FIGHT AGAINST EVIL Review: Xiao Mie fights crime in an intense action thriller
Xiao Mie (As God, Fighting for the Motherland) grew up in movie sets in company of film deities such as Jet Li (My Father is a Hero, Legend of the red dragon) or Chow Yun Fat (Hard Boiled, The killer) and being directed at a very young age by legendary filmmakers such as Corey Yuen (Above the Law, Ultraforce) or Wong Jing (God Of Gamblers, City Hunter), is undeniable that there´s no better film school than have been blessed with the chance of learning the craft from the best, This, combined with his exceptional qualities and overwhelming charisma, has made Xiao Mie become, in his own right, one of the most visible faces of action cinema coming from China.
FIGHT AGAINST EVIL, was small production released in 2021 highly influenced by the forays into cop films by Wilson Yip (Ip Man, SPL) with Donnie Yen (Flash Point, Kung Fu Jungle) on the lead.
On this crime thriller Xiao Mie plays a policeman of unorthodox methods, dedicated to his job of, who´s sent to vacation by his superiors after an unfortunate incident. Having no other choice than taking that unwanted vacation, he travels with his wife to her hometown where he soon finds out that his father-in-law is involved in illegal activities with a gang of brothers who are dedicated to gambling and other criminal activities. Unable to forget about work because he is a policeman by vocation with the conviction of serving the people, our protagonist joins the local police with a firm conviction of cleaning the area of criminals.
The film makes up for its low budget with some powerful action scenes in which Xiao Mie shines with some martial moments that are worthy of praise, with the brutal final duel against the main villain of the film, which takes place on a bus, being worthy of mention. A very imaginative scene with a forcefulness and ferocity that manages to trespass the screen.
Although the plot can be a bit slow in some parts, and the rest of the cast is quickly overshadowed by its protagonist, the film manages to be an action film worth highlighting due to the charisma of its protagonist and the great action scenes.
Available on IQIYI streaming platform and Internationally on IQIYI Youtube channel with english subtitles
