“The Duel” Theatrical Poster
Director: Andrew Lau
Cast: Ekin Cheng, Nick Cheung Ka Fai, Andy Lau, Norman Chu, Jerry Lamb, Kristy Yeung, Wu Tine Hsin, Zao Wei, Patrick Tam, Wong Yat Fei, Lau Wai
Running Time: 105 min.
By Alexander
The Duel is a pleasant diversion featuring an interesting blend of swordplay, martial arts, humor, drama, mystery and a pairing of Hong Kong pop superstars Andy Lau and Ekin Cheng as master swordsmen. The story revolves around Nick Cheung’s character, Imperial Secret Agent 9, and his attempts to locate the killer before a highly anticipated duel. There are a few twists and turns along the way, but few surprises, and for a story billed as a rousing Stormriders-esque action-adventure, most of the film focuses on the comedic romances between the three male leads and their lovers.
The true star of the film is Nick Cheung. He’s an endearing, goofy character ala Leslie Nielson in the Naked Gun series and gets loads more screen time than Ekin and Andy combined. Cheung plays the agent as slightly bufoonish, easily aroused, perpetually crude and demonstrates a nifty repertoire of kung fu moves while sporting an oddly appropriate mass of dreadlocks. All of the male characters, particularly Andy Lau, seem to channel the spirit of that famed Iron Chef host renowned for his over-emoting and fur lined coats. (Many animals were killed, it appears, to keep our stars warm.) Ekin’s performance amounts to a series of close-ups on his bangs, in profile, and despite his prominent picture on the DVD cover, only appears on-screen for a few minutes. Kristy Yang is adequate, although she never quite manages to convince us she’s upset after her “master” and brothers are slaughtered by the mysterious assassin.
Obviously, there are plenty of attempts at humor in The Duel. It’s quite hit-or-miss, ranging from a hilarious bit involving Agent 9’s mastery at “rolling” dice to groan-inducing lines like “We’ll grab the eunuchs and burn their asses with candles. Now that’s fun.” Har har.
Included on the DVD is a cool “making of” documentary which provides quite a bit of insight into the filmmaking process, Hong Kong style. There’s also a lot of behind the scenes footage and quite a few instances of Ekin and Andy unwinding during lulls in shooting.
Worth a rent.
Alexander’s Rating: 7/10
