For Cheung, his life is a relatively normal one which revolves around taking care of his wife and child as well as the day to day running of his own shop.  However, behind the happiness its clear to everyone that Cheung's wife is using him for his money but his ability to find the good in every situation prevents him from seeing what is right under his nose.  That is until he comes home from work one day to find his wife cheating on him but even this fails to ignite any real spark in his personality and he deals with it by finding the nearest bar and crawling inside a tequila bottle.  Whilst under the inebriation of alcohol he begins to recount his woes which normally wouldn't be a problem but when he is accidentally introduced to a man who can "fix" all his problems, things go horribly wrong.  With the alcohol doing the talking, Cheung agrees to anything which results in the brutal murder of his wife.  Pleading his innocence, Cheung doesn't have a clue what has happened until some men turn up on his doorstep to remind him of the debts he now owes and show that they intend to make his life a living hell.

At first glance, one might be forgiven for thinking that 'Run And Kill' is little more than a routine revenge tale, the likes of which has been played out on numerous occasions (often with mediocre results) on the Hollywood big screen.  However, being a Hong Kong film within the Category III bracket, one can usually expect a seemingly average affair to break away from the norm and often delve into depths of the human psyche that most would never dare.  Thankfully this is exactly the tract that 'Run And Kill' follows as 'Dr. Lamb' director Billy Tang weaves out an horrific tale of how an ordinary man's life can be turned on it's head by one very fatal drunken mistake. It's this "cause and effect" style of storytelling that makes this film such a riveting ride as Tang keeps Cheung's predicaments on a constant downward spiral and no matter how hard he tries to rectify the situation, he only seems to dig his hole deeper and deeper. Added to this, Tang chooses to add moments of bloodcurdling gore and uncomfortable surprise that keep the film rattling along at breakneck speed, barely giving the audience a chance to catch their breath before it finally culminates in it's bloody and chilling finale. Its perhaps not filmmaking at its most artistic and it is ultimately flawed in places but it certainly drags you in and keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.

One of the other major factors that makes 'Run And Kill' stand out is the decision to cast Kent Cheng in the leading role. Cheng is perhaps the perfect choice to play a "normal guy" as he doesn't possess superhuman physical attributes nor does he look like a supermodel, he's just a happy fat guy who could quite easily be the man next door.  Its this ease in which he slots into any role that means Cheng could be considered the ultimate acting chameleon, moving seamlessly from martial arts epics such as 'Once Upon A Time In China' to modern day thrillers like 'Crime Story'.  His opposite number here is played by Simon Yam (a favourite within this genre) who, much like Cheng, seems capable of adapting his acting style to suit any film.  However, he is never more enjoyable than when at his most maniacal and despite the odd tendency to overact, he does always seem to be spot on and very capable of intimidating the audience.  Danny Lee also pops up from time to time as the stereotypical police officer but his role is so peripheral and lightweight here that he doesn't really warrant a mention alongside the two leads.

It's highly likely that 'Run And Kill' won't be to everybody's taste as its not always the most pleasant experience and the low budget is evident throughout.  However, there is no denying that the sheer energy and pacing of the film is exhilirating, with poor unsuspecting Cheng jumping out of one frying pan and into another at every turn.  If you fancy a break from the norm then 'Run And Kill' is certainly it and I guarantee it will make an impact of some kind.