High-Octane
Summary
100 Yards has some jaw dropping fight scenes and every shot looks gorgeous; Jacky Heung and Andy On are endlessly watchable, but the characters themselves aren’t that interesting so there was no real emotional connection. It’s still worth checking out for the fight scenes alone.
Plot: Before his death, a martial arts master names his apprentice as his successor instead of his son. His decision unwittingly kicks off a fierce power struggle that bring the entire city to the brink of chaos.
Review: I’ve heard great things about 100 Yards stating it’s one of the year’s best martial arts movies. In terms of the fight scenes they are 100% correct as this film has some of the most beautifully choregraphed fights I’ve seen for some time. Jacky Heung and Andy On are incredible talents and they get to show their prowess in this hugely entertaining fight flick.
100 Yards looks gorgeous with faultless camerawork and editing with every scene looking like it could be a painting on your wall.
As great as the fight scenes and visuals are however, I still didn’t really feel any emotional connection to any of the characters. Jacky Heung is incredibly charismatic as is Andy On, so it’s certainly never dull and the story doesn’t quite go as expected. The ending was a little anti-climactic and I was left feeling flat. It’s only ever during the fights that you feel any genuine excitement, but thankfully they are plentiful. There are some fun weapons too like the use of slingshots and staffs which add to the enjoyment factor.
I found the music a little repetitive and annoying at times as it just plays the same tune over and over, but it does capture the spirit of the time.
Overall, 100 Yards has some of the best fight scenes you’ll see this year with Jacky Heung and Andy On making for interesting leads both with incredible skill. The characters themselves weren’t especially exciting and the ending was a little disappointing, but this is still well worth a watch.