L Storm (2018)

Director: David Lam

Notable Cast: Louis Koo, Julian Cheung, Kevin Cheng, Stephy Tang, Adam Pak, Patrick Tam, Michael Tse, Louis Cheung, Janelle Sing Kwan, Baby John Choi Hon-Yik, Liu Kai-Chi, Lo Hoi-Pang, Helena Law Lan, Evergreen Mak Cheung-Ching

As the fourth entry of the series hits theaters and a fifth entry that is looming in the distance, it was probably about time that I go around to seeing L Storm, the third entry into this ICAC focused action thriller franchise. It’s a bit of a chore, truthfully. This series has never been a favorite of mine and my less than lukewarm reviews for both predecessors, Z Storm and S Storm, have certainly kept my expectations low for the rest of the series. Fortunately, this third entry is easily the best one thus far, but once again it’s the massively problematic execution of a rather fun idea that hampers the film from being all that impressive and drags it down to mediocre levels.

S Storm (2016)

Director: David Lam

Notable Cast: Louis Koo, Julian Cheung, Vic Chou, Ada Choi, Dada Chan Ching, Janelle Sing Kwan, Bowie Lam, Sek Sau, Lo Hoi-Pang, Jacky Choi, Derek Tsang Kwok-Cheung, Phillip Keung

Sometimes, being a dedicated film consumer means being a glutton for punishment. In this case, that meant watching S Storm. There is no official reason for me to watch S Storm nor is there any kind of benefit to reviewing it really, but I felt like I had to because I saw and reviewed the first film, Z Storm, for the site. The second of this newly minted franchise, S Storm might actually be inferior to its lackluster predecessor in a lot of ways. This is quite the statement. Z Storm, also starring Louis Koo, was about as underwhelming as it was flawed in its execution as a crime thriller and this sequel seems dedicated to dethroning it as one of the most irrationally crafted films I’ve seen lately. Despite some interesting ideas surrounding illegal betting and the corruption task force investigating it, S Storm is confusing, hollow, and more often than not utterly illogical in how it goes about telling its story. By the time the credits suddenly rolled out of left field at the end, I was almost impressed at how the film undercut itself at every turn and, if there is anything to be said, in that regard I should applaud it.