Taxi Hunter

Personal anecdote time.  Way back in the dark ages of my aborted screenwriting career our group class gathered around to discuss the merits of Independence Day, which was dismissed by pretty much everyone.  I screwed up the courage to come to its defense in terms of structure: the clever buildup to the aliens’ arrival and the admirable way all of its cheesy parts came together in just the right way.  It wasn’t so much the film itself that impressed me, but the mechanics that made it work.

What the hell does that have to do with Taxi Hunter (1993), a thriller that pretty much defines the adrenaline-fueled Hong Kong genre blending of the era?  Well, Herman Yau’s film is another of those beautifully designed mousetraps that lures audiences in with a can’t-miss combination of vigilante justice and high-octane action scenes.  It’s a movie with no spare parts and a 100% satisfaction guarantee!

 

A successful salaryman but hopeless pushover, Kin (Anthony Wong) is driven over the edge when his pregnant wife is killed by a reckless taxi driver.  Roaming the streets to dispense justice, he strikes a nerve with other citizens tired of the poor treatment and shakedowns they’ve been suffering for years.  But as the local police, including his best friend Chung (Rongguang Yu), are pressured to stop the murder spree, Kin’s mental state becomes even more unbalanced, until the criminals all start to look that same.

 

As four official Death Wish sequels and countless rip-offs prove, vigilantism is pure cinematic gold.  When done well, it stirs up audience empathy while unapologetically feeding those bloodthirsty urges.  Taxi Hunterweaves in and out of the same dark streets as Taxi Driver and Falling Down, but balances the story with light comic relief, car chases and an opening action scene straight out of the Jackie Chan playbook.  But it’s the revenge angle that holds your attention, particularly Kin’s “audition” for each driver to see if they’re among the guilty.  Anthony Wong plays the audience surrogate to a tee, splitting the protagonist / antagonist in such a way that every other character – no matter how likable – just a supporting player.

 

As a director, Yau has never been afraid to get his hands dirty; and Taxi Hunter splashes in some effective violence when it gets a chance.  But it’s all in the service of a story that comes together like a Rubik’s Cube, providing just the right narrative twists at the right time.   All of which proves if you’ve got a movie this tight, not even Will Smith can eff it up.

 

88 Films’ Blu-ray release comes with a limited-edition slipcover, double-sided foldout poster, audio commentary, interviews with cast and crew, trailers, still gallery and reversible cover art.

 

 

 

   

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