1993 Hong Kong film
First Shot is a 1993 Hong Kong crime film produced and directed by David Lam and starring Ti Lung, Maggie Cheung, Simon Yam, Waise Lee, Canti Lau and Andy Hui. The film tells the story of events that led to the formation of the ICAC in Hong Kong in 1974.
Plot
During the early 1970s, the ICAC has not been established in Hong Kong yet and the city was swamped with corruption and widespread poverty. Police sergeant Wong Yat-chung (Ti Lung) is very upright and justice and refuses to partake with his corrupt colleagues and thus, he is marginalized from everyone else at the police station. During an operation, Wong's subordinate Sam Mok (Simon Yam) shoots Wong in the back heavily injuring him. Meanwhile, Governor Murray MacLehose delegates Sir Barry Drainage to investigate the corruption happening in Hong Kong. Drainage's assistant Annie Ma (Maggie Cheung) also enlists Wong for help. After investigating, Wong discovers that Mok was forced to shoot him earlier. Wong then recruits Mok alongside two elite cadets from the police academy to assist him in gathering evidence of corruption groups and begins Hong Kong's first strike against corruption.
Reception
Beyond Hollywood gave the film a negative review criticizing its lack of originality by directly lifting its plot, scenes and characters from Brian De Palma's The Untouchables and also criticizes its shoddy writing.[1] Hong Kong Film Net rated the film 7 out of 10 stars and gave a positive review writing "The characters were enaging (especially Simon Yam's turn as a weaselly rat, a total 180 from the usual suave characters he plays), the story was interesting, and the action was pretty exciting. First Shot is really not that much different from many other similar movies (except that it is based -- albeit loosely -- on a true story), but it is done well and worth a look."[2]
Box office
The film grossed HK$5,463,556 at the Hong Kong box office during its theatrical run from 25 February to 10 March 1993 in Hong Kong.
