SPL: Kill Zone

2005 1h 33m CN

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 369

ActionCrimeDramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Chan, an articulate senior detective nearing the end of his career, is taking care of the daughter of a witness killed by ruthless crime lord Po. Martial arts expert Ma is set to take over as head of the crime unit, replacing Chan who wants an early retirement.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Donnie Yen
Inspector Ma Kwun
Simon Yam
Detective Chan Kwok Chung
Sammo Hung
Wong Po
Wu Jing
Jack
Liu Kai-Chi
Lok Kwun Wah
Danny Summer
Kwok Tze-sum
Ken Chang Tzu-Yao
Lee Wai Lok
Austin Wai Tin-Chi
Cheung Chun Fei

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Wilson Yip
Writers: Jack Ng Wai-Lun, Szeto Kam-Yuen, Wilson Yip
Languages: Cantonese, Mandarin
Countries: Hong Kong, Macao

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 21 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Cantonese, Mandarin.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Hong Kong, Macao.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "SPL Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Wilson Yip, shot by Lam Wah-Chuen. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Comfort Chan. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Cheung Ka-Fai shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Donnie Yen and Simon Yam and Sammo Hung carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Wilson Yip directs. Lam Wah-Chuen behind the camera. Comfort Chan scores. Cheung Ka-Fai cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Hong Kong, Macao. Dialogue in Cantonese, Mandarin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 21 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Cantonese, Mandarin.
3International production across 2 countries: Hong Kong, Macao.
4Part of the "SPL Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Directed by Wilson Yip, shot by Lam Wah-Chuen. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Comfort Chan. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Cheung Ka-Fai shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Donnie Yen and Simon Yam and Sammo Hung carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt0478024 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Released under 29 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Lam Wah-Chuen
Original score: Comfort Chan
Editing: Cheung Ka-Fai
Runtime: 93 min · 1h 33m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: CN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: SPL: Kill Zone (2005)

Part of

SPL Collection

SPL: Sha Po Lang (released in the United States as Kill Zone) is a 2005 Hong Kong action film written and directed by Wilson Yip, and starring Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung and Simon Yam. The film was released in Hong Kong on 18 November 2005. It was followed by SPL 2 in 2015, and Paradox, released in 2017. The title Sha Po Lang refers to three words derived from Chinese astrology that each represent a different star capable of good or evil depending on their position in the heavens.