Retro Film Review: Drive (1997)

(source: tmdb.org)

In 1990s Hong Kong action films became legitimate source of inspiration for Hollywood. Major blockbusters began employing Hong Kong techniques in action scenes. However, the most successful use of Hong Kong action cinema legacy is to be found among American low budget films. One of such examples is Drive, 1997 action film directed by Steve Wang.

The protagonist of the film is Toby Wong (played by Mark Dacascos), Chinese man who had crossed the Pacific as a stowaway on a freighter. When he arrives to San Francisco harbour, he is greeted by bunch of mean-looking people with bad intentions. He manages to escape and in the process he "borrows" car and takes its owner, failed songwriter Malik Brody (played by Kadeem Harrison) as a hostage. Toby used to be secret Chinese agent with a revolutionary bio-chip implant which gave him superhuman strength and other abilities. Now he wants to get to Los Angeles and deliver the chip to rival corporations. As Toby and Malik drive to Los Angeles, they are pursued by hordes of mercenaries led by cruel Madison (played by John Piper Ferguson).

Shot for a small budget of barely 4 million US$, this Japanese- American co-production represents very good combination of diverse talents. Fight choreographer Koichi Sakamoto provides Drive with some spectacular and memorable scenes while writer Scott Phillips injects the plot with plenty of humour and witty dialogue. Director Steve Wang combines the classic action plot with a road film and thus have plenty of opportunity to develop "buddy buddy" dynamic between Mark Dacascos and Kadeem Harrison. That pair, made of silent Asian and wisecracking black American character, predates similar concept that would be used in Rush Hour series. Dacascos and Harrison have good chemistry together, and the rest of the cast is also good – especially Piper-Ferguson and Tracey Walter as bizarre villains. The film also features Brittany Murphy in one of her earlier (and not particularly memorable) role. Wang handled this film very well, but it had some trouble with pacing, which resulted in Drive being almost two hours long, which is uncharacteristic for this sort of the movie. But those who watch Drive without expecting to witness some ground-breaking art would nevertheless be pleased with entertaining Hollywood-Hong Kong combination that for the most part uses the best of both worlds.

RATING: 6/10 (++)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on June 5th 2003)