ReviewTony Leung Chiu-wai returns in Europe Raiders, action comedy sequel beset by haphazard screenwriting – review
Veteran filmmaker Jingle Ma looks to revive a winning formula from the early noughties, but this film is badly scripted and there is zero chemistry between Tony Leung and Chinese actress playing his old flame, Tiffany Tang
2.5/5 stars
With 2000 film Tokyo Raiders and 2005 follow-up Seoul Raiders, Hong Kong filmmaker Jingle Ma Chor-sing hit on a winning formula. The action comedy films offer a flashy mix of bankable actors, scenic locations and pseudo-hi-tech setting.
However, 2018’s Europe Raiders is unlikely to generate the same enthusiasm among cinema-goers as its predecessors given production budgets have gone through the ceiling amid China’s rise as a filmmaking superpower.
Only Tony Leung Chiu-wai from the earlier films opted to return for Europe Raiders, a sequel-in-spirit that appears to have been engineered to satisfy the tastes of audiences in China.
While Leung reprises his role as the fabled bounty hunter Lin Zaifeng, the rest of the cast is made up of popular Chinese actors, from Kris Wu ( Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back ) to Tiffany Tang Yan ( Cook Up a Storm ) and Du Juan ( See You Tomorrow ).