Expect The Unexpected

Expect the Unexpected is a very uneven movie. It's almost as if two movies -- a cop action/drama and a romantic character study -- have been thrown together. The romantic parts are somewhat entertaining. One funny bit has the rejected Sam "lip-synching" a conversation between Ken and Mandy (Mung), a woman they both desire. But really, they don't add anything to the film as a whole. One particular subplot, dealing with one of Ken's subordinates after he is shot by the Mainlanders, is totally unnecessary and slows the movie down. I'm all for fleshing out characters in a film (especially in the crime genre, which all too often feature "cookie-cutter" stereotypes) but not if it comes at the expense of the story. We really don't need to know about all the intimate romantic details of every character's life.

However, the parts focusing on the cops' pursuit of the Mainlanders are extremely well done, with heaps of suspense and crackling action sequences. It was during these sequences that I found Expect the Unexpected most rewarding. I admire what Yau and other "new New Wave" film-makers are trying to do within the HK crime genre, but sometimes they should just let a good crime drama be. If Yau had decided to focus just on the crimes and not the "crimes of passion" of the cops, this might have been a great movie. It's still very good, though, and the title is quite prophetic. The ending is unexpected. I have watched dozens of movies of this type -- I was surprised and I'm sure you will be too.

Review Courtesy of Neil Koch