THE PROSECUTOR Review: Fighting for Justice With Words. And Fists. OK, A Lot of Fists.

Only in Hong Kong.

The Prosecutor
The film opens Friday, January 10, in select movie theaters, via Well Go USA. Visit their official site for locations and showtimes.

Trading the streets for the courts, Officer Fok (Donnie Yen) leaves the Hong Kong Police Force, where he was a respected detective, and studies the law for seven years before joining the Hong Kong Department of Justice, where he takes his first case as a prosecutor.

Partnered with veteran lawyer Baau Ding (Kent Chang), who doesn't take things too seriously, Prosecutor Fok immediately makes waves as he tries the case of a young man who was paid to receive a package that turned out to be filled with illegal drugs. Claiming that he had no advance knowledge of what he was receiving, he proclaims his innocence to the charges, but his shady lawyers, notably the shifty and slick An-Paak Man (Julian Cheung), strongly suggest that he plead guilty in the hopes of receiving a lenient sentence. Instead, he's sentenced to 27 years by somewhat arrogant and firmly implacable Judge Hui (Michael Hui).

None of this sits well with Prosecutor Fok, so he begins his own investigation, despite repeated warnings by fellow lawyer Baau and their boss, Joeng Tit Lap, portrayed by the great Francis Ng. Somewhat hamstrung by the role, which calls for him to be restrained and officious, Ng nonetheless essays a character who clearly has other things going on beneath the surface; it's only a matter until we find out what's going on.

It's also only a matter of time before a hidden connection from one of the principals to a ferocious, hissing mob boss is revealed, which says quite a bit about the screenplay by reliable writer Edmond Wong, inspired by a true story. Wong and Yen carefully craft a narrative that effectively bounces between a high-octane legal drama, complete with eye-opening confrontations and revelations in the courtroom, and a brutal action thriller, complete with jaw-dropping sequences that seamlessly, if obviously, merge live-action and visual effects, while never stinting on copious amounts of blood and broken bones.

Now 61 years of age, Yen as Fok freely acknowledges that he has slowed down and his knees can't take it anymore. You wouldn't know it from watching the film, however. Even though the large stunt team is performing the majority of the action work, and doubles are skillfully deployed, that's still Yen's face in many fights and stunts.

He has gained a great deal of experience in staging and filming staggering fight scenes and action sequences, with huge help from action director Mak Ho-Pong. Together, they have created multiple extended scenes that beggar belief.

By the end, they probably push it too far, and strain to temper incredulity with overripe dialogue. By that point, however, I was just along for the ride, enjoying watching Donnie Yen let it rip in an outrageously entertaining fight for justice with words. And a few fists. OK, a lot of fists.