Special ID

Last updated
Special ID
SpecialID.jpg
China poster
Traditional Chinese 特殊身份
Simplified Chinese 特殊身份
Hanyu Pinyin Tè Shū Shēn Fèn
Jyutping Dak6 Syu4 San1 Fan2
Directed by Clarence Fok
Written byChan Tai-lee
Szeto Kam-Yuen
Produced by Donnie Yen
Peter Pau
Zhang Wang
Han Xiaoli
StarringDonnie Yen
Jing Tian
Andy On
Zhang Hanyu
Ronald Cheng
Collin Chou
Cinematography Peter Pau
Edited by Cheung Ka-fai
Music byDou Peng
Production
companies
Starlit Film
China Film
China Movie Channel
Xi'an Suobao Film & TV Culture Communication
Xi'an Longnian Film & TV Culture Communication
Beijing Yuji Xinghai Advertising
Beijing Tianhuan International Culture Communication
Eastern New Vision Film & TV Culture [1]
Release date
  • October 18, 2013 (2013-10-18)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryChina [1]
Languages
  • Cantonese
  • Mandarin
  • English
[2]
Box officeUS$29,139,936 [3]

Special ID is a 2013 Chinese crime action film directed by Clarence Fok, from a screenplay by Chan Tai-lee and Szeto Kam-Yuen. The film stars Donnie Yen, who also produced with Peter Pau, Zhang Wang, and Han Xiaoli. The film co-stars Jing Tian, Andy On, Zhang Hanyu, Ronald Cheng, and Collin Chou. [1] The film was released in China on 18 October 2013.

Contents

Plot

Yen takes on the role of Dragon Chan, a Hong Kong undercover police officer deep within the ranks of one of China’s most ruthless underworld gangs. The leader of the gang, Hung (Collin Chou), has made it his priority to weed out the government infiltrators in his midst. Struggling to keep his family together and his identity concealed, Chan is torn between two worlds.

Upping the stakes, as Chan’s undercover comrades are being dealt with, one by one, Chan fears his days are numbered. Now, he must risk everything to take down the organization and reclaim the life he lost when he took on this perilous assignment. As the action mounts, Chan must do everything he can to protect the SPECIAL IDENTITY he wishes he never had before it’s too late.

Cast

Critical response

At Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film has received an average score of 46, based on 6 reviews indicating "mixed or average reviews". [4]

Andrew Chan of the Film Critics Circle of Australia writes, "The good news is that “Special ID” remains largely entertaining for most of the duration, but in many ways it remains a huge pile of mess." [5]

Accolades

Accolades
CeremonyCategoryRecipientOutcome
33rd Hong Kong Film Awards Best Action Choreography Donnie Yen Nominated

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Elley, Derek (January 22, 2014). "Special ID". Film Business Asia . Archived from the original on March 18, 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  2. Catsoulis, Jeanette (March 6, 2014). "Danger Undercover". New York Times . Retrieved April 22, 2014. Less so the rest of the cast, whose subtitled mix of Cantonese, Mandarin and English flies before our eyes so rapidly that Western audiences will have a hard time keeping up.
  3. "SPECIAL ID". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 2014-04-25.
  4. "Special ID (2014): Reviews". Metacritic . CNET Networks, Inc. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  5. Andrew Chan (20 October 2013). "Special ID". [HK Neo Reviews].