If you’re into Hong Kong action movies, Breaking News (2004) is one you can’t skip. Directed by Johnnie To, this film doesn’t just deliver shootouts, it turns them into something sharp, chaotic, and weirdly beautiful. The opening scene alone is unforgettable. A long, continuous tracking shot filled with tension, gunfire, and movement, it’s the kind of thing that grabs you right away and doesn’t let go.
But this isn’t just about bullets and body counts. Breaking News also dives into how public image and media coverage shape real-life events. It’s fast, smart, and surprisingly funny in some moments. Even 20 years later, it still feels relevant and way ahead of its time.
Overview of the Plot
I’ll be honest, when I first heard about Breaking News (2004), I thought it was just another cops vs criminals shootout flick. But man, I was wrong. This film packs way more under the surface. Sure, it opens with a crazy, single take gun battle in broad daylight, but what really surprised me was how quickly it pivots into something smarter. It’s not just bullets flying, it’s about public image, media spin, and how even police operations get choreographed for the cameras.
So here’s the summary: a group of armed robbers led by Yuen (played cool and quiet by Richie Jen) gets into a firefight with police in a crowded city street. The shootout is messy, and worst of all for the cops, someone films it. The clip makes them look weak, disorganized. Suddenly, the police aren’t just chasing criminals, they’re chasing a narrative.
Inspector Rebecca Fong, played by Kelly Chen, steps in. And she’s not just planning a tactical raid, she’s planning a PR recovery campaign. She starts turning every move into a media event. News crews are invited. Cameras are staged. Every arrest becomes a performance. I actually laughed at how real it felt, in a sad way. We see this in real life too, where the press conference becomes more important than what actually happened.
What I liked most is how the plot doesn’t just stick with the police. We also follow the robbers as they try to survive the pressure, holed up in an apartment building with innocent residents around. They’re smart, too. They don’t just fight, they also manipulate the public story, using phones, hacking into broadcasts, and throwing off the police’s media game.
There’s this interesting mirroring between both sides. It’s not about good vs. evil, it’s about who controls the story. I remember thinking halfway through the movie, “Wait, am I rooting for the criminals right now?” And that’s part of the genius. The lines get blurry.
Honestly, the plot might sound basic when you describe it. But it plays out with so much tension and so many clever twists that you just can’t look away. And the pacing? Tight. No wasted scenes.
If you’re expecting a mindless action film, this one might catch you off guard, in the best way.
The Director’s Signature Style
If you’ve ever seen a Johnnie To film, you know the man doesn’t just shoot action, he choreographs it. Watching Breaking News felt like seeing a magician at work. I still remember that opening scene. One long, uninterrupted shot that lasts over six minutes. No cuts, no shortcuts. Just a full on shootout flowing through stairwells, alleys, and chaos. It’s the kind of scene that made me sit up and think, “Okay… this isn’t your average crime movie.”
What’s wild is that To doesn’t show off just for the sake of it. The long take isn’t just a showing off, it tells you right away that this story is going to be different. Everything feels very grounded and real-time. You’re in it with the characters, no fancy edits to save them.
I started noticing all the little things after that. Like how he uses silence before a gunfight, no dramatic music, just tension. Or how his camera moves slowly at times, letting the tension build until boom, everything breaks loose. He does this thing where he lets characters pause the scene, just staring or thinking, while everything else continues around them. It creates a kind of pressure you don’t usually see in action movies.
Another thing I admire is how clean and controlled his framing is. Even when there’s chaos on screen, you always know where to look. And the lighting? Dark, moody, and sometimes almost too calm, like it’s daring you to relax right before something explodes. He uses that contrast a lot.
In Breaking News, To also plays with media screens and reflections. There’s one scene where the police are watching their own press footage while planning a raid, and it’s just layers on layers, real life vs. what the public sees. That kind of visual storytelling takes serious skill.
It’s not loud or flashy the whole way through. To has this confident, almost minimalist touch when it comes to movement and sound. He trusts the scene to speak for itself and it usually does.
After watching this film, I went back and rewatched some of his other work. You start to see the patterns. The control. The way he stages violence like a dance but never lets you forget the consequences.
Honestly, whether you’re into action movies or not, if you care about filmmaking as a craft, Breaking News is worth a watch just to see how To handles it all.
Characters and Performances
One thing I really appreciate about Breaking News (2004) is how the characters aren’t just placeholders in a gunfight. They’re not just there to fill space, some have more going on than others, but they all matter. Let’s start with Richie Jen. His character, Yuen, leads the gang of robbers and barely raises his voice the whole film. He’s quiet, sharp, and feels like the kind of guy who could vanish into a crowd even after making headlines. And somehow, even while playing the bad guy, he still comes across as weirdly likable. I found myself kind of hoping he’d escape.
Then you’ve got Kelly Chen as Inspector Rebecca Fong. Now, she doesn’t do the usual yelling or dramatic speeches you see in cop roles. She’s calm, cold when she needs to be, and honestly, she plays the media game better than the actual operation at times. What really stood out to me was how calculated she felt. You can see her thinking several moves ahead, always asking how things will look on camera. It’s not your typical tough-cop performance, and that made her more believable.
Nick Cheung’s character, Cheung, the undercover cop, brings in the most tension for me. He’s stuck between two sides and just trying to survive while keeping his cover. His scenes are stressful, especially when he’s trying not to blow it with the gang. There’s a moment where he’s almost caught, and even though I knew he was probably safe, I still held my breath. That’s when you know an actor’s doing a good job.
What I like about the performances overall is that they’re not too dramatic. Nobody’s overacting or trying too hard to steal the spotlight. Everything feels controlled, grounded. Even when things get loud or violent, the characters still seem like real people, flawed, smart, desperate.
The supporting cast adds to that feeling. There are small moments with hostages, junior officers, even the media team, that feel natural and not forced. Like when one of the younger cops messes up during a press stunt, you get this flash of awkwardness that makes the whole situation feel more real.
I’ve seen a lot of crime thrillers where the cast feels like they’re just there to fill roles. Not here. You could tell the director trusted the actors to do their thing, and they did.
Next time someone asks me for a smart action movie with solid characters, this one’s going on the list.
Themes of Media and Manipulation
One of the smartest things about Breaking News (2004) is how it turns a shootout into a media event. I didn’t catch it right away on my first watch, but once the police started staging their operations for the news cameras, it hit me, this movie isn’t just about crime. It’s about control. Who tells the story, and who gets to look like the hero?
Inspector Rebecca Fong is the clearest example of this. She’s not just managing a police response, she’s directing a narrative. The cops mess up during the first encounter with the gang, and it gets filmed. Suddenly, the police force looks weak. So what does she do? She doesn’t just fix the operation, she fixes the image. She invites media crews into their next move. She literally has the cops walk in formation just for the cameras. I was watching it thinking, “This is half SWAT raid, half photo op.”
What’s even more interesting is how the criminals play the same game. Yuen and his gang start countering the media narrative. They record their own messages. They outsmart the police not just with weapons, but with information. There’s one scene where they hijack a video feed, and I just thought, yep, this is a media war now. Guns are almost secondary.
It really reminded me of how much we rely on appearance over truth these days. Like, it doesn’t matter what’s real, just what people believe they saw. The film nails that idea without preaching about it. It just shows both sides doing whatever they can to win the public over.
What I appreciated most was how the film didn’t pick a side. The cops look clever but also shady. The criminals are dangerous but surprisingly human. Both groups manipulate the public in their own way, and the audience is left to ask, Does anyone really have the moral high ground?
This is the kind of theme that makes the movie feel relevant even today. We live in a world where perception is reality. Where a single photo, clip, or headline can change how millions of people think. Breaking News taps into that, and it does it without being too obvious about it. You just feel it as the story unfolds.
If you’ve ever scrolled through social media during a crisis and thought, What’s really going on here? this movie will hit you differently.
Why It Still Stands Out Today
Some movies fade with time. They get buried under new trends, better effects, or changing tastes. But Breaking News (2004)? Somehow, it still hits just as hard today, maybe even harder. I rewatched it recently, and what struck me wasn’t just the action or the long takes. It was how current the story feels, especially in a world where public image is everything.
And then there’s the style. That seven minute opening shot still blows people’s minds today. Even with all the drone cams and CGI tricks we’ve seen since, nothing beats a well-executed long take where everything feels real. You see people panic, trip, reload, and run, it’s messy in the best way. There’s a rawness to it that newer films sometimes lack.
Also, the themes around media spin, fake heroism, and public manipulation have aged like fine wine. Back then, you might’ve thought the cops were just being clever. But now, after years of seeing press conferences and crisis PR play out in real time, it all feels very familiar. Too familiar, honestly.
Another reason it still stands out is because Johnnie To doesn’t handhold the viewer. He trusts you to catch the subtle stuff to notice who’s really pulling the strings and who’s just trying to survive. It’s not loud about its message, which makes it even more effective. You walk away thinking about it, not just remembering explosions or shootouts.
The performances also help. No one’s hamming it up or acting like they know they’re in a “cool” movie. It’s serious, grounded, and that makes everything feel higher stakes. That kind of restraint is rare in action films.
I’ve recommended Breaking News to a bunch of younger film fans lately, people who weren’t even born when it came out, and they all said the same thing: “That movie feels now.” And it does. It’s tight, smart, and still has something to say.
Conclusion
Two decades later, Breaking News still holds up. It’s not just about action, it’s about how stories are told, who controls the camera, and what the public believes. Johnnie To used one chaotic shootout to say something much bigger about power, perception, and media.
If you haven’t seen it yet, now’s a great time. And if you have? Watch it again. You’ll probably catch something you missed the first time.