This film is a must-watch for me. Not because it starred Ethan Ruan and Mark Chao, but because director Doze Niu had invited stunt coordinator Yang Gil-Yeoung, from one of my favorite films ever - Old Boy.

Indeed the influence of Old Boy is evident, not just in the fighting style but also in the cinematography. Long shots that panned through the fighting scenes, enhanced with slow-motion, were some of the most classic shots of both Old Boy and Monga.

And just when I thought Monga excluded the gore of Old Boy, the ear-slicing and blood-spilling occurs. But even so, the gore in Monga is still very, very mild, compared to that of its predecessor.

Another similarity is the level of emotional intensiveness. Monga emphasized on the brotherhood and loyalty among gangsters, which was very well established and heightened to a climax at the end. This sort of camaraderie among gangsters reminded me of 15 by Royston Tan.

Characterization was done very well too, except for Geta's son - Zhi Long - whose acting, I felt, was lacking. The story plot was nicely built up, with substantial complexity weaved into it for a satisfying study.

All in all, I think Monga was well executed, in terms of the acting, directing and cinematography. Though the influence of Old Boy may be a tad too strong, I think it's a good start for Taiwanese films. Hope to see more such films in the future. :)

Rating: 8.5/10.

Labels: film, review

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