Throwdown

B-

Directed by Johnnie To

Although many jaded moviegoers would contend that martial arts is a genre that has been played out, I would respond that only films about kung fu, karate, ju jitsu, mixed martial arts, tae kwando and Muay Thai are played out, meaning that JUDO, the kinder, gentler martial art, is still an unmined treasure trove of movie possibilities! Johnnie To obviously decided to strike the iron before it had ever been struck at all and thus produced "Throwdown," possibily the greatest (and only) judo film ever made.

"Throwdown" stars Hong Kong dreamboats Aaron Kwok as Tony and Louis Koo Sze To Bo as former judo stars who are now trying to get by on the tough streets of HK, the latter managing a night club and the former a travelling musician. Although the presence of Kwow and Koo make "Throwdown" one for the LADIES, To decided to throw a bone to his male viewers by tossing in Cherrie Ying as Mona, a night club singer who wanders into Tony's bar looking for work. The first part of the film features some truly random fight scenes that eventually culminate in Tony, who has given up judo, taking the sport up again while Sze To Bo ends up challenging Tony Leung to a juduel! I'd be lying if I said the storyline was very coherent, but that's what I gathered.

"Throwdown" is a deeply flawed film, its narrative structure buckling under the weight of a weak script. Johnnie To is a fantastic director but many of his films suffer from the same issue, namely giving off a vibe that they were filmed with nothing scripted besides the action sequences. "Throwdown" is certainly guilty of this, as the judo sequences are tightly and expertly choreographed but the non-judo stretches of the film are at times confusing and almost always lacking in any clear direction. Nevertheless, there are some great moments in "Throwdown" and watching the friendship evolve between Mona, Sze To Bo and Tony is enjoyable although hardly believable. "Throwdown" is also one of the most melancholy action films I've ever watched, the whole thing infused with a moodiness whose origin is difficult to pin down. It's definitely a unique film, if nothing else, and To deserves credit for continuing to push the boundaries and try different things with his films.