The prosecution by no means rests in Donnie Yen’s new action-infused authorized drama, wherein the veteran martial artist performs a righteous cop who quits the power to affix the Division of Justice when he feels the authorized system is letting too many criminals slip by means of its fingers.
Yen directs in addition to stars, alongside a number of acquainted faces, together with Francis Ng, Julian Cheung and the more and more ubiquitous Michael Hui, however Yen’s hardcore motion fanbase could also be left wanting. The Prosecutor too usually feels extra invested in bludgeoning its viewers into submission utilizing the tenets of Hong Kong’s rule of legislation, quite than the iron fists of conventional road justice.
On paper, The Prosecutor, which releases within the U.S. in the present day, appears tailored for Yen, particularly at a second in his profession when he’s actively seeking to broaden his dramatic vary. The script, from common Ip Man scribe Edmond Wong, is a courtroom drama firstly, constructed round Yen’s newly certified prosecutor, Fok Chi Ho. The movie goes out of its approach to paint him as a person of the individuals, who rides the subway and eats at cheap cafes quite than residing within the lap of luxurious like a lot of his friends. On this regard, Yen proves competent, if removed from revelatory, and all the time extra snug elevating his fists quite than some extent of order, however he correctly surrounds himself with a roster of gregarious character gamers prepared and capable of elevate the fabric.
The result’s a slickly polished slice of mainstream leisure that portrays town’s authorized system as a treasured but fragile establishment. Whereas it does embody a handful of notable motion beats, they really feel like late additions, inserted after securing Yen’s involvement, to align the challenge extra clearly with the expectations of his fanbase.
Yen the director seems to acknowledge the constraints of his 61-year-old main man in terms of these extra bodily demanding moments. Most of the motion showpieces revolve not round Fok, however quite MC Cheung’s younger and agile cop Lee, who got here up below the Inspector’s mentorship, and continues to take down unhealthy guys the old school means.
The movie’s blistering opening salvo, a frenetic shootout designed to introduce us to Fok’s unerring dedication to old-school legislation enforcement, sees the digicam undertake Fok’s POV for a lot of the motion. This offers the viewer a visceral first-person perspective of a high-octane drug bust, not in contrast to taking part in a first-person shooter online game, however notably relieves Yen of the duty of performing for the cameras.
It quickly turns into obvious that Fok will do the vast majority of his dueling within the courts, the place he encounters a Division of Justice that’s extra involved with clearing its caseload than placing the responsible behind bars. His overzealous consideration to due course of shortly units him at odds together with his new colleagues, not least his boss Mr. Yueng (Francis Ng). Even the decide (Michael Hui in high-quality type) turns into exasperated by Fok’s strategy, which is so beholden to the legislation that he often serves the protection extra successfully than the prosecution.
Every part involves a head throughout a seemingly open-and-shut case of drug trafficking. Mason Fung’s impoverished younger defendant Ma Ka Equipment is arrested after receiving a package deal of narcotics from abroad. He initially proclaims his innocence, claiming solely to have provided his mailing deal with to fellow defendant Chan Kwok Wing (Locker Lam), a identified delinquent. On the recommendation of his attorneys, nonetheless, Ma enters a responsible plea, claims sole accountability, and requests a diminished sentence. Whereas Fok’s colleagues are solely too keen to simply accept a deal and transfer on, Fok rejects the supply and mounts his personal investigation of the defendant’s attorneys, particularly its senior accomplice, Au Pak Man (Julian Cheung Chi-lam).
Although the authorized particulars sewn all through The Prosecutor could be correct, the script regurgitates information, figures and procedures with such relentless power that the sheer quantity of data quickly turns into overwhelming. That is solely exacerbated additional for non-Cantonese audio system compelled to skim-read reams of subtitles detailing sophisticated legalese at a breakneck tempo, whereas additionally catching the frequent on-line captions detailing the assorted levels of the trial, and making an attempt to observe the unfolding motion.
The Prosecutor arrives at a delicate second for Hong Kong, the place the latest introduction of the Nationwide Safety Regulation and subsequent passing of Article 23 of town’s Fundamental Regulation — also known as its mini-constitution — have despatched shockwaves by means of not solely the authorized system, however all areas of society. These authorized tenets, designed to quash criticism of, and political opposition to, Beijing’s final authority are vaguely worded and far-reaching in utility. Whereas not particularly addressed within the movie, The Prosecutor repeatedly emphasizes that upholding justice is of paramount significance, even when proof and reality stay elusive or show inadequate.
On the movie’s climax, Fok inevitably does take issues exterior, laying down a measure of road justice on the true criminals, in an admittedly spectacular closing scuffle aboard a packed subway prepare, nevertheless it could be a case of too little too late for Yen’s long-standing kung-fu congregation.
Title: The Prosecutor
Director: Donnie Yen
Screenwriter: Edmond Wong
Forged: Donnie Yen, Julian Cheung, Michael Hui, Francis Ng, MC Cheung, Mason Fung
Worldwide Gross sales: Mandarin Movement Footage Restricted
Launch Date: December 21, 2024 (Hong Kong); January 10, 2025 (U.S.)
Operating time: 1hr 57mins
