“Old movies always end this way, don’t they?” —Rain
Today’s quick review: Manhunt. Du Qiu (Zhang Hanyu), a Chinese lawyer working for Tenjin Pharmaceutical, has to run for his life when he is framed for the murder of a woman he never met. Dodging crooked cops and assassins who report to Tenjin’s president (Jun Kunimura), Du’s only hope lies with Inspector Satoshi Yamura (Masaharu Fukuyama), a brilliant but troubled detective, and Mayumi Mounami (Qi Wei), the widow of a Tenjin scientist.
Manhunt is a Chinese action thriller based on a Japanese novel and directed by John Woo. A lawyer who knows too many of a pharmaceutical company’s secrets flees through the streets of Osaka while trying to clear his name. Manhunt features a fast-paced plot and flashy action that never lets up for long. Its raw adrenaline will appeal strongly to some viewers, but issues with its story and acting will disappoint others.
Manhunt has a knack for stylish action. Inventive camera techniques, chaotic battlefields, sharp choreography, and gratuitous property damage make the action scenes a treat for anyone drawn to the flashy side of the genre. Manhunt makes no attempt at realism, instead allowing its imagination to run wild. If you are willing to roll with the punches and accept the unexplained fighting prowess of a 40-year-old lawyer, you should have a good time.
Manhunt’s main weakness is its cast. Neither Zhang Hanyu nor Masaharu Fukuyama have the presence to sell their respective roles. The movie gets along fine on the basis of its plot and spectacle, but the lack of a strong lead holds it back. Meanwhile, the overall structure of the plot is solid, but it tends to sacrifice logic for the sake of action. By the finale, all pretense of a police investigation has been dropped in favor of violence.
How much you get out of Manhunt will depend on what you are looking for. If you want popcorn action with way more style than substance, Manhunt is the right choice for you. If you are looking for a cerebral thriller with more down-to-earth action, give it a pass.
For a similar type of action thriller from the same director, try Face/Off or Paycheck. For a slightly more grounded action thriller about a man on the run because of a crime he didn’t commit, try The Fugitive or The Negotiator. For another Chinese action thriller about pharmaceutical malfeasance, check out Sky on Fire.
[5.2 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4537986/). I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for pure action coupled with weak leads and an imperfect plot.