The Last Blood

There’s a reason why those in the know were championing Hong Kong action movies in the early ‘90s.  While Hollywood was cranking out tepid retreads like The Last Boy Scout, HK filmmakers simply cut to the chase, reloaded the ammunition and delivered a frenzied take on what America invented in the first place: the buddy picture.  1991’s The Last Blood (known as Hard Boiled 2 in the UK) is a blood-spattered escapist cop comedy that wants nothing more than to top itself after every bullet-riddled scene!

After an assassination attempt on the Dalai Lama leaves him in desperate need of a rare blood type, two members of an anti-terrorist squad track down the only living donor: a clumsy con-man nicknamed Fat Boy.   Dodging bullets from hired thugs and rushing to beat the clock, the trio race through Singapore crowded with civilians celebrating the national holiday…which makes for a lot of collateral damage!

 

Directed by Wong Jing with an eye for all the ‘90s HK action cliches (broken glass, exploding fireballs, leaping gun battles), The Last Blood is a hyperkinetic blast of cinematic energy.  Seriously, there aren’t enough adjectives to describe it!  The script may be shallow with wild shifts in tone, but it’s never boring and often honest-to-god exhilarating.  From a team of killer stewardesses to a relentless motorcycle gang, Wong Jing dials up everything to eleven, including the casual brutality with a body count that includes innocent bystanders, old ladies, sick kids and not one but two love interests!

 

Action choreography is key but a great cast of recognizable faces doesn’t hurt either.  Alan Tam and Andy Lau pair up well, veteran Bryan Leung gets a big moment or two and Eric Tsang effectively hams it up as the comic relief.  The Last Blood has been overshadowed by the more serious-minded films it admittedly lifts from (e.g. John Woo) but there’s something to be said for a crowd-pleasing production that knows which way to shoot…and never misses the target.

 

Premiering on Blu-ray from 88 Films, it’s a beautifully cinematic presentation; Wong Jing’s use of long lenses comes across particularly well.  Extras include an audio commentary by Hong Kong film expert Frank Djeng, theatrical trailer, fold-out poster and classy new artwork on the included slipcover.

 

 

 

 

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