Ringo Lam returns to Hong Kong after the tepid Maximum Risk with this top-notch cops ‘n robbers thriller. Lau Ching-Wan is Officer Pao, a stressed cop who investigates a routine murder. The culprit is a loser named Mak Kwan (Francis Ng), who admits to manslaughter, but not the more serious crimes that he’s planning with a mainland criminal (Jack Gao). Problem is, Lau and his crew (Chin Kar-Lok, Emily Kwan, and Peter Yung) are on to Mak Kwan thanks to the handy bomb-making materials discovered during the investigation. This leads to an elaborate stakeout as the cops try to discover just exactly what Mak Kwan is up to. 

The action in this film is fairly routine, but Lam’s direction is terrific. Each moment in this film leads to the next with expert precision. As the film unfolds, we gradually discover the motivations and fears that drive our protagonists, and the line between cop and criminal blurs even more. This is a well-realized treatment of the cop/criminal film, with excellent performances all around. Francis Ng, especially, shines as the almost sympathetic bad guy who’s all-too-human in his weaknesses and strengths. As is usual with a Ringo Lam film, the resolution leaves us little to be happy about, but the results are compelling. Full Alert is rife with shades of gray, and the complexity of action and character are fascinating. (Kozo 1997)

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