Z Storm (2014) / S Storm (2016) / L Storm (2018) / P Storm (2018) / G Storm (2021)

[whitesnake]

P Storm (aka Fa Tan Feng Bao 4 aka P Feng Bao), fourth in the fung bou or feng bao or -Storm movie franchise, has just finished shooting.  It will be released in late 2019.  It's directed by David Lam, and stars Louis Koo and Julian Cheung.  Additional cast returning to the franchise are Kevin Cheng (The Grandmaster) and Lam Ka Tung (Paradox).  Raymond Lam (Saving General Yang) and Chrissie Chau (Master Z: Ip Man Legacy) are new additions to the cast.  Raymond Lam "portrays the film's main villain... a psychopath... purely evil - https://www.jaynestars.com/news/raymond-lam-on-playing-a-villain-in-louis-koos-p-storm/ Other P Storm news from IMDB, https://twitter.com/AsianFilmStrike, and http://cityonfire.com/david-lam-is-preparing-another-storm-with-l-storm/ 

Edited November 27, 2018 by whitesnake

[whitesnake]

Movie review of L Storm at https://asianfilmstrike.com/2018/11/27/l-storm-2018-review/

"Who could have predicted that David Lam's modestly successful financial thriller Z Storm would open the way to a full-blown franchise, yielding four installments in 5 years?... Here, Louis Koo is back as William Luk, the handsome ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption) agent who looks bored even when he's chasing a perp down an obstacle-strewn alleyway... L Storm is a definite step up from its two predecessors, which were watchable but ponderous affairs, constantly spelling out arcane details and speechifying about the ICAC's holy mission at the expense of character development and a proper pace.  Here, there are more shades of grey as the ICAC itself is shown to have internal strife, and while the central figure that is William Luk is still a dead-eyed cypher after three films (it's obvious Louis Koo is there for the paycheck alone, though he does earn it by running more than Tom Cruise in his past ten films), at least he's surrounded by a more varied and colorful cast... And contrary to Z and S, L  does have a pulse, with a nothing-new yet reasonably involving plot that erupts into passable - though occasionally clumsily shot - chases and shootouts ever fifteen minutes.  Maybe by the time David Lam runs out of letters in the alphabet, we'll have a masterpiece on our hands."

Edited November 28, 2018 by whitesnake

[whitesnake]

When it came to P Storm vs. Shazam on their opening three-day weekend in China, P Storm earned nearly $10 million more than Shazam, "indicating a continued preference of Chinese audiences for local films over U.S. fare... According to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway, 'P Storm' took in $39.8 million over the weekend, which included Friday’s Tomb Sweeping Day, a national holiday in China during which families traditionally head home to pay graveside respects to their ancestors. The somewhat unfortunately named film stars Louis Koo as corruption investigator William Luk, who goes undercover at a prison. 'P Storm' took pole position at the box office despite a South China Morning Post review that called it an 'utterly silly' storyline 'laughably detached from reality.'  Directed by David Lam and produced by Raymond Wong's Hong Kong-based Pegasus Motion Pictures, the film is the latest chapter in a loosely connected series that has moved randomly through the alphabet, from 2014's 'Z Storm' to 2016's 'S Storm' to last year's 'L Storm'.  (The rather more staid Chinese-language titles roughly translate to 'The Storm of Anti-Corruption 1-4.')  The fifth installment, 'G Storm,' has just been announced, and is expected to start shooting in August."  From https://variety.com/2019/film/news/china-box-office-shazam-p-storm-dumbo-lou-ye-1203182914/

[whitesnake]

A new P Storm trailer with English subs has been released - 

 

[whitesnake]

G Storm is the next film in David Lam's franchise, which began with Z-Storm.  Article at -  https://cityonfire.com/david-lams-crime-franchise-to-continue-with-g-storm/   Cast includes Louis Koo, Kevin Cheng, Julian Cheung, and Wu Chun.  IMDB release is listed for 2021.  Here is the poster for G Storm - 

Edited January 20, 2020 by whitesnake

[DrNgor]

Finally sat down to watch Z Storm (2014) after all these years. I needed something short and sweet to watch while blowing up balloons for my daughter's b-day party. This was a fine choice. There's no action until the end, when we get a brief car chase and an even briefer shootout with an even yet briefer bout of fisticuffs. Beyond that, it's an interesting story about an anti-corruption task force investigating an up-and-coming cop, which leads into a complex case involving a hedge fund and a scummy lawyer (Michael Fitzgerald Wong). Evil hedge funds were a thing earlier this year after all that Game Stop rigmarole, although I wonder if they public has largely forgotten it and what it might have meant.

[DrNgor]

Watched S Storm (2016) this morning. Once more, it's a financial/white-collar crime and police procedural, this time focusing on international soccer (there'll be no talk of football in this post, mates) betting those who pay off referees in order to fix outcomes. Louis Koo is pretty one note in his performance as the perpetually cool-headed William Luk. He does get some decent support from Julian Cheung as an inept inspector and Ada Choi as his equal at the ICAC. There is more action here, orchestrated by Bruce Law. That includes car chases, a stake-out at a mall, a few brief bouts of hand-to-hand combat, and the final shootout. Part of the finale reminded me of Pom Pom and Hot Hot, but not as exciting. 

[Super Ninja]

On 7/5/2021 at 5:49 PM, DrNgor said:

Part of the finale reminded me of Pom Pom and Hot Hot, but not as exciting. 

Rarely was anything as exciting, I couldn't even imagine a HK movie from 2016. matching that finale in any way. 

[AlbertV]

The fifth installment, titled G Storm, will be released on December 31. Thanks to the crew at COF

https://cityonfire.com/david-lams-crime-franchise-to-continue-with-g-storm/

 

[laagi]

I don't want to be mean but I feel an increasing fatigue with Louis Koo's face He is the Nic Cage of HK cinema!

[AlbertV]

On 9/27/2021 at 5:29 PM, laagi said:

I don't want to be mean but I feel an increasing fatigue with Louis Koo's face He is the Nic Cage of HK cinema!

Could also be because he is the President of the Hong Kong Performing Actors' Guild...maybe of the jobs is appear in as many HK films that you are able to 

[Majin Android]

Is G Storm playing your local theaters? It's playing here in Las Vegas and I plan to see it within the week or so.

[laagi]

 

[laagi]

A lackluster end? to the storm series in every way possible. This is further prove that Hong Kong action is (almost) dead.

Although the grand finale does feature a lengthy shootout which unfortunately never manages to induce any kind of excitement. The story which we've seen at least a dozen times before is unnecessarily dragged down by a bizarre choice of subplots that seemingly lead nowhere.

The actual ending is so rushed and ridiculous. Even a best of storm movies playing out during the credits can't save this movie from being anything than below average and just plain lazy.

Last but not least the CGI during some of the action is painful to watch. It's unfortunate but not totally unexpected. Even at 90 minutes it feels too long. Can't really be recommended unless you want to watch the further decline of a once hailed industry.