The Blacksheep Affairs (1998)



	The Blacksheep Affairs		Return to Review Archive - B
	Year:	1998	Zhao Wen-Zhou and Andrew Lin
	Director:	Allen Lam Wai-Lun
	Producer:	Ching Siu-Tung
	Cast:	Zhao Wen-Zhou, Shu Qi, Ken Wong Hap-Hei, Andrew Lin Hoi, Joe Cheung Tung-Cho, Kenneth Tsang Kong, Lau Shun, Xiong Xin-Xin (cameo)
	The Skinny:	Modern action-adventure with kung-fu choreography and photogenic stars. But it's actually pretty bad.
	Review by Kozo:	Zhao Wen-Zhou is Yim Dong, a Chinese security officer who is assigned to the Chinese Embassy in the Russian republic of Lavernia after he disobeys orders on a hijacking crisis. That initial set piece is a well-choreographed action sequence featuring some trademarks of action director Ching Siu-Tung. After that, the film goes into freefall - fast. Dong’s first action in Lavernia is collaring an evil Japanese cult leader named Kaizo Mishima (Andrew Lin Hoi). However, Mishima is in cahoots with the Lavernian Minister of Defense (who was apparently dubbed by Bob from accounting). Making matters worse is a bunch of Chinese refugees who want into Lavernia, and the reappearance of Dong’s old flame, Chan Pun (Shu Qi, who really needs to talk to her agent). And there's action. While the setup is not all that terrible, this film has possibly the worst execution and waste of talent of any HK film made this year. The acting and pacing are awful, the script and dubbing of anyone other than the principals borders on criminal, and the attempts to integrate computer SFX are laughable. Though this stuff was excusable back in the eighties, it just doesn’t cut it now, especially since Ching Siu-Tung's patented action is totally out of place in this wannabe realistic action picture. The Blacksheep Affair regurgitates old clichés in a fancy new package - poorly. (Kozo 1998)
	Notes:	• Released stateside via Columbia Pictures Home Video as Another Meltdown, a somewhat related film by association to Meltdown, which is Columbia Pictures' US video release of Jet Li's High Risk. The reason behind this title change is obvious; as any legally insane person will tell you, the movies are EXACTLY the same.
	Availability:	DVD Region 0 NTSC Mei Ah Laser Widescreen Cantonese and Mandarin Language Dolby Digital 5.1 Removable Chinese and English Subtitles

		image courtesy of Mei Ah Laser Disc Co., Ltd.
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