OPTION ZERO

REVIEW:

More Cop Soap Opera from the men who do it best: producer Gordon Chan and writer Chan Hing-Ka. Like Final Option and First Option, this film concentrates on HK cops and their home lives. Julian Cheung is our hero, a member of the Special Branch, HKs local espionage force. Hes just moved in with his girlfriend Carman Lee (in an effective, but nearly annoying performance) and he has a hard time balancing the two parts of his life. Anthony Wong is one of his team members, who neglects his live-in girlfriend (Farini Cheung). Rounding out the team is Cheung Hung-On and Monica Chan, who form two points of an unrequited love triangle with Julian Cheung as the third point.
As set-ups go, this one is overly strained. The plot is barely there, and the character elements are contrived. The relationships among the group make for some rather unnecessary moments of thinly-disguised romantic longing. Somewhat similar to Chan Hing-Kas Task Force, this film isnt as good because it lacks the other films human poetry. Option Zero is fine in the action department, though. The only other large flaws in the film are Julian Cheungs stiff acting and the almost inexplicable shift in focus from the Special Branch to G4, HKs secret service. At one point, the members try out for G4 and are trained by none other than Michael Wong, who thankfully only appears for three minutes. This shift makes the film seem disjointed, but this is still an entertaining movie and much better than the atrocious First Option. [REVIEWED BY 1997]