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When I was finished with
"Unsecured Loan II" I wasn't as high on it as I was with director
Juliane Block's previous short actioner "Ramly at War Begins." While
this follow up isn't terrible, it's not as high concept or flashy as I
expected. However when I was able to really soak in the social
commentary and tight storytelling upon repeated viewings. Director Block
is never prone to delivering clunky action fare and she shows it with
this follow-up that has potential to be a full scale action crime
thriller that can convey a message and entertain action audiences,
"Unsecured Loan II" is very much a crime thriller steeped in drama that
relies more on the social themes of loan sharks in Malaysia than
actually devising an action story.
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"Unsecured
Loan II" is a simple and barebones premise that gets to the
basics quickly. William is a man who has borrowed from a
loan shark. He needs more time and instead is given only a
matter of hours to pay back his loan or else a cruel fate
will await his unsuspecting wife. In order to repay his
debt, he has to kill a man the loan shark is also in line
for a debt, thus the carnage ensues. As with the previous
short film, |
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Director Block's
editing and direction are fantastic and she is able to really suck
the audience in to the martial arts entertainment. The stunts by
Chee Hong are stellar as all of the big set pieces in the finale are
conducted with a flawless speed that make the battles almost
seamless. I also really enjoyed the second knife fight where both
actors are swiping at one another endlessly leading in to a rather
intense fight to the death. "Unsecured Loan II" is ambitious in that
it touches on social issues in Malaysia and in the process squeezes
in a damn fine action fix for anyone in the market for a crime
thriller set to the tune of ace choreography and battered limbs.
Sharp performances,
sleek direction, and fantastic fight sequences are all on order for yet
another really entertaining Juliane Block action film that acts as a
social conscious statement and a clever crime thriller all at once.
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