No objections to Donnie Yen’s “The Prosecutor”
- Kay Reynolds
- Jun 5
- 4 min read
4K ULTRA HD REVIEW / HDR SCREENSHOTS
Director/producer/actor Donnie Yen, with Kent Cheng (as mentor Bao Ding) right, stars as Prosecutor Fok Chi Ho, a former police officer who left the force to become a prosecutor. Seven years later, he still holds his own in a rooftop battle, trying to get to the bottom of a questionable court case.
The film, based on a real court case, opened in Hong Kong, rising to the top of the box office during January 2025. Critics' ratings on RottenTomatoes.com stand at 93%, while fans rate it at 90%.
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“THE PROSECUTOR”
4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray (sold separately); 2024: Not Rated, contains action violence, gore, profanity, and drug use.
Best Extra: No extras
COUNT ON Donnie Yen to deliver intelligence, charm and amazing martial arts skills in any production.
Those talents are on display in “The Prosecutor,” based on a real 2016 court case in Hong Kong. Teenage Ma Ka Kit (Ho Yeung Fung) is arrested for drug trafficking after he receives a kilogram of cocaine from Brazil in his mailbox. The desperate Ma insists he is innocent, that he rented his mailbox to a co-worker to earn money for himself and his elderly uncle. The Mas obviously need food and better housing. Unfortunately, the naïve young man is tricked by his cunning defense attorney (Mandy Wong) into pleading guilty for a reduced sentence, but nothing goes as planned. Ma is sentenced to 27 years in prison while the guilty party and his henchmen are set free.
Prosecutor Fok Chi Ho (Yen), a former police officer who has joined the Department of Justice after a similar foul-up in which a gang of armed robbers are released without conviction. Fok’s court mentor, Bao Ding – played by Kent Cheng, another well-known face who appeared in Yen’s blockbuster “Ip Man” series – also senses something wrong with Ma’s case, but what can they do? The Department does not want to reopen the investigation. Their reason? They consider it solved, and have hundreds of other cases to deal with. "Wasting" time on the Ma case is not in the cards.
(1) Fok, as an investigative police detective, prepares to take on a gang of ruthless robbers. (2&3) Seriously injured during the fight, Fok defends himself against allegations made by one of the criminals. (4) A corrupt defense attorney (Mandy Wong) twists the evidence, allowing the gang to escape conviction and be set free. (5) Discouraged by the verdict, Fok leaves the force to pursue justice as a prosecutor.
Except Fok can’t let it go. He enlists the aid of Bao, Ma’s uncle (Kong Lau), and other investigators to find evidence that proves the teen’s innocence and get him a new trial. This makes Fok and the uncle primary targets for the drug gang that wants to stop him. Martial arts, explosions and a parking garage car chase ramp up the action. There is a terrific battle between Fok and a vengeance seeking thug the detective once arrested. It's a clear homage to Yen's work in "John Wick: Chapter Four." This is where Fok’s prosecutor yells, “I object” as he leaps in for the finish.
Yen was injured during a fight sequence when he was thrown over a man's shoulder, spending some time in the hospital.
VIDEO
“The Prosecutor,” directed and co-produced by Yen, looks and sounds very good! Shot on Arri Alexa digital cameras without any post-production film grain, it was mastered in 2K, with Dolby Vision and HDR10 grading. Overall, the imagery is super bright with excess highlights and midtones compared to Hollywood productions. Yes, it looks similar to "John Wick: Chapter 4," especially in action scenes. The HDR10 brightness levels numbers hit 577 nits and average 393 nits. Everything was encoded onto a 66 GB disc.
The color palette features a lot of blue/gray – a shiny, weaponized mixture seen in many thriller, detective, and horror films. Even so, fine detail and clarity are top notch, and is especially noticeable in the fight scenes. Everyone moves fast, but nothing is lost.
Interior rooms, court, and street scenes show natural color in complexions, clothing, and surroundings. Everything has a smooth and polished appearance.
(1-3) Now a prosecutor, Fok discusses an upcoming court case with his mentor. Evidence points to a known criminal, but a naive young man, Ma Ka Kit (Ho Yeung Fung) has been charged with drug trafficking after cocaine was delivered to his mailbox. Ma insists he rented his mailbox to a friend. (4) Hoping for a reduced sentence, Ma and Uncle Ma are advised to plead guilty by the young man's devious defense team. (5) Fok and Bao watch the preliminary hearing unfold.
AUDIO
Dual English/Cantonese dialogue in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 comes through clearly. English subtitles cue up automatically. The Dolby Atmos track on the 4K and Blu-ray deliver a battalion of effects from ceiling to walls during gunfights, martial arts and car chases. Music seems somewhat inconsequential as the effects punctuate the scenes. They absolutely shake the room.
The film was originally conceived as a courtroom drama during the COVID-19 pandemic. Co-producer Raymond Wong approached Yen several times for the lead role, but the actor/producer/director refused several times “I didn’t want to do this,” Yen explains in a Collider interview. Yen and the creators spent a lot of time watching well-done courtroom scenes. “It took me two months to really convince myself and how to find an angle to present the story." he says.
— Kay Reynolds and Bill Kelley III, High-def Watch producer
(1&2) Despite the department's attempts to stifle the case, Fok and Bao chase leads to proving Ma's innocence. Thugs from the cartel try to stop them. (3&4) Fok and Bao defend Ma at a new hearing, but it doesn't look good.
(1-8) Foc defends Uncle Ma as the old man is pursued by an assassin in a parking garage. Violence escalates as the cartel sends its thugs after those who might incriminate them, as they try to stop Fok and Bao. (9&10) Fok and Ma discuss how to proceed.
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