Search - Wild Search on DVD

Subtle performances, appealing characters

Lisa A. Adolf | Everett, WA USA | 07/15/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Chow Yun Fat plays Hong Kong Police Sergeant Lau Chun Pong, nicknamed "Mew Mew". Mew Mew is a man on the ragged edge. He is, we learn a widower whose wife and child were killed by a robber, he is a man in a downward spiral. He seems numb to life that swirls around him--when he is first introduced, he's sitting in a car, chain smoking cigarettes and drinking from his flask, watching the drama of street life before him as he awaits the arrival of an informant. His expression is disinterested and weary--he pursues the arms dealers who are his prey with a curious detachment. He is going through the motions of being a policeman, yet one senses, that it is only his work that is keeping him going at all. He still commands the loyalty, respect and affection of his colleagues, including his supervisor. He's a good cop and a good man who has lost his way due to overwhelming grief.Cherie Chung plays the sister of the murdered arms dealer--whose death sets the plot in motion. Chung's Cher Lee is a woman of quiet strength and dignity. Life has not been kind to her. Her husband betrayed her, leading a secret second life with a woman from the Chinese interior, fathering a son. During their marriage he berated her for being clumsy and stupid. Rather than continuing to suffer the humiliation, Cher has divorced him and lives quietly with her father, working along side him in the village fields, harvesting bamboo.Her sister's death brings Mew Mew--pursuing the arms case--into her life in a dramatic fashion. Their relationship is at first contentious as he suspects her and her father of complicity in the dead sister's arms dealing. The relationship begins to transform as Mew Mew aids Cher in tracking down the father of her sister's illegitimate 4 year old daughter--who turns out to be the kingpin of the arms smuggling operation that the police are investigating.Their bond is forged as the arms case heats up--thrown into each others company, facing adversity and danger, these two wounded souls begin to blossom. A tentative, tender relationship grows and is tested time and again through Mew Mew's suspension from the force (a result of threatening the powerful, rich arms kingpin); a domestic drama within Cher's family concerning her young niece and her father: the complication of Cher's ex-husband reentering the picture determined to
win his wife back; and an assassination attempt on Mew Mew's life by one of the kingpin's henchman--the murderer of Cher's sister. To be sure, these are restrained performances, yet one only has to watch Cherie Chung as Cher as she sits at the bedside of the wounded Mew Mew, not knowing if he will live or die, her worry, longing and love playing over her features, to appreciate her work in this film. Chow's Mew Mew may lack the flash and dazzle of some of his bullet ballet roles, but the transformation from grief stricken widower to a man being brought back to life by love is fascinating to watch. His scenes with the young actress playing the daughter of the murdered woman are especially touching and heartwarming.Action fans and bullet ballet junkies will be disappointed by this film. But those of us who enjoy character driven drama will find much to enjoy in Wild Search."

This is a great movie...forget the other reviews.

Chen Liu Guang | USA | 11/26/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This movie shows the soft and caring of CYF. It is a must have if you are a CYF fan. This movie is one of my favorite CYF films....it truly is a good movie."

Uninspired.

Chen Liu Guang | 08/15/1999

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Another one of the formulaic action/romance films made by CYF from 1989. This was the same year as "God of Gamblers" and "The Killer" were released, both A pictures. This is definitely one of the B pictures, only worth watching for the more completist CYF fans.CYF plays "Mew Mew", a widowed cop. While investigating the murder of a female arms dealer he meets Cher (played by his frequent castmate Cherie Chung), a country divorcee and sister of the dead arms dealer.It is love at first sight for Mew Mew, even though he feels twinges of guilt before the memories of his dead wife and son. Cher and Mew Mew are thrown together while Mew Mew investigates Cher's sister's death, mainly by the existence of Ka Ka, the orphaned girl and niece of Cher.There are some touching scenes between Mew Mew and Ka Ka; while it is never touched upon in the script, it seems as if Mew Mew enjoys taking care of the child as he might have done his own dead boy.Unlike the other rough cops CYF has played in these B pictures, Mew Mew seems fastidious and neat, knows how to cook and treats his girl at least as well as his best friend. While in this film there are really no romantic moments between Mew Mew and Cher after that first fateful glance, there are some sweet scenes between them, but unfortunately they are brief at the expense of some of the action sequences - action which really isn't good enough to warrant pulling away from the story, such as it is.A slight story doesn't give CYF or Cherie Chung, both consummate professionals, much to work with but they do their best. Miss Chung is always at her most interesting when portraying less sophisticated, more down-to-earth women and one really wishes she had had more to work with in this role; the scenes of her cutting bamboo and mixing traditional Chinese medicines for the new love in her life are solid and seem very natural. This pair of two of Hong Kong's finest actors are given wooden characters and while they manage to paint them in realistic colors, Mew Mew and Cher never really come to life except for some very brief moments.The subtitling is very bad on this film (the Mei-Ah DVD); it looks as if the translation was done by machine, and not by a very sophisticated piece of software at that. For those who have seen a lot of these HK flicks subtitled in English you will be able to take the Canto-English and translate it on the fly; those who are unused to doing such may find the subtitling confusing at times and downright frustrating at others. At least most of the words are spelled correctly, even if misused, so I would give the subtitles a rating of 2 of 10 just for that (and that's being generous).The direction, even though by Ringo Lam, is unexciting and unoriginal. It may be that he, apparently like CYF and Miss Chung, was simply uninspired by the whole idea of this film.CYF looks good as usual, but a bit tired. 1989 saw the release of "A Better Tomorrow 3", "God of Gamblers", "The Killer", "Triads - The Inside Story" and this film. Two classic pictures, one very good one and two not-so-good ones in one short year is a remarkable achievement. Rent this one if you just want to see CYF and Cherie Chung together again, but only buy it if you are a CYFanatic looking to complete your collection."

A Romance Thriller!! A 3 1/2 Star Movie!!

Lisa A. Adolf | 05/27/1999

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Inspector Lau (Chow) meets Cher(Chung) while investigating a murder and he ends up falling for her. But he than finds out that her estrange husband wants her back. Meanwhile, Lau trys to take down an underworld Kingpin, which leads to a climactic ending. This movie is good. It's a little less violent than other Ringo Lam movies but it still has action with a little added romance."