Product Description

From the director of Fulltime Killercomes one of the most explosive and unrelenting action films to ever come out of Asia. After a televised bank robbery is dangerously mismanaged by the Hong Kong police, five bank robbers escape, leaving a bloodbath behind them. Taking refuge in a labyrinthine housing complex, the criminals are quickly surrounded. In order to regain credibility, ambitious Commissioner Rebecca Fong attempts to manipulate the media to her own advantage. But the robbers are also able to draw on the power of the media... High octane and visually stunning, Johnnie To's Breaking Newsis a fascinating look at the power of today's media. Extras: Behind The Scenes / Original Theatrical Trailer / Film Notes

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17865 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-03-15
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: Cantonese Chinese
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 90 minutes

Synopsis
Johnny To (MY LEFT EYE SEES GHOSTS) directs this crime thriller, which begins in explosive fashion as a televised bank robbery is dangerously mismanaged by the police. The criminals escape and leave a bloodbath behind them, and the police decide to use the media to broadcast their attempted capture of the gang. But when the robbers also draw on the power of the media to put forward their side of the case, BREAKING NEWS turns into a thoroughly modern portrayal of the criminal underclasses.

Customer Reviews

Dog Day Afternoon, Hong Kong style
Breaking News is one the most satisfying of Johnny To's films so far. What starts out as an above average cop movie soon turns into a satire on spin. The police respond to the bad publicity from a failed stakeout that turns into a running battle by televising their investigation and resulting siege. They even hire a film director to re-edit their footage only for the media savvy crooks to put the footage they shot on their mobile phones on the internet, leading to a game of psychological one-upmanship - the crooks cook a meal for their hostages and show footage of them enjoying it, so the police buy meals for all the reporters; the crooks manage to bluff their way out of their hideout being stormed, so the police wheel out Jackie Chan (well, an unconvincing lookalike) to show his support for the force.

Lots of neat touches (such as the bad guys accidentally rescuing a pair of killers who are hiding out in the same building), a neat use of occasional slit screens and an incredibly impressive opening sequence shot in one technically astonishingly difficult but remarkably fluid uninterrupted take add to the show. Expect an American remake in the near future.

action drama
So-so action movie. Spoilt by a bad script that even Michael Bay would leave behind as too ridiculous. It's enjoyable enough in its own way, and the action set-pieces are good. But make sure your brain is switched off for this one.