Dao huo xian (City Without Mercy) (Flash Point) (Fuse) (The Signal) (2007)

40% of critics liked it
(20 reviews)
68% of users liked it
(5,685 ratings)

SPL power duo Wilson Yip and Donnie Yen re-team for this raucous action film about a loose-cannon cop on the trail of three drug-dealing brothers. Jun (Yen) is the kind of cop who always gets his man, but may set a whole city block ablaze in the process. Though his superiors are constantly on his… More SPL power duo Wilson Yip and Donnie Yen re-team for this raucous action film about a loose-cannon cop on the trail of three drug-dealing brothers. Jun (Yen) is the kind of cop who always gets his man, but may set a whole city block ablaze in the process. Though his superiors are constantly on his case, Jun knows how to get the job done and never hesitates to innovate in times of crisis. Archer (Lui Leung Wai), Tony (Collin Chou), and Tiger (Xing Yu) are three dope slingers who supply the product for much of the local drug trade, and Jun is determined to take them down at all costs. Assisting Jun in his task is undercover cop Wilson (Louis Koo), a seasoned veteran capable of infiltrating the gang and gaining their trust. Though Wilson is at first successful in his mission, his cover is soon blown and a fierce battle leaves him unable to walk on his own. Fortunately for the good guys, Archer is captured in the violent fracas. While at first this seems like a major coup for law enforcement, the small victory takes a grim turn when vengeful brother Tiger vows to eliminate sole witness Wilson before the case ever goes to trial. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 27 min.
Directed By: Wilson Yip
Written By: Szeto Kam Yuen
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Action & Adventure

In Theaters: Aug 2, 2007 Wide
On DVD: Apr 22, 2008
Studio: Third Rail & Genius Products

Critic Reviews

John Anderson, Newsday
Insensible.
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle
Yen has developed a recent passion for mixed martial arts, and his more traditional punches and flying kicks are supplemented by some close-quarters Muay Thai kicks and even some jujitsu submission holds. Ultimate Fighting Championship fans will be happy.
Kyle Smith, New York Post
Flash Point comes loaded with cliches and immediately starts blasting them in every direction.
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
Flash Point plays like the last hurrah of a criminal underclass facing the inevitable shrinking of its bottom line.
Ed Gonzalez, Village Voice
Nothing more than a dumb action picture with delusions of Johnnie To-dom.
Maggie Lee, Hollywood Reporter
a plot of nail-biting tension
Don Willmott, Filmcritic.com
If you're a fan of Hong Kong police flicks, then you know that at any given moment, it seems like 50 percent of the force is deep undercover in the triads.
Austin Kennedy, Sin Magazine
I really wanted to see a fun mindless martial arts film. But the story is so familiar that it beoomes boring.
Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews
It's all about the extensive climax, a gunfight turned mixed martial arts throwdown.
Bill Gibron, PopMatters
Yen and costar Chou redefine the big screen brawl with their kinetic, intense display.
Daniel Eagan, Film Journal International
Those with a taste for bone-crushing martial arts executed with real skill and flair are not likely to find anything better on American screens for some time.
John P. McCarthy, Boxoffice Magazine
Considerably more importance is placed on the chops and the socks than the story, and yet the action sequences aren't terribly memorable.
Diva Velez, TheDivaReview.com
Catch this one in theatres while you have the chance. The breathless, breakneck action of Flash Point can only truly be appreciated 40 feet high.
Luke Y. Thompson, New Times
There's nothing that I dislike about FLASH POINT, but I do wish it could be even more than it is
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Donnie Yen is famous for combining martial arts traditions into his own unique fighting style and Collin Chou, who studied with Sammo Hung, is up to the task of holding his own.
David Fear, Time Out New York
Not even a choice ass-whupping can make up for the plodding familiarity that precedes it.
Kurt Loder, MTV
What we have here, from the chop-socky point of view, isn't a feature film; it's a YouTube video.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Finally -- with barely a half-hour left to go, Donnie Yen does his thing.
Andy Klein, Los Angeles CityBeat
Outside of the fights, the film is by the numbers, but it's an okay set of numbers to be guided by.

Read all 19 critic reviews

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Dean M

Superb HK action film with martial arts superstar Donnie Yen and it boasts some incredible action sequences with explosive hard hitting fight combinations. Mixing many styles, Yen has created some extraordinary fight scenes for this movie. The camera-work is spot on and captures the… More
Superb HK action film with martial arts superstar Donnie Yen and it boasts some incredible action sequences with explosive hard hitting fight combinations. Mixing many styles, Yen has created some extraordinary fight scenes for this movie. The camera-work is spot on and captures the intensity and struggle of the combat with the close up shots, whilst letting us see the incredible display of martial arts fighting with the longer shots.
danny d

a slight step up from kill zone for me as yip and yen come back together for another decent martial arts cop drama. the story was serviceable at best, but the film was massively entertaining and the fight sequences were solid.
Tsubaki S

Like SPL, it could have been a lot better, seems they are just stretching a very simple story way more than they should. If you really can't write a story like Infernal Affairs then just don't try it, just go for the action. That said, the final fight between Donnie and… More
Like SPL, it could have been a lot better, seems they are just stretching a very simple story way more than they should. If you really can't write a story like Infernal Affairs then just don't try it, just go for the action. That said, the final fight between Donnie and Collin should be the new standard that every figthing movie should follow from now on.
Justin Y

Donnie Yen has still got the moves. There is no doubt about that. You've probably heard some good things about the fights in this film and they are, more than likely, true.The story is average, but for a movie like this it is more than satisfactory. Where the story… More
Donnie Yen has still got the moves. There is no doubt about that. You've probably heard some good things about the fights in this film and they are, more than likely, true.The story is average, but for a movie like this it is more than satisfactory. Where the story really lacks is depth, unlike Sha Po Lang as another Donnie Yen film example. The main characters Donnie Yen and Louis Koo, and villains for that matter, could use some more buildup and background. The story also moves at a quick pace, which keeps the film from becoming boring. Yet, this film runs at only about 80 minutes and has some room for extension. In actuality the story runs for only the first hour before switching to action mode for the final 20 minutes.As I just mentioned the action comes in at the end with a few small teases throughout. The wait is absolutely worth it though. With great martial artists in Donnie Yen and Collin Chou you know something big is in store for the finale. It is big. Gun play and martial arts brawls. What makes the fights even better is the fact that the film makes you want Donnie Yen to actually kick the crap out of the villains. So when he finally does, it is even more satisfying.Probably one of the weaker parts of this film is the acting. It is mediocre at best with Louis Koo, not surprisingly, giving the best performance. With that said, the acting is probably the last thing to care about when deciding to watch this.If you are looking for a great action flick to fill your night, then definitely check this one out. You will not be disappointed with Donnie in this one.
Donnie D

It's been a while since I've seen Donnie Yen in the starring role of movie so I decided to watch one of his more recent efforts. While Donnie Yen once again delivers some great action scenes, the movie story prevents is from being great. Flash Point is about an agent… More
It's been a while since I've seen Donnie Yen in the starring role of movie so I decided to watch one of his more recent efforts. While Donnie Yen once again delivers some great action scenes, the movie story prevents is from being great. Flash Point is about an agent battling against three brothers of a powerful Vietnamese gang. Alright the story for the movie is poorly done. It lacks depth, character development, and pacing as most of the action is in the last thirty minutes and everything in between is a largely forgettable story. Of course story wasn't the main focus of the movie, it main focus was in the action. As for the violence allot of effort when into them and they're pretty awesome. This movie has one of the best climax for a Martial Art movie, unfortunately you have to endure the lack of a good story. I won't deny that both Wilson Yip and Donnie Yen make a good team when it comes to violence, drama on the other hand is a big miss here. Donnie Yen proves he's bad ass, but also proves he's not able to act when he's not punching. Wilson Yip has an eye for action, but he doesn't put in the same effort for telling a story. Flash Point is a Martial Art movie with great violence, but lacks depth in a story to make it great. If you're looking for a great Martial Art violence watch this, but skip to the violence as it's the only part worth watching.
Jason T

All 5 stars of this movie is accredited to the last action scene of the film. If I was to rate the film as a whole it'd be a lot less. You have to endure about three quarters of the film and one bruuuuuutal beat down by Donnie Yen to get to one of the greatest fight scenes in… More
All 5 stars of this movie is accredited to the last action scene of the film. If I was to rate the film as a whole it'd be a lot less. You have to endure about three quarters of the film and one bruuuuuutal beat down by Donnie Yen to get to one of the greatest fight scenes in recent memory. Donnie Yen brings a great blend of mixed martial arts to the big screen with his final fight against Collin Chou. The plot is very sub-par but to be honest who watches a martial arts film for the story. It's just an excuse to watch some people kick some serious butt and Donnie Yen does just that. Although the movie does feel like a Donnie Yen ego trip but he really does need to be recognized more as the next big martial arts star aside from Tony Jaa... at least North America side.
Steven V

In his black leather jacket and oozing plenty of charisma, Donnie Yen's Inspector Ma Jun quite resembled his other character in Sha po lang, which was also directed by Wilson Yip, because at one point… More
In his black leather jacket and oozing plenty of charisma, Donnie Yen's Inspector Ma Jun quite resembled his other character in Sha po lang, which was also directed by Wilson Yip, because at one point Flash Point was supposed to be an Sha po lang sequel. But in any case, the character is slightly tweaked. Flash Point boasts some incredible action sequences with explosive hard hitting fight combinations. What more, as learnt from Sha po lang having real martial arts exponents like Sammo Hung and Wu Jing fighting opposite himself, it made the sequences look more authentic, and the pace at which they can go at each other much more frantic. Without a doubt, Inspector Ma Jun as a character overshadows them all with his motivations and drive. His temper is as quick as his reflexes, and he doesn't tolerate bull from the top brass, which resulted in rather muted action for about three quarters of the movie because his behavior is reined in by order. And there is a scene though which will make you question his excessiveness, and wonder if his doggedness in pursuit and apprehension actually clouds his ethical and moral judgment. Flash Point is still an awesome action movie when the time came for it to deliver the goods, highlighting that Hong Kong action films still have what it takes to innovate within the genre.
alan j

Lukewarm HK actioneer ...Donnie Yen is a strong fighter but a weak actor. Louis Koo can act fine, but he is not the 'star' and has a more limited role. This movie comes off as FLAT, lacking real tension and drama. It also suffers from uneven pacing and a thin plotline… More
Lukewarm HK actioneer ...Donnie Yen is a strong fighter but a weak actor. Louis Koo can act fine, but he is not the 'star' and has a more limited role. This movie comes off as FLAT, lacking real tension and drama. It also suffers from uneven pacing and a thin plotline that was short on suspense and fireworks until the final fight sequence. The climactic showdown is spectacular hand to hand combat, but its a case of too little too late. This is another example of weak storytelling that does not burn any indelible images into the viewer's mind...fairly mild on the entertainment scale.
Anthony V

Nice mix of martial arts and police/triad action drama.
Wu C

Follows the cop drama formula, but 'Flash Point' stands out from the rest. This boasts some fantastic camera work and cool fight scenes. Donnie Yen is so badass in this.
Kevin "

A good action movie showing Donnie Yen is on top of his game in fighting choreography. Although, I feel it is a step back from <a href="http://www.flixster.com/movie/sha-po-lang">Kill Zone</a> (S.P.L.), the story is lacking in comparison. But the fighting and… More
A good action movie showing Donnie Yen is on top of his game in fighting choreography. Although, I feel it is a step back from <a href="http://www.flixster.com/movie/sha-po-lang">Kill Zone</a> (S.P.L.), the story is lacking in comparison. But the fighting and action helps cover that problem up. Fans of Donnie Yen should check this movie out.
Christopher B

Excellent martial arts, top notch really ,and a good story make this film a definite winner, yet I was a little disappointed because I didn't like it as much as SPL. Granted, SPL had Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung and Simon Yam, plus a lot of other familiar faces and was grittier and… More
Excellent martial arts, top notch really ,and a good story make this film a definite winner, yet I was a little disappointed because I didn't like it as much as SPL. Granted, SPL had Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung and Simon Yam, plus a lot of other familiar faces and was grittier and harder edged, but I shouldn't hold that against Flash Point, a completely seperate movie (though I guess it was originally written as a sequel). I'll be watching this again for sure, and maybe then, when my expectations are realistic, I can appreciate it more. As for now though, I still highly recommend it.