There is no doubt about the Hong Kong film industry going into decline these past few years. Fewer films are being made, with less budgets than before. Less profits are generated at the box-office, and piracy is at an all-time high. You feel that the industry is going to shut up any moment. But once in a while, the industry releases a film that claims the industry is not dead, that they are recovering.

Gen X-cops is one of those films. Produced in association with Jackie Chan productions (he even gets a little cameo at the end), this is a slick, well-directed actioner with a good plot, and well-developed characters. The casting of young lead actors is a testament to the film's success, and by the standards of this film, these youngsters will go a long way in this industry.

The story is about the recruiting of young, fresh cadets who become the Gen X-cops. They are chosen because of their wayward attitudes, their street look, and the fact that they look nothing like police cadets. The three cops, Jack (Tse), Match (Fung), and Alien (Lee), along with Y2K (Yip), go undercover and infiltrate a triad boss, Daniel Lam (Wu), so that they can get close to a Japanese Yakuza, Akatora (Nakamura) who has stolen some liquid CO2. Akatora plans to use the CO2 to kill a Japanese businessman, Shimada, who he believes was responsible for his father's death many years ago. The Gen X-cops must race against time to stop Akatora from blowing up the Hong Kong convention centre when Shimada is going to give a speech there, thus killing them all.

Gen-X-cops is an excellent film: with some good action, some damn fine leads, and a plot that never slows down. The three leads of the film are brilliant as the Gen X-cops, giving some damn good performances in every respect. They are also very believable as well. Eric Tsang gives a very good supporting role as Officer Chan, who recruits the three of them when no one else wanted them. He is like the father-figure to them, encouraging them to do what's best while looking after their safety.

Francis Ng also gives a strong performance as Lok, a triad boss. Although Ng had just a short presence on screen, it was powerfully enacted. Whilst Grace Yip was credited as the leading lady, I felt she lacked presence in the film, and was quite underused at times. Certainly, the film belonged to the three male leads. Toru Nakamura gave a commanding lead in Akatora, the man who went to so much trouble to avenge his father, who ultimately sacrifices his life for the attempt.

Gen X-cops shows that when it comes to making quality films, Hong Kong can do it. All that is lacking in most Hong Kong productions are a decent script and a good budget. Hong Kong can never compete with Hollywood, but most Hollywood creations are formulaic, based on past successes.

A lot of Hong Kong films can be original, but also a lot are based on the tried and tested formula. However, you can still make a decent good film with this trick, and as Gen X-cops have shown, it is feasible to make a damn good film. Highly recommended viewing.

Starring:

Nicholas Tse, Grace Yip, Stephen Fung, Sam Lee, Daniel Wu, Eric Tsang, Toru Nakamura, Francis Ng, Jaymee Ong, Chan Ho.