RATING: 0.5/5
Originally slated for release on late February during the Chinese New Year month, FUTURE X-COPS is pulled off at the last minute because the filmmakers wanted to improve the special effects department. Unfortunately upon its initial release on April, the end result is questionably awful -- not only in term of its rather dated special effects but just about everything else that spells "disastrous".
The story centers on Kidd Zhao (Andy Lau), a dedicated cop from the year 2080. When he receives a breaking news that genetically-enhanced cyborg Kalon (Fan Siu-Wong) and his gang are out to kill Dr. Masterson (Ma Jing-Wu), who is also known as the "Father of Solar Energy" for his cheap method to replace fossil fuel with solar energy, he sets up a special team of future cops to protect him at all cost. But during the opening ceremony at a museum Masterson is attending, all hell breaks loose when Kalon and his gang arrives in a time travel device. A fierce battle ensues and many cops are killed, especially Kidd's wife, Millie (Fan Bingbing) who died while trying to protect Dr. Masterson. Kidd goes for a revenge but Kalon and his remaining gang member, Fiona (Tang Yi-Fei) manage to get away in the end. Angered over his wife's death, Kidd demands to be sent back in time -- at the year 2020 -- to protect Masterson when he was a 12-year-old kid. This is when Kidd volunteers for a radical surgery to transform himself into a bionic man with mechanical arms and legs. In order to protect his secret identity, Kidd works as a police officer and at the same time, unexpectedly falls in love with a fellow police officer named Holly (Barbie Hsu). In the meantime, the oil tycoons who hired Kalon and Fiona in the first place, quickly revamped them with an upgraded version and send them back at 2020 as well, to kill Dr. Masterson at all cost.
Lead actor, Andy Lau was originally rejected the idea of appearing in this movie when he read the first script given to him. But after an amazing 19th rewrite of the script, Andy Lau finally agrees to join the cast. Given the notorious fact that a typical Hong Kong production is always all about rushed completion, it's bewildering to learn that a movie like FUTURE X-COPS which has undergone numerous script rewrites and special-effects tinkering, it still ends up a rotten piece of junk.
Responsible for this crappy movie is of course none others than the king of crap himself, Wong Jing who is obviously revisited his 1993's cringe-worthy but now cult-classic FUTURE COPS, doesn't learn a single thing of improvement for making a sci-fi genre. Make no mistake, this movie fares as worst as Wong Jing-Andy Lau's last sci-fi collaboration in the equally god-awful THE WESLEY'S MYSTERIOUS FILE. The special effects here are downright cheap and almost bargain-basement product that looks like they belong from the '90s it's plain laughable.
Adding further insult, is Wong Jing's equally crappy screenplay that is a typical mix of sci-fi, mo lei tau comedy, drama and romance -- all mashed up without an ounce of credibility, let alone originality. The romance between Andy Lau and Barbie Hsu is especially forced and unconvincing, while the story often stalls with lots of unnecessary scenarios and tired expositions it's actually a butt-numbing experience to sit through.
Despite the aid of veteran action choreographer Ching Siu-Tung, all the CG-enhanced fight sequences is hardly exciting and looks terrible at each passing moment. This is especially evident during the movie's three major action set-pieces: the museum attack, the cringe-worthy amusement park scene and the all-out awful confrontation between Kidd and Kalon.
But none of them are more bewildering than the fact a caliber of the cast agree to join in this movie at the first place. Not surprisingly, their acting are consisted from bad to plain awful. And this goes especially to Andy Lau, who remains in question of accepting such cringe-worthy role at the stage of his career. Maybe it's acceptable a decade ago when Lau is famous of tackling all kind of crappy roles given to him. But now, it's entirely different story. Time after time, Lau has grown progressively as a credible actor and seeing him in this crappy movie is just embarrassing. Either Lau is doing this a favor for his old friend, Wong Jing or he really needs a paycheck remains anybody's guess.
No doubt FUTURE X-COPS reeks of a bad movie that is hardly qualified as guilty-pleasure entertainment. Avoid this at all cost.
Lead actor, Andy Lau was originally rejected the idea of appearing in this movie when he read the first script given to him. But after an amazing 19th rewrite of the script, Andy Lau finally agrees to join the cast. Given the notorious fact that a typical Hong Kong production is always all about rushed completion, it's bewildering to learn that a movie like FUTURE X-COPS which has undergone numerous script rewrites and special-effects tinkering, it still ends up a rotten piece of junk.
Responsible for this crappy movie is of course none others than the king of crap himself, Wong Jing who is obviously revisited his 1993's cringe-worthy but now cult-classic FUTURE COPS, doesn't learn a single thing of improvement for making a sci-fi genre. Make no mistake, this movie fares as worst as Wong Jing-Andy Lau's last sci-fi collaboration in the equally god-awful THE WESLEY'S MYSTERIOUS FILE. The special effects here are downright cheap and almost bargain-basement product that looks like they belong from the '90s it's plain laughable.
Adding further insult, is Wong Jing's equally crappy screenplay that is a typical mix of sci-fi, mo lei tau comedy, drama and romance -- all mashed up without an ounce of credibility, let alone originality. The romance between Andy Lau and Barbie Hsu is especially forced and unconvincing, while the story often stalls with lots of unnecessary scenarios and tired expositions it's actually a butt-numbing experience to sit through.
Despite the aid of veteran action choreographer Ching Siu-Tung, all the CG-enhanced fight sequences is hardly exciting and looks terrible at each passing moment. This is especially evident during the movie's three major action set-pieces: the museum attack, the cringe-worthy amusement park scene and the all-out awful confrontation between Kidd and Kalon.
But none of them are more bewildering than the fact a caliber of the cast agree to join in this movie at the first place. Not surprisingly, their acting are consisted from bad to plain awful. And this goes especially to Andy Lau, who remains in question of accepting such cringe-worthy role at the stage of his career. Maybe it's acceptable a decade ago when Lau is famous of tackling all kind of crappy roles given to him. But now, it's entirely different story. Time after time, Lau has grown progressively as a credible actor and seeing him in this crappy movie is just embarrassing. Either Lau is doing this a favor for his old friend, Wong Jing or he really needs a paycheck remains anybody's guess.
No doubt FUTURE X-COPS reeks of a bad movie that is hardly qualified as guilty-pleasure entertainment. Avoid this at all cost.