Cover of Twins Effect (Sub)
Co-directed by Dante Lam, Donnie Yen, and starring Gillian Chung, Charlene Choi (from the Cantopop group Twins), Ekin Cheng, Edison Chen (The US Grudge 2) and Jackie Chan (in a brilliant cameo). The film was made to capitalise on the Twins popularity.
The Twins Effect is an action/adventure/comedy. While the two girls were the main draw for the film, Donnie Yen asked Jackie Chan to do a cameo so that the film would have a wider audience.
At the beginning of the film we see vampire Hunters Reeve (Ekin Cheng) and Lila (Josie Ho) take on a horde of vampires and their leader. The leader is Duke Dekotes (Mickey Hardt) who is so powerful that he kills Lila. Heartbroken, Reeve swears to never fall in love with a fellow hunter again.
Reeve’s sister Helen (Charlene Choi) follows her boyfriend who is being unfaithful and is taking another girl to dinner. Helen comes in just as her fella’s new girl says Helen’s name. After making him cut off a fingernail, she plunks herself down at a nearby table where two men are already sitting.
The two men are Kazaf (Edison Chen) who is a vampire prince and his minder Prada (Anthony Wong Chau-Sang). Kasaf falls in love with Helen at first sight and gets her to give him part of her mobile (cell) phone number. After he and Prada rent an old church to live in, Kazaf instructs Prada to help him to woo the girl.
Anthony Wong Chau-Sang is absolutely brilliant as the dour and pedantic Prada. At one point he admonishes Kazaf for falling for Helen. He tell Kazaf, “You don’t date food.”
Reeve has been sent a new partner named Gipsy (Gillian Chung). Gypsy, upon meeting Reeve, develops a case of “love at first sight” and she also meets Helen, who takes an immediate dislike to her.
Kazaf has managed to figure out Helen’s phone number and arranges a date. Gipsy and Reeve patrol the town and discover that Duke Dekotes is in town.
Helen finds out that Kazaf is a vampire, but she is a modern open minded sort of girl and doesn’t care. She knows, though ,that she must not tell Reeve. Reeve has found out that Duke Dekotes is killing every vampire prince existing, because they each have a piece of a “spell” or book that allows the owner to become more powerful. Called Night For Day, it allows the owner to become omnipotent and able to move during daylight hours.
Reeve and Gipsy have to stop the Duke and Helen must save Kasaf.
English: Donnie Yen at 2007 Shanghai International Film Festival (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
There is enough wire work and martial arts in the film to make it more than qualify as an action film. And with Donnie Yen as the Action Director the fights are brilliantly choreographed as well as the stunts. Comedy runs throughout the film and considering the demographic that the film was aiming for works very well.
Jackie Chan’s cameo as the nervous groom whose wedding that Helen and Kazaf gate crash was great. After he is married, Helen and Kazaf bump into Jackie again and he helps them escape some vampires who are chasing them.
Twins Effect is a wonderfully entertaining film that does not take itself seriously. Despite the fact that the producers were attempting to cash in on the singing groups popularity, they did not short change the audience.
One of the better action comedies to come out of China it is definitely worth a look or two. It is one of those films that can be viewed multiple times and never get old. Just remember to not take it seriously, and you’ll have a blast.
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Wait…Ekin Cheng, Donnie Yen and Jackie Chan cameo…man..you’re more on track than I am. But I got turned around from the “Twins” factor. Maybe it deserves a chance. Great review!
It is a bit on the “smaltzy” side but a great fun film to watch. I hope you get to see it! Cheers mate!!
Next time I go to Toronto, I`ll definitely be on the lookout for this. I own almost all the movies of the 3 up there. But its funny,…they always like to put Jackie Chan`s for cameos in smaller action movies. They did that for Gen-X Cops also (don`t know if you saw that one).
I haven’t actually seen Gen-X Cops yet, but having said that I did not see any of the other “twins” films. I only found out by “trawling” the net that there was a Twins Effect 2! I’ll keep an eye out for it…
Gen-X Cops doesn’t have Twins but it was also an initiation movie for a few young actors back then.
I haven’t googled it yet, so can I ask, was it also a Donnie Yen film?
I don’t think so. If you are familiar with Infernal Affairs, Eric Tsang is in this one. Also, Nichoals Tse is there also, he was one of the young actors. That was his blazing period of popularity. He was in a few more recent Jackie Chan or Donnie Yen movies like Bodyguards and Assassins and New Police Story. Both of those very good movies!
The new Police Story is on my list of “must-sees” nice to hear it’s a good one. Cheers mate!!