Black Mask

This science fiction movie set in futuristic Hong Kong, begins with a lunatic scientist discovering a way to remove neurons from the human body. He uses this technology to transform a group of youngsters into cold-blooded murderers. Some of them including the best assassin, Coach ($$ID=Jet Li$$), senses the motives of the scientist and plans an escape from the group. The scientist sends the other assassins to eliminate the escapees.

All escapees are murdered except for Coach who settles down in Hong Kong as a librarian. Meanwhile, he finds a friend in police officer Lee ($$ID=Lau Ching Wan$$) who is unaware of his identity. Coach secretly assists Lee in solving major criminal cases in the guise of his superhero alter ego, "Black Mask".

Coach becomes personally involved in controversy again when an ambitious triad ganglord reinstitutes the murderous program with his ex accomplices. Coach as "Black Mask" becomes embroiled in the midst of a furious battle with his ex cohorts. What follows is strictly formulaic albeit executed with director $$ID=Tsui Hark$$'s usual panache of rapid fire action direction and Jet Li's edgy martial art skills.

The results play like a Hong Kong take on Batman with excellent stunts and explosive action sequences. Jet Li is in true to his usual form as "Black Mask" in this movie, which was retooled for a Hollywood release, although he is to receive mainstream recognition for his later efforts in "Lethal Weapon 4" and "Romeo Must Die".