Firestorm (2013) (Blu-ray) (Hong Kong Version) Blu-ray Region A

Lui Ming Chit (Andy Lau) is an upstanding police inspector who becomes obsessed with taking down the notorious criminal Cao Nan (Hu Jun). His operation is, however, sabotaged by his childhood friend To Sing Bon (Gordon Lam) who joined a robbery ring right after being freed from prison. Lui risks everything that he has – his integrity and even the lives of his informant Tong (Patrick Keung), his goddaughter and To for the sake of fulfilling his growing ambition.

The plot looks relatively unimportant when the big-budget film begins and ends with the destruction of Hong Kong, made possible with an unlimited supply of ammo. There are a number of emotional lines running through the movie apart from Lui's moral disillusion, such as To's determination to mend his broken relationship with his girlfriend (Yao Chen) and Tong's praying in total helplessness for the safety of his daughter. However, director Alan Yuen falls short on forging adequate emotional resonance with viewers since all the emotional triggers in the movie are coated in gunfire and scares. Just when you're contemplating the meaning of justice, Firestorm hits you head-on with absorbing visuals and CGI.

Though there are flaws here and there in the script and direction, Firestorm is still a fairly entertaining flick and quite a memorable outing for new director Yuen. The destruction of Central scene alone is worth the movie time, not to mention the irresistible charm of 51-year-old superstar Andy Lau.