The Prosecutor

by Brandon Thomas

Age isn’t much of a factor for action stars these days. Liam Neeson, Sylvester Stallone, Harrison Ford, and Tom Cruise (c’mon, dude is 63) are still throwing punches, shooting guns, and hanging off planes when most actors are looking for cushy dramas. However, guys like Donnie Yen take it to another level by still pumping out movies like The Prosecutor, where Yen continues to showcase his martial arts prowess. 

Fok Zi Hou (Yen) leaves the Hong Kong police to help fight crime from a different vantage point: the prosecutor’s office. As Fok takes on his first case, he quickly realizes that fighting crime in the courtroom can be just as dangerous as fighting it on the streets. Teaming up with a young detective from his former unit, Fok dives into a vast conspiracy that seeks to destroy the life of a wrongly imprisoned young man.

Let’s get this out of the way first: rooting against Donnie Yen is tough. The man is charisma personified. Even without the impressive martial arts skills, Yen would still be wooing audiences with his dashing good looks, quick wit, and devilish sense of humor. Most action stars are lucky to have one of those qualities. 

Yen – also serving as the film’s director – isn’t afraid to touch on his character’s (and his own?) age. Fok routinely comments on how he’s aged out of running down bad guys on the streets. You’d never know it, though, as Yen doles out serious whoopins with ease. It’d be easy to see this subtle commentary as Yen taking a meta look in the mirror.

And speaking of the action, while it might be a bit more sparse than I would’ve liked, when the movie comes alive – it really comes alive. From the opening shootout to the climactic fight on a moving train, Yen keeps the energy up and the fights fresh. It’s a testament to Yen’s longevity in the business that even after 40 years of doing movies, his creativity as an actor and filmmaker is still growing and flourishing. 

While the action portions of The Prosecutor jump right off the screen, the section focused on the legal drama isn’t able to match the former’s passion and energy. Clearly, Yen was attempting to inject something a bit more meaningful into this otherwise “by the books” action film. Unfortunately, this clash of tones makes the entirety of the film feel a bit undercooked and unsatisfying. 

While portions of The Prosecutor don’t live up to expectations, you’ll get everything you want and more when Donnie Yen is kicking dudes in the face.