Very good cop drama
Danny Lee is not a genius, everybody knows that. But look at his filmography. From the Shaw Brothers Inframa to John Woo's Killer, from The Days and Nights of Bruce Lee to Untold Story. Danny Lee has tried all the genres. And he has even created one. Few people can pretend the same. If you ask to a HK movie fan who is Danny Lee, there is 99% chances that he answers "this guy always playing a cop". In the 80's, Danny has played a lot of cop characters, that's right. He has probably arrested half of the killers and rapers of Hong-Kong, with always the same will, the same average clothes. Danny Lee was more or less playing his character the same way, but that's also a part of the style.
Law with Two Phases is probably one of his best effort. He has written the script, directed the movie, and taken the first role of course. You will find here his typical style, far from his most famous role, the cop from the Killer. His movies are much more realistic, he is never really an heroic character like in John Woo's movies. He is just a normal cop who always tries his best, even if he does some mistakes. Law with two Phases is quite typical, with a very human main character, a generous cop who doesn't hesitate to use violent means if needed to solve the case. But then, the character has also his lacks, and the second half of the movie shows him doubting about himself.
So to summarize, if you like realistic cop drama and you appreciate Danny Lee, this one is definately for you. And if you like heroic bloodshed, you should avoid it, that's everything except this kind of movie...
