The Last Dance: Extended Version 破·地獄: 加長版 Review – Restored Footage Brings an Extra Depth to the Movie’s Already-Remarkable Drama
Who could have thought The Last Dance broke through the hell’s gate of the box office, amassing an astounding HK$160 million in Hong Kong and Macau? It was an unbelievably astronomical figure for a Hong Kong drama tackling a taboo subject about death and funerals. The movie even beat the previous HK$115 million record set by A Guilty Conscience, which also starred Dayo Wong in 2023.
The unprecedented success of Anselm Chan’s third feature paved the way for another round of The Last Dance. Re-released in cinemas since April 4th to coincide with the Ching Ming Festival, the now-titled The Last Dance: Extended Version restores 12 minutes of footage previously omitted from the theatrical cut. A director’s cut can go either way: It might end up being extraneous or enhance the cinematic experience. Frankly, I was initially worried that this was going to be a cash grab just for the sake of capitalising on its popularity and boosting the box office further.
Before I proceed any further, it’s impossible to review The Last Dance: Extended Version without going into the spoiler territory. So, if you prefer to go in fresh, you may stop reading now and come back later after watching the movie.
But thankfully, this isn’t the case for The Last Dance: Extended Version. For a movie that’s already good enough in its theatrical cut, the 12-minute footage brings a substantial depth to the story and character arcs. Most of the never-seen-before footage comes from the first half, which leans closer to the comedic situation, notably in the interaction between Dayo Wong’s Dominic and Chu Pak-Hong’s Ben. These lightweight moments not only help to strengthen the dynamic between Dominic and Ben as friends who help each other in times of need, but also bring a better balance to the movie’s predominantly melancholy tone.
The new footage even significantly deepens Dominic’s characterisation beyond his path of venturing into the unfamiliar territory of managing a funeral parlour after hitting rock bottom with his failed wedding planning business due to the pandemic. We learn more about his personal life as much as Master Man’s (Michael Hui) side, where the latter was prominently emphasised in the theatrical cut. This includes Kaki Sham playing Dominic’s stepbrother, where the two meet at the cemetery to pray for their father. The scene proves to be crucial for the viewers to understand more about why Dominic is having cold feet later in the movie when he finds out his long-time girlfriend, Jade (Catherine Chau), is finally pregnant.
The Last Dance: Extended Version also restores more scenes revolving around Lin (Elaine Jin), an elderly woman who single-handedly manages a tiny shop selling homemade soups. The introduction of her character, where she and Master Man’s estranged paramedic-daughter Yuet (Michelle Wai) are close to each other like mother and daughter, displays their wonderful on-screen chemistry in the theatrical cut. Although the initial scenes with Lin are brief, Jin made enough lasting impression even in a small appearance for the subplot of the movie. Now, with The Last Dance: Extended Version, the movie delves deeper into Lin’s perspective and how her subsequent moment impacts the fate of her character.
Looking back at the overall 140-minute length of The Last Dance: Extended Version, all the scenes which are added back in made the experience more rewarding. I never find it overlong or overstays its welcome, thanks to Chan’s subtly deliberate direction, combining terrific acting all around and an emotionally resonant story with a healthy dose of comedy, without overwhelming the movie’s subject matter.
Memorable scenes like Dominic and Michael finally warming up to each other in a restaurant, and Dominic’s evocative speech towards the disgruntled Taoist priests disagreeing over his unconventional decision of “breaking hell’s gates” customs, remain as impactful as ever. The latter scene alone is more than enough to continuously prove Wong’s versatility as a dramatic actor beyond his usual comedy repertoire, and the fact he was snubbed from landing a much-deserved Best Actor nomination for the upcoming 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards remains one of the biggest sins in the award’s forty-three years old history.
Speaking of the awards, The Last Dance made history by tying with Teddy Chen’s Bodyguards and Assassins with 18 nominations. The latter brought home eight statuettes, and whether The Last Dance can match or exceed expectations remains to be seen when the award ceremony takes place this April 27th.
