The last time the Pang Brothers scored a hit was in 2006
with fantasy horror yarn, Re-cycle. Their collaborations have fared better than
their solo offerings, but with The Detective, Diary and Abnormal Beauty under
his belt, Oxide is the more reliable of the two. Danny has made some real
clunkers along the way, including snooze-fest Forest Of Death and In Love With The Dead. There's no doubting the visual prowess of either brother, but when it
comes to great storytelling, fan favourites like The Eye and Bangkok Dangerous
are fast becoming distant memories.
Psycho-thriller Fairy Tale Killer is written and directed by
Danny Pang, in collaboration with Thai director of photography Decha Srimantra
(The Eye, Chocolate). In Lau Ching Wan (Mad Detective), Fairy Tale Killer has
found a strong lead actor, but Danny also casts Wang Bao Qiang (Blind Shaft),
Elanne Kwong (The Child's Eye), Elena Kong (Vengeance) and Lam Suet (Kung Fu
Hustle) in supporting roles. Children's stories and horrifying murders walk
hand in hand in the latest release from Terror Cotta, available on U.K. shores
for the first time this month.
Lau Ching Wan (Life Without Principle) stars as the troubled
cop on the case, while Wang Baoqiang (Mr. Tree) becomes the deranged killer
responsible for the bizarre and bloody deaths. The story kicks off when Inspector
Wong arrests a seemingly disturbed man confessing to a brutal murder
reminiscent of a children's fable. The only problem is, the supposed victim is
still very much alive. The perpetrator is dismissed as a crank and released,
but days later, the victim turns up dead with rocks stuffed inside his open
stomach.
Wong realises he has let a dangerous killer go free and
becomes obsessed with tracking him down, while simultaneously covering up the
mistakes he has made along the way. Wong neglects his family, blames his
colleagues for everything that goes wrong, and pretty much acts like an
arsehole, trying to catch a killer who is always one step ahead. More and more
grisly murders take place, paying homage to Cinderella, The Red Shoes and
Hansel & Gretel, but Wong continues to act like a cock. Hating on his
autistic son, ignoring his hot wife, and dropping his colleagues in it at every given
opportunity.
Lau Ching Wan is a great actor, but Inspector Wong is a
mystifying protagonist. Most movies, particularly horror movies, rely on a
connection between the audience and the so called 'good guy', so that we are
sympathetic to his cause for the rest of the picture. Wong is a horrible person,
disengaging and unashamedly cruel at every turn. At no point did I want him to
survive the ordeal, and that's a terrible position to find yourself in when
you're watching a horror movie. I was hoping there would be some kind of
redemption as the movie progressed, and in some ways I guess there was, but the
turnaround is unconvincing, and Wong remains the least likeable of screen
heroes.
There are some nice ideas floating about, but Danny fails to
capitalise on the interesting elements of the screenplay. Wong's son suffers
from autism, as does the film's villain, and early revelations suggest a
connection between Wong and his adversary. This could have been a fascinating
development had it been handled correctly, but Danny has other objectives in
mind, and the chosen course is far less enticing than the one that's suggested.
As are the villains of the piece; both creepy and compelling as we're
introduced to them for the first time. The more time we spend with them,
however, the less interesting they become. Our two perpetrators would have held
my interest longer had they remained enigmas, but Danny feels the need to
explain everything in as much detail as possible, taking away the intrigue of
the opening act.
Fairy Tale Killer isn't without its charm. The film has
a solid premise, even if the revelations fail to shock in the way that they
should. Suspension of disbelief comes in handy, but at least the production values
and sound design distract from an otherwise underwhelming endeavour. It's dark,
it's dirty, and with Danny Pang behind the camera Fairy Tale Killer sure look
great at times. Unfortunately, visual panache could never make up for the films
all too apparent failings. Performances are strong, even if character
development is found wanting, and the Pang Brothers continue to frustrate in
terms of competent storytelling. It's never boring though, uninspired for sure,
but there's just enough style over substance to keep you from closing the book
on it.
Hardly
the return to form we were hoping for, this is unexceptional horror hokum at
best, but compared to some of Danny Pang's other solo efforts, Fairy Tale
Killer comes with an almost happy ending. AW
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