From the first hand-to-hand duel on a sinking inflatable boat to the final orgy of explosions and harbour destruction, Nicholas Tse choreographed this film like his life depended on it. He throws himself into the fray with wild abandon, taking as many punches as he doles out. His and Yau’s formal approach to HK action is traditional in the best sense of the word – energetic, propelling, and legible, all the while offering nostalgic vistas of Hong Kong by night. The kinetics smartly rely on a strong sense of geography that exploits spatial possibilities (see the intense mid-film car chase) and solid editing that utilises inserts or close-ups only to enhance the impact of strikes or falls.

The final 15-min set piece is a golden age HK action fan’s wet dream that combines shootouts, cat-and-mouse games on and among containers, massive budget naval destruction, and an exhilarating one-vs-many fight where Tse takes on multiple attackers at once while Yau masterfully stitches shots together to give a feeling of continuous adrenaline without falling into outrageous oner theatricality.

Despite (or perhaps because of) many shortcomings in terms of writing and character development, Customs Frontline plays like a revival of 90s Hong Kong actioners for better and for worse, never circumventing its models’ weaknesses in terms of writing, but making sure it goes higher, harder, louder in the action department. It does not quite reach the high of last year’s The White Storm 3 but comes pretty damn close. Yau proves once again to be one of the most reliable filmmakers currently working in Hong Kong, while Tse comes out as a new, promising voice in action design.

Full review : https://filmexposure.ch/2024/07/16/customs-frontline-90s-hk-actioners-resurrected/

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