You might enjoy the Hong Kong undercover cop drama “I Did It My Way” if you approach it with well-adjusted expectations. It’s not a hard movie to like, given its well-polished action filmmaking and strong ensemble cast, led by co-stars Andy Lau and Gordon Lam, and featuring beloved character actors like Kent Cheng, Lam Suet, and Simon Yam. “I Did It My Way” exemplifies the current state of mass-oriented Hong Kong genre cinema, leaning hard on its seasoned cast to both remind viewers of better movies and carry this one around the bases fast enough that you still get your money’s worth.

Like a few other contemporary Hong Kong policers, “I Did It My Way” pits sweat-soaked Hong Kong cops against a respectable-looking crook and his vast criminal organization. Lau plays the crook, George Lam, a taciturn barrister who’s suspected of dealing all kinds of drugs on the “dark web.” George peddles Super Molly and other illegal substances under the watchful eyes of Officer Fong Hing (Eddie Peng), the baby-faced Super-Intendent of the Hong Kong police’s cyber-crimes unit. Fong’s determined to stop the drugs, but his secret weapon is actually a double agent: Sau Ho, Lam’s all-purpose “cleaner,” played by Gordon Lam.

The melodramatic stakes are set high enough in some ancillary scenes, like when George Lam asks his pregnant wife Vivian (Yase Liu) to marry him. “I’ll think about it,” she says. These brief moments don’t change how conventional the rest of the plot tends to be, between Sau Ho’s unclear motivation — he either wants to emigrate with his family, or to beat Lam and remain a cop (first choice) — and the ultimate fate of Vivian’s pregnancy.

“I Did It My Way” helmer Jason Kwan doesn’t always focus on his actors; more often than not he’s advancing a formulaic cops-and-crooks plot. Still, Kwan (co-director of both “Chasing the Dragon” and its in-name-only sequel) delivers a superior programmer whenever he slows down long enough to highlight Lau and Lam’s work. As Sau Ho, the prolific Lam nails suggests a lot with his usual hyper-tense physicality. Lau still sweeps him and everyone else off the screen, whether he’s smiling broadly at the cops, brooding quietly in his car, or texting his guys to “eliminate” various enemies. Lau single-handedly knocks the movie into a higher gear when Lam snarls, “Let’s see if you can escape” from behind the wheel of his Rolls Royce and prepares to run over Sau Ho and his family.

Then again, the best scene in “I Did It My Way” doesn’t feature Lau at all. Peng’s stern superintendent briefly grabs the spotlight long enough to rescue Sau Ho from a young-ish looking killer. Fong valiantly body-slams through various plates of glass and shelves of bottles in a private wine cellar. It might be the first great action scene of year, and while anybody could’ve filled Fong’s shoes, Peng commits at least as much as the adrenalized scene requires.

“I Did It My Way” may still leave you wanting more if you don’t want to adjust your expectations so much. Maybe you expect more from a movie that features several supporting cast members who can and sometimes did out-do Lau in their earlier collaborations. Like, why isn’t there more of Simon Yam, who plays a constipated-looking cop, and mostly leans on empty chairs and/or puts his hands on his hips? And what’s the deal with Super Molly, a synthetic drug that’s apparently too strong for its users, as we see in a to-the-bone cutaway scene? Any way you slice it, you’ll likely forget most of “I Did It My Way” soon after watching it; there’s only so much to see between dark web hacking and police raid shoot-outs.

Lau’s the biggest draw here, which simultaneously is and isn’t surprising. When I asked for this review assignment, I predicted that Kwan would get a great character actor performance from whoever plays the movie’s villain, just like he and co-director Wong Jing did with Donnie Yen in “Chasing the Dragon,” a superior recent Hong Kong crime drama, and Tony Leung Ka Fai in “Chasing the Dragon II: The Wild Bunch.” I didn’t expect Lau to be the one in “I Did It My Way,” though he’s defied narrow expectations for decades now, especially in his collaborations with great Hong Kong filmmakers like Ann Hui and Johnnie To.

A real star, Lau has taught himself how to do a lot with a little. It shows whenever Lam placidly smiles at his enemies, or when he tells a glowering Peng to “nail me if you have the evidence.” You might even feel scared for tough-looking Sau Ho when Lau, in character, stares him down and says: “You’ve seen something that you shouldn’t have.” That’s acting, baby.

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(2024). Directed by Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares. Written by Daniel Kaluuya and Joe Murtagh. Starring Kano, Hope Ikpoku Jnr, Henry Lawfull. Synopsis: In a dystopian future London where all social housing has been eliminated, Izi and Benji fight to navigate the world as residents of The Kitchen, a community that refuses to abandon their home. Debuts on Netflix on January 19th, 2024.

The Regime (2024). Created by Will Tracy. Starring Kate Winslet, Andrea Riseborough, Matthias Schoenaerts. Synopsis: An authoritarian regime is about to unravel. Follows a story of one year within the walls of its palace. US release date is TBA.

The American Society of Magical Negroes (2024). Written and directed by Kobi Libii. Starring Justice Smith, David Alan Grier, An-Li Bogan. Synopsis: Aren is recruited into a secret society of magical Black people who dedicate their lives to a cause of utmost importance. Debuts in the US on March 22nd, 2024.

Housekeeping for Beginners (2024). Written and directed by Goran Stolevski. Starring Samson Selim, Mia Mustafi, Dzada Selim. Synopsis: A queer woman is forced to raise her partner’s daughter who herself doesn’t want to be a mother. US release date is TBA.

Expats (2024). Created by Lulu Wang. Starring Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue, Ji-young Yoo. Synopsis: A look at the personal and professional lives of a tight-knit group of expatriates living in Hong Kong. Debuts on Prime Video on January 26th, 2024.

He Went That Way (2024). Directed by Jeffrey Darling. Written by Evan M. Wiener. Starring Jacob Elordi, Patrick J. Adams, Zachary Quinto. Synopsis: A journey of curious tensions and bonds between two and at times three interesting characters all on their own path. Debuts in the US on January 12th, 2024.

American Star (2024). Directed by Gonzalo López-Gallego. Written by Nacho Faerna. Starring Ian McShane, Thomas Kretschmann, Nora Arnezeder. Synopsis: An assassin on a final assignment in Fuerteventura, to kill a man he has never met. When his target is delayed, he finds himself drawn to the island, people and a ghostly shipwreck. Debuts in the US on January 26th, 2024.

The Three Musketeers — Part II: Milady (2024). Directed by Martin Bourboulon. Written by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière (based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas). Starring François Civil, Vincent Cassel, Eva Green. Synopsis: D’Artagnan is forced to join forces with Milady to save Constance, who was kidnapped before his eyes. But as war is declared and Athos, Porthos and Aramis have already joined the front, a secret from the past shatters old alliances. US release date is TBA.

The Bikeriders (2024). Written and directed by Jeff Nichols. Starring Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Jodie Comer. Synopsis: Follows the rise of a midwestern motorcycle club as it evolves over the course of a decade — from a gathering place for local outsiders into a more sinister gang, threatening the original group’s way of life. Debuts in the US on June 21st, 2024.

IF (2024). Written and directed by John Krasinski. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Steve Carell, John Krasinski. Synopsis: A young girl who goes through a difficult experience begins to see everyone’s imaginary friends who have been left behind as their real-life friends have grown up. Debuts in the US on May 17th, 2024.

Dune: Part Two (2024). Directed by Denis Villeneuve. Written by Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts (based on the novel by Frank Herbert). Starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh. Synopsis: Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Debuts in the US on March 1st, 2024.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024). Directed by Mark Molloy. Written by Will Beall, Tom Gormican and Kevin Etten (based on characters created by Danilo Bach and Daniel Petrie Jr.). Starring Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton. Synopsis: Detective Axel Foley finds himself drawn back to the opulent environs of Beverly Hills to investigate the untimely demise of a long-time confidant. US release date is TBA.

Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024). Directed by Mike Mitchell and Stephanie Stine. Written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger. Starring Jack Black, Viola Davis, Awkwafina. Synopsis: After Po is tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace, he needs to find and train a new Dragon Warrior, while a wicked sorceress plans to re-summon all the master villains whom Po has vanquished to the spirit realm. Debuts in the US on March 8th, 2024.

Civil War (2024). Written and directed by Alex Garland. Starring Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny, Jesse Plemons. Synopsis: In the near future, a team of journalists travel across the United States during a rapidly escalating civil war that has engulfed the entire nation. Debuts in the US on April 26th, 2024.

The Great Performances of 2023

Matt writes: In our annual Great Performances feature, I joined my colleagues in writing about a particular actor whose work I found extraordinary: namely Abby Ryder Fortson, whose portrayal of the title role in Kelly Fremon Craig’s masterful Judy Blume adaptation, “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” was my favorite performance of 2023.

Chaz Ebert’s Top 10(-ish) Films of 2023

Matt writes: RogerEbert.com publisher Chaz Ebert unveiled her own picks for the year’s best films in a Top 10(-ish) list that actually contained nineteen films, beginning with a three-way tie for the #1 spot: Cord Jefferson’s “American Fiction,” Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Ava DuVernay’s soon-to-be-released “Origin.” You can view the trailers for each of her picks here.

Free Movies

My Dear Secretary (1948). Written and directed by Charles Martin. Starring Kirk Douglas, Laraine Day, Keenan Wynn. Synopsis: A romance novelist appoints a would-be writer as his secretary. Although she is initially dismayed by his work ethic and playboy attitude, they begin to fall in love.

Watch “My Dear Secretary”

Home Town Story (1951). Written and directed by Arthur Pierson. Starring Jeffrey Lynn, Donald Crisp, Marilyn Monroe. Synopsis: After failing to be re-elected, politician Blake Washburn returns home and becomes editor of the local newspaper. When he notices the influence the paper has on the public, he uses it to appeal to potential voters in the next election.

Watch “Home Town Story”

A Dangerous Summer (1982). Directed by Quentin Masters. Written by Quentin Masters and David Ambrose. Starring Tom Skerritt, Ian Gilmour, Giselle Morgan. Synopsis: When a crummy hotel burns down in Australia, the American co-owner tries to find out whether or not the fire was deliberately set or just an accident.

Watch “A Dangerous Summer”

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