A crooked businessman hires a high-tech professional assassin team of two sisters to kill his elder brother. Fearing exposure by an undercover policewoman who has been shadowing the sisters, the businessman has the older sister killed and implicates the policewoman. The grieving younger sister and the framed policewoman must now form an alliance to bring down the businessman. Great high-kicking action in the tradition of Charlie's Angels and The Matrix.
1 Starts out great, but...
The beginning is great with fast paced action, beautiful girls, and lots of buttkicking. But after about half an hour it suddenly starts to drag on. The romance is totally misplaced, the characters are dull, and the plot is completely undeveloped. I couldn't wait for the movie to end.
2 Great Movie
When I first saw the DVD cover,
I immediately thought that this
movie was going to be an oriental-flavored
rip off of Charlies Angels (I mean, the
assasin's codename is Computer Angel, for Christ's sake).
However, the movie turned out to be
very entertaining.
I was most surprised at how the character spotlight shifted,
making the quieter, demure sister the main character. Also,
the Cop and the same quiet sister become a dynamic, revenge-fuelled wrecking force.
I am being careful not to give away too much of the plot (or
what there is of a plot) because there are some surprises
in store for the first time viewer.
The movie gets off to an awesome start, but then starts
to drag as soon as an old love interest resurfaces. At this
point, feel free to balance your checkbook or start knitting
a sweater. However, prepare yourself when the Assasin sister
makes an announcement that will dramatically affect both of
their lives. Soon after, the actions picks up and the action
packed roller coaster ride doesn't let up until closing credits.
For the most part, the fight scenes are exceptional. However,
the computered generated settings sometime get ridiculous. Also,
a couple of the karate moves are too absurb to even be included
in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," aka "the Godfather of Over the Top Fight Scenes"
(or even the close runner up, "Matrix").
My greatest surprise is how emotional this film is. The writers
apparently took great care in producing a tear jerker out of
a usually emotionless type of film. The ending is very good.
Don't miss this film. There is something included therein to
entertain everyone.
3 Action movie with a difference
I first heard of So Close when I either saw it mentioned here on Amazon as often being purchased by buyers of Returner or on that DVD itself in one of its included theatrical trailers.
For an Asian action movie I would normally expect the cast to be a bunch of men, most of the leads here are women and they are all given strong roles. I ran the movie with English subtitling instead of English dubbing and had no problems keeping up with the story.
The action scenes tended to be very impressive, not Jackie Chan comical, although occaisionally a little overwrought -as believeable as such a movie can be.
My biggest complaint was that the computer generated flying glass in a couple of scenes looked CG, a little of a distraction. The car chase in which the younger sister was guided by satellite link up with her older sister had a look that was fresh to me, not like the usual American chase.
I'm not really unhappy with the movie, it was probably meant to be a check your brain at the door type film and it's actually better than that. I don't regret owning it.
4 Three Hot Asian Beauties in Exciting Martial Arts Actioner
Three beauties from Asia join in this martial-arts action flick directed by Corey Yuen, of 'Transporter' fame. The merit of this film lie not only in the eyecandy look, but also in the fact that the three actresses are really doing the ballet-dancing-like, high-kicking actions.
Contrary to our expectations, the film is not Asian version of 'Charlie's Angels.' The story is about two female assassins (Shu Qi 'Transpoter' and Vicky Chao 'Shaolin Soccer' without make-uo here) and one female cop (Karen Mok Jet Li's 'Black Mask') chasing them. As the police investigate the killing of the president of a giant computer company, they detect the presence of two sisters dealing with the dirty business on net.
Then the beautiful sisters, equipped with high-technology and martial-arts skills, then are going to do another job, which turn out bigger and nastier than they thought.
The plot is nothing important. The action-packed and unpretentious film does not hide that it is a popcorn movie made for fun, and it provides lots of it. But well, some may think the film is sometimes a tad too violent, and there is a very sexual nuance between the two sisters (look how the sisters playfully 'fight' each other in ... the bathroom, quite unique version of cat fighting, or male fantasy if you like).
THREE HOT LADIES from Asian are all fantastic. Interestingly, with potential market in mind, the film's actresses are selected from three differenct parts of Asia -- Vicky Chao from mainland China, Karen Mok from Honk Kong, and Shu Qui from Taiwan. You also have a guest appearance from Japan, Yasuaki Kurata, whose name was seen in many Hong Kong-made kung-hu films.
Corey Yuen is clearly having fun with the action sequences, which are beutifully staged. And as I said above, what is most impressive is that the film shows three ladies really doing the action part. One of the few defects of 'Kill Bill' was that Uma Thurman was using the stunt. In this film, when the ladies kick, they use their own bodies.
Mindless, to be sure, but as far as the actions go, it's the first-rate. Just enjoy watching it.
5 Rather Unuiqe
I wanted to see this film ever since I got it, cuz it had asian girls in it, and I love asain girls. I kept hoing it didn't have a feel to it like Charlie's angels did, but I was glad, because this movie would have easily slashed up charlie's angels in a catfight.
This movie is about Lynn, played by the beautiful Shu Qi, and her sister Sue(Zhao Wei) who own a big business after their parents got murdered and they inherited it. They become big contract killers, and eleimiate a bigtime computer owner, and are on the run. But undercover officer Hong(Karen Mok)ain't gonna even dream of letting them off the fish hook one bit.
The action in this movie is over the top, but face it, the only other movie that has chicks kickin' this much @$$ is kill bill(Altho kill bill wasn't convincing, just bloody) The gunfight sceenes are some of the best I've seen this year, and the swordfights are friggin' awsome.
The only thing that pissed me off was what happened 7/11 through the film. Something like that should be illegal worldwide! It was just plain wrong, BUT, but it was one of the few sceenes in any movie that, just made me wish SOMETHING could be done about it, usally I'd say /// it, but not this time.
Either way this movie is better more action packed, and mature than Charlie's Angels, and this movie packs a nice amount of violence to keep action fans satisfied, and enough wemon to go round. If you love action flicks, and think this is another Charlie's Angel's I should slap you back and fourth. Cuz this is just one of those rare gems that come by. And at the end it had a little bit of sensuality, only a little, but it was pretty cool.
Peace
6 PHAT- PRETTY HOT AND TEMPTING..
THESE GIRLS WERE GREAT ACTRESSES. THEY MADE IT SEEM AMAZING. IT ALSO KEPT ME OFF MY FEET AND WANTING TO SEE MORE.
7 They long to be close to you...
In a high-energy action sequence, a crooked businessman, Chow Lui, is murdered by a young woman who calls herself the Computer Angel. It turns out that she caused some computer virus trouble the previous evening, only to reverse the effects herself. The woman herself ranks high in the karate department but also in terms of sheer cleverness, given the way she kills the businessman. She then proceeds to shoot many of Chow Lui's security teams, often merely disabling them. This leads to Inspector Hong Yat Kong to deduce that she is dealing with someone who in the heat of battle was expert enough to wound and not kill. She becomes fascinated with Chow Lui's murderer.
However, the person who hired the assassin turns out to be none other than the victim's own brother, Chow Nunn, whose motives was that he was intent on taking over the company, plus he was having an affair with his own sister-in-law.
So who are the two? They are two sisters, Ai Linn (Lynn) and younger sister Sue, who's confined to manning the computer due to her recklessness. Lynn is the more cool-headed, b-t-kicking professional and does her jobs while Sue uses a highly-sophisticated computerized surveillance system that allows her to direct her sister and warn her against anyone approaching.
All this is in aid to avenge the murder of their parents. Their father had intended to give this new surveillance system to the police, had it not been for some ruthless businessmen who had other ideas. The two thus look after each other, but with Ai Linn having the understood senior role in both their jobs and themselves as family, a la the older sibling/younger sibling of Eastern thought.
Things begin to crack when Yen, a young man Lynn would've gone out with long ago had it not been for her parents' murder, reenters her life after spending some time in America. Lynn decides to maybe hang up her guns and settle down, as Yen seems to be a decent sort of guy. If it were that simple... as alarmed by the suspicions of Inspector Hong, Chow Nunn decides to eliminate Lynn, and Sue becomes dissatisfied with being the one out of the action.
The interactions between Hong and the sisters prove interesting, as Hong has somewhat of a grudging respect for Lynn's skills, yet is clear in her duty to apprehend all criminals, no matter what the motive. All three actresses, Qi Shu (Lynn), Vicki Zhao (Sue) and Karen Mok (Hong) work well together and apart, especially the very pretty Shu and the impishly pretty Zhao, who plays Mui in Shaolin Soccer.
Its use of the Carpenters' "They Long To Be Close To You" must set some sort of cheeky precedence, but the CGI shattering glass and Matrix-style aerial shots raises the fact how So Close is an action film of the Noughts. And the final battle is a bit protracted. Still, not too bad, I suppose, given the dramatic components between the sisters making it more than a mere comic book actioner.
8 Not Charlie's Angels
I dont know why people say this is like Charlie's Angels...not in ANY way?!?!? The film is a fun romp and has some INCREDIBLE action stunts, martial arts and swordplay. The film has its slow moments but in general its a fairly good film. The ending is also VERY good and well done!
9 So Great
A few days ago I went to a local Best Buy. While there I just couldn't find anything to buy. I looked and looked for somthing interesting, somthing that would catch my eye, but alas there was nothing. I saw the So Close DVD box, but I snubbed it because it looked like a poor quality chinese Chariles Angles wannabe. But it was cheap and I couldn't find anything else so I bought it. When I started watching it I thought that the so-so opening action scene was a sign of things to come. But as the movie progressed, I found that it got better. Many people think that this movie is much better than Charlies Angles Full Throttle, but it isnt really any better. In fact, it isnt as good. I think that So Close is a good movie, but it isnt better than Charlies Angels is.
Charlies Angels has great specal effects, decent choreography, a good cast, and a typical plot, but it isnt crap.
So Close is all of the above except is has worse specal effects (the broken glass in the movie looked so phony) but has a better story. So Close is a Charlies Angels wrapped in asian wrapping paper.
*but it is still a good movie.*
10 Guns, girls, gadgets, what more can a guy ask for?!!!
Corey Yuen's So Close is the ultimate guy flick. You got three of Asia's sexiest actresses (Vicki Zhao, Su Qi and Karen Mok - in that particular order!!!) in a Mission Impossible-like caper, performing jaw-dropping stunts, brandishing high-powered firearms and doing some lesbian flirting.
I watched this movie for Vicki Zhao (also known as Zhao Wei) and Su Qi alone, but I was really impressed and satisfied by Corey Yuen's flashy set pieces, especially Su Qi's assault into a high-tech building in the opening sequence.
And oh yeah, there's also a plot! It's straight out of geekdom, With Su Qi and her sister Zhao Wei as assassins for hire, out to take revenge on the people who killed their parents because of their dad's invention, a high-tech, powerful Big Brother surveillance software. Standing on their way is a big evil corporation and its thugs, led by a CEO with samurai delusions.
Exciting and fast-paced, So Close gives thrills and overall entertainment enough for three Hollywood movies. On second thought, it has so much going and the storytelling is not that fluid, it feels like three Hollywood movies
11 Entertaining enough
As in many Hong Kong movies story is just ok but none the less this is a very stylish movie to watch. The girls are gourgeous, dressed to kill and perform their fights as if it was ballet. However, if you are expecting anything more than that you'll be dissapointed.
12 Surpisingly Cool
I sat through Corey Yuen's The Transporter because Jason Statham was so cool in Guy Ritchie's films. While viewing that, I was captivated by Qi Shu, which is probably not too difficult to comprehend after seeing her. On that note, when I found this movie selling for $10, I picked it up.
I really wasnt expecting much, other than beautiful women and some wire-fu.
However, I had a fabulous time watching this. For what this film lacks in originality, it makes up for in visual entertainment and style. Granted, even the style seems greatly influenced by John Woo, Yuen Wo Ping, Luc Besson, and Hollywood, but regardless it was such a cool viewing experience.
The filming locations are great, the CGI is cool (a little too much in some scenes, but overall well done), the wire-fu didnt irritate me too much, and the charisma of the acting talent was breathtaking. Im also a guy, and Asian, so Im sure the fact that they are beautiful Asian women kept my attention, but they still packed some serious Asian flair. Furthermore, there was very little exposed flesh, but the facial features and the hair, not to mention the outfits (and the women themselves), were simply stunning. I also enjoyed how one of the villains was the gent from Jet Li's Fist of Legend. He was very cool in that film, and was equally enthralling here.
The basic plot itself is nothing award winning, but the few twists and turns really helped it. The soundtrack was pretty good, and fit into the slow motion scenes well. I had just finished watching an episode of The Simpsons where Marge buys the musical doorbell playing "Close to You", so when the song came on it threw me for a laugh, but it was a nice sharp contrast to the action on-screen. Both the sword fighting scenes and the John Woo gunslinging were entertaining, but the parking lot fight scene was fabulous.
I am really proud of myself for investing money into this film. Its definitely lots of eye candy, but theres nothing wrong with that. Oddly enough, I ended up being more captivated by Vicki Zhao than Qi Shu. Whenever she gave that slightly angled look at the camera it made me sit a little closer to the TV.
But anyway, this is a great action flick, fitted with girls kicking some serious butt, some pretty cool cinematography, good fight scenes, and a very high entertainment value.
13 This eye candy is a definite TEN!
I had very little expectations when my brother-inlaw asked me to watch this DVD with him. I have been watching Hong Kong produced action films since the 70's and I thought here we go again with wall-to-wall fighting, marginal cinematography, bad dubbing and cheesey soundtrack. To say I was pleasantly surprised at what a great show this one turned out to be is a total understatement.
Many would complain that the plot is on the weak side. I certainly agree that the screenplay is not going to win any major accolades, but for the genre which normally has little or no plot, this one is logical and relatively easy to follow. It even has a sad twist which might cause a few tears to be shed.
Where this film really shines though is in its presentation. The modern sets, the brilliantly choreographed fighting sequences and the wonderfully executed yet not overdone special effects give this film an ultra-slick and ultra-chique look. The female leads are drop dead gorgeous. They exude abundant sex-appeal even though they are not sexually exploited to any extent in the film. The plot line and action is well paced and should keep audience glued to their seats.
This review would not be complete without a mention of the sound track. The inclusion of the 1970 Carpenters' megahit "Close to You" has been much maligned by a number of reviewers. I personally think the use of this song in the opening fighting scene is nothing short of absolute brilliance. The slow, soulful strains of the ballad is such an antithesis to the fast paced fighting action on the screen that the brilliant combination of the two gives these sequences an almost surreal quality. The viewer feels a sudden sense of detachment from the action and the effect is very powerful indeed. The rest of the soundtrack is well selected and complements the scenes very well. I am extremely glad that the film scorer did not include too much ear screeching heavy metal clips which are so prevalent in this genre of film. Kudos to him (or her)!!!
Lastly, this film has most commonly been compared to Charlie Angels I and II mostly because of the coincidental presence of three female leads in this film. Even though So Close handily beats both the Angels films , a much more worthy comparison would be with the Tarantino film "Kill Bill I". Without exagerration, So Close gives Kill Bill more than its run for its money.
For those who haven't seen it, buy the DVD now for your collection. You will not regret it! This eye candy is a definite TEN!!!
14 15 minutes at the beginning, 15 minutes at the end
That's it. This movie should have been half an hour. The first sequence was ok, nothing special really. The last fight sequence was unreal, fantastic, beautiful.
The movie, as a whole, was...how can I put it.....not good. If I hear one more song played on the piano, my head is going to explode. This had to be the worst music soundtrack I have ever heard in a movie.
How about the first song of the movie, during the first action sequence.."Why do birds suddenly appear, every time, you are near?", I know you've heard that one, the most annoying song ever. Who in their right mind would put that song on during a fight sequence, especially during a shot out?
I was so mad I was watching this movie after about 45 minutes into it. Nevertheless, I watched the whole movie through, out of respect to the posters on Amazon, and to make sure I gave an accurate portrayal. I'm glad I watched it through because of the last fight sequence (which was great because the father in Fong Sai Yuk I, that's the real name, Legend starring Jet LI is the edited American version) was fantastic.
Rent this, dont you dare buy it. This was nowhere near as good as the first Charlie's Angels movie. Better then the second? Maybe, but the second Charlie's Angels was a piece of crap, so this movie is just a plane turd w/a great ending.
As the title says, watch the first 15 minutes, then the last 15 minutes, and skip everything else.
Movie Grade: D+
15 Love it!
This movie has got some pretty, stunning asian girls. Charlie's Angel is nothing compared to this movie. The girls in Charlie's Angel can not even fight as smooth as these three asian girls. These girls fight like they've been doing it for a long time and they are so much sexier.
16 AWESOME MOVIE, EFFECTS, HOT GIRLS!
I CAME ACROSS THIS MOVIE BY CHANCE AND IT IS ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAV'S. IT'S WITTY, SEXY, WITH AWESOME FIGHT SCENES(MATRIX STYLE), THE PLOT IS GOOD, THE LESBIAN UNDERTONE IS OH-SO SEXY, AND THE GIRLS ARE WAY MORE TALENTED THAN SOME WELL KNOWN AMERICAN ACTRESSES. (VICKI) ZHAO WEI IS SO SEXY, AND EVEN FUNNIER,THE WHOLE HOUSE WAS FURNISHED BY IKEA. WHAT A GREAT FLICK! BUY IT, YOU WON'T REGRET IT! AND, THE SOUNDTRACK IS VERY IMPORTANT!!!!
17 Do Not Build Up to Shoot Down
In So Close sisters Lynn and Sue (Shu Qi and Vicki Zhao respectively), are a pair of high-tech (and high priced) assassins who inherit, from their late father, a secret weapon: a satellite based surveillance package called World Panorama. World Panorama allows them to hack and use any closed-circuit camera system worldwide. Predictably, or there would be no movie, their current job has its share of complications. Chow (Deric Wan) hires the duo to assassinate his brother in a corporate takeover bid. To add spice to the mix, Hung (Karen Mok) completes the trio of beautiful (and strong) women as the creative but misguided detective investigating this case. There is a tinge of a homoerotic subplot between Hung and Sue that arguably does not satisfy on any level -- but let us not let it detract us from the action scenes, cinematography, and almost impossible high tech wizardry. The character of Lynn, conversely, is pulled in another direction.
Lynn is involved old love Yen (Song Seung-Hon), which makes her re-examine her chosen vocation. Lynn decides she wants out but there are, of course, complications. Sue, not having had any experience doing anything else and eager to prove herself to Lynn sets out to complete the contract -- which Lynn asked her to cancel -- on her own. Not to do a spoiler here but to Lynn's credit she has been protecting Sue from that side of the business in an effort to protect her from possible future guilt. I guess I can indulge in a little bit of cynicism here -- as being an accomplice would not give Sue night chills -- I need to constantly remember -- it is light. In a move that reminds of the Last Samurai (too many mind) leaving the trade might not be that easy for Lynn after all. For what impact that has on Lynn -- you will really need to watch the movie.
Okay, let us keep focused on the movie's plus side -- the action is entertaining. It has the predictable wire-work that Hong Kong action films are famous for. There is a ton of slow-motion as well as fast-cutting action thrown in the mix. I agree with some out there that arguably the most creative scene comes about halfway through the movie, when Hung finally meets the Lyn and Sue in an elevator. The bathroom scene early on with the two sisters going at it is pure exploitation -- but it is fun. The climax scene with Sue and Hung is not to be outdone as it is fast moving but nothing beats the close proximity type scenes to really create a sense of tension. There is the inevitable comparison to Corey Yuen's The Transporter -- which I have seen but am now really curious about after having seen So Close.
I am, of course still recovering from a Naked Weapon hangover and am worried I am paying to much attention to this genre. While Naked Weapon did not pull any punches -- such as a really disturbing rape scene. So Close does not suffer from this very disturbing misogynistic tendency. The slow-motion shots of Shu Qi's allow us to focus on her -- but who can complain, really. I certainly did not see the same type of exploitation here so in a fun sort of way we can ascribe some form of female liberation in this movie despite the hypersexualized characters of Lynn, Sue and Hung.
Similar to Naked Weapon, So Close is one of those movies that should enjoyed for what it is, pure entertainment. Now, if a critic is trying to make a name for him/herself (current writer excluded, of course) it is easy to try to make more of this movie and then shoot it down. That would be wrong. Realistically, about 95% of all the movies out there are light on the social commentary and heavy on the entertainment factor. Corey Yuen's So Close is one of those movies and to call attention to or to ask for a sophisticated plot is simply manipulation. I say see it for what it is and enjoy the special effects and decent action sequences -- for a simple fellow like me, it IS enough.
Miguel Llora
18 Move over CHARLIE'S ANGELS
Yes, I am a sucker for Lucy Liu. Though the original CHARLIE'S ANGELS was pretty good with some cool fight scenes, FULL THROTTLE was not. She was THE reason I took interest in the CHARLIE'S ANGELS flicks, even if the martial arts battles in FULL THROTTLE were insipid, banal, and poorly chreographed (at best.)
But it looks as though Charlie's so called ANGELS may have some competition from (where else?) Hong Kong. Yes, I am also a sucker for Shu Qi, "Vicki" Zhao Wei, and Karen Mok, and even if the sight of Shu Qi and Vicki Zhao in black cocktail dresses ain't enough for you, the fight scenes will certainly make you wonder why anyone ever entrusted McG with making a decent martial arts film.
Let's just go to the scoreboard:
FULL THROTTLE-Demi Moore flying off a building in an almost see-through skirt, that stupid thin man showing up for no reason at all, Cameron Diaz constantly giggling like the buck-toothed geek she is, Drew Barrymore performing what may be the weakest spinning hook kick in film history (no wonder why Demi Moore catches her from behind, even though Demi herself is not much better),Lucy Liu dancing circles around everyone else, and making FULL THROTTLE at least somewhat redeemable.
SO CLOSE-Shu Qi and Vicki Zhao sparring in their bathroom, Karen Mok beating the snot out of some guys in an elevator, Shu Qi vs Karen Mok in a parking garage, Vicki Zhao and Karen Mok vs Smaurai bad guy, etc.
Do you think that even with Lucy Liu, FULL THROTTLE can hold a candle to SO CLOSE?
Neither do I.
19 Suberb
I brought this disk because it was recommended by people who brought "Returner" (another excellent movie). I started watching it in English language and very quickly got anoyed with the mis-matched voices, so swapped it back to it's original language with English subtitles. This made the whole thing fit better. This is a classic HK police drama and has an excellent story, albeit a formula one, and some amazing action scenes. For me the best scene is the opener, I loved the music (Karen Carpenter - Close to you) mixed to the background of the office shootout! If you are a fan of HK action/drama movies then you won't be disappointed with this one.
20 HeLL!!! VerY DamN close
I was blown away by the movie. My girlfriend and i saw it together one day, she recomended it. At first, I was thinking "man it's another chick flick, with retarded girls throwing punches back and forth", but then after the first sequence I changed my view completely, I now have more respect for Hong Kong Screenplay writters and Directors.
The Plot and sub-plot were carried out so well, props for the writter. The drama part of the movie made my girlfriend near the end, man it got to me too at a certain point the flashback part.
But anyway, the Action! unlike any other... definatly OUTSTANDING, way better than Charles' Angels. you know what Charles' Angles is no comparison, man the parking lot scene was THE best! Su qi and xiao wei are like a dynamic dual that kick buTT and Karen MOk man... can do anything.
SO CLOSE is a definately a must in your collection. What beats asian chicks fighting in a very unique combination of old shaolin and new street fighting with gun action. Just amazing, on top of that a great plot, and pretty top-notch acting (watch the subtitled if you can't understand chinese, it's way better), oh and last but not least a bit of chick and chick action.
21 Chik yeung tin sai (So Close) - movie, 4 stars
When was the last time you saw a DVD with Portugese subtitles? Anyway...
Oh, how I love eye candy... This one has girls, gadgets, some good actions scene and oh some teasers of some of the girls...
The last time we saw Qi Shu was in "The Transporter" where her character was the opposite of the one she plays in the movie. From the beginning we see that the movie looks like it will live up to the description with the CGI graphics. Next we see Lynn Qi Shu and then the first action scene starts. There is free use of wire acrobatics with subtle moves that put a smile on your face. Then from there we meet each of the other main two characters, Sue her sister and Hong Yat Hong the CSI investigating the crime scene.
There are plenty of subplots and a big twist and turn here and there. Sometimes it seems predictable, but only to a certain point. I could tell you more of the plot, but the individual pieces are nothing orginal except when that kink in thrown in there it takes the overall feel of the movie on a different direction.
Like I said earlier, you will have trust me on this one, this picture is worth a millon words. My writing skills are nowhere near up to the task of describing the action.
Audio: Viewed in Mandarin 5.1 with English Subtitles. Well I just moves, I only had 3.1 sound (no sides) but the audio was clear and there was a good ampount of directionality across the three main speakers. The subtitles were very good, no gramatical errors I could detect. I do not speak Mandarin so I cannot speak of translation errors.
Video: Being such a new movie the transfer is clean, cross coloration almost non existent and colors looking like they should.
www.xanga.com/Rander
22 Kill Chow
So Close is a recent release of the Hong Kong "Girls with Guns" movies. Previous movies of this type I have seen are Midnight angel/In the line of duty series, Kickboxer's Tears, She shoots straight. So Close provides a more international flavor by staying away from the triads/matrial arts school tradition of Hong Kong kung fu movies. The corporation run by the Chows could easily be a big American company like Enron. As a result the movie is more easily digested by viewers unfamiliar with Hong Kong culture.
The gunplay is very stylish, almost a Kill Bill with firearms, especially in the beginning when 'Computer angel' exits the murder scene. The expenditure of bullets matches any John Woo movie. Less use of squibs than El Mariarchi so less gory. Bullet time with the bullet comming directly at the viewer is great.
The catfight was very good. But no winner! They got interrupted by the bad guys.
The swordfight was longer and more realistic in So Close, but Kill Bill vol.1 is more stylish and smoother.
The gadgets are great for a low? budget HK flick. from the satellite with X-ray vision down. The use of a camcorder to do flashbacks was brilliant.
In Cantonese, Mandarin, English or French.
23 its no charlies angels
this movie is not a bad movie in anyway, the film quality is great the colors are all vibrant and the movie has a very sharp look to it.but because of that the cgi effects should not have be used in a movie this bright. the story is nothing you havent heard before. and the action scenes are all generic at best, and the few scenes where the action tries to be fresh and new the girls dont look comfortable and ruin alot of scenes. its like barbie trying to do an action movie. i could almost hear these actresses saying ok so ill do a roundhouse kick like this and you duck and hit me here but not the face ok and watch the hair. the movie has such a crisp look to it that on top of these girls trying to look good while fighting you have cgi effects like bullets whizzing by and what i think is a first cgi glass that ads to the overall fake look of the movie. i cant believe they used cgi glass to simulate the shattereing of windows so the barbie girls dont get hurt i guess. the movie doesnt really get interesting until the end with the final battle being probably the coolest part in the whole movie,that and the begining, the middle is filled with been there done that action that can get dull and like i said the worst part is it all looks fake and the girls dont look comfortable strangely though the movie is enjoyable and acceptable, its cheesy goodness in the vain of charlies angels if you love charlies angels than youll like this movie if you hate charlies angels than stay away.
24 this is not "Charlie's Angels", but way better!
The only reason this movie was compared to Charlie's Angels was because they both have three leading actresses who share the same amount of screen time. But "So Close" is far better than Charlie's Angels in terms of fighting scenes, soundtrack, plot (yeah even the plot), and gorgeous ladies!
First the fighting scenes - what can I say! Definitely the best and this alone would make this action movie worthy of collecting. The fighting is very well designed for the ladies and quite unique.
Soundtrack - Theme music is very well scored for the development of the movie. And this alone is also worth collecting. I am surprised to find out that Karen Mok is such a good singer.
The plot - At least it has a plot (and subplots), unlike some of the Hollywood action movies. I have to say it started out a bit slow but it will glue you to your seat till the end.
The three ladies - well we need to redefine what "sexy" means. No bikinis needed for being sexy - it's a feeling. Shu Qi looks mysteriously sexy in that black cocktail dress when she fights with Karen Mok in the parking lot.
If you haven't watched this movie, go get it and you'll be pleasantly surprised.
25 Great movie!
Ok, Im going to have to disagree with the other two reviewers...I dont see how this is a 'chick flick' just because the main characters are women and I hated "Charlie's Angels" and those other idiotic "lets drive cars real fast and call everything 'extreme!'" Michael Bay type movies but I really liked this movie.
This was definately not your typical John Woo, hong kong action flick, but it seems to be the way the genre is going these days. Shu Qi was great so was Karen Mok, but this movie was my first time seeing Vicki Zhao (Zhao Wei) and I have to say Im impressed...and I dont say that often. High tech gadgets mixed with good old fashioned 'shoot everything you see' action makes for a great film. After I was done with this one, I went and tracked down every other Vicki Zhao film available, thats how impressed I was..
26 so close
really good movie . pretty good special affect . good story and good non stop action .
27 I was so close to not buying it.........but I'm glad I did!
I'm a movie addict who's been getting tired of the same old Hollywood crap, so I decided to try some cool looking asian films. Take it from me, it's a refreshing experience. I saw the "So Close" trailer on the "Returner" DVD, & I wrongly assumed it would be a cheesy movie with girls, guns & Karate. I was so wrong! This has officially become one of my new favorite flicks! Hot chicks(but not TRYING to be hot) - Excellent Action (Best sword fight in recent history) - with a good P L O T! Try that Hollywood! And whoever the idiot was who gave this film ONE Star because you didnt like the music, You are a PUTZ! You should be banned from watching DVD's for the rest of your life! To everyone else who enjoys action, good storytelling, beautiful women, and appreciates the beauty of martial arts, buy this movie, its a great time!
28 Cheesy and lot's of fun
I just rented this movie and it was awesome. The chicks are HOT!!! Especially the sisters. Yeah it was cheesy, but just turn your brain off, make some popcorn, and enjoy the cheesy goodness. Mmm...mmm...good!!!
29 Yes, it does have a plot
Well, it isn't brilliantly original, but SO CLOSE does establish and maintain a strong story line complete with a few unexpected twists, and adds more than gratuitous fight scenes. All three actresses play their parts very well, and all three main characters are well-drawn and captivating. The attraction lies in the slick technology and fight scenes. Also, the erotic possibility in having three strong, capable women working closely and fighting together is, if not fulfilled, at least hinted at more strongly than in Charlie's Angels. It was slicker, had better technology, better acting, better costumes, and much better plot than Charlie's Angels. Then there's the kiss. A must have.
30 It Was Da Bomb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why the hell wasn't this released in the USA. It would of kicked ass in the box office. This movie was tight!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I rented it once loved it so much I rented it again so I could show some of my family members and they absolutly loved it!!!!!!!!!! Computer Angel kicked ass.
31 One of the Most Erotic Action films ever
Forget Charlie's Angels- trailor trash compared to Qi Shu, Vicki Zhao and Karen Mok. From the opening high tech sequences through to Vicki's departure, this is one of the most extraordinarily erotic and dynamically energized action films you will ever see. Qi and Vicki play sisters who witnessed their parents' murder, then co-opt their father's surveillance invention to become professional killers. It is smarter than the Matrix, more ingenious than Minority Report, more enthusiastically acted than anything else since CROUCHING TIGER. This is a great, and maybe the greatest Hong Kong action film ever.
Qi Shu oozes sexuality. She enters a scene and you can't take your eyes off of her or even think about anything but her graceful and seductive demeanour. The Buddha would not approve. Vicki Zhao is sultry, somehwat more innocent and projects just enough curiosity about her orientation to convincingly confuse Karen Mok, the detective out to catch the sisters. There is something subliminally enticing about the way Qi and Vicki play out big sister/little sister rivalry. When Qi falls for a guy, Vicki takes an interest in Karen Mok. There is a subtext of lesbian attraction even among Qi and Karen as they engage in a sword fight that causes some modest exposure, very definitely attracting Vicki's gaze. The men are all either stuffed misogynist suits, or completely stupid droids, and the suits are bad all the way through. The action sequences are dazzling, the cinematography clever without being obvious, and the ballet of the encounters exquisitely choreographed. The final sword fight is as brilliantly executed as anything in CROUCHING TIGER or ROB ROY. You will definitely stand and applaud. When Vicki kisses Karen at the end, Karen's confusion surfaces and as Vicki walks away, you find yourself hoping that the writers will find a plausible way to construct a convincing sequel.
There is a lot of violence to this, but that seems to wash over you. The heat comes from the women, who are just incendiary.
32 ------------------DAMN THAT WAS CLOSE----------------
----------------WOW!!! THIS MOVIE KICKS ... AND I LOVE THIS MOVIE. IT IS WAY BETTER THAN CHARLIE'S ANGELS. MOST ALL HONG KONG MOVIES ARE MIXED WITH A LITTLE COMEDY IN THEM THAT'S WHAT MAKE THEM UNIQUE AND STANDS OUT FROM EVERY MOVIE. ANNND HAS SEXY AND GOOD LOOKING CHARACTERS, ESPECIALLY VICKI ZHAO --THE LITTLE SISTER------------------------------------------------------
---------------------A MUST WATCH----------------------------
33 I love So Close!!
Well, I really liked this movie. It was much better than other action shows, like The Transporter. Even though i'm only thirteen, I know a good movie when I see one. It's full of action, comedy, and drama. It made me cry, laugh, and tremble with excitement. I recomend this movie to anyone who loves action and comedy. Plus the girls are really hot!
34 So much better!
...than "Charlie's Angels" or anything that came from Hollywood. I guess the overseas marketing wants to help a certain audience to "get it" by using the Charlie's Angels reference (and trailers).
Only HK can make a great story from a strange plot while juggling a few sub-plots.
The only weak point in this movie is that the bad guys weren't thoroughly developed (enough to make you look forward to their demise). But, after the car chase scene (possible spoiler), this wasn't necessary.
35 So refreshing
So refreshing, unique... So tired of Hollywood formula movies, I was delighted to find this gem of action movie. A lot of orginal stuff done really well.... from movie geek.
36 Really, It Was SO CLOSE
I've seen enough Hong Kong actioners to know that they fall into two principal categories: (1) those that are terrific and ignore the possible logic problems of the story or (2) those that are terrific and completely toss logic to the wind. Believe it or not, SO CLOSE actually gravitates between both of these groups.
The film tries to be so much more than what it is: a statement on family loyalty, a testament to budding lesbianism, a barrier-breaking MATRIX-style adventure ... one could go on and on. The subplot involving the two sisters dependence upon one another to complete a single assassination job is a bit heavy on the overall weight of the film, but you can't fault the writer for attempting to give these glitzy girls some depth ... and you certainly can't hold the actresses responsible for giving it their best shot.
Taken as a thrill pill, SO CLOSE works very well on many levels. The pacing is intense, the photography is very well done, the choreography (especially the climax) is exciting, and the performances are better than average. Sure, some comparisons to the look of the flick being dangerously close to a REVLON commercial are merited, but SO CLOSE was never intended to be high art: it is pure popcorn, and it can be enjoyed very well on that level.
Kick back. Get yourself a beer. Start this DVD in the machine and enjoy three beautiful Asian women kicking some real mean butt and shooting some very powerful guns.
Life is good.
37 A good chick flick
First you need to forive a couple of things before you can truely enjoy this movie, like the thin plot and the pluasibility of the characters, other than that, this movie is pretty good, for obvious reasons- the well-cheographed fight scenes and it's a fresh change having chicks do the fighting.
Shu Qi gets top billing and yes, she's gorgeous, but I think you'll be more impress with Karen Mok. She might not have the lucscious lips or the obvious sex appeal, but she has an edgy, gritty physical presence which is important if you're gonna be an action movie star ( maybe she already is, this is the first time I've seen her in a movie). You can believe it when she's punching, kicking and flying thru the air because physically she is convincing. Unlike Shu Qi, who seem a tad bit fragile and she looked like she was hung on a wire a lot for the more demanding fight sequence. I also like Vicky Zhao. She's terrific as the younger, less competent sister and the heavy acting was all left to her. The handcuffed fight scene with Qi and Mok is something to marvel at and will undoubtedly be copied. The clean high tech cinematography is hard to ignore. It is a study in geometry, angles and physics, specially with the flying bullets and glass everywhere. This is well illustrated in the last shot out by the stairway.
There's a lot to be admired in this movie like the many imaginative ways of shooting a gun; upside down, downside up,sidedays, by ways, falling down, twisting and the overall imagination of the filmakers. As a Hong Kong, over-the-top action flick--- It delivers! Just don't think too much when you're watching this movie. Concentrate more on the gun fights, sword fights and kung fu fights. I did find a few things annoying though. For example, the Mok and Zhao characters- were they suppose to be attracted to each other, and what was that kiss about? they could have at least done it right and gone for a full on lip lock titaliting threatment it deserved, outherwise why bother throwing in this little sublot at the end. Also a couple of the fight scenes were so techinical and crisp that you feel like picking up your supernintendo control pad and playing along. Ultimately I give this movie a generous rating because it doesn't fail to deliver its promise- ACTION and lots of it. The DVD doesn't have any extras but be thankful it offers a lot of language and subtitle options for some of us that wish to see the movie in its original sound. If you're not too uptight and don't sweat the little details, you'll enjoy this movie.
38 Sexy Action!
I'm not one for long reviews but if your a fan of Hong Kong action you will love "So Close"! Fantastic "Gun Fu" and Hand to Hand Combat!There's some pretty serious drama too,But the showdown finale is one of the best that I've ever seen!! I hope Cory Yuen makes "Transporter 2" and incorporates some of the things I've seen in this film.This should be in your collection if you really appreciate the art.
39 Chinese Angels
PREDICTABLE BUT YET ENTERTAINING HONG KONG FLICK: If you like the "over-the-top", outrageous style of action (Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle) movies, then you'll enjoy this. People like to compare the theme to Charlie's Angels but these characters are NO angels and there is no Bernie Mack or Bill Murray for comedy relief in this Hong Kong flick. Shu Qi and Vicky Zhao play modern day, high tech assasins for hire, who complete their missions with the use of computers, guns, gadgets and kung fu. Karen Mok plays a detective in pursuit of these "Computer Angels".
Overall, this is a well put together film with excellent editing, camera work, musical score, stunts, and fight choreography. If you're more of a hard-core, powerful, realistic fighting style movie fanatic, then this movie isn't for you, but if you appreciate the gracefullness, elegance, and artistic film styling choreography (Charlies Angels: Full THrottle, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Tomb Raider, The Matrix) then would most likely enjoy this.
ACTING: This is in response to a previous reviewer. Shu Qi and Vicky Zhao are actually very good actors. He probably was calling them "bad actors" because of their English dubbed voicing that wasn't the best anyone has ever heard. I mean they're not Oscar material in American standards but they are very respectable actresses in Hong Kong. In my opinion, Shu Qi did an excellent job in this action role, having beutiful looks and a sweet voice but yet delivering an intensity of a fighter and playing the role of an older, mentoring sister to Zhao's character. Also, VIcky Zhao is not a "bad actress" as mentioned by a previous reviewer. In my opinion she's actually the best of the three women because she has more of a dramatic role in this movie and she CAN ACT! The movie does get dramatic in a few scenes and the previous reviewer doesn't seem to like drama. But believe me, Vicky Zhao is a great actress (see her comedic yet demented role in Shaolin Soccer). Karen Mok does her usual outstanding action, kick . . ., heroin role. Overall good casting.
CONCLUSION: Basically if you like The Matrix (Trinity's style of fighting) you'll like the fight scenes in this movie. There's car chases, John Woo type of gun battles, sword fighting. It's an action Hong Kong flick, a cop story, a story of big sister-little sister relations, and even a little romance mixed in. Beautiful Asian women (Oh Yeah!!!) who happen to be GOOD ACTRESSES!!!
40 amazing!!!!!!
ok, lets face the fact that they get some scope from the movie "Charlie's Angels", but these asian females really did good in this movie, but this movie is much more interesting than Charlie's Angels. I watched the movie once. It has a great story and it will make you realized that asian people can also compete internationally.
41 Hsu Qi and Karen Mok in a throwdown! YEAH! OK the plot sucks
This film, about two high-tech female assassins-for-hire chased by a female police detective, is imperfect, often implausible and predictable; but it still thrilled me anyway. It has three very positive things going for it:
1. Terrific fight choreography by Corey Yuen, one of the greatest fight choreographers around (he worked on "X-Men" and "Lethal Weapon 4", many Hong Kong films.) The kung fu is great, although the gunfights are standard issue.
2. Hsu Qi, who is one of the most beautiful actresses anywhere, gets a lot of face time and sexy outfits. Unfortunately she is not a great actress, but hey, nobody's perfect.
3. Karen Mok, who IS a great actress and extraordinarily charismatic, though not nearly as pretty.
Drawbacks:
1. The story is standard issue and predictable.
2. Opening action sequence is very implausible; later fights are improvements.
3. The third heroine, Wei (Vicky) Zhao, is way too soft-looking to be a believable fighter. She is a bad actress and unfortunately gets some super-emotional scenes that are cringeworthy.
Now about Karen Mok. I'd never seen Mok in anything before, but as the police detective she was muscular, charismatic, just amazing. Considering how many fights there are here, it's crucial that the women be believably trying to hurt somebody. We want THROWDOWN! In the fights, you definitely believe Mok is trying to hurt somebody. As the story progresses, Mok's character becomes only more masculine/adrogynous. Which is a good thing.
Only once or twice can you believe Hsu Qi is trying to hurt somebody. But she looks gorgeous in a black cocktail dress, so we'll forgive her, and she's photographed well, which is important. (The face time she gets here makes up for how badly she was wasted in "The Transporter.")
What really made me want this on DVD, is the terrific girl-on-girl fight between Mok and Hsu Qi, which happens midway through the film. They ride an elevator together, and each knows the other is her enemy, but they pretend not to know. Outside the elevator they get into a fight so classic, so good that action directors should study it for years into the future. Finally, Hsu Qi gets down and dirty in her black cocktail dress; you can really believe she wants to hurt somebody. Yeah! THROWDOWN! THROWDOWN!! And Mok, who's dressed like a boy, gives it right back to her. Director Corey Yuen pulls out all the stops here: fast motion, slow motion, camera pans, bullet time, the works, but they're all used appropriately to thrill us, not overused as gimmicks. During the fight, Mok manages to handcuff herself to Hsu Qi, which leads to great close-up one-handed fighting.
As for the plot, oh well, it's predictable and often, totally implausible. The opening action sequence, in which Hsu Qi sticks herself to the ceiling while assassinating an evil executive, is quite unbelievable. And it's scored to the Carpenters' annoying song "Close to You." The film's conclusion is even less satisfying: after all the laws that've been broken, none of the heroines go to jail? Oh, c'mon.
But it's worth it just to see Karen Mok and Hsu Qi duke it out in cute outfits! If you want a Hsu Qi movie and are deciding between this and "The Transporter", go for this.
42 disapointing, but ok
I'm not quite sure what the makers of 'So Close' are trying to achieve with this movie... there aren't enough laughs or sexy action to make this the 'charlie's angels' clone the packaging will tell you it is.
It seems to want to be serious drama at the same time, with the strangely overdeveloped background of the relationship of Shu Qi's character and her boyfriend a prime example.
Speaking of Shu Qi, she's the prime reason I hired the DVD, but she kinda disapears after the first half of the movie, with all the emphasis going on to her far less appealing companions.
Still has some fun scene though, and the big finale is worth watching... it's just a pity they couldn't make up their mind as to what sort of movie they were making.
