Reptileenbu Did you people see the same film I saw?

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Bumpy Chip It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Leofwine_draca A kick-ass police procedural with superb action sequences to carry it through. That's all you need to know about this Hong Kong thriller, which utilises a somewhat tired plot line about cops going after a brutal criminal gang as a basis for some absolutely stunning martial arts scenes involving man-of-the-moment, Donnie Yen. Watching this, I was immediately reminded of the storyline of NEW POLICE STORY. Both films involve a thuggish gang of criminals who are always one step ahead of the law, sending bombs to the police, hurting and killing the innocent, with a determined lone detective hot on their trail. I felt that the Jackie Chan film had the emotional edge, but the plot here was perfectly watchable after a slightly shaky start.Of course, such stories are nothing new and hardly anything that happens here is new. Therefore it has to get by on energy alone, and it succeeds with a kind of breathless determinism. There are a handful of action scenes, mostly brutal fights, thrown in along the way to keep viewers watching, but these are nothing compared to the large-scale climax, a shoot-out between the good and the bad followed by an extremely protracted showdown between hero and villain. It feels very much like an 'old school' kung fu flick, this ending, as scenery is destroyed and Yen battles the villainous Collin Chou for supremacy. Both actors went on record to say that this was the toughest fight scene they'd ever taken part in, and it shows; it's eye-wateringly brutal, full of amazing moves and relentless energy.Yen is on top form as the hard-ass cop, and I liked his character. There's little of the vain posturing that spoiled his performance in DRAGON TIGER GATE. He's ably supported by the likes of Louis Koo as a sympathetic undercover cop, Bingbing Fan as Koo's girlfriend, and Chou as the slick bad guy. I found that the film looked good and I was entertained throughout, so I give this one a thumbs-up.

julesdil i was really disappointed with this flash point. I know it sounds good but its the same formulatic stuff that has been done a million times.a cop goes after 3 drug dealing brothers blah blah its so boring that even the intro is crap donnie yen hasn't made many films and they Arno fun either all these martial art films are the same unrealistic and hyped. Flashpoint is just bad the cop just goes after the gang andd. Events occur donnie kills em and thats it.the final fight is really bad it is unrealistic and the two people fighting take too much punishment the martial arts are the same shop sockey stuff and the wounds or bleeds are childlike realistic. I don't like it i don't like the martial arts i think there is no fun in this film i just think it is something that could of been classic but it aims at unrealism and cop struken storyline.flash point gets a 2

Thomas Tokmenko Most critics dismissed this movie as another quick popcorn-action flick, however the story is deeper and more stylized than just the standard martial arts frenzy. So let's start with the bad. The issue with Flash Point is the tone of the film. The cinematography fluctuates from shooting drama and shooting action, which doesn't transition smoothly instead giving a feel of recklessness within the plot. Marketed as a spiritual successor to the great 2005 crime movie "SPL", once again Flash Point succeeds at presenting the dilemma between moral choice and consequence by an officer of the law. This time around we have less characters and acting talent alongside our lead Donnie Yen, in which gives explanation to why the emotion doesn't come across as impacting as it should. During dramatic scenes the cinematography isn't as engaging as SPL, most likely due to the lesser budget thus less screen time for establishing shots. The drama just seems to mash into the action rather than accompany it, which I believe is the biggest criticism towards the film. Now its time for the good.. Moving past the brief moments of ineffectual emotional engagement, the plot is still very well put together by director Wilson Yip. Another iconic detectives vs. gangster outing made unique with it's beautiful and gritty cinematography and exceptional display of martial arts. The flow of the events that occur are reasonable and progressively build-up the tension. Donnie Yen and Collin Chou are excellent in both acting and performing martial arts. I found the movie to be extremely entertaining and worth multiple viewings just like its parent film SPL. The drama is sufficient and not overdone like SPL though, which is one area where Flash Point is superior. There is not one moment of exhaustion related to the thick overuse of drama seen in most HK action movies. While SPL is a better written and acted film, Flash Point is more compact in structure and tells a similar story through a faster approach, which I believe works just as well. Personally I find the ending to Flash Point more satisfying and effective of it's overall message too. Final summation, if your interested in modern Hong Kong action or are a fan of Donnie Yen, then Flash Point is a must watch. -8/10

JoeytheBrit Donnie Yen is a cop whose pursuit of three Vietnamese criminal brothers comes at a high price – not so much to him as his undercover partner who is run over by the brothers when his cover is blown and then has his flat blown up by them for good measure and then has his girlfriend kidnapped and then is shot. The film's plot is fairly ordinary, but it's enlivened by some stylishly shot set-pieces and, for the most part, an avoidance of the kind of unlikely plot twists or overwrought emotionalising to which many Asian films are prone.The martial arts sequences – which is presumably what attracts most viewers – don't actually take centre stage until the last third of the film, but as you'd expect, they are choreographed with an incredible intricacy of movement. Too often, though, the action is slowed down so that we can see (apparently) fist or foot making contact with face in excruciating detail, leaving the film open to accusations of the glorification of violence. Naturally, those at whom the film is targeted won't give a jot about that