The Prosecutor

Fok, a police officer for many years, leaves the force to become a prosecutor. On his first case he realises a young man charged with drug offences may be innocent. The system does not want a closed file reopened, and Fok starts working against his own institution. Donnie Yen directed and starred. The film is an action picture built on the Hong Kong justice system, alternating courtroom scenes with fights. Yen's choice as director is to keep the fighting realistic: the choreography uses no wirework and the weight of impact comes first. The long chase in a metro station is its most discussed sequence. Its politics caused argument; the film carries a message repairing confidence in the justice system, which was read differently under Hong Kong's current conditions. It did well at the box office. Who it is for: viewers who like Hong Kong action and Donnie Yen. Who it is not for: anyone expecting courtroom drama; the legal side stays on the surface.