Member mark187 Posted August 25, 2014 Member Share Posted August 25, 2014 I think that the car stunts in Special ID were more impressive, but the overall car chase in The Raid 2 was more memorable. I think Raid 2's chase excelled in creating something more out of a limited budget, by focusing on exactly what gareth Evans mentioned- the action inside the cars. While it's true that Special ID did this too, I think Raid 2 was better. Nevertheless, I will again say tat I really enjoyed Special ID, and I'm glad to see that more people are warming up to it. Sure, it isn't a dark Greek tragedy like SPL, and the final fight isn't as impressive as Flash Point, but it really didn't disappoint me. Donnie Yen looked really cool as the undercover cop in the Triads, and the action (especially the restaurant and bridge fights) were very close to being top-notch. Overall, it was a great time and it'll probably be the last time we see Donnie in a straight up old school (mainly) modern-day HK action film Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jay Stone Posted December 9, 2014 Member Share Posted December 9, 2014 Special ID is now $9.99 at Walmart. Finally picked it up. I glad I did. Great action, the only part that was weak was skinny-ass Jing Tian fighting with Ngai Sing. To me, Donnie can do no wrong in movies with a modern setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted December 9, 2014 Member Share Posted December 9, 2014 I give up, you guys win. I surrender, no more defending this movie. I will rewatch this movie again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted February 3, 2022 Member Share Posted February 3, 2022 My capsule review from 2016: Special ID (2013) - Donnie Yen plays an undercover cop who teams up with a female Mainland cop (Jing Tian) to bust a former colleague, played by Andy On (Black Mask 2; New Police Story). Of course, if his cover is blown, that'll be bad news for both Donnie and his family. This was sort of a Flash Point "light", with the action being less brutal and bloody and the stakes lowered in comparison with his previous modern day action outing. There are three main set pieces: first is a Muay Thai duel with Ken Lo (Jackie Chan's former bodyguard and former superkicker), which is the closest we'll get to a UFC match between the two. Then there's a big fight between Donnie Yen and an army of Triads at a restaurant. Finally we have the final fight, a neat match between Donnie and Andy On, full of grappling, ground fighting, jiu-jitsu, and some nice kicks. A pretty good action film from the usually reliable Donnie. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted February 7, 2022 Author Member Share Posted February 7, 2022 Good to know that I'm not the only one that likes the movie for what it is. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member thundered mantis Posted October 7, 2023 Member Share Posted October 7, 2023 Sorry to bump this thread but I felt the urge to voice my recent experience with the movie. It is currently up there with Sha Po Lang and Flashpoint in the top three modern settings Donnie vehicles. It will sound like heresy, but I am now preferring the final fight to the FP one. That was not my impression on the first viewings, a more than a decade ago. I remember I thought it was a somewhat failure attempt by Donnie to implement that grappling style we had began to watch in both SPL and FP. Also got angry by the Ken Lo underuse and what I felt like sort unsatisfying fights. Afterwards, I considered Kung Fu Jungle and Rapid Fire as better products. I hadn't revisited Special ID in years. But I did yesterday and I'm IN AWE. Only explanation I can think of for my change of perspective is my personal evolving thanks to newer action films (say Revenger, Hydra, Raid 2, Night Comes for Us, Raid 2). Special ID action I see it now as simply too advanced for its time and my discern. Now I've been able to enjoy more what's going on in the fights. The grappling is so nicely cinematically emphasized, all the lock tryings, failures to get a good grip, evasives and breaks. The brutality on the final fight is superb. Very lengthy too. The previous fight does contain the more previous HK Donnie choreo. The Ken Lo fight also showcases great action for the two fighters and is well blended on Donnie's character. Story development I think is very poor but who cares? Surely NOT ME lol Only criticism I can think on the action is that the final fight is SO brutal it goes on the verge of the Raid and TNCFU in the sense both fighters take so much damage that there's no reason built in the progressive dominance and eventual win of one of the contenders. Anyway, that means I do not perceive it as one sided at all. What are your thoughts on this? How would you rate it in Donnie Yen's modern based action films? 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member massa_yoda Posted October 8, 2023 Member Share Posted October 8, 2023 I’ve always liked Special ID. Being ahead of its time is certainly a fair observation. I also feel like it got crapped on because of the insane overhype it had on release. Everyone seemed to get offended when it didn’t become the cure for cancer they were expecting it to be. Ten years later might be a good time to revisit SID with fresh eyes. I mean, look at some of these posts from 2013: On 9/17/2013 at 7:25 PM, TibetanWhiteCrane said: Good God Damn, if this movie doesn't deliver I will lose all faith in humanity, become a hermit, and write a manifesto from my woodland shack! (Would have liked to have read that manifesto from the late, great TWC…) On 9/18/2013 at 9:39 AM, VenomsFan said: Special ID is the one to beat. There's no way this film can be bad. On 9/18/2013 at 1:06 PM, DiP said: Now he's re-inventing this drama/action approach in a contemporary action movie that - along with his dynamic and fierce fight choreography coupled with Bruce Law's breath-taking and intense car stunts and shoot-outs - will create a spectrum larger than just being an entertaining action movie. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member thundered mantis Posted October 8, 2023 Member Share Posted October 8, 2023 You're right there @massa_yoda, I think that I expected a kind of action thing and was instead provided with a different thing I couldn't appreciate so I despised it for both the not understanding and the frustration of expectations. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted October 8, 2023 Author Member Share Posted October 8, 2023 (edited) 18 hours ago, thundered mantis said: What are your thoughts on this? How would you rate it in Donnie Yen's modern based action films? SPL - 9.5/10 Raging Fire - 9/10 In the Line of Duty 4 - 8.5/10 Flash Point - 8/10 John Wick 4 - 8/10 Tiger Cage 2 - 8/10 Kung Fu Jungle - 8/10 Big Brother - 7.5/10 Ballistic Kiss - 7.5/10 Special ID - 7.5/10 Tiger Cage - 7/10 Enter the Fat Dragon - 7/10 Dragon Tiger Gate - 7/10 High Voltage - 6/10 Crystal Hunt - 6/10 Cheetah on Fire - 6/10 The Holy Virgin Vs the Evil Dead - 6/10 Satan Returns - 5.5/10 xXx: The Return of Xander Cage - 5/10 City of Darkness - 5/10 Iceman - 4/10 Iceman: The Time Traveler - 2/10 Edited October 8, 2023 by DiP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member laagi Posted October 8, 2023 Member Share Posted October 8, 2023 I'd probably have to re-visit most of these to give a valued opinion. However to me personally 'Kung Fu Jungle' is Donnie's best movie to date. And going by sheer entertainment value I'd have to pick 'Enter the Fat Dragon'. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member paimeifist Posted October 8, 2023 Member Share Posted October 8, 2023 2 hours ago, laagi said: I'd probably have to re-visit most of these to give a valued opinion. However to me personally 'Kung Fu Jungle' is Donnie's best movie to date. And going by sheer entertainment value I'd have to pick 'Enter the Fat Dragon'. I agree with you about Kung Fu Jungle. I loved everything about that movie! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member thundered mantis Posted October 8, 2023 Member Share Posted October 8, 2023 My order would be: Sha Po Lang Special ID Flashpoint Tiger Cage 2 Rapid Fire In the Line of Duty IV Kung Fu Jungle Dragon Tiger Gate Legend of the Wolf Big Brother Tiger Cage Enter the Fat Dragon Then the rest: John Wick 4 (just the Sanada sword fight), Holy Virgin, Crystal Hunt, Saint of Gamblers, City of Darkness, Shanghai Affairs. The rest I haven't watched. We need another thread for the pre WWII films of his lol. I feel like 5 of them would be up there among his bests 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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