If there's one thing you will leave this movie thinking, it's, "Who the heck is that white guy who speaks fluent Cantonese?" The answer would be Brian Ireland, a Hong Kong businessman and friend of Danny Lee, making his acting debut as a lawyer who wants to become a police officer, because he likes guns. Meanwhile, the rest of the force, led by Danny Lee, are saddled with debt (like everyone else in Hong Kong) and the loan sharks (led by an over-the-top Lam Suet who has half his dialogue bleeped out it's so foul) are getting vicious. A very modest film with small ambitions, SHARK BUSTERS captures the current economic state of Hong Kong, and leads the debtors through feelings of helplessness and suicidal tendencies to empowerment and a willingness to fight back. The cops become Hong Kong's modern answer to Robin Hood. More engaging as a social commentary than as a movie, the action scenes barely heat up despite liberal application of some loud hip-hop LMF on the soundtrack.
6 Reviews
A nice jab at the economic situation in Hong Kong...
paul_haakonsen28 June 2020
The 2002 movie "Shark Busters" (aka "Baan sau chuk dak hin dui") from director Herman Yau is actually a movie that very well translates to Hong Kong society, even now in 2020.
The movie's storyline revolves around the police force and some organized collectors working for loan sharks. And I will say that the storyline was actually well written by writer Chi Hang Ho and proved to be interesting, enjoyable and to the point.
There is a good pacing to the storyline and a very natural flow to the script, which definitely paid off for the movie in terms of it being watchable and enjoyable.
There are some nice talents to the cast list, and if you are familiar with the Hong Kong cinema, then you will be pleased to see the likes of Shiu Hung Hui and Suet Lam on the cast list.
"Shark Busters", while the title of the movie is lame, was actually rather enjoyable, and I am rating it a six out of ten stars. This is definitely a movie well worth watching if you enjoy Hong Kong cinema. There is a good mixture of drama, comedy, action and proper storytelling to be enjoyed in this movie.
The movie's storyline revolves around the police force and some organized collectors working for loan sharks. And I will say that the storyline was actually well written by writer Chi Hang Ho and proved to be interesting, enjoyable and to the point.
There is a good pacing to the storyline and a very natural flow to the script, which definitely paid off for the movie in terms of it being watchable and enjoyable.
There are some nice talents to the cast list, and if you are familiar with the Hong Kong cinema, then you will be pleased to see the likes of Shiu Hung Hui and Suet Lam on the cast list.
"Shark Busters", while the title of the movie is lame, was actually rather enjoyable, and I am rating it a six out of ten stars. This is definitely a movie well worth watching if you enjoy Hong Kong cinema. There is a good mixture of drama, comedy, action and proper storytelling to be enjoyed in this movie.
Street Sharks.
morrison-dylan-fan20 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Whilst watching a number of rather obscure Shaw Bros titles about to leave Netflix UK, (all also reviewed) I stumbled on this more recent Hong Kong title that was also about to leave the site,leading to me busting some sharks.
View on the film:
Entering the police station with a rather flat low-res early 2000's digital appearance which makes the limited budget visible, director Herman Yau & occasional cinematographer for auteur film maker Ringo Lam, (on films such as the magnificent Full Contact (1992-also reviewed) ) Kwong-Hung Joe Chan display a quick-witted eye for emphasizing the positives.
Yau and Chan meet the force with slick dolly shots fired at every very funny sight gag inside the bumbling police station, fluid hand-hold shots following the cops down the real side streets of Hong Kong, and a excellent, surprisingly hard-hitting final panning shots gazing at the real loan sharks of the city.
Finding his station under mountains of debt, Danny Lee gives a delightful turn as Officer Lee, thanks to Lee performing the physical Comedy slap-stick with a funny frustrated face,whilst Brian Ireland steals every scene he is in with a hilariously slippery performance as cop and lawyer (!) Brian,whose unassuming manner is used by Ireland to catch the viewers and his fellow cops by surprise,as he switches jobs with the drop of a hat.
Disappointingly having not written another script since 2004, (he has since worked in the art department for US films party shot in Hong Kong,such as Contagion (2011)) the screenplay by Chi Hang Ho displays a real flair for blending joyfully silly set-pieces of the police bonding with each other and attempting to solve crimes, with a serious underpinning of social commentary over the high costs of living in Hong Kong, which is taken advantage of by the ruthless loan sharks.
View on the film:
Entering the police station with a rather flat low-res early 2000's digital appearance which makes the limited budget visible, director Herman Yau & occasional cinematographer for auteur film maker Ringo Lam, (on films such as the magnificent Full Contact (1992-also reviewed) ) Kwong-Hung Joe Chan display a quick-witted eye for emphasizing the positives.
Yau and Chan meet the force with slick dolly shots fired at every very funny sight gag inside the bumbling police station, fluid hand-hold shots following the cops down the real side streets of Hong Kong, and a excellent, surprisingly hard-hitting final panning shots gazing at the real loan sharks of the city.
Finding his station under mountains of debt, Danny Lee gives a delightful turn as Officer Lee, thanks to Lee performing the physical Comedy slap-stick with a funny frustrated face,whilst Brian Ireland steals every scene he is in with a hilariously slippery performance as cop and lawyer (!) Brian,whose unassuming manner is used by Ireland to catch the viewers and his fellow cops by surprise,as he switches jobs with the drop of a hat.
Disappointingly having not written another script since 2004, (he has since worked in the art department for US films party shot in Hong Kong,such as Contagion (2011)) the screenplay by Chi Hang Ho displays a real flair for blending joyfully silly set-pieces of the police bonding with each other and attempting to solve crimes, with a serious underpinning of social commentary over the high costs of living in Hong Kong, which is taken advantage of by the ruthless loan sharks.
A little tiring, but super valid...
RosanaBotafogo15 August 2021
A stereotyped criticism between the economic relations of banks, and their infamous loans, the violence of loan sharks, the devaluation of the police, the economic crisis that devastated Hong Kong at the time and that still haunts Brazil and the world, exaggerated, a little tiring, but super valid...
Watch it for the cast, if you must
Leofwine_draca22 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
SHARK BUSTERS is an unusual Hong Kong comedy/drama from director Herman Yau, the man best known for his gruesome efforts in the Category III genre. This one's an oddball, offbeat kind of social enterprise which explores the rule of loan sharks in Hong Kong and how their influence even reaches the police force. For the first half it plays out as a typical comedy, with plenty of Chinese humour, although things get a bit more serious in the second half. Truth be told, it's a bit of a misfire, not really excelling as either drama or comedy. The best thing it has going for it are some well-judged performances from the likes of Danny Lee, Ken Lo, Lam Suet, and, best of all, the great Fung Hark-On who gets a MUCH bigger role than usual.
even cops have to make a living!
lionel211 July 2003
the film is shot in a humorous, impertinent style. using its story of policemen in debt ( virtually every officer owes money to loan sharks ) to reflect upon hong kong's current economic malaise and the loss of moral values. danny lee heads an ensemble cast of fine supporting actors with brian ireland standing out as a white lawyer-turned-cop who works both sides of the fence. herman yau's witty direction underscores the fact that the current malaise affects all sectors of hong kong society.
9 of 10
9 of 10
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