Prolific Chinese director Huo Sui Qiang has produced at least two to three movies for local streaming platforms each year since 2020. With “The Comeback”, streaming on iQIYI and starring Simon Yam in the lead, his “Blind War” (2022) leading man, Andy On, also makes a return as the antagonist. Moreover, Huo would team up with Xie Miao from the “Eye for an Eye” film series and On in another actioner, “Hunt the Wicked” (2024).
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Handyman Uncle Hua (Simon Yam) runs an antique shop in Manulla, a small town somewhere in Southeast Asia. He remembers very little about his past life, but everyone seems to respect him. Hua also looks after an old man, Cao (Yuen Wah), who lives in a rundown bus. A nun, Ah Zhen (Jiang Pei Yao), and a young orphan, Xiao Ye (Abigail Ren) from the nearby orphanage, are like family members to Hua.
When the local thugs try to take over their neighbourhood, everyone seeks help and leadership from Hua. But his bigger problem is a returning bunch of heavily armed and ruthless mercenaries led by Ah Jie (Andy On). Apparently, their attempt to retrieve a USB flash drive from Hua three years ago was a disaster. Jia lost a few men during the raid, while Hua ended up with amnesia. Now calling themselves “The Technicians”, they are back with even more high-tech gadgets and deadlier weapons to settle the score.
Huo’s production looks slick and visually appealing, especially the opening action set piece and the atmospheric rainy night raid at Hua’s antique shop. He makes great use of both the indoor and outdoor sets as backgrounds to tell his story. But the heavy use of flashbacks disrupts the film’s flow, making it confusing and choppy. The story gets unnecessarily complex with the subplot concerning Hua, the police and the local thugs. Nonetheless, it all makes sense in the end as the film picks up speed and the action kicks in.
The action sequences, directed by Zhao Long, are indeed ambitious and highly energized. Furthermore, they are brutal, violent, and quite bloody at times, but well-choreographed nonetheless. The inclusion of modern technology like explosive drones, a killer wrist watch, electric gloves, missiles, a bike equipped with a gatling gun, further emphasize the destructive power of Jie’s high-tech small army. Otherwise, there are the standard fist, gun, and knife fights.
Hong Kong cinema veteran Simon Yam is always a welcome sight, and he does not disappoint here. Since he was never a martial artist, we don’t get to see him doing those fancy kung fu moves. Nonetheless, his turn as Uncle Hua, who suffers from memory loss, is convincing, and besides, he handles the gun action sequences well. The action man of the moment, Andy On, takes care of the more hardcore martial arts sequences here; after all, he is much younger and more adapted. Still, it would be nice to give his character more depth, even though it is a supporting role.
Although we miss the chance of seeing him in full swing with his kung fu moves, veteran Yuen Wah still radiates a noticeable presence. Both Yam and Yuen did not partake in some of the more complicated action sequences, but the editing makes them look convincing. A rising star, Jiang Pei Yao, shows assurance in her portrayal of Ah Zhen, a self-assured, strong character with a bit of mystery. Abigail Ren plays Xiao Ye, the orphan girl; her relationship with Hua is quite emotional and well played. Shaw Brothers veteran Norman Chui shows up as Hong, head of the special force that Hua and Jie worked for.
As reflected in his most recent films featuring Hong Kong actors in their twilight years, Huo is a committed filmmaker who loves and has a good knowledge of the old Hong Kong action cinema. Furthermore, it is encouraging that the mainland film industry and streaming platforms are willing to give young directors a chance to produce films of this nature.
“The Comeback” is refreshingly entertaining with a cast that is equally impressive and charming, even though it offers nothing original storywise. The film’s biggest draw-card is easily the spectacular action scenes, which echo the old Hong Kong style of excess filmmaking.
