Drug War

This is economic filmmaking at its simply best: To's fantastic pacing and framing serve a story that works mostly as a delayed duel -- and when that duel finally takes place, things get nasty, cold and beautiful at the same time. It takes a lot of talent to create a gunfire as stunning as the one that happens in the end of Drug War, but what matters here is that the director is only interested in action and his characters are here to play mainly action roles, lines and moves. Masterpiece.

It's all about the action, baby. The final 30 minutes left my jaw firmly in its dropped position.

Fantastic setup of a drug bust that keeps going further up the food chain as those caught are only too willing to give up their superiors for leniency. I would recommend turning it off before the last twenty minutes or so as all that happens is that every single actor that has appeared in the film thus far shows up for a shootout of epic proportions. You probably don't want to see that part.

To be honest, there is a solid amount of stupid in this film. Why would a multi-million dollar drug operation hire two helpless junkies that literally smoke drugs right in the truck while driving all over the road blasting techno to deliver the drugs?!! Why is the police always willing to involve themselves in war of attrition shootouts? Why is every police man and woman a model in perfectly matching clothing? Just not that great.

Johnnie To paints his characters in broad but effective strokes, choosing to etch out their motivations through the decisions they make and sidestepping clunky, expository backstories. This enables him to put all his focus on crafting a relentlessly gripping and single-mindedly intense crime thriller.

Haha!

A no nonsense cops vs bad guys flick that as yoohoo points out feels like a 90s hk cop flick. We jump right into the action, the characters just fall into their roles they will play out. Its very straight forward, very fast paced. Mostly we watch a detective and his team QUICKLY (as in a little over one night without sleep) work his way from plea deal up the rungs to kingpin. Couple of great shootouts. As a big fan of 90s hk I personally loved that throwback feel.

A slow suspenseful build up, in the vein of other famous crime dramas, that finally relents in time for a chaotic finale. Glamour isn't a thing present in this movie's world; shot in grimy locales, during a downturn weather, it aesthetically complements its inner meanness and grittiness.

I've been thinking about running a major drug operation in China,big market and all that.I could also use my base there as a conduit into Japan & Korea for my associates in Hong Kong.But then I saw this and it totally changed my mind.

This fits in perfectly with a 1990's Hong Kong gun-fu John Woo film, but unfortunately this is 2013.

Although the plot of Drug War isn't anything particularly special, it's pushed into another level with the calibre of performances (and the way the notion of performance ties into the story) and some astonishing, intense, and very exciting action sequences which rip through the otherwise reserved, tension filled film with vigor. The final act is terrifying, exciting and darkly comic in a way that I haven't seen in some time.

Kill everyone. What do you mean everyone? EVERYONE! The mute brothers are my favorite on screen couple of 2013. Still dont get why it either has to be super serious or super silly acting from them asians.

Well-paced crime drama that works better if you don't actually invest in the characters as human beings. Rather, they are ciphers in a genre movie that is ultimately all about ideas. To wit, drugs are a terrible scourge on society, but so is the surveillance state that has developed in service of the war against drugs. I can appreciate the well-told (and lensed) story. But its lack of humanity (particularly as it uses violence) carries with it inherent limitations in my view.

I don't know much about what the drug trade is like in Hong Kong/China, but I feel like this movie portrayed drug dealers as if they were all the same as the violent, borderline terroristic kingpins, and all drug users as if they were worthless criminals who deserve to die. This is a problematic portrayal. Aside from that, it had maybe the single funniest act by a dying cop during a serious dramatic moment I've seen in years.

To's films are undeniably well-constructed, but like click-to-lock Legos, their resemblance to the real is allusive. There are no characters, not even types, causes or sides to take, just exquisitely choreographed micro-momentary gestures -- punches, kicks, trigger-pulls, reloads, exploding veins -- attached to simulacra that look human but aren't. This is deeply cynical, very efficient filmmaking, and it just doesn't move me.

Summary: Drugs are evil, people who take drugs are worthless, and all drug dealers are irredeemable monsters who deserve to die!

First act is fun if a little silly in its attempts at po-faced Hollywood cool, second act gets a bit muddled and loses some steam, third act goes way off the rails. Possibly in a good way if you’re into that kinda thing but it didn’t work for me

Fast paced but not action packed. Reminds me of earlier Milkyway Image pics like Longest Nite (one of my favorites) and Expect the Unexpected, but far more mature and nowhere near as playful. The film gives nothing outside the procedural narrative and the police were so matter of fact about the events in play that the ending kind of left me cold. It was brilliantly shot to be sure, but I wasn't convinced of Choi making the decision he did given his intense desire to survive.

This is a great action thriller that doesn't waste a moment. Drew me in from the start. It's a well worn genre, but there are some interesting twists and it feels fresh. Maybe I was just in the mood for this at the moment I saw it, because it really did it for me.

it seems that we can categorize action films into two: those that rely on spectacle and montage of action sequences and those that actually create characters while telling a story (no matter how cliche it is) that is unique to the medium. johnnie to is the master of the second one and "show, don't tell" principle. it's fun, human, thrilling all the way through.

V hard to rate, could understand any score from 92-42 (read reviews here, the good & the bad are all mentioned). V hi-tech but (because of this emphasis?) also cold feeling & distant. End shootout (as mentioned by many) is a standout (at last realistically) shows what lots of bullets fired at close range add up to... & that cars are not tanks. Louis Koo as a totally amoral, & so totally unpredictable, me is all that matters, crim is a standout IMHO. Best definition of Pyrrhic victory you'll see.

Right up there with Heat in terms of shootouts.

really good

A taut, solidly constructed action thriller with uncommon intelligence, Drug War delivers exhilarating set pieces without skimping on sophisticated filmmaking.

9/8

Great final shootout. It is relentless and brutal.

The shots could not be described as beautiful, but they were masterful. It took its time to create a sense of location. The shootout scenes were as brutal as they were exciting. I was constantly trying to judge who could be trusted and wondering how each undercover scene would play out. The story line is strong and concludes with poetic justice. I think the major weakness of this film is its lack of character development.

Star Rating: ★★★1/2

Nothing really to recommend this apart from the ending which saves it from being anything more than average cops and robbers dross. Seems cheap and manufactured.

No one really wins.

Johnnie To is a delight

If I ever Break Bad I am gonna employ deaf people too. Those fuckers are cool.

Wish I saw this in the theater, since there's so much going on and, with all of my at-home distractions, I was barely able to keep up. Ruthless and fast-paced, with brutal action sequences and tons of head-spinning double crosses, Drug War is probably the best action movie of the year. Gonna see more of Johnnie To's movies, for sure.

Great stuff. Cold, ruthless, detached and brutal: elements that would be detrimental in most other films are used to great affect here, portraying the drug war as it really is. Neither side wins; one just loses more slowly. And when it ends with a bullet in the chest, does it really matter who goes first? Really makes me want to look into more of To's work.

The lack of character development is overrun by a fantastically paced procedural cops-and-badguys flick. Wonderful action and a thrilling conclusion. Its bleak and engaging.

Would have been so much better if there had been at least one likable character and a little less law enforcement sanctimony. Don't expect insightful commentary on the long term cost of the global war on drugs. Do expect double crosses and shootouts.

Not the most cohesive movie; the plot felt a bit rushed to me, but such awesome action, tension and a climax scene that'll blow you away!

I went into this movie completely blind, knowing only that it was a Hong Kong crime movie. I was expecting a pure action movie but what I got was a relentlessly paced crime movie that focused more on the investigation than the action. That's not to say this movie is without it's violent Hong Kong action scenes. The ending in particular is one of the most unexpectedly explosive climaxes I've seen.

Hoooooly fucking shit.

It's very stereotypical, true. Yet, I couldn't help but enjoy the quick pace, the mind games, he questioning of intentions, the ruthless action and the mad ending that just left me sitting with my jaw dropped open. Oh, and yes of course, drugs are bad, bad, bad!

An entertaining cop thriller packed with intense set-pieces.

One of the more unrelentingly grim crime dramas I've seen in recent memory. Violence in this movie is ugly, chaotic, and depressing. The plot is enjoyably twisty and tense, and when things finally come to a head it's a hell of a ride.

A fast-paced thrill ride about cops vs drug dealers. I don't think it's anything we haven't seen before but it was done really well and was never boring. I really enjoyed the climax too. The characters aren't deep but the movie does a good job of fleshing them out a little bit without cheap background stories forced in there and whatnot. A genre flick that's just a good time.

Deliciously fast-paced. It's quite impressive how there's no moment that feels wasted, and the story offers enough surprises to stand out among the usual cops versus drugtrade fare. Has a good buildup and a few intense scenes, though the story loses a bit of steam in the second half. Minor annoyances were the Hong Kong police being portrayed as ridiculously competent, and the far from subtle 'drugs are eeevil!' sensibility.

A well-photographed genre flick that touches on social issues? Yeah, this couldn't be more of a "cinephile film" if it tried. I guess that sounds dismissive, but it's still great. Maybe not a truly "subversive" genre film, as much as it is a really smart and clever one. The ending shootout is actually exhausting, but the result is the most logical conclusion for any crime film, yet a totally unique one.

THAT scene.

The climax is dope.