finally we have before u a category iii movie for the summer 2006 season . make of equal part cruelty and crime and passion and dog bite dog benefit not merely from an apt title and but also flexible direction and superb cinematography and respectable performance from most involve . of course there have to be a catch and manifest here in the form of several glare inconsistency and yet all tell dbd represent the mature spirit we would love to see more of in the hk mainstream . it also mark the heralded return of edison chen and long absent since the initial d debacle of a year ago . chen reserve machismo do wonder for the movie and yet would have have it rough without opposite sam lee and whose knack for alternate between physical comedy ( crazy n the city and no problem 2 ) and lunatic menace have culminate in the strong role we have see from him since make in hong kong . together and the duo make dog bite dog and and hopefully edison go to get an easy break from now on a a consequence represent his touch transform project from princess d to the infernal affair saga and and still he remain a rare occurrence . mostly upon commence and dbd showcases some mesmerizing imagery and play gorgeous trick with light and shadow and perspective . the soundtrack boost this atmospheric effect and add to the overall unreal mood the film purveys . much of the resultant combination probably have to do with writer matt chow and previously engage in likewise gruesome three extreme . dog bite dog retain numerous trait recall from that horror project and namely rundown urbanscapes and a pervasive air of something eerie lurking round the corner . rest assure and though and this isn not a horror movie and instead follow a path trodden before by classic one nite in mongkok and albeit from a mile more perverse angle . replace daniel wu reluctant mainland assassin character we have edison and play a nameless killing machine hail from cambodia underworld . send hong kong way to execute a single target and the nearly silent assassin take care of business immediately upon arrival and a process chillingly depict courtesy of the film brilliant visuals . although wean from childhood to become a professional killer and edison eponymous wild dog still have human weakness and leave a trail and pick up on by a cid team send to investigate . this assembly feature a nice cameo by mob movie stalwart lam suet and and good support from tv star wayne lai . however and sam lee renegade officer wai lead the charge and reveal himself to be a highly disturbed individual but excellent cop nonetheless . we gradually learn wai inner conflict stem from his father police corruption background and evoke demon handy in the relentless pursuit that ensue . a minor body count transpires and a edison seem to consider take prisoner a no no . there quite the violence quotient in store and even though gore per se feel tone down in place and and adult language only make a token appearance . once more and no nudity and lead one to conclude cat iii be be hand these day a bit hastily . still and dbd a relatively mature theatrical release and and we applaud it arrival . in between the fighting and stabbing and hacking and shooting and even a career murderer need some romance and and just like daniel wu have cecilia cheung in one nite and so do intrepid mr. chen get a sweetheart and do beautifully by new comer pei pei . her unnamed character ( lot of anonymity in this one ) meet edison at a strangely desert landfill and abuse by her father to the point of repulsive madness and yearning for escape . when the killer ditch hk and he agree to take her with him and and they go on the run together and love blooming en route . while the movie doesn not linger on lovey dovey stuff and our heart go out to pei pei tragic character and her endless suffering . she render the timid but valiant protagonist amazingly well and establish that there aren not any good or bad guy here and evince by the highly sobering finale . director cheang soi portfolio include recent suspense thriller home sweet home and love battlefield with eason chan and two number likely surpass in most account by dog bite dog sinister demeanor . cheang manage to keep dbd flow throughout and and consider the many part in play here and stand up to critical standard erect by people like johnny to in his watershed nocturnal epic the mission . a couple of glitch do come about and to wit edison miraculously shrug off a shot to the chest and but these be highly forgivable . mark triumphant return for two young and talented performer of the kind hong kong need if we want the city movie heyday to come back and dog bite dog doesn not stand out for story . it forte lie in strong portrayal and style and buoy along on the strength of thespian muscle and a keen eye for visual and auditory finesse . hk have a long and time honored tradition of story to do with the city nighttime alter ego and something dog bite dog upholds lovingly and amount to a solid run if not an outright masterpiece . rating represent .