Motorway follows rookie traffic officer Cheung (Shawn Yue) who moonlights as a racer of customised cars, and spends the entire film looking taciturn, revving car engines, and taking on his nemesis, a veteran escape driver. Suffice to say that plot is not one the film's stronger points.

Basically Tokyo Drift featuring Hong Kong traffic officers, Motorway is an endless car chase that progresses with the plodding progression of a rickshaw ride. Director Soi Cheang would have been well-served to have replaced some of the car chases with much-needed character development. The protagonist, Cheung, comes across as distinctively unlikable, the sort of juvenile manchild who has perceptions of his testicular magnitude linked to the impressiveness of his ride. Veteran actor Antony Wong brings some edge to the film, but his talents are squandered by the generic script.

Motorway is one long car chase scene interspaced with sub-par character development; for those with speed demon inclinations, we recommend spending your time on customising your own wheels. While there are some interestingly shot scenes in this number, they're few and far between. If you aren't a fan of Pimp My Ride (or 'zheng my car' in local parlance), you're likely to find yourself drifting in this film…off to sleep that is.

Summary: Has the narrative horsepower of a senior-citizen-propelled rickshaw.
Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars

Raphael Lim

Opens 12 July 2012
PG13 - Some Intense Sequences