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Bridging these two eras are two pivotal films from the early 2000s that demonstrate Chan\u2019s unique flair for action \u2013 Heroic Duo<\/em> and Invisible Target<\/em>.<\/p>\n To add some contemporary touches, Chan used his well-known talent for explosives to blow everything sky-high in a fiery finale filmed in an industrial area in Kowloon Bay. The explosions were so loud that nearby residents thought they were real and called the police and fire services.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nHeroic Duo (2003)<\/h3>\n
Shot before 2002\u2019s mega-hit Infernal Affairs<\/em><\/span> fully rejuvenated the Hong Kong film industry, Heroic Duo<\/em> lacks the gloss of later productions. Despite occasionally looking cheap, the film delivers engaging action and unexpectedly large-scale scenes.<\/div>\n\u201cA police thriller leavened with psychological nuance, Heroic Duo<\/em> is one of the year\u2019s most interesting action films,\u201d noted South China Morning Post critic Paul Fonoroff. \u201cAlong with PTU<\/em><\/span> a<\/em>nd Colour of the Truth<\/em>, Heroic Duo<\/em> demonstrates that Hong Kong action cinema in 2003 is multifaceted and more than capable of delivering a buzz.\u201d<\/div>\nThe most appealing aspect was a down-to-earth approach to action that had slipped out of fashion in the late 1990s, a trend driven in part by Chan\u2019s own effects-heavy, glamour-prioritising films such as Gen-X Cops<\/em><\/span> (1999).<\/div>\nBut here, Hong Kong\u2019s film heritage is revisited with real car chases and old-school stunts involving dangerous leaps and falls, all orchestrated by choreographer Stephen Tung Wai<\/span>.<\/div>\n