The lack of visual flair doesn't help matters either. Keeping in line with its overall shiftless attitude, Heroic Duo is presented with a pretty flat look. Save for an opening credits sequence airlifted out of a lesser Bond film, Chan pretty much points the camera at the action and steps away. There's not much energy or verve to these sections, regarded by Chan in the same way a ten-year-old regards taking out the garbage. It's almost as if the movie started as a straight thriller first and got strong-armed into throwing in some gunplay. The pre-credits sequence, in which the bad guys menace a family, is much more tense than the sluggish chase scenes that soon follow. Not even the title makes sense, since Ken and Jack spend more time trying to solve problems on their own than they do as a team. But at least you can walk away from the film knowing that the actors tried to have a good time. Cheng fills the token "cop with attitude" role to a tee, but it's Lai who emerges with the most memorable performance. Jack is a truly enigmatic character, and Lai does a good job of keeping viewers on their toes and wondering what he's going to do next.
Hong Kong action opuses have always been more renowned for their pyrotechnics than for their plots. But Heroic Duo is what happens when neither element is up to snuff. It's not a terrible film, but adrenaline junkies are liable to find more thrills at a dog show than with this disappointing import.
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