In the jaws of death = Jiao suo xia de jiao yi

This film is based on the real events surrounding the theft of hundreds of priceless ancient artifacts and the ensuing sting operation to recover them before they are sold off out of the country and dispersed across the globe.

During the 1980s there was a haze of activity taking place between the Hong Kong triads and the mainland gangs, who had the goods but wanted in on the lavish wealth enjoyed by those across the border. The triads were at war, with the Gold and Black gangs undercutting each other every chance they get.

Though there is a distinct lack of choreographic finesse when it comes to martial arts battles between gangs and cops, the plot is one mainly of secret deals, which gradually evolve from the stereotypical exchanging of passwords like “There’s a dragon on the sea”, and “There’s a tiger in the mountain”, to highly complex double- and triple-dealings between the gangs and customs officials.

The Gold and Black gangs have both gotten wind of this unprecedented collection of stolen antiques and immediately smell a lucrative business opportunity. The big bosses send their underlings to engage the sellers in a secret deal to have the goods transported to Hong Kong. However it is not long before they soon realise that the other gang has made steps to undercut their bid.

This results in an ice-cold bidding war, with all three sides displaying their underground cunning and thrill for the life of crime. The only thing these people share is a lack of compulsion against lying, thieving and tricking one another to get to the top.

The plot is intricately woven and well executed. However, it does not present itself as a film that has aged well, and the ending is unsurprisingly bland, with everything turning out alright in the end, thanks to the almost superhumanly intelligent Chinese authorities.
(2 stars - James Donald; June 8, 2011)