Burning Ambition - When Lack Of Style Trumps Substance

Jul

3

Burning Ambition - When Lack Of Style Trumps Substance

≡ Category: Action, Drama, Hong Kong, Martial Arts, Movie Reviews By Country, Worth A Look |
≅ Written by: Michael Kydonieus

Country: Hong Kong
Genre: Action/ Drama/ Martial Arts
Director: Frankie Chan
Year: 1989

Rating:

WORTH A LOOK

In Burning Ambition AKA Megaforce, Frankie Chan the director gets in the way of Frankie Chan the writer.

At first glance, Burning Ambition might seem like just another triad story about warring factions within a crime family. But Burning Ambition has something extra.

O Chun-Hung, a councilor in the crime family, thanks to a personal tragedy in his life, has come to the conclusion that life owes him, big time. He will stop at nothing to wield complete power over the triad organization he belongs to, no matter what sacrifices are necessary. O Chun-Hung is not simply the typical greedy sonofobitch in these types of films. He has been driven mad by grief.

There are more layers of complexity. O Chun-Hung’s family, which includes Frankie Chan and Oshima Yukari, are loyal and righteous. The members of the other faction aren’t saints. The heir apparent’s mother is coldly calculating. The son, played by Simon Yam, has the capacity to be vindictive.

Really, Burning Ambition has the potential to be King Lear with martial arts. You think I’m exaggerating? Check out the final scene, in which O Chun-Hung is getting ready to cement his ultimate triumph, only to be confronted with the cost of his crimes by his son, Frankie Chan. (Notice that I’m using the names of the actors rather than the character names. That’s because I don’t remember them. Sorry.)

But the vast potential of Burning Ambition never materializes due to the incompetence of director Frankie Chan. There is quite a bit of tasty martial arts choreography from Fung Hak-On, but more often that not, Chan ruins it by egregious undercranking. Half of the time, you could be excused for thinking you were watching a Keystone Cops silent flick. The potential seriousness of the flick is also undercut by some of the chintziest music ever heard in a Hong Kong movie, and considering how awful the scores often were during the Golden Age of Hong Kong (1985-1995), that’s saying alot.

But what really foils any chance of greatness for Burning Ambition is the acting. The irony is that it isn’t the fault of the actors. Burning Ambition has some of the best in the business. It’s just that Frankie Chan pulls everyone down to his level. He directs the actors to play broad and telegraph their emotions, just like he does.

The result is a shallow, cartoony version of a potentially gripping drama.

Still, Burning Ambition isn’t entirely without merit. There is plenty of action, some of it quite good, if you can overlook the undercranking. And one sequence almost survives intact.

O Chun-Hung and his two daughters have to fight off assassins in a parking garage. The girls are barefoot and the thugs break out a number of windshields and smash them on the garage floor to make things difficult for the girls. Yukari Oshima does a number of astounding acrobatic moves during this sequence, which is topped off by a terrific stunt. The sequence works dramatically and it’s a strong bit of action, too.

In the end, Burning Ambition is a diverting but emotionally unengaging experience. It’s okay to pass the time, but still a waste of potentially gripping characters, played by terrific actors, and some excellent action choreography, performed by gifted martial artists.