DOWNTOWN TORPEDOES (1997) Directed By Teddy Chan Tak-sum Starring: Takeshi Kaneshiro, Charlie Yeung Choi-nei, Jordan Chan Siu-chun, Teresa Lee Yi-hung, Alex Fong Chun-sun

Reviewed by Ron Murillo

A.T.M. (Available Technological Mercenaries) is a ring of industrial spies composed of Jackal (Takeshi Kaneshiro), a daredevil thief, Cash (Jordan Chan Siu-chun), an electronics whiz and their unseen "coach", Sam, who directs them by radio through electronically camouflaged voice. Jackal and Cash are picked up by the HK Security Branch and reunited with Titan (Ken Wong Hep-hei), an alcoholic mechanic once associated with the ATM and Sam (Charlie Yeung Choi-nei). Branch agent Stanley Wong (Alex Fong Chun-sun) explains that counterfeit plates for the the British sterling, that were developed by the Iranians to damage the economy, have come into the possession of MI5, whose department chief is believed to have his own nefarious plans for them. Since the Security Branch cannot be seen to have a hand in obtaining the plates, Stanley persuades A.T.M. to assist through blackmail and a sizable fee. Though Cash mistrusts Titan's reliability, the group agrees to carry out the operation.

Downtown Torpedoes cannot be faulted for delivering on its promise of action and thrills. It has arguably some of the best action sequences seen in recent HK films, from the high speed escape from the MI5 headquarters to the battle with the counterfeiters to the showdown with Stanley in Budapest. The fast-paced editing mixed with the choreography of action director Stephen Tung-wai make this one of the more exciting films from the former British colony. However, the script does ask us, in the name of this expediency, to accept that the team would be able to decipher the clues planted behind by Stanley, such as the skin cells in the drainpipe and the assassin's code book that leads them to the buyers of the forged plates to Sam suddenly remembering that Stanley didn't have a pierced ear lobe. That such obscure clues could 1-2-3 fall into place is a stretch of anyone's imagination, but probably any other track would have slowed down the film's pace. And the discovery that Phoenix had placed a tracking device on the paltes, coming at a time when the team had no clues to Stanley's whereabouts, also seems like an incredible stroke of luck. But it is the fact the film does move at this rapid pace, barring all this, that makes Downtown Torpedoes a cut above the average popcorn action film.