Review of Tactical Unit: Comrades in Arms (2009) by Panta O — 24 May 2012

This Hong Kong police action film is just an average piece of work (second in row) directed by Law Wing-Cheong. Film is also called "PTU 2", in reference to the first film in the series, PTU, though it is not the second entry in the Tactical Unit series. The main characters were well developed and somehow the audience feels comfortable watching Sergeant Sam (Simon Yam) and May (Maggie Siu) working together even when they actually never got along well... but I'll have to say there was a spark missing that anyone could feel anything more than just plain comfort. Even when May is promoted (as she always wins praises from her supervisor), and more experienced Sam is shut out from any chance of promotion, there was no real confrontation and fire - somehow the lukewarm is the word which comes up as useful in describing the action in this movie . The heat starts towards the end during their chase of a gang who did a daring bank robbery, but even that was too late and too little.

The movie has been introduced through few film festivals and even got an award "Film of Merit" (whatever that means) of the 16th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award, but still... it is a watchable crime action... and nothing more!