Prolific filmmaker Herman Yau is no stranger to Hong Kong cinema who has directed bold films that touched on sensitive themes since the 1990s. Films like the Category III rated “The Untold Story” and “Ebola Syndrome” are famously explicit in violence, sex and gore. Most of all, he tells the real stories of Hong Kong through his raw and complex characters. Nonetheless, Yau would move on to direct big budget action films mostly financed by China like “Shock Wave” (2017), “The White Storm” series and “Moscow Mission” (2023) during the last decade. Filmed in different locations, “Customs Frontline” is such a film.
A young hotshot but principled Chow Ching Lai (Nicholas Tse) works for the Hong Kong Customs Department as an assistant superintendent. Fortunately, he has a sympathetic boss Cheung Wan Nam (Jacky Cheung), a senior superintendent there who gives him guidance throughout his career. One day while on a routine patrol, they come across a stranded and unmanned cargo ship full of weapons. Upon learning that their stolen cargo has turned up in Hong Kong, the Thai authorities quickly send two Thai Interpol agents, Ying (Cya Liu) and Mark, over there to help in the investigation.
It turns out that the shipment belongs to arms dealer Dr. Raw (Amanda Strang) who has been selling weapons to some warring states in Africa. Now that her cargo ends up in Hong Kong waters after a breakdown, she wants it back. After a fierce firefight at the customs warehouse, her mercenaries steal the goods back. Sadly, a lot of officers lose their lives and Chow’s ex-girlfriend Katie is one of them. Determined to stop Raw and her ruthless gang, Chow teams up with Ying and heads to Africa’s illegal arms trade hoping to arrest Raw. Instead, they discover that someone at the customs office has been involved with Dr. Raw’s illegal arms trade while a shipping company back home helps in transporting the goods.
Check the interview with the director
Yau’s amazingly staged set pieces make “Customs Frontline” feel like a full blown war film at times. But he definitely shines in the action department. Basically an action thriller in nature, the plot, written by Erica Li, is rather heavy on the melodramatic aspects. Customs assistant Chow is stressed out with work and personal life. He has to work alongside his ex-girlfriend who, after dumping him, is about to marry another customs officer. Besides that, arms dealer Dr. Raw too has issues with her buyers which relate to her dead father. Almost every character seems to get a backstory indeed.
Furthermore, superintendent Cheung, Chow’s father figure boss, suffers from bipolar disorder which leads to self-harm. Besides, he also has to deal with bureaucratic problems when answering to his unfriendly customs commissioner Kwok (Francis Ng). Thai agent Ying also has to deal with her Thai partner. With so many characters desperately balancing their personal lives and work, the slow paced first half of the film almost comes to a halt. To be fair, some of the drama works just fine but Yau does not fully tackle them all in detail.
Best known for his turn in “Bullet in the Head”, “The Swordsman” (both 1990) and “High Risk” (1995), Heavenly King of Cantopop Jacky Cheung makes a welcome return to the big screen here. His performance as the highly-strung, unstable but sympathetic customs officer is fairly adequate but nothing outstanding. Action wise, he gets to shoot at the bad guys with a machine gun but nothing physically demanding. Let’s say Cheung is definitely a better singer than an actor at this stage of his career.
Mainland Chinese actress, Cya Liu, who was fantastic and won the Best Actress Award in “Limbo” (2021), turns up as the Interpol agent Ying from Thailand. She has memorable screen presence and the filmmakers should have given more screen time. Francis Ng is his usual self in a non demanding role as the customs commissioner Kwok. Karena Lam plays Athena Siu, assistant commissioner to Kwok and Cheung’s girlfriend. Amanda Strang, a based in Hong Kong French model, singer and actress has a small role as Dr. Raw, the firearms smuggler, while Brahim Chab plays her right hand man, the notorious Leo who gives officer Chow a really hard time.
Choreographed by Nicholas Tse himself, the action sequences are the real stars here, kicking off with him in a fight on a raft, a tense shootout at a warehouse, plus a couple of blistering car chases thrown in. However, the icing on the cake is the over the top finale which takes place inside a submarine hidden inside a huge cargo ship which runs amok and almost destroys Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor. Fearless Tse turns into a one-man army here, dispatching the mercenaries like flies with his fists, body parts, guns and even makeshift weapons like metal pipes.
Although Yau falls short in the dramatic department, his action set pieces more than make up for it, especially during the film’s climax. “Customs Frontline” is far from his best and lacks a certain edge compared to his recent films but he sure knows how to cause massive destruction on screen. Besides, Tse is likable and convincing in his action sequences, armed or unarmed.
