Directed by Berry Ho and written by Cheung Lai Sze, estranged members of a crime-fighting group (played by the 12 members of Hong Kong boy group MIRROR) must collaborate to steal a scientific invention that could destroy global ecosystems. Starring: Anson Kong, Tiger Yau, Stanley Yau, Lokman Yeung, Keung To, Jeremy Lee, Jeremy Lau, Ian Chan, Edan Lui, Anson Lo, Frankie Chan, Alton Wong and Yeung Wai-Lun.
Going into We 12, you have to keep in mind that it’s serving as a vehicle for members of a band to basically have fun and create a new experience specifically for their fans, but even so, it does fall short. Its key problem being that it feels as though it was either written by a teenager or AI, it’s not a strong, cohesive story, there’s a lot of plot holes and it doesn’t really create enough of a challenge for its heroes to solve. The path to preventing such widespread destruction is surprisingly easy, so it’s not particularly satisfying to watch.
However, it does have that sense of fun, playing into the feel of old-school martial arts films, not caring about whether it’s nonsense or not, combined with a little bit of Disney family friendly vibes. Although again there’s quite a few weaknesses, the editing is somewhat lazy, with some moments feeling like they’re repeating themselves. The stunt choreography can be inconsistent with some great scenes and then some a little too obvious.
Although, one clear benefit of having band members in a cast is the relationship and chemistry between all of them. They’re clearly bonded and that’s nice to watch, but trying to keep track of a dozen different lead characters and giving them all enough to do doesn’t really work. The silliness of their specific set of skills is a fun touch but some of them can feel a bit unnecessary, as if they had to pick jobs out of the air because they’d run out of ideas.
We 12 creates a fun, silly adventure for fans of MIRROR to enjoy but it doesn’t feel like it offers much to a wider audience. It creates the right atmosphere but doesn’t have enough action or story to fill it out. The writing is very disappointing, although the direction is pretty much what you’d expect but it needed to lean one way or the other, either go full on absurd or focus on the action and excitement. Sadly, it falls somewhere in the middle and feels a bit deflated but it does look like the band members had a great time making it.
FilmCarnage.com 