You won't be disappointed!

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Giving the house a massive spring clean,I started gathering up DVDs that I've been meaning to take into the local CEX for cash/credit for far too long. While getting the discs in order,I spotted a Hong Kong flick which I had completely forgotten about having purchased! With a Hong Kong Challenge taking place on ICM, I took advantage of this good luck and met the heroic duo.View on the film:Looking back towards the Heroic Bloodshed sub-genre of Hong Kong's last Action boom, the screenplay by Alan Yuen & Adrian Kwan welds the major bond/loyalty in blood theme of the genre with the slick complexities of the modern psychological Thriller. Peeling away in flashbacks at the final to what triggered the events, the writers give the movie a slippery, unpredictable atmosphere,lit by absurd slides into "mindhunting" and hypnotism,which are solidly held by Ken and Lai's exchange in mind-games. Running the action scenes with an earthy grit from being filmed on streets, director Benny Chan and cinematographer give the movie a glossy appearance,with darting whip-pans hitting the targeted mind-games of the heroic duo.

The hypnotism angle adds a fresh spin to this otherwise familiar Hong Kong-set story of cops 'n' robbers and one dedicated detective's fight for justice. The complex, nothing-is-what-it-seems storyline involves police collaborating with an imprisoned former colleague who has a talent for hypnotism; together they must track down a criminal mastermind who seems determined to get his hands on some ultra-valuable gemstones.What follows is an action-packed movie layered with an effective story and some finely-directed moments of mayhem and high-rise peril, all handled by genre maestro Benny Chan. HEROIC DUO is slightly cheesy and dated on occasion, with dollops of overladen melodrama thrown into the mix and lots of extra emoting, but in the end it proves to be a film that's never less than an enjoyable experience.Former popstar Ekin Cheng acquits himself well as the dogged detective, banishing memories of his overt posturing in the likes of TOKYO RAIDERS in favour of something a little more mature and mannered. Leon Lai is given a better role as the conflicted hypnotist, torn between family ties, pressure from an unwelcome source, and doing what's right; he does a decent job of it. Francis Ng's bad guy is extremely one dimensional but fun, while the female characters aren't given a great deal to do; still, you can't have everything. HEROIC DUO is an above average film for the genre with bags to energy to keep it flowing merrily along.

Although this film received very little or no attention upon its release,even allowing for its minor shortcoming, I'd still rate it among the best movies I've ever seen. Take The Usual Suspects and The Sixth Sense, combine the two movies and throw in a little action and some seriously nerve-wracking, tense "heartless" villainy and you have Heroic Duo. One complaint: the weak title doesn't do this film justice. I still have to give it a ten-star rating. I know, you've never even heard of it, but compare it to the critically acclaimed Infernal Affairs (which I believe to have been highly overrated) and see what I mean.

HEROIC DUO is visually stunning. The film has the feel of a South Korean drama, which in this day and age is a very good thing. There's a slick quality to the movie, and the script is oftentimes clever and assured. The only bump in the road comes toward the ending, with a Third Act that gets thrown out the window in favor of contrived melodrama. Had the film remained clever and intelligent, it might have been another in a short list of Hong Kong revivals that have gone for brains rather than brain. DUO is in the vein of RUNNING OUT OF TIME, with an emphasis on being clever, but it doesn't have that movie's follow through. Even so, the leads are quite engaging, even Ekin Cheng, who I do not find to be very engaging. Leon Lai once again turns in an excellent performance.6 out of 10