U.S. DVD Release
Sgt. Lo has a major problem on his hands when he’s jumped in an alleyway by some thugs and his gun is taken. Unwilling to let Sgt. Lo go down for the infraction, Sgt. Mike Ho and his PTU team split up and begin looking for the thugs that snatched the weapon before it can be used in a crime. As the PTU team closes in on the gang, Sgt. Lo begins tampering with evidence and making deals with crime bosses which, of course, catches the attention of the C.I.D. (the feds). Throw in a few vengeful gangsters, brutalized prostitutes and a change-snatching car vandal and you’ve got yourself one hell of a volatile situation just waiting to blow.
Director To isn’t interested in offering up gangsters and Triads, instead he’s giving us a new band of thugs, weasels and do-gooders driven by their own brand of brotherhood, law enforcement. Instead of focusing on the usual criminal elements, To focuses on the tactics each group of law enforcement officials employ on the public, criminals and one another. You’re not sure whether to root for the police and their strong-arm tactics and questionable devotion or boo them.
Director of photography Siu-keung Cheng did a phenomenal job on the cinematography; the use of light and shadows as well as the beautiful nightlife colors was inspiring. While PTU may be a feast for viewers’ eyes it is, unfortunately, a major chore on the ears. Chi Wing Chung’s inappropriate score was horrible and sounded more like the lame canned rock one might expect from a Cinemax softcore skin flick than a tense crime thriller. In one particular sequence, PTU members enter a building and begin slowly making their way up some stairs while cheap electric guitar rock just blazes away, completely ruining the atmosphere and potential for any build up of tension. Shame on Chi Wing Chung for this second rate music.
I’m sure those of you familiar with actor Simon Yam’s work will agree, Yam is always at the top of his game whether he’s playing a cold-blooded Triad gangster, a goofy stooge or a tough-as-nails police tactical officer. The man is a professional and he’s paid major dues to get where he’s at and his skills in PTU are no exception, especially when one considers he had no script to work with! After watching the flick, check out the exclusive interview with Yam and prepared to be amazed.
PTU: Police Tactical Unit is 100% Johnnie To and it kicks ass. Not everybody digs To’s style and that’s cool but I definitely love pretty much everything the guy does. This film is no exception; it’s tense, violent and occasionally confusing. If you’re one of those crime cinema buffs that don’t mind a few unanswered questions so long as you get some gun play, you’re going to love this. It is a bit surprising that this took so damn long to hit Region 1 DVD but this is America after all, “The land of terrified studio executives worried the general public are too stupid to understand foreign cinema.”
