Purely Joyful Movie!

Absolutely the worst movie.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Tough cop Tong Fei (Nicholas Tse) seeks redemption for his accidental shooting of a little girl by trying to rescue her sister Ling (Suet-yin Wong) from the clutches of a desperate kidnapper/killer for hire (Nick Cheung).Dante Lam's crime thriller Beast Stalker offers up some superbly handled sequences, including an exciting car chase that culminates in a show-stopper of a slow-motion crash, several effective emotionally wrought scenes, and a real nail-biter of a finale. The characters are well drawn, with both cop and killer presented as real people rather than two dimensional caricatures.But as commendable as all of this is, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed by the plot, which does little to elevate itself from countless other HK cop thrillers—I have the feeling that as much as I liked the film as it unfolded, it won't be long before I will have forgotten all about it. Lam's use of shaky cam can also get a little irritating at times, and the twist at the end (which reveals cop and killer to have crossed paths years before) is extremely contrived.

BEAST STALKER is one of those wonderful films – a crime movie with real heart behind it. The story may be hackneyed and predictable and the plot twists might be anything but, but in the end this film is a triumph because it gets to the real darkness and emotion behind the subject matter. Police procedurals and crime thrillers have long been popular in Hong Kong, but many of them are inevitably slick and soulless, providing entertainment but without real depth to back it up. Not so BEAST STALKER.The overall story is one of kidnapping, but there's much more going on with the film than that. Both heroes and villains are painted with the same level of painstaking care, so that in the end the film becomes all about character rather than cliché and the latest effort to make the hero look cool in front of a slow-motion explosion. The acting is a triumph; Nicholas Tse bags the fairly predictable role of the tortured cop and does a good job with it, but it's Nick Cheung as the would-be kidnapper who really shines. Cheung could easily have been over the top or theatrical in his turn as the film's villain, but instead he comes across as an all-too real person. He's one of the most interesting bad guys I've seen in a film, and he ignites every scene he takes part in with his dynamic performance.Of course, at the end of the day this is still a thriller, and director Dante Lam makes sure we don't forget it. There are car crashes, fist fights, shoot-outs and foot chases, and all of them are portrayed with the maximum excitement. This is the first time I've seen a film of Lam's, and I love his cinematography: he sets the scene in long shots before moving in close and staying in close whether dialogue or action is playing out. It adds a level of realism and catapults the viewer into the film in an effective, engaging way. On the strength of BEAST STALKER I'm already eager to track down more of the director's work.

Nicholas Tse is a cop who is responsible for the death of a little girl, after trying to bring down a gangster. A year on, the trauma of killing the girl still lingers heavily on his conscience, but when the gangster faces trial, he orders the kidnapping of the prosecutors daughter, which will escalate in ways one cannot even imagine.In my opinion, this is another classic epic provided by the masterminds of Hong Kong cinema, joining the ranks of 'Infernal Affairs Trilogy, One Night in Mongkok' , it will excite and exhilarate. I have no words the describe the sheer intensity of the film. Nicholas gives one of his greatest performances, as the cop is who has become suicidal with nothing to lose as he chases the one eyed kidnapper all over, on a relentless pursuit to deliver justice.Nick Cheung gives a performance just as amazing, as the one eyed fiend, he sends a cold chill down ones back as he commits the evil deeds.But all in all, the direction is the key to this films success, the close calls, the dangerous encounters and a finale that will leave you reeling.

everybody is a film critic these days... sigh..well, this is, comparatively to other HK movies, and unexpectedly good movie. Tight plot, editing and story telling - but the balancing act of reasonable plot to the 'human story' is a bit over reaching for me. By human story, I mean what's behind the hired killers' story - that he has a sick wife, ... that ties in at the ending shot ... like Pulp Fiction or Babel. Oh boy.One of the cops, yells a bit too much for my tastes. And the little girl is really, super brave. The somewhat realistic acting, night scenes, day scenes does adds to the overall atmosphere and feel.But the English title is a bit over the top - also? The Chinese title is kind of mysteries and not fitting ??????