Review of Bian di lang yan

Cold Steel (2011)
"Bian di lang yan" (original title)

"The sniper's heart is like a lonely hunter."
Based on a popular online novel, the slick period action movie Cold Steel follows the exploits of a Chinese sniper unit during the Sino-Japanese War. Peter Ho (Sophie's Revenge) and Tony Leung Ka Fai star as the headstrong rookie and veteran marksman, respectively, in this wartime action drama about romance, camaraderie and the way of the bullet. Directed by David Wu (The Bride with White Hair 2), the film is packed with action sequences and shootouts and features supporting performances from Song Jia (Once Upon a Time in Tibet), veteran martial artist Yu Rong Guang, television actor Wilson Guo (Palace) and Angeles Woo (Reign of Assassins), daughter of director John Woo.

Young hunter Mu Liangfeng (Peter Ho) is arrested after getting into a fight with some soldiers over war widow Liu Yan (Song Jia). While he is being transported to the army camp, the convoy falls under attack by Japanese snipers, and Mu ends up saving the day with his sharpshooting skills. He is then promptly conscripted into the army's newly formed sniper unit, led by platoon leader Zhang Menzi (Tony Leung Ka Fai). The sniper unit is tasked to slow down the Japanese army's advancement, but many lives are at stake when their mission goes wrong.