eileenpa Many people have expressed their opinions regarding the screenplay and director's intent regarding this mystery in Hong Kong. As someone who loves watching international movies to gain insights into other cultures, I was looking forward to watching this movie. I was pleasantly rewarded.I wouldn't say that the movie answers every question, or that the ending ties up everything in a neat bow. However, the acting ensemble is extremely good, and more than one viewpoint can be argued for threads throughout the film. It definitely provides insight into Hong Kong culture post-GB.Highly recommended.

kosmasp The movie itself start off very mysterious and it maintains that mystery all through the end. And while I haven't read or seen the story this is based on, therefor cannot comment on similarities, I can say even from far away, that this movie loves analogies. And it dares its viewers to think and is not just an entertainment piece.While very violent and strangely funny at times, it will be hard to keep track of events if you don't keep up with it. The actors are all amazing and while dialog choices might feel benign and without meaning in general, I'm pretty sure you can get a lot from even the simplest exchange. The Hong Kong allegory and everything that comes with it (uncertainty and more) was not an easy thing to achieve. It's not being seen lightly upon making stories that are political or have a strong message. Which makes this movie even more powerful ... if you are into this thing. Obviously not everyone is, though try not to get personal, if you don't like a movie ... Tastes are different, especially when it comes to something that is artfully done, but maybe not your thing

Yoon Jung The first 30 minutes of the story is very suspenseful. In the second half, the story stagnates real quick and goes no where for the rest of the movie because Fruit Chan decides to insert hidden political messages about Hong Kong's society or whatever the hell that no one cares for except the director. Worst, 3 quarters of the story is riddled with empty dialog and filler scenes that doesn't flow or do crap; very annoyed to see the film go no where, especially since the story is an adaptation of a popular online fiction that was actually enjoyable.The movie had no climax and no resolution. At the end, I was like...What the F did I just watch? Was the director f-ed up? How can anyone in the production team approve this trash of a film? This movie is an epic failure and an utter disgrace to film making.Oh, please just stop directing movies, Fruit Loop. You suck, just like your actual name.

Harry T. Yung Unambiguously SciFi and/or supernatural, Fruit Chan's latest offer, ironically, is less surreal than many of his earlier works. "Red Van" is a "screenplay based on material from another media" (for those who must have Hollywood jargon), an Internet novel, to be precise. What director Chan did was to take the template of the plot (which is quite familiar, as a matter of fact) and populated it with statements on the current political environment of the Hong Kong SAR (not the lethal disease, but Special Administrative Region, of the PRC). With the anything-goes plot and the assortment of characters as weird as he fancies, Chan has complete free rein to do whatever he wants, and the only limit is his imagination. With his previous works, director Chan has demonstrated that imagination is not something he lacks. Still, there are some borrowed inspirations – by sheer coincidence, I watched the DVD of "Murder on the Orient Express" just a couple of days before I saw "The midnight after". If you have seen both, you know what I mean.Seventeen people in a public passenger transportation van coming out of a tunnel after midnight find that the world as they know is no longer. No, this is not about post-nuke devastation – the places are all intact. It is the people who are gone (a little bit like Stephen King's "The Langoliers" but not the same), except for some "masked people". From here on, as I mentioned, it's everything goes.The interesting cast should be well hailed: international star Simon Yam, local favoruite Lam Suet, teen idol Janice Man, old time "Shine" duet Chiu Tien-you and Wong You-nam, hottest local sort of "Step Up 3" discovery Cherry Ngan (wonderful in "The way we dance"), Fruit Chan's "picked up from curbside" discovery from his acclaimed debut "Made in Hong Kong" Sam Lee, iconic and talented Vincci Cheuk who shocked Hong Kong's broadcasting world nearly (but not quite) two decades ago as the youngest (something like 16) DJ with an immensely successful show, and veteran Kara Hui who won best actress in the first ever Hong Kong Film Awards in 1982.By all indications, this movie is going to be among all time local favourites.