The fourth in the Crime City franchise, Punishment follows on from last year’s No Way Out.
One of the great things about the Round Up movies is that they are completely refillable.
Some ludicrously evil villain is out in the world and Detective Ma will need to punch his way through an army of goons (with the occasional garden variety asshole thrown in).
The experience of watching this movie was fantastic - the theatre was packed and we’re totally keyed into the movie’s vibe.
As a movie, Punishment feels a little too formulaic.
A fifth instalment is already in production, and here is hoping that Ma returns in 10 more movies. So I am hoping that this instalment is just a programmer entry, rather than a sign of stagnation.
This movie is fine, but it took a while to cook.
Ma’s illiteracy around computers is funny, but that conflict with computers is only used for a few jokes. It is a twist to have our hero, a guy who can solve most problems with a punch, not show that much concern about online crime, but it feels like the film misses an opportunity to put Ma against an obstacle he cannot fight.
Aside from the cybercrime angle, which is not as major as it appears, the movie does not have the same sense of heightened absurdity - at least for a while.
I was having a good time, but something was missing.
And it was only when Ma has to but heads with his traditional offsiders, namely the brass, that the film becomes more engaging.
The film remembers that one of the joys of these movies is when ordinary people come into contact with the Beast Cop.
When the film reminds the viewer how unique Detective Ma is, the film unlocks the franchise’s special magic.
The third act is terrific - we get another brutal close quarters fight, this time in a first class cabin, with Ma forced to battle two opponents. We also get an all time great gag involving an angry airline representative reprimanding Ma’s chief while he escapes up an escalator.
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