| |
Inspector 'Rock' Shek: [after beating up a King Kau thug] Get lost!
|
King Kau: [Runs past Cailyn who is tied up and hanging from the roof] Hang in there baby!
|
Kau's Man: [Jimmy Jimmy is finishing urinating] Ahhhh! It's the cops just when you need a hand. I'm Jimmy Jimmy. Follow me. This way, King Kau's expecting you.
Kau's Man: [he walks through the King Kau gang which makes way for him - the gang refuses to move for Rock so he pushes a gang member out of the way]
Inspector 'Rock' Shek: Get lost... thank you.
|
Cailyn: I knew you'd find me if I let myself be caught. I'm so glad you've come back to join us.
Michael: [smiles] Come back? No Cailyn.
Cailyn: It's your fate. No matter what, you're still one of us.
Michael: [watching the children play at the park] If I told you there was a place for us outside of death, without all the killing... that you and I could leave it all behind, just by walking away... would you do it?
Cailyn: [skeptically] Look Michael, let's not pretend we're like these people. We're killers.
Michael: But not machines. Even a killer can choose not to kill.
|
Inspector 'Rock' Shek: [after a 701 member cut off his own hand to break free of handcuffs] I had the key!
|
Commander Hung: [approaches with a rail gun] Teacher. You wanted to be a human. Now you can die like one.
Michael: [removes the black mask] Thank you. I'm honoured. I'd rather die... then live like you.
Commander Hung: Have it your way then, teacher! I'm happy to oblige you!
|
Kau's Man: The girl attacked King Kau!
Inspector 'Rock' Shek: The girl? What are you? Crazy? Whoever attacked King Kau wants to take his business. Get lost.
|
Commander Hung: [in the gas chamber] I'm touched teacher. You seemed choked up by our reunion.
|
Cailyn: [after stabbing Michael with a knife] That's from the Commander. He sent me to murder you...
[holds out her hand to him]
Cailyn: but this time, I can save you, if you'll just come back with me.
Michael: There's more to life than just survival. I'd rather die than go back.
Cailyn: We can start over when this is done, just like you said.
Michael: I've got news for you Cailyn... it's never done.
Cailyn: Michael, it is done, when we've made them pay.
Michael: And just how do you propose doing that? By killing them all?
Cailyn: Once we have the Crimewatch files, they will do whatever we want them to.
Michael: I guess I was wrong. We thought we could help each other. Looks like we're both out of luck.
[Michael flees from Cailyn]
|
Michael: I like it here, it's quiet. Nobody ever bothers a librarian.
|
Commander Hung: Send the welcome committee!
|
Kau's Man: Someone's attacking! Go Go! Mr Kau, you better hide!
|
Michael: [after finding out something went wrong with his friend, Rock] Something's wrong! I'll go to save him.
Tracy Lee: Are we going down the gutter?
Michael: You can't go. It's too dangerous.
Tracy Lee: Why?
Michael: I can't let you take any more risks. If I don't come back in a half-hour, you should leave here at once.
Tracy Lee: Wait. Let me look at your face.
Michael: Why?
Tracy Lee: Because you promised me that.
Michael: You promise you'll keep this a secret?
Tracy Lee: Promise. I won't even tell Tsui Chik, that nerd!
[Tsui removes his mask, and it shocks Tracy. After showing some laughter, she hugs Tsui]
Michael: I'm leaving.
Tracy Lee: [shouts after Tsui] I'll wait for you for dinner!
|
Commander Hung: [appearing as a hologram] So good evening, teacher!
Tracy Lee: [gasps] What's that?
Michael: Hey, look there.
[Tracy looks and Michael applies a pressure point, causing Tracy to faint]
Michael: I don't want trouble commander. But if you threaten my friends... I'll interfere.
Commander Hung: I think you're confusing the facts, teacher! You were created to kill... you were not created to serve and protect. These humans may find your powers impressive, but against the 701 Squad you are not invincible. The 701 Squad now answers to no-one, and together we can have the absolute power!
Michael: I think when you lost all your feelings commander, you lost something else along the way. I think you lost your mind.
Commander Hung: Listen to me! I'll let you come back with us immediately. No other chance!
Michael: I belong here! Not with you!
Commander Hung: So you want to feel again? Very sweet. Goodbye then, teacher... that's all. Sorry to hurt your feelings.
|
Tracy Lee: [looks for a way to escape with Michael after he's injured] Now where do we go?
Cailyn: [grabs her and tries to yank her off the building] STRAIGHT DOWN, BITCH!
|
Commander Hung: The Americans can't help but stick their noses in. Soon their world wide war against drugs will be completely compromised!
|
Commander Hung: [to Rock, who's got a bomb strapped to his chest] I'll say one thing, you've got guts. Which will shortly be apparent, when you explode.
Inspector 'Rock' Shek: Eat shit!
|
Inspector 'Rock' Shek: There's no one driving. I'll get it!
Tony: Inspector! Be careful!
|
Tony: Wait! Those aren't vessels, it's wiring! Be very careful. Doctor, can we move the heart? It's not clear what's wire and what's vessel.
Operating Room Doctor: Get ready, 50 CC's of Adrenaline.
Inspector 'Rock' Shek: Just how powerful is the bomb?
Tony: Based on the amount of liquid nitrogen, I say it could wipe out the room. There are 16 wires intertwined with the veins. We'll have to pair them off and cut them. Inspector, can you give me a hand?
Inspector 'Rock' Shek: Tell me when to cut.
Tony: On my count of three. One... Two... Three!
|
Amazon.com
Take the art direction and set design from The Crow and Batman. Add a male-bonding element reminiscent of The Killer or Hard-Boiled. Stir in a plot line about some top-secret near-invincible bionic-man superwarriors taking over the drug trade in Hong Kong, with only one man who can stop them. Season with a high body count, lots of explosions and running gun battles, and spectacular hand-to-hand fight sequences. Top off with a soupçon of cheesy comic relief and a generous helping of atrocious dubbing. Bake for too long, then remove from oven and allow to cool until thoroughly stale. The result: Black Mask. Sure, it's a preposterous recipe (bet you didn't know that LED readouts will show up on an X-ray), but it's stylishly prepared and presented, with high-octane editing, wild camera angles, and a neo-Goth feel all around. Of course it's all about the remarkable Jet Li, the fight scenes, and the postindustrial art direction. Those who come expecting a high-concept, intelligent thriller will be left with indigestion, but Hong Kong action fans who live and die for insane stunts and head-spinning martial arts scenes will have their appetites sated by this dish. It's very interesting to see the influence that John Woo's hand continues to have on American and HK action thrillers, years after his seminal films with Chow Yun-fat. It'll be even more interesting to see how films like Black Mask hold up in the future. Just don't take it too seriously and this movie works just fine. Oh, and the title? It comes from when Jet Li switches from his mild-mannered librarian persona to butt-kicking superhero, complete with mask and hat à la The Green Hornet's Cato. --Jerry Renshaw
|
|