“Corruptor – Under the Sign of Corruption” is all about crime and violence. Yet the film also has a certain charm thanks to the buddy-cop chemistry that develops between the two leads over the course of the plot. If you don’t expect miracles in terms of fight choreography or story ingenuity, the film will certainly entertain. Author René Malgo also finds this in the FILMSTARTS review.
‘Corruptor – Under the Sign of Corruption’ can be seen today, November 9, 2023 at 10:30 PM on Tele 5. There will be a repeat that same evening at 2:40 am. Alternatively, you can purchase the FSK-18 hit as Blu-ray, DVD or paid video on demand:
Yun-Fat Chow took on the second lead role alongside “Departed” and “Boogie Nights” star Mark Wahlberg. Celebrated as a superstar by fans of Hong Kong cinema, the mime was best known in the Western world for his collaborations with action director John Woo (“City Wolf”, “The Killer”, “Hard Boiled”) and for Ang Lee’s Oscar. movie ‘Tiger And Dragon’ popular.
“Corruptor” on Tele 5: that’s the story
Nick Chen (Chow) is a New York Police Department detective specializing in Asian gangs. At his side is his new partner Danny Wallace (Wahlberg), fresh from the academy. The intention is for Nick to introduce the beginner to the world of Chinatown. The duo soon find themselves on the front lines of a brutal gang war.
The Fukienese Dragons, led by Bobby Vu (Byron Mann), simply show no respect for old-fashioned criminals like Benny Wong (Kim Chan) or Henry Lee (Ric Young). Time and time again the young people get in the way or beat the old timers to their ‘business’. Which of course they don’t like at all and repeatedly leads to violent shootings. Chen, Wallace and the rest of their unit have their hands full trying to maintain some sort of peace and order.
The son of a Scottish immigrant (Brian Cox) still has to prove himself in the otherwise predominantly Chinese company. Ultimately, his new colleagues do not trust that he can really deal with the special circumstances of the neighborhood. What the police don’t know: There’s another reason for not necessarily informing Wallace of everything they’re up to…
Mark Wahlberg was only the second choice
Which of the leading duo was the undisputed star quickly becomes clear when you know that Mark Wahlberg was not originally intended for the role of Danny. Initially, Ethan Hawke, who was very popular at the time after a series of successful and critically acclaimed films such as ‘Before Sunrise’, ‘Gattaca’ and ‘Great Expectations’, was under contract.
Then Yun-Fat Chow couldn’t stick to the film’s scheduled start due to other commitments in his home country. Instead of replacing him, producer Dan Halstead (“Any Damn Sunday,” “The Virgin Suicides”) decided to wait for Chow. Which not only cost him a lot of money, but also resulted in Hawke leaving.
Hawke did not have time for the now much later date and so Wahlberg, who was not yet in the casting, was used. But Halstead and his director James Foley (“Glengarry Glen Ross,” “Confidence”) happily accepted. They still had the cast they wanted for Nick on board.
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