4. Does Li Bingbing's performance in the movie make people feel out of place?
3. Why does Fang Zhongxin have supernatural abilities like a medium? It feels like pretentiousness?
Directed by famous director Alan Mak, and starring Gu Tianle, Nicholas Tse, Li Bingbing, and Charlene Choi, the suspenseful gunfight epic "King of Guns" has been on limited release since the evening of July 1st. Its box office has been climbing steadily. By July 8th, the box office takings had already exceeded 60 million yuan, making it the best-performing Chinese film since the start of the summer vacation in June. Alongside its soaring box office, the film also received excellent reviews. However, amidst all the praise, there were also some questions raised. For instance, there was confusion over why Alan Mak would deny that "King of Guns" fell short of expectations when it was clearly a fine work. Some lamented the scarcity of gunfight scenes, feeling it slightly off-topic. There were also questions about why Fang Zhongxin had supernatural abilities akin to a medium... In response to these doubts, the production team specially invited director Alan Mak to address each of these queries.
Alan Mak: I don't feel this way at all. I think Li Bingbing's performance is very good. Nowadays, there are many mainland women like Li Bingbing working as senior executives in Hong Kong's Central district. The movie is essentially a reflection of reality, so there isn't any issue here.
2. Why are there so few gunfight scenes if it's called "King of Guns"?
Alan Mak: Since the movie starts with a practical shooting competition (IPSC), and the two main characters, Gu Tianle and Nicholas Tse, fight from the competition venue to outside it, while the veteran gun expert Fang Zhongxin plays a crucial role in the movie, guns cannot be separated from the story. Some viewers may feel there aren't enough gunfight scenes and it's not satisfying enough, but I prefer verbal battles over physical ones. As Gu Tianle says in the movie, you can kill without a gun. Even with fewer gunfights, the movie can still give the sensation of a gun battle. The title "King of Guns" comes from realizing after directing "Gunman" that there were many regrets. Thus, we wanted to create another version, which serves as an upgrade and makes up for the regrets left unresolved in "Gunman," hence the name "King of Guns."
5. Why wasn't there an explanation regarding Old Jiang (played by Michael Wang) and the bearer bonds?
Alan Mak: This was originally meant to be explained, but the focus of the movie wasn't here. Actually, Old Jiang and the bearer bonds symbolize more than their literal meanings. They're like an invisible hand manipulating you from behind. How to avoid being manipulated lies in discerning right from wrong and eliminating desires. At the same time, this part also sets up a foreshadowing.
1. Why admit that "King of Guns" falls short of expectations?
Alan Mak: The concept of Fang Zhongxin having psychic abilities originates from "Gunman." In the opening scene of "Gunman," he mimics the criminal's actions. If you've seen that part, you wouldn't question his psychic abilities in "King of Guns." He is the only character with continuity between "King of Guns" and "Gunman." So, it doesn't involve any pretense or fabrication; he was always someone with such extraordinary abilities.