Leofwine_draca ONE NITE IN MONGKOK, a Hong Kong cop thriller about an assassin about to carry out his first hit, sounds like the typical all-action thriller, but on watching it turns out to be something much darker, more subtle and mature in its developing themes. It's a highly effective cat and mouse thriller that prioritises character over action and is all the better for it.Daniel Wu is one of my all-time favourite Chinese stars and this is one of his top roles. His character, a would-be assassin starting out on his first job, sounds unsympathetic at first but he grows on you as the film develops, and as his growing relationship with Cecilia Cheung is handled sympathetically and with realistic emotion. By the end, you're rooting for him and his cause.The rest of the film is more familiar, but it all works and slots into place nicely. Alex Fong's bull-headed cop is a worthwhile adversary for our star, and the supporting cast of pimps and drug dealers, grasses and gangsters, is a well developed one. Although the film sometimes has shades of BOURNE it develops its own unique style as it progresses, gradually building to an ultimately devastating climax which took my breath away. It's an astonishing way to end a film, and one which has stayed with me days later.

Paul Magne Haakonsen They say that New York is the city that never sleeps? Well obviously whomever came up with that phrase never set foot in Hong Kong, or much less set foot in Mongkok.As an avid fan of Asian cinema and Hong Kong cinema, and having lived four years in Hong Kong and going shopping twice or thrice a week in Mongkok, it was with some interest that I sat down to watch "One Night in Mongkok". And it was really nice to sit and watch the movie and recognize the occasional place and location, that was a trip down memory lane for me. However, I think that the movie essentially fails to fully show just how populated Mongkok really is, which would be essential, especially as they proclaim that it is the most densely populated place in the world as the movie comes to an end.Anyway, the story in "One Night in Mongkok" was a bit jumpy and going to and fro, and never really fully closing up the story lines that it opened up. The movie was trying too much, but didn't fully manage to accomplish all it was setting out to do. I was left with a bit too many unanswered and unfulfilled things in the movie that I would have liked closed or brought to peace.If you are familiar with Hong Kong cinema, then you will see a bunch of known (and somewhat familiar) faces. They had put together a rather good ensemble of actors and actresses for this movie. Normally I am not a fan of Daniel Wu (playing Lai-fu) as he usually comes off a arrogant and aloof, but he actually managed to put on a great performance in this movie, and I think, that it is actually, to date, the best performance I have seen him do. However, he wasn't alone in carrying the movie alone; Cecilia Cheung (playing Dandan) and Alex Fong (playing officer Milo) really helped the movie along as well. It was nice to see Cecilia Cheung in a more serious and mature role than what she usually do (which is basically romantic comedies)."One Night in Mongkok" is a rather brutal and honest movie, that cuts straight to the bone and doesn't wrap things in plastic. This is the story of people making a living in the seedy underbelly of the flashy and neon-lit streets of Mongkok. But it is more than that; it is also the story of Mainland Chinese trying to get by in Hong Kong, and trust me, the Hong Kong Chinese does treat the Chinese from China as if they are lesser beings, sadly enough (yeah, I have seen that type of racism when I lived there). But more importantly, it is also a story of being human and trying to get by with the cards that you are dealt by an often unfair and harsh life. And, of course, it is a story of 'cat after mouse'."One Night in Mongkok" is good entertainment, combining action with drama and suspense. And it actually comes together well enough for a full story, though there are bits and ends hanging here and there unfinished and unanswered. But in overall, "One Night in Mongkok" is a good movie. And if you like Asian cinema with a story that is a bit more compelling and in-depth than your average action and Kung Fu movie, then "One Night in Mongkok" is well worth picking out for a watching.

J_Charles Mongkok - usually cited as the most densely populated neighbourhood on earth. Having visited there a few times I concur. Even at 11 PM the area seems to be wall-to-wall people, all in a rush.Amid this setting is the story of several characters whose fates are all intertwined. The assassin, the prostitute, the gang members, the police, they all have their stories told in bits and pieces. At first they seem to be all separate, unrelated, a jumble of characters. But as the film progresses you start putting the pieces together and eventually you can see almost predict how this is going to end before it finally does.The filming is superb. The gritty look matches the story. This movie is intent on showing the ugly side of HK, the human trafficking, corruption, drugs, and the triads hold on the entire island. And the shots reflect that.The acting is uneven but overall does not distract from the story. I gave it 8/10. It wasn't a pleasant film to watch (most of my memories of Hong Kong are very positive). But it tells a story that's all too true to many of the residents in the underbelly of Mongkok.

black_pheonix_666 yeah i watch a lot of foreign films here in Canada and this one caught my eye, the beginning was slow and boring but it really got the suspense and had a lot of scary truth to it... i loved this movie and i wish i could own it...i think i would die if i could. Too bad Kong Kong can't make more of these awesome movies. It starts off in Black in white, they could of done this better because the lighting was atrocious. The Camera angles were what got me going , they were gritty and down to earth and not a lot of directors know how to use a camera besides point and shoot. Cecilia's performance was breathtaking and well done, but she doesn't sound like she is from south china. Her naivety does well as the good hearted prostitute. I wish i could see this movie again well done... one actually has sympathy for the bad guys...well sometimes.