be dedicated to all the real-life firefighters out there. While it's not a perfect film, the film certainly delivers what is expected from it. Furthermore, there's another surprise cameo from another action star in the film as well. Rating: 7/10

My first cinema-going in 2014, Hong Kong director/writer Derek Kowk's fifth film is another eulogy to gallant firemen after Pang Brothers' OUT OF INFERNO (2013), which just released in the end of September. The thematic coincidence in such a short span definitely hurts AS THE LIGHT GOES OUT's box office performance, but the film per se, is a solid action flick hinges on an innovative concept of smoke, both literally and figuratively. After a prologue manifests three friends' (Tse, Yue and On, all firefighters) divergence on an accident during their mission, On is the silent but ambitious one, Yue is the insouciant scapegoat, and Tse denies his oath to keep his hands clean, which sets the keynote of their distinctive path in due course, the film concisely concentrates its story on Christmas Eve 2013, one of the hottest winter in Hong Kong history (introduced by a shoddy apocalyptic advertisement for fireman recruitment stars Jackie Chan) and a typhoon is brewing, a fire hazard in a desolate factory nearby a power plant's gas pipeline and obstinate judgment made by idiotic plant decision-maker precipitates a monstrous conflagration in the plant and complete power blackout in a large portion of Kowloon Peninsula. The rescue procedure follows a standard yet trite routine, some heroic sacrifice (a hammy Simon Yam is not alone here), some family embroilment (a father must save his son who is entrapped in the plant with his friends on account of the lamest plot arrangement, who invites a gaggle of schoolchildren to visit a power plant on Christmas Eve and unwittingly leaves three of them behind? Come on writers, you can make something less embarrassing!), some casual cannon fodder, some running and jumping set pieces, all in all, culminates with a final bravado invoking a (should be) sensational awesomeness to counteract the common happy ending. Nicholas Tse anchors a more average Joe impersonation into the role (unlike the usual action hero staple, such as in the most recent THE VIRAL FACTOR 2012), battles against the "smoke" - his deep-rooted guilt, whose ultimate detonating slo-motion shots are sublimated with dashing aesthetic impact to swank the glamor of self-sacrifice. As I mentioned earlier, the smoke element penetrates the film relentlessly, its horror-flick intrusion and murky aura should be credited to the CGI teamwork from Post Production Office Limited (which was founded by Tse in 2003). Meanwhile, the rest of the cast is plain serviceable, an amalgam of actors from both Hong Kong and mainland China doesn't mirror the awkward incompatibility as in the usual cringe-worthy outputs. Derek Kwok did a decent job superintending a sizable production work under his own belt (his previous wondrous dark horse triumph with GALLANTS 2010 is co-directed with Clement Sze-Kit Cheng, which won BEST PICTURE in Hong Kong Film Award in 2011) and he is positively on the horizon in the HK cinema showbiz.

Blessed with solid cast and top-notch special effects, AS THE LIGHT GOES OUT is gripping if clichéd firefighter drama.Last year, the Pang brothers attempted to resurrect the long-forgotten genre about firefighters with their big-budget 3D blockbuster, INFERNO (read my review here). The result wasn't as spectacular as I hoped for, even though that movie had its moments. This year, it was director Derek Kwok's turn for another big-budget firefighter drama entitled AS THE LIGHT GOES OUT. The good news is, AS THE LIGHT GOES OUT is far more accomplished effort than the underwhelming INFERNO.WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT?AS THE LIGHT GOES OUT takes place on a single night during Christmas Eve when a team of Hong Kong's Lung Kwu Tan station-based firefighters -- team chief Sam (Nicholas Tse), Chill (Shawn Yue), Tao (Simon Yam), Ocean (Hu Jun) and among others -- are called upon to stop a fire at a winery in Menford Street. Everything seems to be under control at first, until the fire starts spreading again from the winery to a nearby power plant at Pillar Point which gradually causes the entire Hong Kong island into total blackout.THE GOOD STUFFFrom the award-winning martial arts drama GALLANTS (2010) to his recent Chinese New Year's big-budget fantasy blockbuster JOURNEY TO THE WEST: CONQUERING THE DEMONS (where he co-directed with Stephen Chow), director Derek Kwok has proved his worth as a versatile filmmaker who can switches different genre with equal success. Here, Kwok's direction is taut and engaging. Special effects are first-rate where fire and smoke looks more lively and visually spectacular than the overly CG-looking effects in INFERNO.As for the plot, though filled with clichés, manages to blend reasonably well with solid characters-driven drama and overall excellent acting ensemble. Speaking of acting, both Nicholas Tse and Shawn Yue, who previously collaborated together in Wilson Yip's DRAGON TIGER GATE and Benny Chan's INVISIBLE TARGET, deliver powerhouse performances as usual. Supporting actors including Simon Yam and Hu Jun, and even smaller roles from Andy On to Liu Kai-Chi, are equally worthwhile.MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT(S)The stunning "flour explosion" sequence at the end of the movie.THE BAD STUFFSome of the action sequences tend to be difficult to follow because of Jason Kwan's wobbly camera-work. The female cast, including Bai Bing and Michelle Wai, are sadly underutilized here.FINAL WORDSWhile the movie isn't as refined as Johnnie To's seminal (and still the best) Hong Kong firefighter drama LIFELINE, AS THE LIGHT GOES OUT remains a highly entertaining blockbuster. It definitely does the Hong Kong cinema proud by ushering a positive beginning in the brand new year of 2014. On the side note, do watch out for a certain cameo appearance somewhere earlier in the movie.