Year: 2007
Running Time: 92 min.
Rated: R
SRP: $26.98
Studio(s): Magnolia Home Entertainment

Film/Feature: B-

Three godfathers of modern day Hong Kong cinema, Tsui Hark (Time and Tide, Once Upon a Time in China), Ringo Lam (City of Fire, Twin Dragons), and Johnny To (Election, Exiled) collaborate in what’s best described as a relay film. Each director tells the story he wants to tell in the style he wants to do and then hands it off to the next storyteller. Even though there are some points where you’ll want to scratch your head, those familiar with each director will be able to tell who did what parts, but the transitions are very subtle. If this is your first dip into any of their works, then it may not be the best endorsement of how great they each are, because even though it has its moments, Triangle will be best appreciated for its experimental devices rather than its actual execution.

The synopsis is as follows: Three drinking buddies, Sam (Simon Yam), Fei (Louis Koo), and Mok (Sun Hong Lei), are struggling to make ends meet, when one night a mysterious old man appears an offers them a unique financial opportunity. He claims that buried beneath a high-security government building, lies an ancient treasure of great wealth. In agreement, the three men set off to commit the heist, but what they find puts their honor and friendship to the ultimate test.

Fei is the shady one out of the group and has “connections” with Triads to make this work. Sam has a mired marriage and past that will get him in trouble. And Mok, well he’s just trying to make a score with the least amount of trouble involved. It’s a basic story that really gets derailed in Lam’s intermediate part of the film who shifts the focus onto Sam and his marriage. His wife, Ling (Kelly Lin) believes that Sam killed his first wife and will kill her too. Ling has her own skeletons since she’s having an affair with a cop who she convinces to keep an eye on her husband and why he’s so secretive. Ever hear of the expression, three’s a crowd?

Now that we’ve veered completely away from the original plot of the film, Johnny To comes in and brings the film back on its track in what is a brilliantly-directed final act. All of the seemingly non-related parties involved in the story converge in a tiny province city where the real action takes place and only one party comes out alive.

Each director got his opportunity to do something special, but only To actually delivered. While I’m glad that we didn’t get three over-the-top action sequences, there could have been a bit more collaboration between them to tell a more coherent story from the back to the front. Because of that I liked many parts of it, but not the whole. I was strangely under a spell in Lam’s more emotion-filled middle as convoluted as it was. Hark had to establish so much in his section, so I felt less of him came through, but To brought it home in a fun and memorable way that’s best left unspoiled. Is it enough to salvage the rest of the disjointed film? I think so, but I also know many may agree so strongly. If HK action films are one of your favorite genres, then Triangle is just another film you should try with an open mind. It’s slick, it’s fun, and it’s also wildly out there. But I would also add that Triangle isn’t nearly as good as any of the three directors’ solo endeavors.

Video/Audio: B-/B-
Triangle is shown on DVD through a 480p standard definition transfer in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The colors while clear are a bit dull side so there’s not too many scenes where the hues are going to pop off of your television. There’s a fair amount of grain, especially in To’s night finale, but is a steady viewing experience that’s indicative of many of the Magnolia home releases.

The audio is best heard in the 5.1 Dolby Digital Cantonese track which is a front-heavy experience. Some residual effect noise gets to the rear channels like the echoing of gunfire and crickets chirping, music of course but lots of it from the front. The subwoofer is used sparingly and is not a film where bass is going to really kick in. There are no giant explosions, or hip hop music, just a little bit of drums and percussion in the score. Other audio selections include: 2.0 Dolby Digital Original Cantonese, 5.1 English Dub Dolby Digital, 2.0 English Dub audio tracks and subtitles are available in English and Spanish.

Extras: C-
Behind the scenes SD (13:32) On the set of the film’s climactic night scene and a peek into To’s working behind the camera. The funny thing is watching the actors holding a cigarette in their hands between practice takes.

Making of Triangle SD (6:15) is an average EPK moment that a hardcore HK film fan could skip but it’s enough to provide green HK film fans a broader bit of knowledge at which to expand their next venture into the genre.

Trailers for Ong Bak 2, World’s Greatest Dad, and Not Quite Hollywood, a documentary about Aussie genre films and the phenomena of Ozploitation.

Overall Shock Value: B-
I’m an easy guy to please when it comes to HK action, and even though I wasn’t completely satisfied with Triangle, it entertained me much more than what’s usually showing out there. It’s a solid Saturday rental, and you can determine if you love HK films as much as I do, or are just a casual fan. There’s not a lot of extras that will push Triangle into a must-buy opportunity, but for Johnny To completists like myself, Triangle just qualifies as recommendable treat that’s good for some late night debate.