PTU (PTU - Police Tactical Unit) (2003)

57% of critics liked it
(14 reviews)
79% of users liked it
(4,215 ratings)

Johnny To's police drama PTU details the ramifications of an officer losing his weapon. Seargant Lo (Lam Suet), head of the police anti-crime division, finds his gun missing after an altercation with a gang. Police Tactical Unit (PTU) team leader Mike Ho (Simon Yam), not wanting to get the… More Johnny To's police drama PTU details the ramifications of an officer losing his weapon. Seargant Lo (Lam Suet), head of the police anti-crime division, finds his gun missing after an altercation with a gang. Police Tactical Unit (PTU) team leader Mike Ho (Simon Yam), not wanting to get the soon-to-be-promoted Lo in hot water, gives him some time to recover the firearm. While Li and Mike attempt to find the gun before the gang kills anyone with it, police investigators suspect that there may be corruption within the PTU. To filmed the picture off-and-on for over two years before it played at the 2003 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: Johnnie To
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Apr 17, 2003 Wide
On DVD: Mar 25, 2008
Studio: Palm Pictures

Critic Reviews

Elvis Mitchell, New York Times
Mr. To is a master of the game, and his command supplies pleasure, even when there are no surprises.
Sean Axmaker, MSN.com
... a tight, concise action thriller, played against a backdrop of empty streets and lonely pools of light.
Bill Gibron, PopMatters
Dark, noirish, and loaded with late night atmosphere, P.T.U.: Police Tactical Unit... is an intriguing take on the standard cops and robbers routine.
Amber Wilkinson, Eye for Film
An enjoyable, high-energy romp.
Anthony Quinn, Independent
The droll opening, set in a restaurant where the pecking order is rigorously observed, gives way to a complicated but uninvolving cat-and-mouse game between the police and rival gangs.
Sukhdev Sandhu, Daily Telegraph
Characterisation, always a hit and miss affair in To's films, is deliberately rather thin. Instead, To and his cinematographer, Cheng Siu Keung, make the greasy, near-abandoned streets of the Hong Kong capital come alive
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]
It's an oddity in some ways, and its brief appearance in cinemas can only be the precursor to a DVD release, which is how it will mostly be seen. It's a smart, sharp piece of work, however big the screen.
, Times [UK]
Johnny To favours atmosphere above plotting and though it looks tremendous it won't keep you on the edge of your seat
Trevor Johnston, Time Out
The point of the exercise is really the unfolding of sundry edgy night-time encounters and action set-pieces, each constructed with To's customary patience, while his vision of Hong Kong after dark exudes an eerie calm that's cumulatively hypnotic.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
A conclusão interessante não compensa os 80 minutos necessários para contar um fiapo de história aborrecida.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...all the moody cinematography in the world can't disguise the inherently dull screenplay...
Jurgen Fauth, About.com
Fresh situations, haunting long takes, and a final showdown that is much more interesting than anything in Tarantino's Kill Bill make this film ... purely enjoyable.
George Wu, culturevulture.net
The characters are all defined by their place in the plot._They don't come alive organically, but seem distant and abstract.
Jon Popick, Planet Sick-Boy
Has a very promising start and a big, noisy shootout of a finale, but everything in between has been done before and better.
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
Style doesn't trump substance in Johnny To's quickie circus act PTU because the style is the substance.

Read all 15 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Justin Y

Leave it to Johnnie To to make something good out of what seemingly seems like nothing. He shows once again why he is one of my favorite directors.The film plays out like any other Johnnie To Hong Kong crime drama. Slow paced, minimal dialogue, and little to no action.… More
Leave it to Johnnie To to make something good out of what seemingly seems like nothing. He shows once again why he is one of my favorite directors.The film plays out like any other Johnnie To Hong Kong crime drama. Slow paced, minimal dialogue, and little to no action. Sounds boring right? Well, those of you who have seen Johnnie To films should know that with his direction and writing, these films turn out much better than the cliched Hong Kong action films. The great cinematography and storytelling more than make up for the lack of action and dialogue.The story is actually pretty slim at the beginning, but as the film moves on the story becomes a little more deep. There are times when the story may seem off-track, but the great ending is where everything unfolds and all the characters come together. The ending really is the high point of this film. This is where you get the only shootout and Johnnie To, once again, is able to create a piece of work out of it. Great stuff. Another nice thing about this film is that it all takes place in the matter of one nights time. So yes, it is a dark film, settings wise.The usual Johnnie To cast of Simon Yam, Maggie Shiu, and Lam Suet are able to bring the good acting to this film. My only complaint is that Maggie Shiu's character should have gotten more airtime.This isn't Johhnie To's greatest work, but like Tarantino films in America. This film is still much better than many other Hong Kong films out there. Give this a watch if you're a fan of the To.
Sheldon C

I highly enjoyed the pacing of this movie, although some may find it to be extremely slow. I also enjoyed the very unusual music, especially the main theme, which some may find to be very unfitting towards what is accompanying it onscreen. The lighting is probably the best part of the… More
I highly enjoyed the pacing of this movie, although some may find it to be extremely slow. I also enjoyed the very unusual music, especially the main theme, which some may find to be very unfitting towards what is accompanying it onscreen. The lighting is probably the best part of the movie to me; great shadows in the nighttime HK streets. However, I do agree with some that the movie is a bit pointless and gets a bit sloppy with all the characters and their motives.
Kevin "

While not my favorite Johnny To film, still better than most, just not as good as I expect from him. As usual, it is the typical Milkyway cast and again Yam shows why I love him so much. He doesn't even have to have dialogue to show his talents. Story wise it isn't that… More
While not my favorite Johnny To film, still better than most, just not as good as I expect from him. As usual, it is the typical Milkyway cast and again Yam shows why I love him so much. He doesn't even have to have dialogue to show his talents. Story wise it isn't that deep or original, but that doesn't stop To from making it interesting. It contains the subtle humor that To fans should be accustom with in his films. Having said that, I still think it is more geared to fans of To and not the more accessible as say Exiled.
alan j

moody and dark (literally)..very simple story executed well..same usual suspects you find in other To movies, acting first rate and will hold your interest..the movie seems to slow down in spots but definitely worth a watch
Anthony V

Not your typical police drama/action film. Johnny to gives this quite the twist.
Christopher B

Great, stylistic and very dramatic along with being action filled Johnnie To film. A great filmmaker.