Firestorm

Firestorm (Fung bou, 2013) is a Hong Kong action thriller with Andy Lau, available to watch online on iFILM. In broad daylight a crew guns down an armored truck and walks away, leaving bodies in the street. Veteran inspector Lui Ming Chit takes the case and learns fast that you can't catch men like this by the book.

To get near ringleader Cao Nan (Hu Jun), the cop cuts a deal with an old acquaintance, an ex-convict named To Shing-bong who is torn between loyalty and one last shot at a clean life. The closer the chase gets, the more rules Lui throws away, until the line between officer and criminal nearly vanishes. Meanwhile a monster typhoon bears down on the city, and the final shootout erupts at its heart, among collapsing streets and flying debris.

Director Alan Yuen shot this as the first Hong Kong action film of its scale in 3D, and the destruction lives up to the title. Andy Lau plays no spotless hero — just a worn-down man the job keeps pushing over the edge. If you like your Asian action heavy and grim, this one delivers. Stream Firestorm (2013) online on iFILM.