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Drug War Reviews

Feb 25, 2025

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May 11, 2020

The final shoot-out scenes are something to see- As bloody as Peckinpah's Wild Bunch but more realistic....No false sentiment in this film- It's all just kill or be killed...

May 1, 2020

The police state vs. drug traffickers. A stoic and morally ambiguous cop vs. a criminal for whom there is no floor to the depths he will sink to save his own skin. Drug War is gritty and intelligent, realistically and unapologetically portraying the methods of drug trafficking (such as passing pods of cocaine in drug mules' intestines) and police procedures in the absence of human rights (so much warrantless surveillance!). As off-putting as some of the images are, the film respects its viewers. For example, in an early scene, a couple undercover cops are following a pair of drug traffickers. They pass through a toll booth (also staffed by an undercover cop), and have to scrape money together to pay the toll. About an hour later in the film, the two undercover cops are tasked with another assignment, and the policewoman who had been the toll-booth operator spots them some cash. The filmmakers trust their audience to remember the duo didn't have any money, and the policewoman would remember that, without having to explain it. And it all builds up to a shootout in the streets that almost rivals Heat. Must-see movie.

Oct 30, 2018

Great movie which i find on my boxxy software , love love love these type of movie where it keeps me wanting to watch till the end

Jun 12, 2016

Johnnie To remains the master of Chinese and Hong Kong Cinema. All it takes is one action set piece and you will see why. Drug War is about a meth cook who will turn against his people in exchange for not getting the death penalty, because apparently China is not the place to cook or sell meth. The script is solid, and I love the fact it was shot entirely on China, and not the China we see in big Hollywood productions, but a post industrial Chinese state that looks and feels authentic. All the actors , but mainly Louis Koo, are outstanding. Perhaps some day in the near future American audiences will get a remake like the Departed did for the Infernal Affairs Saga. But until then I suggest any fan of the crime genre take a peek at this hidden gem.

May 12, 2016

action packed, a classic Johnnie To film.

Mar 9, 2016

Gritty cop thriller where the action never seemingly lets up.

Mar 8, 2016

Unless you speak Chinese, you will be reading subtitles. It doesn't detract from the movie, though. Plenty of action and plot twists to keep you entertained.

Feb 23, 2016

To's Triad films are always worth seeing, and this is no different. If you like this sort of film, you'll really enjoy 'Drug War'. It's just not perhaps as genre-stretching as some others, and so doesn't have anything extra-special about it. Still, great fun!

Feb 16, 2016

Has just enough to hold your attention throughout with a smart script until the final showdown. Louis Koo's acting gets a special mention.

Nov 14, 2015

Another incredible action film from Johnnie To. A meth dealer is caught by the Chinese police and in order to avoid a death sentence, he agrees to help set up a deal between two drug kingpins the police have been after. This sets up a series of gripping procedural scenes as the police insert themselves between the two drug dealers in an effort to set them both up for arrest. It all leads to an incredible and violent action sequence full of surprising turns. To is a master.

Oct 1, 2015

Drug War has many things going for it... epic action sequences, several memorable characters and scenes... but in the end it winds up feeling a touch too generic. Sort of like its title.

Sep 27, 2015

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Jul 27, 2015

Very good, reasonable ending

Jul 15, 2015

The gunfight scene near the end is remarkable yet confusing.

Jun 21, 2015

Drug War felt immediate, immediately. It had a great sense of pace without giving you everything at once. Spurts of action and intense drama lead to one of the most wildly constructed and perfectly executed shoot-outs I have ever seen. 4 STARS -J.T.

Jun 3, 2015

I love it, one of the most intense heist crime I've seen. An adrenaline charged rush of a movie concerning a drug manufacturer who is forced by the police to turn into an informant against the company he's producing the drugs for if he hopes to save himself from a sentence of lethal injection. It makes me laugh at some point when these cops are trying to make a heist scene just to investigate and know the details behind the whole syndicate. The story becomes more deeper and interesting It maintains your attention throughout its short running time. Well made and ends in a chaotic climax. Kudos for Johnnie To as a director and acting here is great. Honglei Sun is awesome in this film.. Very highly recommended film to watch. 4.5/5

May 23, 2015

An at times bewilderingly high octane crime thriller from China. Filled with larger than life characters the film isn't filled with realism but is quite the ride.

May 6, 2015

I'll admit, this is a very well made movie, but something was missing to me. Perhaps it's comprised of stuff I've seen too many times, even if done pretty well here. A couple decent shootouts are on display, but they ultimately feel pretty meaningless. None of the multitude of characters really engaged me, either. Perhaps too large of a cast where they weren't all needed. The movie reminds me a little of Mann's Miami Vice movie - solid moviemaking and craft, but with a by-the-numbers drug plot that wasn't that interesting or engaging.

Feb 18, 2015

Don't be fooled by the name. Not as cool as it sounds.

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