Cold War 1994: Stellar Trilogy of Hong Kong Pre-Handover Power Struggle Evolves
By Alice Shih
Rating: A-
Cold War 1994 - Longman Leung Lok-Man’s intricate trilogy of four factions fighting for dominance in Hong Kong prior to the handover of Hong Kong from Britain to China – has evolved since 2012 and 2016 from crime drama to political thriller.
The characters are exceptional. But the most important protagonist is Hong Kong itself. Only Hong Kong could exemplify colonial control by playing both opulent businessmen and the triads for obscene gains at this scale.
Wu Kang-Ren, Terrance Lau, Tse Kwan-Ho, Daniel Wu and Louise Wong in Cold War 1994
The stakes are raised when the conspiracy is schemed at the government level, instead of from of a gang of bad cops. Quoting British MI6 agent F.M. (Aidan Gillen), “We don’t break the law, we write the law.”
This third installment of the Cold War franchise is the first half of a prequel that takes place in 1994 (its second half, Cold War 1995, is scheduled for release later this year).
It is three years before the handover. The Brits wants to keep lucrative businesses in the hands of British firms. They plot to secure this advantage by placing a Brit-friendly police chief to influence the Hong Kong business elites, who will soon no longer be obligated to bow down to British trade partners.
Standing at the other end of the law is the triad. They operate by bribing high ranking cops to turn a blind eye to their illegal activities. For this practice to continue after the 1997 handover, they need to meddle with potential candidates.
Also influencing law enforcement is the elite financial class which wants a safe society with a low crime rate, conducive to business prosperity, wealth and personal protection. These affluent family corporations of humble origins once did unspeakable dirty works for the colonizer under their patronage in the mid-1800s. Through the 20th Century, they’ve gradually laundered their money through legitimate businesses.
But this is all shattered when a rich mogul from the most powerful family is kidnapped for ransom. This incident ties the police, triads, elites and rulers all together, sparking a series of violent reprisals unknown to the public, as the government would conceal its related files until 2017.
All stakeholders for power are challenged to conform or reform, upsetting the fragile equilibrium of control over Hong Kong. Tempted by greed or power, the Royal Hong Kong Police Force fractures internally, as all members who have previously sworn allegiance to the Crown before taking office, must now decide to stand or sway.
It took the Oscars 98 years to acknowledge “Casting” as a category, but this important profession is still not widely recognized in Asia. Kudos to the casting team behind director Leung Lok-Man and producer Bill Kong. Every character in the Cold War Universe is meticulously cast, down to the background actors. The impressive ensemble consists of major award winners, including Chow Yun Fat and Aaron Kwok reprising their roles as the investigator duo, and the stellar chemistry played out by Daniel Wu, Tse Kwan-Ho and Terrance Lau back in the shady times of 1994.
Leung used to be a production designer, and he picked Pater Wong, a veteran designer, to recreate Hong Kong in the 90s, including an incredible replication of Kai Tak Airport which ceased operation in 1998. Bullets flying amid explosions, adrenaline-rushed car chases, as well as serene landscapes are all skilfully captured by cinematographer Anthony Pun and editors Zhaoshuo Fan and David M. Richardson. They swing our emotions like a pendulum with their tight-paced editorial juxtapositions. A great team of artists banding together can make magic.
The Hong Kong cinema boom in the ‘80s and early ‘90s when it was being hailed as “Hollywood of the East” are long gone. Since the heyday, film productions have gone from about 300 per year down to 43 in 2025. Despite meshing the multiple storylines making the plot too complex to decipher at times, it is a delight to see Cold War 1994 reviving the once golden genre of crime thriller like the iconic Infernal Affairs trilogy, which got adapted by Martin Scorsese and won him his overdue Oscar (2006’s The Departed).
The city of Hong Kong has seen a lot of changes through the years and has experienced its share of growing pains associated with the upheavals. Its position in world politics continues to inspire new narratives exclusive to its unique state of affairs. Hopefully its film industry will make a comeback to share more distinctive stories with Hong Kong as a protagonist in the developing future.
Cold War 1994. Directed by Longman Leung Lok-Man. Written by Cheung Fei-Fan, Jolyon Cheung, Liangye He & Longman Leung Lok-Man. Starring Daniel Wu, Terrance Lau, Tse Kwan-Ho, Wu Kang-Ren, Louise Wong, Fish Liew, Aidan Gillen, Hugh Bonneville, Chow Yun-Fat, Aaron Kwok, Louis Koo & Tony Leung Ka Fai. In select Cineplex theatres now.