Benny Chan (Shaolin) is a very eclectic director, taking stabs at whatever genre he feels interested in, so long as they have some sort of actions scenes in them. His latest feature to hit the US Blu-ray/DVD shelves is a mutant action film titled City Under Siege, brought to us by FUNimation.
“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!”
City Under Siege is what I would call a very goofy blockbuster that entertains you in a laughable sort of way. It utilizes mostly practical effects and real monster makeup along with a little CG to make for a more realistic experience, even if it isn’t believable at all. What I respect most about the film is that it knows that it shouldn’t take itself too seriously which is why I believe it actually turns out better than other superhero/mutant films like Green Lantern.
The cast, like the movie itself, can’t be taken too seriously either as Sunny (Aaron Kwok) is an ambitious, naive and self conscious but good hearted dork who makes the most of his newfound superpowers by becoming the hero of the city. One could say he’s a bit like Peter Parker from Spider-man, taking on the various deformed assholes of the city. The film also stars Collin Chou as the main villain Zhang Dachu and Qi Shu as Angel, the love interest of both Sunny and Zhang. The performances definitely contribute to the extremely goofy nature of the film which is why it becomes difficult to sit there with a critical eye.
As for the special features, the Blu-ray combo pack includes only a trailer, previews for other FUNimation titles and a 22 minute “making of” featurette. There isn’t much there to really ejoy but the featurette does give you a good look at the practical effects and an opportunity to listen to Benny Chan explain his reasons for deciding the make the movie. I will say, the blu-ray does look incredible and if you have a surround sound system the audio is quite fantastic. I originally watched the movie in the DVD format but when I had a chance to pop in the blu-ray it didn’t fail me.
I’m not saying City Under Siege is a good movie because, in all honesty, it isn’t, but it is a silly picture that you can easily get roped into watching once you’ve start it. It’s a middle of the road action film with cheesy lines, over-the-top acting, and explosive special effects that’ll have you sitting there with a stupid grin on your face. If you’re into ridiculous Asian action films than picking the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack may not be such a bad idea but if you aren’t then I would pass on this title without looking back.
Rating: A stupidly entertaining Hong Kong actioner (5/10)
City Under Siege is now available on Blu-ray and DVD. You can order it from Amazon here.
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