Daai si gin (Breaking News) (2004)

76% of critics liked it
(17 reviews)
63% of users liked it
(4,157 ratings)

Hong Kong-based filmmaker Johnny To directed this fast-moving action drama that explores the role of the media in current events. The Hong Kong police force takes a beating in the court of public opinion after their unsuccessful attempt to foil a high-stakes robbery is broadcast on live television.… More Hong Kong-based filmmaker Johnny To directed this fast-moving action drama that explores the role of the media in current events. The Hong Kong police force takes a beating in the court of public opinion after their unsuccessful attempt to foil a high-stakes robbery is broadcast on live television. Determined to turn the tables, detectives on the force discover where the five criminals who masterminded the job are lying low, and they stage a major siege at the hideout. The hundreds of police officers have also armed themselves with cameras along with their guns as they turn the ambush into a media event. The thieves prove to be a difficult quarry to capture and they use their own video equipment to send pictures to the press at the same time, turning the shootout into a battle of images as well. Breaking News stars Kelly Chen, Richie Jen, and Nick Cheung. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 29 min.
Directed By: Johnnie To
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Art House & International

In Theaters: Jan 27, 2006 Wide
On DVD: Mar 7, 2006
Studio: Palm Pictures

Critic Reviews

Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
Prolific Hong Kong lenser Johnnie To delivers another solid action picture with this latest effort.
G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle
To, Hong Kong's best action auteur since John Woo left for Hollywood, doesn't disappoint.
Derek Elley, Variety
Generally good performances from the Hong Kong, Taiwanese and Mainland cast, plus kinetic widescreen photography, deliver solid enough entertainment.
Manohla Dargis, New York Times
A film filled with terrifically choreographed action and very little on its mind.
Ed Halter, Village Voice
Well executed but ultimately unsatisfying ...
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
This is a film Michael Bay would green light in a heartbeat.
Kam Williams, Upstage Magazine
A brainless but harmless display of senseless slaughter which ought to satiate the bloodthirst of fans of gratuitous gore.
Kam Williams, DallasBlack.com
A brainless but harmless display of senseless slaughter!
Noel Murray, AV Club
[Breaking News] is one of [director] To's typically tangled meditations on the smearing of good and evil, in moments where instinct overcomes morality.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Starts with an astonishing tracking shot lasting nearly seven minutes that could rank with Orson Welles' much-admired Touch of Evil opener.
, E! Online
Veteran Hong Kong director Johnny To (Fulltime Killer) has turned out yet another slick, expertly shot action thriller.
Daniel Eagan, Film Journal International
...another in a long line of expertly made Johnnie To films. While it may not be the director's best work, it has some knockout sequences.
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
To takes on the relationship between the media and the police in this taut, cynical thriller.
Chris Barsanti, Filmcritic.com
Smart and sly, Breaking News shows that genre doesn't have to mean predictable.
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
The story's unrefined point about media one-upmanship is crudely spaced out across the film's terse 90 minutes.
Mark R. Leeper, rec.arts.movies.reviews
Inventive action film from Hong Kong looks at how modern media and electronic communications changes everything in the old game of cops and robbers.
Jon Popick, Planet Sick-Boy
A strong police drama, so long as you can get past the fact that nobody -- cop or criminal -- can hit the side of a barn.

Read all 17 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

El Hombre I

With a highly impressive 7-minute opening scene done in a single take, it raised my expectation level on how enjoyable the rest of the film might be. It just fizzled from that point on.
Justin Y

If your a fan of Heat you may enjoy this. Typical cops and robbers type of movie with the addition of the media as another part of the story. There is only intermittent shootouts, but very well done in my opinion. The movie itself starts out with a ten minute… More
If your a fan of Heat you may enjoy this. Typical cops and robbers type of movie with the addition of the media as another part of the story. There is only intermittent shootouts, but very well done in my opinion. The movie itself starts out with a ten minute introduction and shootout all done in one shot.
Walter M

"Breaking News" starts with a stakeout of Yuen's(Richie Ren) gang going badly awry as it devolves into a running shootout. To make matters worse, a policeman is killed, the criminals get away and the whole fiasco ends up on the nightly news. Deputy Commissioner… More
"Breaking News" starts with a stakeout of Yuen's(Richie Ren) gang going badly awry as it devolves into a running shootout. To make matters worse, a policeman is killed, the criminals get away and the whole fiasco ends up on the nightly news. Deputy Commissioner Rebecca Fong(Kelly Chen) comes up with the idea of the police videotaping the arrest of the criminals in order to reassure the public that they can do their job properly. Inspector Cheung(Nick Cheung) is one step ahead of them and still on the case, by the way, has cornered the criminals in an apartment building. There is a lot in "Breaking News" that might seem familiar to viewers with its media coverage of an ongoing police situation. What's different here is the lack of chaos, with both sides vying to be in control of the message and attaining levels of success. So add to that Johnnie To's kinetic style of filmmaking(especially in the opening tracking shot that gets more suspenseful as it goes on) and you have a smart thriller that also entertains. However, the movie is not without its share of faults with inappropriate comic relief and major characters that come and go as they please.
Dimitris S

John Woo of today,To is using his techniques to the utmost overreaction.Drama,altercation of images and a twirling ballet of bullets and camera angles.The plot is fading as the pace is growing and the news device showing the manipulation of the public is too naive.Still,it smashes all… More
John Woo of today,To is using his techniques to the utmost overreaction.Drama,altercation of images and a twirling ballet of bullets and camera angles.The plot is fading as the pace is growing and the news device showing the manipulation of the public is too naive.Still,it smashes all the everyday Hollywood flicks.
Anthony V

Another great Johnny To outing.
alan j

whats new? another Johnny To must see..crisp action. gritty, strong characters..realistic and always interesting..movie moves at a nice pace and holds your interest from start to end
Kevin "

I'm slowly crossing off the movies from my To list. His movies have ranged from perfection (Exiled) to so-so (Running out of time 2) for me. So where does Breaking News fall? Slightly above average...but that is average in To standards, which still means it is better than a lot… More
I'm slowly crossing off the movies from my To list. His movies have ranged from perfection (Exiled) to so-so (Running out of time 2) for me. So where does Breaking News fall? Slightly above average...but that is average in To standards, which still means it is better than a lot of the other crime/action movies out there. The opening shootout scene in this movie is remarkable, it is shot in one take, no cuts. I'm a fan of this technique when done right and To is on top of his game. Good cast, but Chen just didn't do it for me, she seemed to emotionless for this movie. This movie might have got a better rating, but I know what To is capable of; but this is still a movie to watch.