Martial Arts Movie Junkie

The Four Review

Background Info

Director Gordon Chan brings Woon Swee Oan’s novel to life, using a strong cast to pull in viewers. The film revolves around a set of characters that are gifted with certain powers, each with their own powers and abilities. Does Chan have what it takes to breathe life into these characters and complete the trilogy he set out to create?

The Four Trailer

Story/Characters

I wish I could tell you about the story to the Four, but I’m still sorting it all out myself. The problem is…it’s a jumbled mess. You have two organizations that are working against each other for the same cause, a villain that has 2 completely different plans going on at the same time, and characters that seem to team up for the smallest of reasons. Once you feel like you know where things are going, things change on you, and not for the better. There are just too many things that aren’t addressed and even more that need better explanations. It may be to flesh out a trilogy, but I’d be much happier with a longer, more consistent film.

The characters are just about as bad as the story is. Some of them switch loyalties for no apparent reason while others aren’t given enough character to begin with. Everyone is a one-sided personality that is designed to create a unique group of people. Even the “love story” element is ultimately lost because there just isn’t anything to back it up. Given how many characters are in the film, it’s forgivable to have a few characters that aren’t deep, but the entire cast could use some depth. And that’s really a shame given the actors that were chosen for the film.

Action/Choreography

There are a lot of times where the story is forgivable if the action is good, but this is not one of those times. The fights are just too basic, as if everyone is just going through the motions. The end fight had a glimmer of hope, but it was quickly diminished as it continued on. The biggest issue with the fights are the powers that each character uses; there’s no explanation of what each person is capable of. One character can read minds, use telekinesis, track people, and do other things I can’t even remember anymore. It would have been much better to have each character specialize in 1 trait and use it to the fullest, instead you have powers that overlap and others that don’t make any sense.

Own it, Watch it, Try it, or Skip it?

When I first heard about the Four, I was really excited for it. Sadly, all of that was for nothing, as the film is really hard to recommend. You’ll be disappointed if you are an action fan, looking for a Mr. Vampire type supernatural movie, or even a good action movie. I’m worried because of the fact that the second film is already filming, meaning it may be too late to fix any issues that arise. Save yourself the time and avoid this one.

Skip it

The Four Blu-Ray (HK Version)

The Four DVD (HK Version)