Stuntman Review

Stuntmen and women risk their lives for our entertainment and the gods of action. Especially when it comes to stunt work. 80s and 90s Hong Kong action features some of the most breathtaking and dangerous stunts probably ever put to screen. Whether it be Jackie Chan sliding down the pole in Police Story, a little girl being hung out of a speeding car window in Fatal Termination, or a guy falling onto a truck and then a car in Angel Enforcers, Hong Kong stunt performers risked it all and sometimes the unimaginable can happen, and something goes wrong.

This is how we open Stuntman. It’s the 80s, and Sam Li (Tung Wai), the action choreographer, is trying to get the final stunt done. However, due to a miscommunication, the stuntman is severely injured. Thirty years on, Sam is now living a new life and trying to reconnect with his daughter, who is about to get married. However, an old friend of his and a veteran director comes to Sam with a proposal to be the action choreographer on his latest film. The lead of the film, Wai (Philip Ng), was part of Sams’s former Stunt crew and is now a huge action star with his stunt team and ego. Sam brings up-and-coming stuntman Lee Sai Long (Terrance Lau) to work alongside him. However, Long gets stuck between Sam and Wai’s conflict as they inevitably clash on set.

Opening on a Police Story-inspired action scene felt very nostalgic to a buy-gone era. It is an era of action that, for better or for worse, will never be replicated or seen again in the modern age. The film wants to tackle this issue with the characters of Sam and Wai. Sam lives in the past where everything must be captured in-camera: no cuts, no trickery. Wai is the opposite of that, where safety and making sure no one gets hurt is a top priority for him. These mindsets eventually clash, and this is where I feel the film falters. The message of the film is about Hong Kong action cinema as a whole and how we cannot make films from the 80s and 90s now, and we must adapt and change. However, change does not mean we cannot still make epic stunt-filled action films. Sam’s view, especially as our lead is dated, and when he clashes with Wai, you side with him rather than our lead. Having a flawed lead is not inherently bad, but when many of the film’s conflicts surround Sam’s dated views, it leads to scenes that are very over the top and forced.

I feel these moments take away from what I loved about the film, and that is the art of action. Long while maybe an up-and-coming stuntman, he has an eye for it. We see this eye in action when he sees how a stunt will play out, and adjusts the set so the stunt is safe is genuinely fantastic. There are a few montages of Sam and Long filming the action, and it is great seeing the master pave the way for Long to grow in the industry and make it big. It is a positive message that action legends of the past can pave the way for future talent. I love films about the filmmaking process, and when the film showcases the filmmaking, it is thrilling.

Stuntman is a true love letter for Hong Kong stuntmen and women, but it wants to be more than that. This idea of wanting more leads to a flawed film but one that is still utterly engaging.