And Now You're Dead may nominally be a heist movie about two rival gangs out to steal a diamond, but in reality it's an excuse for a series of exceptional action set-pieces as only Hong Kong cinema knows how to do. The film is actually set in Prague and features both a mixed Chinese and European cast, and some fairly horrendous dubbing. Fortunately no one is going to be watching for the dialogue, and the plot--assorted gangsters betray each other, while others find friendship and redemption--has been replayed endlessly since John Woo's A Better Tomorrow (1986). While... Michael Wong makes an acceptable Chow Yun Fat substitute as professional thief Marty, Shannon Lee's ruthless assassin is a revelation. She is Bruce Lee's daughter, and having already appeared in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993) and Blade (1998), she delivers perhaps the toughest action heroine since Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor in T2. It's a breathtaking performance, especially in a deliriously extended police station battle which recalls the original Terminator. Overlook the clumsy comic relief and the sub-Bond finale, and settle back to enjoy an insanely frenzied bloodbath packed with over-the-top stunts and razor-sharp martial arts. --Gary S. Dalkin [show more]
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