User reviews

Maybe not in the way it is in this movie, but don't expect help without donating some money in brown bags.

Many places in the movie r not in pattaya.

Though the kidnapping location looks like the beacb in south Jomtien.

Chopsocky (or chop-socky) is a colloquial term for martial arts movies and kung fu films made primarily in Hong Kong and Taiwan between the late 1960s and early 1980s. Though I am in no way qualified to judge all that's come since then, I still feel safe calling this the pinnacle of the chop-socky form. The production qualities are near-impeccable, including the script, which includes all of the expected elements of the form but layers in depths of characterization and emotional involvement, if you want it. The mayhem, the point of it all, is brutal, batshit crazy, clever and choreographed better than I have seen. Typically I get bored with it before it's over but this time I didn't even think about it.

Another SPL, even if the english title does not suggest it. Now you may not be too involved when it comes to the story, but the action of the movie is amazing. There are quite some amazing stunts this can boost. It may be mostly predictable with at least one thing/twist most will not expect at all, which is able to break the movie or rather your perception of it - so there is that.

Tony Jaa may be referred as Guest appearance or something along those lines, but he has quite an extended role in the movie. And quite a few stunts to go with that screen time. If you like action movies and don't mind certain flaws the genre generally brings with it, you'll be thoroughly entertained

Those ridiculous and shallow Chinese farces. This one is serious. We have three heavy weight, very popular, reputed actors, Koo, Wu and Tony Jaa, in this action packed thriller. Koo looked quite matured in this film, he performed a believable father missing his rebellious daughter in Pattaya, Thailand. Wu played a straight hardworking local detective with his detective friend Jaa. The three musketeers all showed great choreographic yet quite believable fighting skills and seamless sequences designed by Sammo Hung. The soundtrack is good, subtle and not annoying or bothering. The sound effect of the fightings also not exaggerated and feel real. Very good editing.

The constant flashbacks are little bit over the top, but it's a necessary evil to show how the father, played by Koo, cared about his daughter. There's one scene that showed how Koo performed such a great role as a father: When he was told there was a female corpse on the beach. His face showed what a father would have reacted before went down to see if the corpse was his daughter, the anxiety, the fear, the hesitant, the trembling of his lips, the fierce eyes mixed with fear and fatal recognition....And then at the end, when he finally found his daughter, his performance was at the top of Oscar Award Best Actor level and above. Yes, these scenes of both moments just told us Koo is indeed a great actor.

We saw a group of Hong Kong movie production team now like to choose Southeast Asia as their films localities, away from the pretentious and formatted Chinese cities and people there. It's a good trendy choice, the only problem is the languages. Chinese overseas or the Chinese immigrants become Thai cops, so they are all bilingual? And Wu's native Thai wife not only is bilingual, not just speaking Cantonese, but also singing Chinese love song. : )

The opening fifteen minutes of Paradox's narrative is incredibly jarring and sets the stage for a film prioritizing visuals and action over story. Lee Chung Chi (Louis Koo) is having a birthday with his eight-year-old daughter, Wing; suddenly she's a teenager with a boyfriend; no he's her fiancé; no the father of her unborn child. Then Wing is in Thailand. Then she is kidnapped. Then we meet another man dining with his family. Then we're watching two politicians. And then; and then; and then. It all goes at breakneck speed, so much so I got whiplash.

The film does eventually slow down and returns to some of its opening sequences later by using a non-linear narrative structure. Chung (Koo) is a type of super cop in Hong Kong, whose daughter Wing (Hanna Chan), in typical teenager fashion, fueds with her father. She travels to Thailand to spend a holiday with her friend, Jenny (Iris Lam), but after disappearing for three days, Chung is notified.

Rushing to Thailand, Chung meets Kit (Yue Wu), a dedicated police officer, who accepts the case, alongside his partner Tak (Tony Jaa), who exhibits psychic abilities, and foresees this case will end violently. Kit's attempts to juggle the case, his wife, Soei's (Siraphan Wattanajinda) pregnancy, and pressure from his boss / father in law, Commisioner Cai (Vithaya Pansringarm) to wrap things up as quickly as can be, causes Chung to feel the investigation is not going fast enough.

When local cop Ban (Ken Low) seemingly knows more about the case then he's letting on, Chung is forced to take matters into his own hands, and assists the help of Siu Man (Jackie Cai), a prostitute, who can help him navigate the criminal underworld.

His investigation leads him to a human organ trafficking ring, led by the malicious Sacha (Chris Collins), but when Chung learns the corruption goes all the way to the top, with key political figures like Ka-Tung Lam (Gordon Lam) involved, he realises the fight to retrieve his missing child, will be so much harder than he ever imagined.

So many of the character's, like Siu Man, are there in service of the plot, with no discernible character ark. Other characters appear to say or do one thing, then disappear forever. This sacrifice is done to keep the narrative moving forward, and though the story is held together with little more than tissue paper, it is succesful in establishing an often brutal plot.

At other intervals, the film leans into melodrama, and though this can, at times, feel unnecessary, while making the otherwise raw seriousness of the story feel unintentionally like a comedy of errors, it likewise increases that sense of hopelessness.

The film touches on themes of corruption, the difficulties of being good in a harsh world, class victimisation, and a father's limitless rage, though so often this is mere window dressing, with the film having hardly anything substantial to say about any issue.

But, so many viewers are here for the action, right? What is *that* like? Fight sequences are directed by renowned martial artist Sammo Hung, his veteran experience bringing a strong sense of fluidity to the action. It's sort of like a dance, with characters moving like water, Tony Jaa especially executing some fantastic moves. That said, there is no major stand out sequence, and though fights become more visceral over time, viewers may be surprised by how few martial arts scenes there are.

There is also some obvious wire-work - example, could a person really execute a 180-degree spin in mid-air while falling? Fundamentally, the sequences never truly reach the highs of Flashpoint, or the likes of Ip Man 2.

Paradox clearly exhibits flashes of brilliance, but some of this feels bogged down. In the end, the film is appropriately named, as it seems unsure what it wants to be; an emotional thriller, or an action film, and this disconnect does more to hamper the film, than help it.

I had the opportunity to sit down to watch the 2017 Hong Kong movie "Paradox" (aka "Saat po long: Taam long") here in 2021. Needless to say that with my fascination and love of the Hong Kong cinema, then I needed no persuasion to do so.

And I must admit that I am glad that I did, because "Paradox" turned out to be a very enjoyable and entertaining movie. The storyline written by Nick Cheuk and Lai-Yin Leung was really good and interesting. The story had be spellbound from the very beginning, and I never lost interest in the movie, nor did it feel like the movie ever lost its speed and momentum. So thumbs up to director Wilson Yip on that account.

The storyline told in "Paradox" is a little bit rough, so it might not be overly suitable for everyone, so viewer discretion should be considered. But trust me, this is a very compelling story, and an entertaining one too. Without giving away anything of the storyline, I can say that it is a movie that deals with kidnapping and organ trafficking.

Now, the storyline is a good combination of genres, that included drama, crime, thriller, action and martial arts. And director Wilson Yip was good at managing to incorporate all the different genres and elements into the blend, making a greatly entertaining movie in the process.

"Paradox" has a rather impressive cast ensemble, with the likes of Louis Koo, Yue Wu, Ka Tung Lam, Tony Jaa and Ken Lo. So if you are familiar with the Hong Kong cinema, then you know you are in for some stellar performances here. And I must say that this 2017 movie has the most amazing performance by Louis Koo that I have ever witnessed; he was nothing short of phenomenal in this movie. Tony Jaa was also in the movie, but as a minor support role only, a shame really, because he is always great in his movies. Now, this movie was the first time I saw Hanna Chan act, and she is definitely an actress worth taking notice of.

Visually then this movie is nice to watch. The action scenes and sequences are vivid and filled with adrenaline, making it feel like you are right there in the chaos. And the dramatic scenes are very nicely set up and executed, making the movie feel very realistic and makes you care about the characters and events.

I found "Paradox" to be a huge surprise of an entertaining movie, and I can warmly recommend that you take the time to sit down to watch this movie if you have the chance. It is really well-worth the time, money and effort.

My rating of the 2017 movie "Paradox" lands on a very well-deserved eight out of ten stars.

If you got to this review, chances are you already know that this film is of a unique Asian genre that uses complex plot arcs to gussy up what is basically a fight film. Yes, they were doing this long before John Wick. And you also know this is an especially serious film because Tony Jaa, of ONG BAK fame, basically has little more than a walk-on. The pacing is nice and the action scenes are superb. Recommended. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

Sadly not a patch on Spl 1 or 2. They usually great cast are not given much character development or emotion in this weak bleak "Taken" remake.

Do you hope that the action might make up for it. Unfortunately this isn't the case as the action is so badly edited with fast cuts, moves that don't flow from one to the next and some clear wire work that jars.

Tony Jaa is utterly wasted and only the end fight scene has any real feel to it again poor in comparison to other movies.

Action is worth watching and story is OK type only.

Too many violence i think it will be better if reduce the violence is it kungfu movie or drama ? Its ambiguosity but the idea is interesting.

Surprisingly good action movie with great action set pieces. Well worth a look.

A Hong Kong detective (Louis Koo) arrives in Bangkok looking for his teenage daughter who has probably been smuggled by sex traffickers. He also comes across a gang of organ smugglers and a lot of action and chases ensue.

An action packed and gritty martial arts film that packs all its punches in a new breed of martial arts action films that clearly draws its inspiration from such Liam Neeson action films as the TAKEN films. It does, however, adds its own style without deviating from its antecedents in Hong Kong cinema.

The plot is overall good but the movie is a bit too lengthy. Also, the film can be more violent in order to fit the title of the film.

This film had all the elements of a Hollywood production. The story was told well, had a lot of heart, with lots of twists and turns. The score could have been better and I would have loved to see more of Tony Jaa, but nevertheless, the directing and cinematography where on point and all the leads played their roles great. The action was not overwhelming and just right for the story being told. The pace and length of the film were perfect and the subtitles on screen at the right speed/length. Very enjoyable and a recommended viewing from me. A well deserved 9/10!

I'll keep this short. Basically a martial arts lite copy of Taken, but unlike Taken this is just poor. Taken was hardly Oscar worthy but had a strange fun aspect to it. This film on the other hand is just poorly made.

This is like Die Hard 4 compared to Die Hard, if you want to compare this to Taken.

The neo noir tag showed best be ignored, all it is really is a poor story filled in with some not very exciting martial arts moments which in fairness were well choreographed.

Tries to be edgy but isn't, tries to be broad, but isn't. It's just not engaging.

Tony Jaa has a brief spell in the film (not a spoiler as the credits make it clear he's only in it for a short spell) and his scene is suprisingly dull.

Best avoided.

The 'SPL: Sha Po Lang' brand in Hong Kong action cinema has come to stand for brutal, bone-crunching action in such memorable duels as Donnie Yen and Wu Jing's alleyway brawl in the 2005 original, Yen and Sammo Hung's mano-a-mano on a nightclub stage in the same, and more recently Wu Jing, Tony Jaa and Zhang Jin's fight-to-the-death in the 2015 sequel.

'Paradox', the third in the 'SPL' canon, continues that grand tradition with director Wilson Yip returning at the helm and Hung as action director. Both franchise veterans ensure that the fights are just as fast, furious and fierce as their first film, but only judiciously bloody, so that the bloodletting never comes off as excessive. Among the highlights here are a daytime scuffle in an open bar that is followed by a breathless chase down Bangkok's busy streets, a close-quarter skirmish in a flat that continues into the dilapilated apartment building's corridor and onto its crowded rooftop, and last but not least a no-holds-barred showdown in a meat depot that is also a front for a mortuary of an illegal organ trafficking business. Each one of these action set-pieces are meticulously choreographed and beautifully executed, which is also credit to its stars Louis Koo, Wu Yue, Chris Collins and Jaa.

Besides Jaa, the rest are not quite as well-known for their martial arts skills, but the training, practice and hard work that each one has put in is clearly evident. In particular, Koo's months of intensive training have paid off tremendously especially in the extended climax, which sees his character turn absolutely badass on tens of baddies successively in a vengeful rampage. Yue also proves quite the revelation; better known for his roles in Mainland TV drama serials than in movies (remember him in Police Story 2013?), the actor who holds a National Martial Arts Championship grade in wushu is less showy than his predecessors Yen and Wu but is no less precise or ferocious than them. Notwithstanding, you should know that Koo and Yue's top billing here isn't misleading; whereas Jaa took centrestage alongside his Chinese stars in the last movie, his presence here is no more than a glorified cameo – and it should also be said that his absence is sorely felt, given that his one-on-one rooftop fight with Collins is arguably the most breathtaking sequence in the entire movie.

To Yip's credit, as much as the fighting is the movie's top draw, it never becomes its raison d'être but in service of the overall narrative. In that regard, all three movies have been thematically related, based upon the Chinese title's astrological reference of three individuals whose position relative to one another signified death and destruction. Here, these three are Hong Kong detective Lee Chung-chi (Koo), who has arrived in Bangkok to search for his missing teenage daughter (Hanna Chan); local Thai-Chinese cop Chui Kit (Yue), who has a six-month pregnant wife and whose father-in-law is the police commissioner Chai (Vithaya Pansringarm); and political aide Cheng Hon-Sau (Gordon Lam), who will resort to any means necessary to get an urgent heart transplant for the ailing Bangkok mayor in order to sustain the latter's re-election bid. Caught up in the ensuing melee is Chui Kit's fellow police colleagues Kit (Jaa) and Ban (Ken Low) as well as the leader of an illegal organ trafficking syndicate Sacha (Collins).

It isn't hard to guess just how the characters are connected to one another, but returning series writer Jill Leung builds the story nicely to have us empathise with Chi's desperation, grief and vengeance as a single father at the loss of his beloved daughter. Just as visceral is the sense of powerlessness he feels against the corruption of those more powerful than him, so much so that despite responding in shockingly vicious ways, our sympathies remain firmly with him and his fists. More so than the earlier two movies, the storytelling here is a lot more fluid, confident and propulsive, good enough at least for us to overlook some of the obvious coincidences (like how Chui Kit and Tak's vehicles seem to agree not to start one after another so both can end up at the same place at the same time).

So really, 'Paradox' is as solid an hard-boiled action thriller as it gets. The plotting is not just functional, endeavouring and largely succeeding to tell a story about karma, retribution and reconciliation. The acting is solid, each one of the performances a strong emotional anchor for the flawed characters whose relationships next to one another are defined by their respective choices and consequences. And perhaps most importantly to its fans, the action is as awesome as its predecessors, the fisticuffs often white-knuckle intense. This is as raw and real as it gets, set entirely against appropriately grimy backdrops in Thailand. As far as the 'SPL' canon is concerned, 'Paradox' is as fitting and satisfying an entry as it deserves, demonstrating not only that there is life yet to the series but that it is very much alive, kicking and definitive to Hong Kong action cinema itself.

The first movie is awesome. the second is amazing. this one is mediocre with poor fight scenes. the story is alright but nothing special.

i was into it for a while until the fight scenes started. i could tell how bad they were immediately. no wide shots, mostly close-ups with a million quick-cuts. there were a couple of times i noticed them cut with every single hit. the fight scenes were pretty bad even by american movie standards.

but the worst offense is using this close-up quick-cut style with tony jaa, who can do everything. making a tony jaa fight look bad seems like a difficult task, but they pulled it off. and i wish he played a more prominent role (1 viewing, 3/1/2021)

Movie about a Hong Kong cop who tries to find his by an organ trafficking gang kidnapped daughter in Thailand. The father had to fight not only against the gang but also against the corrupt government in Pattaya (Thailand). Government and gang work together.

There are many good exaggerated action scenes - this is an action thriller from Hong Kong!

The actors especially the father perform fine. Cinematography is very well also.

Although there's a lot of action the basic mood is hard boiled, dark and sad. Don't expect a happy ending!

First of all, organ transplant needs matching donors and recipients, not random like this uninformed writer using organ transplant murder as the base story line. The rest of the story is juvenile as if it came out of a middle school kid. The song they sing to their kids in that movie is very annoying, and the acting is really bad, watching the movie is like watch the same Hong Kong movies in the past. Same old storyline, cliche events, poor acting, and same old awkward fight scenes not even half as good as the matrix. Hong Kong movies need to move with time and improve the same old bad productions.