
Hero
1997

1981
Director
Patrick Yuen Ho-Chuen
Runtime
89 minutes
Average Rating
No ratings yetSynopsis
Police corruption is the theme of this brutal harbinger of the bleak "new wave" crime thriller. Pai Piao, Danny Lee, and "Venom" Sun Chien star as idealistic police school graduates who run afoul of such vicious, murderous depravity that the cop who is killed first could be considered the lucky one.
Overall Score
Limited
Category Breakdown
LGBTQ+ Representation
The film lacks LGBTQ+ characters or narratives that critique heteronormativity. It adheres to the traditional gender and orientation norms typical of 1981 Hong Kong action cinema.
Gender Representation
The story centers on male police graduates navigating a masculine-coded struggle against depravity. There is no evidence of female characters possessing high agency or subverting traditional leadership hierarchies.
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
The cast is ethnically homogeneous, reflecting its localized Hong Kong production context. The film does not utilize multicultural casting or metaphors for racial diversity.
Religious & Cultural Diversity
The narrative explores systemic corruption through a standard moral conflict between idealism and depravity. It functions as a genre-driven crime thriller rather than a critique of broader social institutions.
Disability Representation
There is no mention of characters with visible or invisible disabilities. These themes do not appear to be central to the narrative.
Strengths
Areas for Improvement
AI Analysis
What Price Honesty? is a visceral crime thriller that prioritizes genre tropes over social subversion. The film focuses on the brutal struggle of idealistic police graduates against a corrupt system, leaning heavily into masculine-coded action.

1997

1987

1989

2007

1975

1992

2001

1996

1988

1995

2001

2013
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!
Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.