Yay i finally got to see heroic duos. I agree with much of the critics review on leon's part. leon did a great job with his character - even tho I personally did not like the movie very much. But it is by far, the best HK film out this year. This film had a lot of flaws too though. The idea is great, but the screenplay seems to be lacking something. In what, I have yet to figure out.

7/10

so how you rate the movie, ghetto, from 1 to 10. Is this more of an action movie??,

I know how you feel ghettocow......I really liked Heroic Duo; Leon's character was so different from what he's been known to play...I like Ekin Cheng, don't get me wrong; I have all his movies but lately somethings lacking in his characters...I think he needs to go back and remember how he played his character as Ho Nam; or in Means Street...opposite Leon; Leon totally demolished Ekin's character..even Karena Lam outshined Ekin.......I don't know......the one part I loved and to me made the entire movie was in the beginning; every time Ekin took a shot at Leon; Leon shrugged it off and gave that hehe look... staying so cool......

Leonfantasy Heroic Duo is action; but its a movie that dwells even deeper into a plot that should have been more....like maybe more flashbacks explaining more in detail the conflict between Francis Ng and Leon.......why even though Francis explained why he did what he did......how that all came about......more emotion between Ekin and Karena.......thats pretty much all I could see that was lacking; but it is worth seeing.........

Arlene

if you're looking for an action movie - this is not it. but if you're looking for suspense - this is it. there are many times when i had to hold my breath 'cause I didn't know what was going to happen next. So far, a lot of "normal movie goers" enjoy this movie. Maybe im just being too critical as this is not my favorite Leon movie.

only watched it once with no sound and fast forward some ekin/action scenes (in school library during lunch break, couldn't be bothered to get headphones, etc.) leon was definitely a great choice for this role, really believeable, loved that character, shame he can't compete with tony and andy in golden horse awards. but i thought that in some of the sad scenes with his wife, he didn't seem that heart-broken or emotional although they were touching overall. he was also quite funny in the film, especially that face when looking at ekin & karena over and again at the auction! :lol:

but overall, a clever film and definitely very different and fresh.

*SPOILER*
didn't particularly like the ending though, too abrupt and could leon have really died, he only had a gun shot through his arm didn't he?

Ah_M, Leon was shot several times; but you're right I found the shots not in real vital areas........maybe a Heroic Duo sequel??????????? :D

Maybe if there is a sequel Benny Chan won't have to rush it as much.....he was really worried about everyone at that time.. SARS had just broken out.....in the making of the movie you can see how worried he was for everyone; cast and crew..but its funny Leon never masked...Ekin did and so did many others....

The auction scene and when he and Ekin are sitting opposite each other was probably the priceless scenes in the entire movie..

Arlene

spoi, spoiled, I hope to see this movie soon, So jealous it's not my turn to watch it yet/

:o :o I thought the states was the last to get the dvd of Hong Kong movies? Sorry Leonfantasy; when you do watch it; I know you'll like it.. someone I know went for a pirated one on ebay.. :angry: I waited for the dvd.....

mine should be here sometime this week.

I hear that Andy Lau will not be able to compete for the Golden Horse awards this year either as Running On Karma is also a China/HK cooperation. But dang, everyone was complaining how Leon couldnt have won the Golden Horse if Andy/Tony was in the nominations last year. But this year, he would have surely won!!!! EVERYONE i know thinks that Leon did a splendid job! =)

Alright RickyRicardo hope you enjoy it... :D

Leon did one of his best acting in Three; I know Andy and Tony did a fine job in Infernal Affairs but if I had to go by acting alone last year; the award should have been Leon's.... I like Andy and Tony; but at least Anthony Wong won and that made me happy....

I thought because of the movie Andy was nominated in he also was disqualified from being a nominee? Forgot what movie unless its another movie he did that passed to be eligible for......

I know lets move the awards to Hawai'i... no problem with what the movie is about here.. :D

Arlene

infernal affairs is being entered for this year's golden horse so tony and andy should be nominated for it. anyway, last year was always leon against tony for best actor, i heard hardly any critics back up andy. yeah people think leon was lucky last year coz not many good films around but this year is probably even worse, what will they say then?? most likely no comment !

back to the film, i don't think a sequel would be a good idea arlene, ppl will definitely say it's copying IA then! maybe we just have to accept the fact that things are the way they are in the film. nice show and use of mobile phones in the film too! now, which one shall i have for christmas...:D

heroic duos will not be one of the films nominated this year as it is a China/HK cooperation.

Maybe you're right Ah_M; still with a little more improvement from Ekin... I wouldn't mind another movie with Leon and him as a team up..

So far of all the movies I have seen Ekin in this year; In My Dream Girl he finally proved himself a lead actor again ........ about time too.. :lol: I was getting really worried for him....if he can do what he did in this movie; another movie with Leon would prove to be a really good one.

Arlene

he seemed pretty funny in my dream girl trailer but his mando was quite painful to listen to! but it didn't do well in hk either. wonder why some films are so popular there then when it's released overseas, everyone seems disappointed? eg. the twins effect, good time bed times.

did you notice some elements of leon's character from three in heroic duo?





sent by leonfantasy(?)

I finally watched Heroic Duo last night with my family and it was very good.

SPOILERS THROUGHOUT THIS DISCUSSION

The movie really showcase Leon as the main character in the entire movie. The police inspector could have been Anthony Wong or Jordan Chan and anybody, but they just happened to have chosen Ekin.

I am an Ekin fan too and I find that Ekin's action sequences is the best of all his movies so far in the contemporary settings. (I have still to watch his The Zu Warriors TVB series tonight to judge.) All the elbow butts, the kicks, and the throwing the policemen across in the room is worth every penny of the movie. Plus his stunts on jumping from rooftops to rooftops, crossing on top of ladders, jumping off a bridge. Wow.

As for Leon, after all the publicity about his eyes in this movie, I couldn't help myself staring at his eyes throughout the movie. What a great publicity stunt ! I was mesmerized when they pan into him close up. When he was hypnotising Ekin, the sound quality of his voice suddenly soothed me down in a very suspenseful movie. It's quite convincing.

I love the way he walked away from the scene of crime. Absolutely cool and calm, befitting his status as a doctor of psychology. Well of course, Edison or the likes is going to say he is walking like as though he is in a commercial. But that is the Leon style - calm and suave - and that's the way the directors chose him for.

Of course, the best part was his desperate attempt to free his wife, the strain in his eyes and face as he carried the heavy cylinder. On these rare occasions of explosive emotions, Leon is so good. He was also good at playing dead in two scenes.

Francis Ng did a great job in this movie too. I don't know him enough to comment on his previous movies but his very pained look when he found out that he has been fooled by Leon again was so striking - Jack Nicholson quality. Brilliant. I love him as a villain more than a policeman as in Big Bullet, I think, with Lau Ching Wan.

Of course, the kids love the Karena Lam-Ekin kissing scene with the policeman inside the water counting the fish. I read that it took these two 6 hours to film this scene - and it was just a two second embrace and a peck on the lips. If it is true, then I pity the poor fish counting policeman turning into a prune.

All in all, I think it was a great movie. Next to Leon with his tall physique and unique voice, I hate to admit it but Ekin paled. He is too short, too skinny, and his voice a tinge squeakier than normal. :o I would say the same if Ekin was replaced by Tony Leung (Tony's voice could get even squeakier if excited.) I still couldn't get over the image that Ekin should be the bad guy or a gangster and not a policeman (a lasting effect from the Young and Dangerous.) I think the police subordinate was a much more overpowering police inspector and put up a better show. :(

What do you guys think?

oh ok, i misjudged the whole thing! :lol: that nasty sidekick gave quite a few shots, i actually jumped and felt leon's pain when it happened! and actually, the ending isn't as bad as i initially thought, not great but seriously cannot think of how else they could've done it, benny chan described the last scene with leon and xu jing lei as like romeo & juliet - got a good point there.
it doesn't make much sense to wear a mask - putting it on and then taking it off, how much prevention can there be eh? :unsure:

this is the very first movie with ekin i have seen and he is actually not that bad but his character didn't have to go through too much so possibly his acting skills were not stretched out very far. he was just too smart for a normal human being! how he fitted everything so perfectly together (especially reproducing an exact copy of the picture and associating it with the guns) was unrealistic (well at least for me! :P). funny point you made about ekin being too short sandra, i'm quite sure he's slightly taller than leon! :D the most tense scene was the rooftop one with the slipping ladder, my hands were sweating so much when hearing it scrape across the edge of the building!

the relationship between leon & francis was like in god of gamblers 3 and with xu jing lei it was like three (they were also very good along with raymond wong although he was kinda annoying too).

Ekin is only 5'10". He is slightly :rolleyes: :rolleyes: shorter :D :D than Leon.

If you like his rooftop stunts, try RUNNING OUT OF TIME 2 with Lau Ching Wan though it does not feature his acting skills.

His best movies are :

HOT WAR with Kelly Chan and Jordan Chan
After he filmed one of the sad scenes with Jordan, he was so sad that he was still crying in his room to decompress.

MY WIFE IS 18 Best comedy

GOODBYE MR. COOL Best gangster role after the Young and Dangerous series.

Check him out at this English site I found after countless search
http://www.cyklin.com/

Anyway, back to HEROIC DUO. Leon would not have survived the last scene and it is rather surreal to see Karena and Ekin to stand there waiting for a few more bullets to go through him. :unsure:

i'm sure ekin was taller than leon (he is not 6 ft like most fansites say, francis is 5'11-11.5''!) or was he wearing heeled shoes most of the time, well most of the guys were tall in the movie.
hmm think my brother got a pirate version of hot war a few years ago, might dig that out later then :D
well seeing as ekin got another chance to work with karena, i hope she will also work with leon again! seeing them co-operate again after 7 years was so sweet - dont wait, until too late!

Ah M wrote:

Ah M, did I miss something ? Ekin made a movie with Leon 7 years ago ? Or Ekin with Karena 7 years ago ? or Karena with Leon ?????

Which movie was it ? Quick tell me so I could run to the video store.

Here are two very pretty photos I bought from Hong Kong:

nice photos..... thanks Sandra...