Tokyo Raiders

Starring:Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Ekin Cheng, Kelly Chen, Cecilia Cheung, TÃ´ru Nakamura, Hiroshi Abe, Kumiko EndÃ´, Maju Ozawa, YÃ»ko Moriyama, Minami Shirakawa, Takeshi Yamato, Pauline Yam, Kou Shibasaki
Director: Jingle Ma
Studio: Tai Seng
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Tony Leung, star of Hong Kong action movies like Hard-Boiled and Bullet in the Head, stars in Tokyo Raiders along with pop stars Ekin Cheng and Kelly Chen. When Macy (Chen) gets jilted at the altar in Las Vegas, she returns to Hong Kong to find her fiancÃ© has disappeared--but in his apartment she finds Yung (Cheng), an interior decorator with surprising kung fu skills. Together they go to Japan, where they meet up with Lin (Leung), a private detective with an entourage of kung fu babes and stories that don't quite add up. From there, the plot gets more and more incomprehensible. It has something to do with counterfeit yen and a twisty series of double-crosses, but Tokyo Raiders is really about hip clothes and martial arts razzle-dazzle, all framed by the worst dubbed dialogue you've ever heard--sort of a Hong Kong version of The Mod Squad. Leung has demonstrated his acting chops in movies like Chungking Express and In the Mood for Love, but he can't make this silliness sound sensible. Still, the actors are sexy, the fight scenes are splashy (if a little confusing), and the movie never wastes too much time getting from one action sequence to the next. A chase that starts out on a motorized skateboard and ends up on a trailer truck hauling new cars is particularly entertaining. --Bret Fetzer

TOKYO RAIDERS (DVD/P&S/WS 1.85/DD 5.1/DSS/ENG-BOTH/SP-PO-SUB)
Average customer rating:

Fun Flick!

Tokyo Raiders, Amusing, Light-Hearted Action Flick

Cool-looking but incomprehensible movie

mindless spy flick loaded w/ silly fun

I loved it!

TOKYO RAIDERS (DVD/P&S/WS 1.85/DD 5.1/DSS/ENG-BOTH/SP-PO-SUB)

Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video
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Martial Arts | By Genre | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000056WQZ

Amazon.com

Tony Leung, star of Hong Kong action movies like Hard-Boiled and Bullet in the Head, stars in Tokyo Raiders along with pop stars Ekin Cheng and Kelly Chen. When Macy (Chen) gets jilted at the altar in Las Vegas, she returns to Hong Kong to find her fiancé has disappeared--but in his apartment she finds Yung (Cheng), an interior decorator with surprising kung fu skills. Together they go to Japan, where they meet up with Lin (Leung), a private detective with an entourage of kung fu babes and stories that don't quite add up. From there, the plot gets more and more incomprehensible. It has something to do with counterfeit yen and a twisty series of double-crosses, but Tokyo Raiders is really about hip clothes and martial arts razzle-dazzle, all framed by the worst dubbed dialogue you've ever heard--sort of a Hong Kong version of The Mod Squad. Leung has demonstrated his acting chops in movies like Chungking Express and In the Mood for Love, but he can't make this silliness sound sensible. Still, the actors are sexy, the fight scenes are splashy (if a little confusing), and the movie never wastes too much time getting from one action sequence to the next. A chase that starts out on a motorized skateboard and ends up on a trailer truck hauling new cars is particularly entertaining. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Fun Flick!.......2006-12-26

I am not really into action movies but this one was enjoyable. Sort of a James Bond/Mod Squad with more martial arts. The fight scenes were well done and the characters were very amusing. Worth a viewing! I have not seen the sequel called Soel Raiders yet but I hear it is more of the same!!

Tokyo Raiders, Amusing, Light-Hearted Action Flick.......2006-07-04

`Tokyo Raiders' is not a great film, but is certainly very entertaining. Three handsome and sexy stars are all attractive, and the location of the modern city of Tokyo (where most of the film was shot) is another asset for the film, which lacks originality in the storyline.

The film starts with a bit comical fighting scene in Shinjuku, Tokyo, with Tony Leung and Japanese thugs in suits (one of them apparently ex-sumo wrestler) following him from behind. Leung's character Lin with affable smile fights back deftly using an umbrella and some 007-like gadgets in the well-choreographed sequences, shot in the street of Kabukicho, Shinjuku, one of the night life district in Tokyo. (Incidentally this place is very close to the hotel where Bill Murray's character stayed in `Lost in Translation.') The scenes are no Jackie Chan action, not intense as Jet Li, but still amusing in its own way.

Then we meet beautiful Macy (Kelly Chen, `Infernal Affair') in Las Vegas. She is waiting for her bridegroom (who is Japanese) who would not show up at the church. Impatient and dismayed, Macy flies to Japan, with a handsome guy from Hong Kong named Yung (Ekin Cheng), who claims that he needs his money back from Macy's fiancé. In Tokyo, both of them soon get involved with a case of stolen secret information, CIA, yakuza, etc. Plenty of actions and a bit of romance ensue.

Actually, though the story constantly attempts to surprise us with twists and turns, it is not the most important part of the film, which is made virtually for the three stars Leung, Chen, and Cheng. These three likable players from Hong Kong, all charming and delightful, perfectly fit the light-heated mood of the film, where people fight fiercely, but not get killed, and even the yakuza (Japanese gangsters) look like gentlemen compared with the fearful gangsters in `Kill Bill Vol. 1.'

Among the actors from Japanese side, Toru Nakamura (`Purple Butterfly') would be the most famous, but his role is sadly a very small one. Equally small are the roles of cute Japanese idol turned actor Kumiko Endo and actor Hiroshi Abe with his trademark eccentric acting. That is simply disappointing for the Japanese viewers like me. Cecilia Cheung also appears briefly, and her role is not a big one either.

But with these three attractive leads, maybe we should not complain. The film is generic in its story, but is greatly helped by the presence of these actors, plus its good (if not great) action sequences and fast-paced direction, `Tokyo Raiders' is an amusing film, forgettable but fairly good entertainment for rainy day afternoon.

Cool-looking but incomprehensible movie.......2005-11-30

Making its stars look cool seems to be the main purpose of this film. The plot is pure contrived nonsense: the CIA is somehow trying to devalue the Japanese yen through counterfeiting and working with a Japanese mobster; somehow, as part of this scheme, a CIA agent is assigned to marry a Hong Kong banker's daughter (in Las Vegas!); instead, the agent elopes with the Japanese mobster's wife and has a car accident in which the moster's wife dies; the CIA agent is hospitalized and he misses the wedding with the banker's daughter; the banker's daughter goes to Japan to look for him; the mobster, the CIA, and the Japanese secrete service then all try to use the banker's daughter to find the CIA agent, while the banker hires a kung-fu expert disguised as an interior decorator to protect his daughter. All of this convoluted plot is explained through about one minute of fast dialog. I had to rewind and listen to the dialog twice to understand what was going on. The MTV-style editing during the fight sequences is effective in hiding the stars' lack of kung-fu skills. This movie could have been great if only it had a more comprehensible and better developed plot. The stars are pleasing to the eye and the action sequences are fun. Unfortunately, it degenerates into style without substance.

mindless spy flick loaded w/ silly fun.......2003-10-06

Depart from the popular Jackie Chan fare and take a look into popular Hong Kong kung fu cinema. It's a silly tale of spies, lies, and lovers but not obnoxiously stupid as has been the trend for HK flicks of late. Kelly Chen is Macy whose Japanese boyfriend is a no-show at their Vegas wedding. She jets back to HK to find him but instead bumps heads with Yung, played by a perfectly coiffed Ekin Cheng, a smooth interior designer who has yet to be paid for fixing up their pad. The two knock out some baddies, who just happen to show up at the house, and they end up in Japan, whereupon Lam, Tony Leung's shady private detective, proceeds to get all up into their business. The rest of the plot is, how shall we say, confusing, and secondary; basically everyone's after Macy and the girl just wants to find her fiancée. Let's all admit that we're not really watching this movie for profound insight and agree that the narrative stays on track in it's own disjointed way, which means it doesn't always make sense. The important thing is that every character is hiding something so no one really knows what's going on.

Despite big names and beautiful faces in this Lunar New Year production, the acting doesn't really stand out, except for Tony Leung Chiu-Wai's performance. He continues to demonstrate why he's one of the best actors, ever. Though he won't be grabbing anything at Cannes for this one, he ups the charm factor a few notches and plays the spy who I wished loved me. Since the key word here is "cool," the bland script matters less than sleek sets, suave spy fashion, and fluid fight sequences. All this movie asks of you is a handful of brain cells and the willingness to indulge in a nonsensical spy caper.

I loved it!.......2002-08-25

I am a big fan of Ekin Cheng, and this was an excellent movie, with a well developed plot and memorable characters.

Tony Leung stars as a Tokyo private investigator, trying to track down a gangland boss. Tagging along are Macy, (Kelly Chen) and John, (Ekin Cheng)a Kung Fu master, (who also happens to be an interior decorator, LOL).

Together, the trio tries to solve the mystery of Macy's missing fiancée, but run into trouble from the CIA, rival gang lords and local police. A romance develops between Macy and John, and is exacerbated by distrust on both sides.

There are several great fight scenes. My favorite involved Ekin Chen and the vacuum cleaner, and the fight upon the car transport truck! This had a lot of really original material, and just enough romance to also appeal to female fans.

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Fun Flick!.......2006-12-26

Tokyo Raiders, Amusing, Light-Hearted Action Flick.......2006-07-04

Cool-looking but incomprehensible movie.......2005-11-30

mindless spy flick loaded w/ silly fun.......2003-10-06

I loved it!.......2002-08-25

I am a big fan of Ekin Cheng, and this was an excellent movie, with a well developed plot and memorable characters.

Great movie!! Where's the sequal?

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