I rented this film tonight because there has always been so much hype surrounding it. Thought I'd give it a try. Here our my thoughts...<br /><br />Packaging is slick. Sound track is thumping. Actors are all very pretty. Cinematography looks like a big budget action pic.<br /><br />But man, this flick is skin deep.<br /><br />Before I proceed, I have to say that I am a big fan of HK cinema. More stuff from the 80's. Chow Yun Fat, Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung stuff. Great stuff. But, unfortunately, this new generation has got a long, long way to go.<br /><br />The story. It just seemed like they didn't have a script. The film just didn't have a story. And because of that, you just couldn't invest yourself into any characters. If they indeed had a script, that would be even scarier.<br /><br />Actors. The changing of the guard has truly left a great deal to be desired. You would think with such veteran actors like Chow Yun Fat, Leslie Chung, Tony Leung, etc. that the younger generation of HK actors would have some incredible role models to look up to and learn from. Wow, the actors in this film were very, very green. The older actors in the film were all good...to be expected. But the main cast of young, pretty boys who were prettier than the girls...wow. Somehow I get the sense that the producers must have just picked some pretty boys off the street and said, "hey, you wanna be in a movie?" The only actor who had a grounded, real, and convincing presence in the young cast was Nicholas Tse. You can tell that he works hard at and takes his acting seriously. And the bar to judge is not high. He's the only actor in the entire cast that actually has an emotional connection to his words.<br /><br />I wanted to love this film. I don't have super high standards. As long as it's real, the actors are truly emotionally invested, and the story compelling, I give it a thumbs up. But man, Gen X Cops is like that car that is totally blinged up on the outside. It's got the body kit, chrome wheels, tinted windows, big ass exhaust...all that cool stuff on the outside. But under the hood is just a lawnmower engine.<br /><br />I know this movie was a huge hit in asia. I was there when it was playing. I also know that this was meant for a certain audience and it should be seen for what it is...just a simple, slick action pick. I'm not trying to hate on it. But seriously, I felt like I was duped. All they needed to do was find actors who were really good and qualified to act in these roles. Trust me, true charisma and acting chops will outshine just pretty looks every time. Plus, giving a bit of thought into a more thought-provoking story line would be the least they can do.<br /><br />Hopefully Gen Y Cops will be better. But I'm afraid to rent that after this experience.<br /><br />C9