CITY UNDER SIEGE Blu-ray Review

A sci-fi martial arts film populated by circus performers transformed into mutant freaks, how can you possibly go wrong? Benny Chan's recent output included two very different films, first up was City Under Siege, the aforementioned circus action flick, and then there was the much different Shaolin, a more graceful wu xia film that got most of the accolades. I like them both, but I think City Under Siege has gotten a lot of shit for being what it is, a fun science fiction/action/comedy film that is a throwback to '90s style wire fu action epics. I'm really glad that FUNimation picked this one up, because they have a great track record with Blu-ray and this is no exception. This film at least deserves a rental, but I'm glad I own it as I plan to revisit it frequently.

Innocent citizens flee mutant marauders in this electrifying film from famed director - and frequent Jackie Chan collaborator - Benny Chan (Connected, Who Am I?) Featuring a star-studded cast including Collin Chou (Jet Li's Fearless, The Matrix Reloaded) and Qi Shu (The Transporter) this thrilling flick packs a serious punch thanks to action sequences concocted by legendary choreographer Chung Chi Li (Rush Hour, New Police Story).

Sunny, a lowly circus clown, dreams of following in his father's footsteps by perfecting lethal Flying Dagger technique. That dream seemingly dies the night a group of bullies force Sunny into a mysterious cave where an abandoned military experiment turns them all into mutants! Suddenly bestowed with superhuman strength, Sunny finally has the power to master his father's technique and defend the city against his horribly-disfigured fellow mutants!

I've seen many negative reviews for this film that fault it for being exactly what it intended to be, big goofy fun. I've also seen reviews that critique the actors in this film simply because they don't like a certain actor in general.  However, I think that City Under Siege utilizes its performers pretty damned well, especially those in supporting roles, like Collin Chou as the main baddie and Wu Jing as an expert on mutants from the mainland, sent to track down the rogue circus freaks.

Benny Chan knows what he's doing, and he intentionally made this film to jump over genre boundaries and try to use as many exploitable elements as possible.  His trademark big action sequences are jammed in here, they come one after another with very few pauses in between. This doesn't leave much room for character development, but he manages to throw a little bit of that in too, between smashing cars, knife throwing, and basically demolishing everything in sight.

Aaron Kwok acquits himself well as the goofy, half-dimwitted Sunny, a circus clown who aspires to become the master of the twin flying daggers. He's played with a child like innocence that breaks down any time he's condescended to and turns him into a raging Hulk-like figure with insane dagger skills. In a word, Sunny is simple, and this allows him the vulnerability to be suckered in by Shu Qi as Angel, an over the hill TV reporter who attached herself to the gullible Sunny after he stops a high profile crime from happening as her ticket back to the anchor desk.

It's not only the two leads who perform well, there is a fun supporting cast to keep the action moving when Sunny otherwise occupied.  Chief among these backups is Wu Jing.  Wu performs the hell out of his role.  He is ridiculously playing an expert on paranormal activity and mutants from the mainland who also happens to be a martial arts expert, along with his sidekick/fiancee. They get themselves into some pretty hairy spots, which allows Wu to kick a whole lot of ass in a very convincing fashion.

The big thing that turned me on about this film is its unapologetic attitude toward the material.  There is no attempt to make this goofball plot into anything more than it is.  The characters involved don't realize what a silly film they are in, but I think Benny Chan does, and his film works because of it.  All of the actions and emotions are over the top and ridiculous, which works beautifully, because Chan knows how to make that kind of film. City Under Siege is big, dumb fun, and I loved it.

The Disc:

FUNimation delivers the goods again in terms of A/V quality.  This disc looks stellar, even in the many low light scenes, the film's image doesn't falter. With all of the effects involved, I think that Blu-ray is definitely the way to go with this one. The audio is also pretty damned immersive, and FUNimation's twin Dolby TrueHD 5.1 tracks in Cantonese and English will both provide you with a pretty bombastic experience. Normally I hate dub tracks, but this is really just one step removed from old school chop socky, so I wouldn't be averse to watching it that way.

Unfortunately, the disc doesn't have much to share on the extras front.  The only worthwhile material on here is a twenty-two minute making of featurette.  It is fun, though, and Chan does take some time to explain his choices and why he decided to make this film.  There is also a lot of time spent on the very cool creature effects and practical effects in the film, which is always nice to see.  Apart from that we get a trailer for City Under Siege as well as previews for several other FUNimation titles.

I can't guarantee you'll like this one as much as I did, but I think it's at least worth a try.