Director: Gao Xixi
Notable Cast: Peter
Ho, Huang Zitao, Guli Nazha, Wang Xueqi, Choo Ja-hyun, Jack Kao, Long Meizi
There is a cliché phrase used that says ‘there are two
sides to every coin.’ Often, this is in reference to two separate ‘sides’ that
are based on the same foundation or part of the same core. But I’m sure you
know that. It’s why it’s a cliché phrase. Yet, this was a phrase that
repeatedly slid through my head as The Game Changer played out in front of me.
It’s a film that’s one part gangster drama and one part outlandish homage to
John Woo action films, embedded in the same film. While both sides, the dramatic and the
action packed, are part of the same film, they definitely feel as though they
are on opposite ends of said same film. Both sides have their own fun details,
including some concepts and visuals, but they feel disconnected. For what it’s
worth, The Game Changer is still a lot of fun and has plenty of elements to
admire, but as a cinematic whole is stumbles in trying to rise above being a
silly action film leaving the results as two sides, enjoyable on their own, yet hardly connected.
Based on the successful Chinese television series Shanghai Bund, this “inspired by”
adaption of the series most certainly feels like it was meant to be much longer
than it is. Running at well over 2 hours long, The Game Changer invokes a much grander scheme, utilizing its 1930s
Shanghai back drop to develop an entire gangster world – complete with rival
bosses and political scheming, along with a brotherly bonds, and a romantic
rectangle between the various lead characters. It’s a lot to consume, particularly when
some of the context is glossed over rather quickly in the opening sequence and it took me two watches to really latch onto
what the film had to offer as it comes to the plotting and narrative.
Welcome to...Gangsterland! |
For all of its gangster spurred twists and turns that only
continually get messier, stranger, and more outlandish as the film goes on, The Game Changer is built on some easy
to follow relationships that hold it all together. The idea of a brotherly
bond in the classic John Woo sense between the two leads of the film, the
fatherly figure that is presented by Tang (and played with remarkable screen
stealing ability by Wang Xueqi) and the romantic angles, where it starts with
the two leads and Tang’s daughter and then gets more complicated by a figure
from Lin Zihao’s past, all give the film a decent amount of heart. Peter Ho, as
Lin Zihao, and Huang Zitao, as Fang Jie, get better as the film goes on and their
characters become less caricatures and more fleshed out, while the entire cast
seems game to give it their all even if some of the execution is a bit hit or
miss ultimately.
Brothers in arms. |
Of course, this dramatic and character driven portion is just one side of the previously mentioned
coin that is The Game Changer. The
other half is the more entertaining and outrageous action portions of the film.
The entirety of the first act is dominated by various action scenes including prison
breaks, car chases, shoot outs, assassinations, and an opening scene where
Peter Ho kicks ass while chained down. It’s almost hilarious at how much action
they initially pile into the film to hook their audience. It slows down after
that initial barrage to make sure the previously mentioned characters and
plotting start to take shape, but the film rarely holds off on the ridiculous
action for too long with chases, fist fights, and gun battles galore. To top it
off, the film owes a huge heaping thank you as it attempts to not only
replicate the slow motion punctuated and overzealous action cheese of later era
John Woo, but it whole heartedly tries to outdo it in Woo-isms. The film is
littered with eye rolling action, throughout the whole film too, where assassins
kick people out of windows and kill multiple shooters before perfectly landing
on the top of a car, our heroes can power slide a bicycle while standing on it
and firing two handguns, and finale practically goes full Rambo. The execution
of these moments is more hit and miss than I care to admit with shoddy green
screen back grounds and awkward transitions throughout the film, but if you are
willing to just consume the action for what it is (silly, physics defying
spectacle) then it’s very entertaining.
Despite the fun to be had with the wink-wink action and the
decently strong dramatic elements with charismatic performances from the leads
to carry it, there is one aspect of the film that undercuts a lot of The Game Changer. It’s that for whatever
reason, director Gao Xixi struggles getting the two parts together in smooth
transitions. Between scenes and even within single scenes themselves, the
transitions between action scenes and dramatic scenes is awkward at best.
Normally, this is not an aspect of a film that singles itself out as the main
issue, but for The Game Changer it continually trips up the flow of the film making the two sides of the coin feel miles apart and lacking the carry through of emotional or character beats from one scene to the next. It's disjointed and problematic.
Falling and shooting. Isn't that always the way? |
Still, despite the flaws in execution through effects or
transitions, The Game Changer remains
an uproariously fun time for its audience. The performances are charming, the
core emotional elements are easy to consume, and the visuals of the setting and
brilliant use of colored lighting give it something of a fresh look for a
gangster era set action flick. Let’s not forget the action is outlandish and a
complete blast. Go in with a grain of salt though and The Game Changer is an easy film to enjoy. Just don't think too hard about it.
Written By Matt Reifschneider
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