The Corruptor Review
by Joy Wyse (jwyse AT onlineworks DOT com)March 22nd, 1999
Review: THE CORRUPTOR
Starring: Chow Yun-Fat, Mark Wahlberg
Directed by: James Foley
Review by: Joy Wyse, the SILVER Screen Critic
This movie literally starts with a blast - as a building blows up. Incredibly, out of the wreckage stumbles a survivor, alive, but not for long. Four Oriental youths with assault weapons finish the job that they had obviously started. Such is life in New York’s Chinatown. There is a struggle for control of the Oriental Mafia. The Police, headed by Nick Chen [Chow Yun-Fat], don’t seem to be controlling it very well. Enter Danny Wallace [Mark Wahlberg] as the new cop on the beat, a square peg in a round hole who doesn’t want to be treated differently, although he is. Chen saves his life and in Chinese tradition, Danny’s life now belongs to him.
This is definitely a guy movie. Most fellows will like the fighting and explosions, and the nudity - except for Wahlberg’s nudity, that is. That’s there for the girls.
The plot is a little trite, but it’s OK. There is a very exciting car chase that is reminiscent of “Bullitt” and/or “French Connection”, and it is bloodier that both of them combined. It’s always been a wonder why there weren’t innocent bystanders killed or wounded in those movies. We remember the baby carriage that almost was hit, but the lack of danger to innocent people is usually ignored. Not so in the Corruptor. Boy, they shoot those extras as fast as they can!
New York City is not a very pretty or clean place up close, but some of the shots taken at night make it look lovely. All in all, the running time is way too long, but you won’t fall asleep in it.
I give it a B-.
SEE YOU AT THE MOVIES.
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