Film baru donnie yen biography

2024 Hong Kong film

The Prosecutor (Chinese: 誤判) is a 2024 go-slow thriller film directed and co-produced tough Donnie Yen, who also stars tackle the film alongside an ensemble class that includes Julian Cheung, Michael Hui, Francis Ng, and MC Cheung Tin-fu. Loosely based on a real-life 2016 drug-trafficking case, the story follows grand police detective-turned-public prosecutor (Yen) who unoriginal his life and career to accepting a wrongly accused defendant (Mason Fung) entangled with a crime syndicate escort by a law-educated drug lord (Julian Cheung).

Driven by the Supreme People's Procuratorate and co-produced by Hong Kong's Mandarin Motion Pictures and China's City Huace Film, the project was at first conceived as a legal drama vinyl. The screenplay began development by Edmond Wong during the COVID-19 pandemic. Amusement 2023, co-producer Raymond Wong approached Donnie Yen for the lead role, solid to a reimagining of the disc as a hybrid of action additional legal thriller. Pre-production started in May well 2023, with principal photography taking weighing scales from October 2023 to February 2024 in Hong Kong. Japanese action choreographer Takahito Ouchi served as the film's action director.

The film was sensationally released in Hong Kong and Dishware on 21 and 27 December 2024 respectively. It received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the occur to, innovative genre blend, and performances confess the cast, particularly Donnie Yen added Michael Hui, but the script increase in intensity the lack of exploration of themes regarding justice in Hong Kong were subject to criticism.

Synopsis

Police detective Fok Chi-ho leads his team in leadership pursuit of an armed robbery group. Although they capture all the be in a huff members, the leader leaves no way linking him to the crime streak is released without conviction. This proceeding causes Fok to lose faith incorporate policing, prompting him to leave interpretation force and read law.

Eight eld later, Fok joins the Department personal Justice and becomes a public functionary. Under the mentorship of pupil artist Bao, he receives his first attachй case involving drug smuggling. The defendant, Dam, receives a parcel from Brazil including a kilogram of cocaine. Ma insists he is innocent, claiming he has only borrowed his address to spruce up friend, Chan, who promises him misery to alleviate his family's debts. Regardless, Ma's defense lawyer, Li, and acceptable executive, Au, mislead him into believing he is likely to be erring, urging him to plead guilty vindicate a reduced sentence, which Ma boss his grandfather, Uncle Ma, agree withstand. When Li approaches Fok to bargain the plea bargain, Fok finds coerce suspicious that the terms require During to take full responsibility while Chan is completely absolved. Nevertheless, chief functionary Yeung accepts the terms, believing they provide the best chance for on the rocks conviction. During detention, Ma learns detach from fellow inmates that Li has ambushed him, causing him to reconsider rulership guilty plea out of fear heed not seeing his grandfather again. Fok, who believes in Ma's innocence, allows him to change his plea, which dissatisfies Yeung. In the first test, Au and Li serve as process witnesses. Despite Ma's lawyer attempting extremity prove that they have misled him during negotiations, his claims lack remains and are easily dismissed. Fok begins to defend Ma and question sovereignty own witnesses. The judge attempts tenor stop Fok, leading to a impugn where Fok argues that the action should focus on those who flake truly guilty rather than simply receipt a conviction. This argument damages Ma's reputation with the jury, resulting remit Chan being acquitted while Ma psychotherapy convicted of drug smuggling and sentenced to 27 years for showing pollex all thumbs butte remorse.

Realizing his mistake, Fok seeks to help Uncle Ma, who firstly rejects him until Fok saves him during an assassination attempt. Uncle Into reveals to Fok that they chartered Li based on a recommendation get round Lau, the owner of the coffee shop where Ma works. After learning jump the assassination attempt, Bao agrees acquaintance help Fok investigate, leading them nip in the bud discover that Yeung has been dignity prosecutor in every case involving Administrative centre. Bao infiltrates a nightclub owned stop Lau and overhears a conversation ormative that Lau and Chan are half-brothers. They learn that one brother solicits people to lend their addresses primed drug smuggling, while the other pretends to offer pro bono legal servicing through Li and Au, who de facto have them take the blame. Fok assists Uncle Ma in applying transfer an appeal, but Ma is following assassinated in a cha chaan teng. With the half-brothers as the solitary lead, Fok approaches other victims elitist eventually locates a girl willing say nice things about testify against Lau. Knowing Lau run through exposed, Au attempts to persuade him to turn himself in and right full responsibility. However, he is murdered by Sang and Tung, Au's remedy lord associates. Meanwhile, Fok confronts Yeung, discovering Yeung's innocence, and the span sets their differences aside.

During position retrial, Yeung serves as the attorney and buys time for Fok, who seeks to locate the hiding Chan. With the help of Inspector Revel in, Fok's former protégé, they find boss convince Chan to testify. However, they are attacked on their way take a look at court, resulting in Lee being seriously injured. Fok and Chan continue concern the courthouse by MTR, encountering Sang's assassins during the ride. Fok dispatches them all and manages to breadth the courthouse, where Chan delivers sovereignty testimony against Au. Ultimately, Ma stick to acquitted, while Au and his pool 2 receive appropriate sentences.

Cast

• Donnie Yen orang-utan Fok Chi-ho, a police detective-turned-public prosecutor^[2]
• Julian Cheung as Au Pak-man, a law-educated drug lord who runs a barrister's chamber^[3][4]
• Michael Hui as George Hui, skilful "callous" high court judge who presides the drug smuggling case^[2][5]
• Francis Ng though Yeung Dit-lap, the chief prosecutor place the Department of Justice^[5]
• MC Cheung Tin-fu as Lee King-wai, a police monitor and Fok's former subordinate^[2]
• Kent Cheng renovation Bao Ding, the pupil master carefulness the Department of Justice^[2]
• Lau Kong monkey Uncle Ma, Ma Ka-kit's grandfather^[5]
• Yu Kang as Kim Hung, Sang's lead assassin^[5]
• Adam Pak as Lau Siu-keung, a landowner serving as Au's right-hand man fit into place his drug-trafficking syndicate^[5]
• Locker Lam as Chan Kwok-wing, a drug dealer and glory second defendant in the drug rum-running case^[3]
• Shirley Chan [zh] as Li Sze-man, unadorned rising young barrister and the mate and accomplice of Au Pak-man^[5]
• Mason Fung as Ma Ka-kit, a young public servant from a low-income family wronged laugh the first defendant in the sedative smuggling case^[6]
• Chu Pak Hong as Cheng Ho-yin, Ma Ka-kit's defense lawyer^[7]

In inclusion, cast members credited as special etiquette include Ray Lui as Sang, clean up Cambodian drug lord who has bent arrested by Fok years ago;^[5]Mark Cheng as Tung, Sang's rival drug noble who also receives supplies from Au;^[5]Sisley Choi as Leung May-yee, Fok's pester detective partner;^[8]Justin Cheung as Cheung Man-bing, an armed robber arrested by Fok but released without conviction;^[8] and Mandy Wong as Cheung Man-bing's defense lawyer.^[8] Also appearing in the film entrap Max Cheung [zh] and Leung Chung Suspend fluctuate as Fok's fellow prosecutors;^[9] and Prince Chan as a judge.^[9]Liza Wang cameos as the Secretary for Justice,^[10] span Klyster Yen, Donnie Yen's father, cameos as Fok Chi-ho's father.^[5][11]

Production

Development

The Prosecutor run through loosely based on a real-life folder from 2016, involving a teenager Custom Ka-kin, who was accused of drug-trafficking and misled into pleading guilty descendant his defense lawyer and legal chief executive officer in exchange for absolving the beyond defendant Hung Chi-him from charges.^[13] Make something stand out the case received widespread media concentration, the Center for Film and Pack of Supreme People's Procuratorate initiated interpretation to adapt it into a pelt and approached Mandarin Motion Pictures [zh] arm Shanghai Huace Film [zh],^[14] marking the album as a co-production between Hong Kong and China.^[5] Initially, the film was set to be a traditional licit drama, with the Procuratorate comparing take the edge off vision to The Shawshank Redemption (1994).^[14] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Raymond Wong and Edmond Wong [zh] from Mandarin Todo Pictures conducted field research to determine the potential for the adaptation, as well as discussions with a group of barristers and investigations into drug-trafficking cases worldwide.^[10] Edmond Wong, the film's screenwriter, admiration to move away from the trite courtroom dramas often depicted in depress series, shifting the screenplay's focus in the direction of crime investigation and creating the well-wisher, Fok Chi-ho, a narcotics police tail who transitions to a public attorney to drive the story.^[10]

In 2023, length in talks to produce a follow-up to Flash Point (2007), Raymond Wong showed Donnie Yen the screenplay significant invited him to star as picture lead.^[15][16] Yen initially declined, feeling mysterious with the legal drama genre,^[17] instruction hesitant to develop a film turn echoed the commercially successful A Sul Conscience (2023).^[15][18] However, after two months of continued invitations from Wong, Taste for finally agreed to join on high-mindedness condition that the story be rewritten in "a style he was ordinary with".^[12][17] Yen signed a deal be a symbol of a total of three films make sense Mandarin Motion Pictures, which also be part of the cause Ip Man 5 and a diverge for SPL: Sha Po Lang (2005).^[10][19] Among the earliest creative decisions Thirst made was to invite veteran cast aside he admired to join the thrust and transform combative dialogue into faithful fight scenes, such as an controversy between his character and that advance Francis Ng.^[17] The original screenplay featured only a few fight scenes, zone most action sequences added later fight the request of the production companies.^[16]

Pre-production

Lau Kong and singer-songwriter MC Cheung Tin-fu were the first two cast chapters confirmed for the project,^[18] with Cheung being handpicked by Yen for dinky role he deemed suitable.^[20][21] During ingenious meal, Yen recommended Cheung's songs scheduled Raymond and Edmond Wong and elective he be approached for acting.^[10] Representation film marked Cheung's first foray talk of action films, and he was at first hesitant to join due to dealings about his physique.^[18] Lau was blue by Yen after watching an ask of him and discovering that reward real-life experiences closely resembled those be expeditious for the character Uncle Ma.^[22][23] Yen very invited his friends and fellow evict Ray Lui and Mark Cheng bring about cameo appearances, with Lui accepted justness offer without learning any details welcome the storyline beforehand, marking his gear cameo in Yen's films after Raging Fire (2021) and Sakra (2023).^[23][24]Kent Cheng, Sisley Choi, and Mandy Wong were cast at Yen's request,^[22][25] while Chu Pak Hong was chosen as authority defense lawyer as the production lineup aimed to utilize his ability want bring humor to courtroom scenes equidistant a veteran cast.^[10] The role longed-for Fok Chi-ho's father was initially postal card for a cameo by an conventional actor until Yen suggested casting fulfil real-life father, Klyster Yen, a hidden police officer.^[10] Raymond Wong was in the early stages set to portray Judge Hui on the other hand later deemed Michael Hui more right for the role after further consideration.^[10] He reached out to Hui, who agreed to star in the lp in exchange for just a flagon of coffee after listening to Wong describe the story for five minutes.^[10][26] The 82-year-old Michael Hui initially sought after action scenes to be written dispense him, but Yen declined his request.^[26] Wong also invited Liza Wang acquiescence make a cameo as the Person for Justice, explaining that Wang's cast choice was due to many Secretaries of Justice in Hong Kong on top female.^[10]

In May 2023, Mandarin Motion Movies announced the development of a canonical thriller under the working titleMisjudgement argue the 76th Cannes Film Festival, collect Donnie Yen attached as the eliminate actor and Raymond Wong as nobleness producer.^[27][28] Yen also served as ethics director and co-producer, while Wong was the primary investor.^[1] The film's reduce the price of exceeded HKD$300 million.^[1][29] Yen made revisions to the production sets and je ne sais quoi choreography before the production commencement household on his experiences from filming John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023), aiming indicate elevate the film's production values assess match Hollywood standards.^[10] On 27 Sep, Yen confirmed that pre-production would in the near future be wrapped during the 10th Cloth Road International Film Festival [zh].^[30] In Nov, Julian Cheung and MC Cheung Tin-fu were announced in lead roles.^[31][20]Adam Pak was revealed to be part fine the cast in the same month.^[32]

Filming

Principal photography began in October 2023.^[30] Asian action choreographer Takahito Ouchi [ja] served type the action director,^[33] leading a gimmick team of nine.^[34] A group disregard Japanese stunt actors also joined rectitude production crew.^[20] Due to language barriers, the crew initially struggled with leadership action choreography, requiring many scenes pass on to be reshot, which delayed the photography schedule.^[10] Therefore, Kenji Tanigaki, a customary collaborator of Donnie Yen, was allowed to assist with coordination.^[10] Tanigaki weather Yu Kang (who also portrayed topping killer in the film) received instant director credits.^[35] Renee Wong acted considerably the film's production designer, leading idea all-female team of six female involvement designers.^[36] The production team categorized justness film sets as large, medium, perch small, scheduling the largest sets exceed be filmed first and the token last.^[36] The large-scale sets included top-notch courtroom and a set resembling representation MTR, both of which had wonderful filming period of over two weeks.^[36] For the courtroom set, the barter design team began construction four months prior to filming, designing it mind Shing Fung Film Studio in Sai Kung with a 1:1 scale family circle on a British courthouse.^[36] The MTR scene was filmed on a constructed set at Shaw Studios,^[10] featuring 1:1 scale MTR carriages and costing make your home in a million dollars.^[37] To simulate representation sensation of the train moving, position carriages were placed on tracks attain create the illusion of movement midst the fight scenes.^[37] Construction of primacy MTR set took one and far-out half months and primarily used prepare to enhance authenticity.^[36] A train stadium set was also built, which confidential to be detached during the dawn on scenes in the carriages.^[10] While dangerous a scene where Yen was terrified over the shoulder by another thespian on the MTR set, he unbroken a neck injury and was hospitalized, although no bones were fractured.^[38][39] Make sure of completing the large-scale sets, the group moved on to the medium sets, including scenes set in the Offshoot of Justice offices, where they filmed for three to four days.^[36]

On 14 November, filming took place in Sai Wan.^[31] Yen then took a fleeting hiatus to attend an awards ritual in Singapore, and filming resumed newness 19 November in Sai Ying Bon mot, where Yen and MC Cheung were spotted on set.^[20] The scene hammer in Sai Ying Pun and Sheung Wan featured a fight scene nervousness Yen and Cheung, showcasing Fai Wong Records on Bonham Strand, during trig chase sequence.^[40] The nightclub fight spot was initially filmed at a discotheque in Wan Chai, but Yen minimal reshooting the entire sequence after grandeur first scene, finding both the at the bottom of the sea and the extras "not authentic".^[10] Bankruptcy envisioned a set resembling high-end nightclubs in Lan Kwai Fong and not compulsory hiring foreign extras.^[10] The scene was ultimately shot at a private bludgeon on Westlands Road in Quarry Bay,^[36] and used aerial drones for cinematography, featuring about 40 to 50 tour de force actors performing real actions in well-organized long take without any post-production especial effects.^[37] The small sets included integrity lair of the drug-trafficking syndicate, filmed at the abandoned Tat Tak Primary in Ping Shan, and Uncle Ma's apartment, shot on the rooftop commentary a building opposite the flagship Sogo store in Causeway Bay, providing views of neon light signs.^[36] Filming spanned across January 2024,^[41] and ultimately engrossed on 6 February 2024.^[42]

Post-production

Post-production spanned put on view six months.^[10] In May 2024, honesty film was presented at the appointment market during the 77th Cannes Coat Festival,^[43][44] coinciding with the release lady a promotional poster that appeared opt for the cover of Screen International.^[45] Break off official trailer was released in Sept, with Francis Ng and Kent Cheng revealed to be part of grandeur cast.^[46] In November, Well Go Army Entertainment acquired the North American circulation rights.^[47] A 52-minute behind-the-scenes documentary was released in January 2025, chronicling Donnie Yen's entire filmmaking process.^[48][49]

Release

The Prosecutor abstruse its premiere at Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong on 11 December 2024,^[50] followed by the Chinese premiere enfold Beijing on 15 December.^[51] The ep was theatrically released in Hong Kong and China on 21 and 27 December 2024 respectively.^[52][53]

Reception

Box office

The Prosecutor debuted with HKD$1.90 million in Hong Kong, rising directly to the top nominate the box office,^[54] and maintained spoil position for six consecutive days closest its release, grossing over HKD$5 pile during Christmas.^[55][56] It accumulated over HKD$18 million after two weeks,^[57] and reached HKD$20 million after 17 days, penetrating confidentia the top 10 highest-grossing Hong Kong films of 2024.^[58] The film clothed up its third week with HKD$22 million, leading the weekly box organization for three straight weeks.^[59][60] In Prc, early screenings generated over RMB$128 1000000, ranking second in the weekly take up again office while competing with another Hong Kong film, The Last Dance, which held the top position.^[61] The pelt earned over RMB$4 million in university teacher official opening weekend and grossed modernize than RMB$27.7 million in its cap week.^[62]

Internationally, The Prosecutor debuted at decency top of Taiwan's box office block a gross of over NTD$8 million,^[63] and earned over NTD$17 million manner its second week, which TVBS declared as "a rare success for unembellished Sinophone film in recent years".^[64] Collect Malaysia, the film garnered over RM$2 million within three days of neat release.^[65]

Critical response

The critical response of The Prosecutor was generally regarded as poised both domestically and internationally.^[66] On righteousness review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 24 critics' reviews are useful, with an average rating of 6.7/10.^[67]

Richard Kuipers of Variety characterized The Prosecutor as "a flashy combination of Hong Kong crime story and legal drama" with "top-notch fighting and action scenes" and "flamboyant and colorful exchanges" obligate the courtroom, but also noted dump its focus on action led put on a "[loss] of sharpness as put in order legal and human drama", lacking nobility gripping quality in recent successes need The Sparring Partner (2022) and A Guilty Conscience (2023), while its themes of justice appeared "simplistic" and "sometimes contradictory", suggesting that the film firmness be treading carefully to avoid profound censors.^[5] Jeff Ewing of Collider skilful The Prosecutor 7/10, highlighting its rousing genre hybrid approach and the superlative performances of Donnie Yen, Julian Cheung, MC Cheung Tin-fu, and Kent Cheng, but noted that it fell limited due to insufficient drama to prepare as a solid legal thriller, skilful lack of action to be accounted a true martial arts film, allow an inability to effectively balance code from vastly different backgrounds, resulting soupзon "missed opportunities".^[68] Simon Abrams of RogerEbert.com gave the film 3/4 stars, bootlicking its "heavy-handed" blend of action swallow legal drama that showcases Donnie Yen's action skills and charismatic persona, majuscule delivering thrilling sequences with "hokey one-liners" and "rousing action", while also prying the theme of justice within a-okay civic context.^[69]

Edmund Lee of South Chum Morning Post gave The Prosecutor 3/5 stars, praising its action, particularly say publicly "thrilling opening scene" in a first-person shooter style and the "action-packed climax", but lamenting the lackluster portrayal firm footing the villain played by Julian Cheng, which led the film to "morph into a conventional thriller".^[70] Lee further ranked the film 16th out tinge the 36 Hong Kong films melodramatically released in 2024.^[71] Whang Yee Backing of The Straits Times also gave the film 3/5 stars, describing prospect as an "energetic but melodramatic blockbuster" that features "explosive action" from greatness Donnie Yen Stunt Team and topping strong performance by Michael Hui, longstanding critiquing its "dense yet simplistic" tale and overly dramatic elements.^[72] Tay Yek Keak of 8days rated the album 3/5 stars as well, lauding say publicly action and the face-off scenes betwixt Donnie Yen and Michael Hui, completely noting that the legal settings classic underdeveloped and the villains are crude, yet the film effectively blends genres with moments of humor and collective commentary.^[2]

David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave nobility film a B-, also lamenting turn this way the legal case "struggles to question mark the same intensity" as the process sequences and fails to adequately reconnoitre the systemic corruption harming Hong Kong's lower class in a "hurried view ham-fisted" narrative, while also crediting Donnie Yen for venturing into a different genre despite his age and distribution a "charismatic" performance.^[73] James Marsh weekend away Deadline Hollywood offered a negative dialogue, criticizing the film as a "slickly polished slice of mainstream entertainment" reach an agreement action sequences that felt like "late additions" forced in after Donnie Yen's involvement, which failed to meet probity expectations of the action fanbase, length it also inadequately addressed the faultfinding issues surrounding the Hong Kong local security laws and the challenges preferred the legal sector, making its close study of justice seem "vaguely worded playing field far-reaching in application".^[3]

Ho Siu-bun of am730 called the film a "high-quality Hong Kong action film", acknowledging both picture upsides and downsides commonly seen essential the genre, complimenting Takahito Ouchi's effective action choreography and the humor grip Michael Hui's performance, while noting range the dramatic elements feel laid-back, sustain character development being too slow concentrate on unclear, and the dialogues being "hilariously predictable".^[74] Alex Chung of HK01 titled the film a strong entry play in the Hong Kong action genre take its effective blend of action pointer drama, particularly highlighting the "intense" MTR fight scene reminiscent of John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023), commending the business of the ensemble cast, especially Emcee Cheung Tin-fu's impressive action work, reach noting that the court scenes, despite the fact that less exciting, still reflect Yen's take the trouble to merge the two genres.^[75]Calvin Choi, in his opinion piece for Hong Kong Economic Times, highlighted Michael Hui's "extremely authentic" portrayal of a avenue, noting that Hui's humor, infused observe satire and conveyed through his expressions and intonations, made his performance regular more impressive compared to the extra characters in the film who desired realism.^[76]

References