The White Storm

The White Storm
China poster
Traditional	掃毒
Simplified	扫毒
Mandarin	sǎo dú
Cantonese	sou3 duk6
Literally	Sweep Away the Poison
Directed by	Benny Chan
Written by	Benny Chan Manfred Wong Ram Ling Wong Chun Tam Wai Ching
Produced by	Benny Chan
Starring	Sean Lau Louis Koo Nick Cheung
Cinematography	Anthony Pun (HKSC)
Edited by	Yau Chi-wai (HKSE)
Music by	Nicolas Errèra
Production companies	Universe Entertainment Sun Entertainment Culture Limited Bona International Film Group Sil-Metropole Organisation Golala Investment Limited
Distributed by	Universe Films Distribution Company Limited
Release dates	25 October 2013 (2013-10-25) (Hong Kong Asian Film Festival) 29 November 2013 (2013-11-29) (China) 5 December 2013 (2013-12-05) (Hong Kong)
Running time	134 minutes
Countries	Hong Kong China
Languages	Cantonese Thai English
Budget	US$16,000,000[1]
Box office	US$44,670,277[2]

The White Storm, formerly known as The Cartel War^[1] (Chinese: 掃毒) is a 2013 Hong Kong-Chinese crime thriller film directed by Benny Chan and starring Sean Lau, Louis Koo, and Nick Cheung.^[3] The film had its world premiere at the 2013 Hong Kong Asian Film Festival on 25 October 2013.^[4]

A sequel titled The White Storm 2: Drug Lords was released on 16 July 2019, with Koo returning, Andy Lau joining the cast as well as producing and Herman Yau directing.^[5][6]

Plot[]

Ma Ho-tin, So Kin-chow and Cheung Tsz-wai are good brothers who grew up together. When they grew up, they were stationed in the Narcotics Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force. Among them, Chow has been undercover for a long time in the drug trafficking group. He can't live a normal life and make him extremely annoyed. Big brother Tin and his detective brother Wai often persuade him that he can return to the team after catching the last big drug lord. The high-level police force asked Chow to follow up to catch a long line to catch big fish. Chow was deeply dissatisfied. The last three brothers decided to go to Thailand to catch the big poisonous eight-faced Buddha and help Chow to escape. However, due to the safety concerns of Chow, he was reluctant to conduct a fake drug transaction with the Eight-faced Buddha. He secretly used the telephone to contact the other party and said that the transaction was cancelled, which led to the suspicion that the Eight-faced Buddha had bought the drug party Chow and others. After the war, the two sides forced Tin to choose a rescue between Chow and Wai. Finally, Tin chose to save Chow, and Wai was shot in the crocodile pool. Wai’s death made both Tin and Chow deeply embarrassed. The two also took care of Cheung’s mother who was hospitalized for her illness and amnesia. Chow’s wife broke up with him after giving birth to his daughter.

Five years later, the son of the Eight-faced Buddha, Sanit Wei is killed in Hong Kong by the gang of the Tsim Sha Tsui gang led by Dune Kun. Chow and Tin found out that Wai is alive when he investigated the incident. He also married Mina and became the son-in-law of the Eight-faced Buddha. The trio was tied up by the daughter of Chow, and finally resolved the resentment between each other. The brotherhood was reborn again, and Chow reconciled with his wife and daughter. He learned that Wai and Dun Kune had killed the son of Eight-faced Buddha. In the night when Eight-faced Buddha mourns his dead son, the three brothers chose to fight with the Eight-faced Buddha. Wai, who had been suspected by the Eight-faced Buddha, was forced to cut off one of his own hands. An intense showdown ensures, where Tin, Chow and Wai gun down a huge number of Eight Faced Buddha's men. During the chaos Wai is killed and Tin and heavily wounded by a strong henchman. Chow is pinned down by Eight Faced Buddha. Tin appreciating all that Chow has done sacrifices himself to draw out Eight Faced Buddha, who guns down Tin but allows a wounded Chow to finally gun down Eight Faced Buddha. Chow then smiles, despite the deaths of Tin and Wai, realizing that they have finally taken down the whole crime syndicate but at a heavy cost.

Cast[]

• Sean Lau as Ma Ho-tin
• Louis Koo as So Kin-chow
• Nick Cheung as Cheung Tsz-wai
• Yuan Quan as Chloe Yuan
• Lo Hoi-pang as Wei Xin-guang (Eight-Faced Buddha)
• Berg Ng as Wong Shun-yik
• Ken Lo as Bobby
• Treechada Malayaporn as Mina Wei
• Ben Lam as Hak Tsai
• Hugo Ng as M.D. Wong
• Marc Ma as Dune Kun
• Xing Yu as Kanit
• Law Lan as Tsz-wai's mother
• Lee Siu-kei as Kei, informer for Ho-tin
• Vithaya Pansringarm as Mr. Choowit
• Nut Keasanond as Sanit Wei
• Pacharapon Jantieng as Chatchai
• Chris Collins as Eight Faced Buddha's Lead Mercenary

Critical response[]

Andrew Chan of the Film Critics Circle of Australia writes, "“The White Storm” is easily the most entertaining (Hong Kong) film of the year, an edge of the seat thriller, smash buckling action affair and a powerhouse of acting experience. "^[7]

Awards and nominations[]

Sequel[]

On 16 March 2018, Universe Entertainment announced that a sequel of the film, titled The White Storm 2: Drug Lords, would start shooting during the summer and unveiled its teaser film poster. Being a sequel in name only with a similar thematic but a new storyline, Louis Koo returned playing a different role, making him the only returning cast member. Andy Lau joined the cast and also served as the film's producer, while Herman Yau replaced Benny Chan as the director for the sequel. Filming for The White Storm 2: Drug Lords took place in Hong Kong and the Philippines and the budget of the film was over HK$200 million.^[5] Production for The White Storm 2 - Drug Lords began on 23 June 2018^[6] and was released on 16 July 2019.^[8]

References[]

External links[]

• The White Storm at IMDb