Breaking News

Released May 22, 2004

1h 29m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

List

79%

Tomatometer

19 Reviews

65%

Audience Score

2,500+ Ratings

A tense firefight between bank robbery suspects and police is caught on video, and the footage is humiliating for the cops. So when master thief Yuen (Richie Ren) and his crew are tracked to a dilapidated apartment building, Commissioner Rebecca Fong (Kelly Chen) decides to attempt a new approach to fighting crime: media savvy. Rather than initiating a siege, Fong starts packaging the upcoming arrest as a reality show. But Yuen hasn't been caught yet, and he's ready to turn the tables on her.

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Noel Murray

AV Club

[Breaking News] is one of [director] To's typically tangled meditations on the smearing of good and evil, in moments where instinct overcomes morality.

Rated: B

Nov 27, 2006

Full Review

Frank Scheck

Hollywood Reporter

Prolific Hong Kong lenser Johnnie To delivers another solid action picture with this latest effort.

Feb 13, 2006

Full Review

G. Allen Johnson

San Francisco Chronicle

To, Hong Kong's best action auteur since John Woo left for Hollywood, doesn't disappoint.

Rated: 3/4

Feb 10, 2006

Full Review

Panos Kotzathanasis

Asian Movie Pulse

Johnnie To's direction is once more impressive, particularly the way he stages and shoots the action, taking full advantage of the narrow corridors of the building the gang has taken a stand in

Jul 26, 2020

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

This is a film Michael Bay would green light in a heartbeat.

Rated: C

Jul 11, 2009

Full Review

Kam Williams

DallasBlack.com

A brainless but harmless display of senseless slaughter!

Rated: 3/4

May 2, 2007

Full Review

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leong c

Reality TV / Police Operation show, with Kelly Chen being the flick-bitch... but I'm a fool for Johnnie To's movies...

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Breaking News is quite out of the ordinary, providing a spiced action along with a psychological mediatic war. Strongly advised.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Lots of hardcore action and gunplay to be found in this action thriller!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

camille l

Peu de films parviennent a meler la comedie franchement drole et le thriller policier tres muscle de maniere egale et efficace. Le film de Johnnie To en est un modele de reussite. Toujours spectaculaire, admirablement bien mis en scene (le plan-sequence de 7 minutes qui ouvre le film est parfait), constamment divertissant, teinté d'elements politiques qui enrichissent le recit sans l'entraver et tres bien mis en musique, Breaking News est un film exceptionnel. Richie Ren, Kelly Chen, Nick Cheung & Hui Siu Hung sont excellents.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Very smart thriller with a very powerful underlying message about society and media. This is pure action from the first to the last scene, no interruptions. A should see if you are into fresh experiences.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Action packed film about a televised bank robbery that ends up being terribly mismanaged by the police. This spectacular Chinese production is signed Johnnie To, a master of the genre. It includes enough great special effects and amazing fight sequences to leave its audiences more than just satisfied.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

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Johnnie To

Director

Richie Ren

Yuan

Kelly Chen

Inspector Rebecca Fong

Nick Cheung

Inspector Cheung

Suet Lam

Yip

You Yong

Chun

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Breaking News! (The Remake)

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Synopsis

A tense firefight between bank robbery suspects and police is caught on video, and the footage is humiliating for the cops. So when master thief Yuen (Richie Ren) and his crew are tracked to a dilapidated apartment building, Commissioner Rebecca Fong (Kelly Chen) decides to attempt a new approach to fighting crime: media savvy. Rather than initiating a siege, Fong starts packaging the upcoming arrest as a reality show. But Yuen hasn't been caught yet, and he's ready to turn the tables on her.

Director: Johnnie To
Producer: John Chong
Screenwriter: Chan Hing-Kai, Tin-Shing Yip
Distributor: Palm Pictures
Production Co: Milky Way Image
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Chinese
Release Date (Theaters): May 22, 2004, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 15, 2017
Runtime: 1h 29m