Bottoms up: Andy Lau plays agent Xiao Jinhan, who is tasked with a special mission to protect a prized scroll, while Lin Chi-Ling plays a temptress sent to seduce him.
Who else than the affable Andy Lau for the role of a suave spy in China’s answer to James Bond.
GET ready for Switch, China’s answer to James Bond.
And who else can play a super suave spy than Asia’s most bankable stars, Andy Lau? Excitement is evidently in the air as Switch is set to hit cinemas – finally! – after one lengthy year of post-production and multiple postponements from the original release date.
Lau is joined by two beautiful co-stars – Taiwanese leggy beauty Lin Chi-Ling and China’s award-winning actress Zhang Jingchu. Action wise, the actor can be seen tackling Dubai’s imposing skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa, as Cruise did in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.
In an interview provided by movie distributor RAM Entertainment, Lau says he doesn’t mind being compared with Cruise, and isn’t afraid of people bringing up his age.
“I’m certainly sensitive (about my age), but I’m not afraid of it. After all, I’m old!” the 52-year-old star says.
Asked if some of the film’s similarities to Mission: Impossible – such as the Burj Khalifa jump scene – are a coincidence, Lau says he does not know.
“Even if I didn’t want to jump, I didn’t have a choice. And while we did a 30-feet (9.14m) dive on location, we had filled the backdrop with special effects, a method that renders safer protection for actors against excessive risks.
“I believe there was also extensive planning by Tom Cruise and his crew to complete that scene. After all, not everyone is Jet Li or Jackie Chan who can do a lot of these stunts.
“Though I may not have a martial arts background, having done action films over the years, I think they are enough to convince audiences. So, as long as my body is able, I’ll keep challenging myself,” says Lau, who confesses to being a fan of Matt Damon’s The Bourne Identity.
“After all, I still have films such as A Simple Life (which had won him the Best Actor trophies at the Golden Horse and Hong Kong Film Awards) to fall back on if my body gives way one day. The film genres are so diverse that I don’t have to restrict myself.”
Switch tells the story of Interpol agent Xiao Jinhan (Lau), who is assigned to protect a famous Yuan Dynasty scroll called Dwelling In The Fuchun Mountains. The scroll is showcased in an exhibition and has attracted the attention of nefarious art enthusiasts in the international black-market, triggering a scramble for it by both the Yakuza and English thugs.
The Yakuza sends mysterious temptress Lisa (Lin) to seduce Xiao, a move masterminded by evil criminal Toshio Yamamoto (Tong Dawei), who will stop at nothing to get his hands on the scroll.
Xiao’s adventures take him across seas and deserts, but will he accomplish the mission? Also entrusted with the task of protecting the masterpiece is another agent, Lin Yuyan (Zhang).
Things get personal when the relationship heats up between Xiao and Lin.
Lau adds that the acting isn’t as challenging as the movie features many special effects, done during post production. Despite criticisms of Lin’s lack of experience and acting ability, Lau was quick to come to her defence.
“She’s very meticulous, and made the extra effort to research her role.
“What she needs now is a good script and a visionary director to let her shine,” opines Lau.
Asked if family will now be factored in as priority when deliberating on whether to accept riskier roles (he is married with one child), Lau replies: “With my advanced age, the side effects are starting to show – like times where my hands get numb from nerve damage. Thankfully now, there are modern, safer filming techniques in place.”
■ Switch opens in cinemas nationwide on June 13.
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