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Rate this movie

Oof, that was Rotten.

Meh, it passed the time.

It’s good – I’d recommend it.

Awesome!

So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

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Throw Down Photos

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Movie Info

A young fighter (Aaron Kwok) and an aspiring singer (Cherrie Ying) reawaken a drunken gambler's (Louis Koo) desire to prove his skills in the judo ring.

Genre:

action
Original Language:

Chinese
Director:

Johnnie To
Producer:

Johnnie To
Writer:

Nai-Hoi Yau, Yip Tin Shing, Kin Yee Au
Release Date (Streaming):

Aug 2, 2005
Runtime:

1h 34m
Sound Mix:

Surround

Cast & Crew

Louis Koo
Sze-To Bo

Aaron Kwok
Tony

Cherrie Ying
Mona

Tony Ka Fai Leung
Lee Kong

Jordan Chan
Mona's Agent

Johnnie To
Director

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for Throw Down

All Critics (9) | Top Critics (2) | Fresh (9)

Bursting with gangsters, gambling and human weakness in general, Johnnie To's Throwdown is so strange and idiosyncratic that it's almost surreal.

July 22, 2005 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Jeannette Catsoulis
New York Times
A compelling remix of aesthetic showmanship and human movement.

July 19, 2005 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

Ed Gonzalez
Slant Magazine
The absolute best neo-samurai judo farce in town.

July 19, 2005

Michael Atkinson
Village Voice
Beautifully staged, moving and thoughtful, it's a rare example of genuine cinematic craftsmanship, and has a huge amount to offer patient and open-minded viewers

October 21, 2020 | Rating: 5/5 | Full Review…

James Mudge
easternKicks.com
Throw Down doesn't offer much in the ways of a substantial narrative, but it does offer an abundance of hard-hitting stylised violence, which keeps the film as exciting as ever 16 years later.

June 12, 2020 | Full Review…

Mark Goodyear
Battle Royale With Cheese
The message of Throw Down is fairly simple, even if the execution is excitingly baroque.

May 17, 2020 | Rating: 4 | Full Review…

Kevin Wight
The Wee Review
Even its fractured style, since the narrative is mostly the sum of episodes rather than a compact movie, seems to work in its favor, highlighting in that fashion, To's great directorial abilities.

December 23, 2019 | Full Review…

Panos Kotzathanasis
Asian Movie Pulse
Throwdown may not be top-drawer To, but it's still a good introduction to a director who deserves attention.

August 2, 2005 | Full Review…

Daniel Eagan
Film Journal International
The film is as beautiful as it is unpredictable.

July 22, 2005 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…

Ken Fox
TV Guide

View All Critic Reviews (9)

Audience Reviews for Throw Down

Jun 23, 2009

A pleasant surprise, Adoring & filled with memorable sequences, Feels a bit rushed near the end but overall this is truly what a feel-good movie should be like

Arash X Super Reviewer
Jul 25, 2008

simple plot...deep undertones..inspirational and uplifting message..another fine off-beat Johnny To offering...the scene running in the streets with the money flying about...one of the most memorable cinematic experiences ever..it all comes together for the viewer at the film's conclusion.

alan j Super Reviewer
Sep 10, 2007

One of my favorite movies of all time, and i'm dead serious. Loved every minute of it, only someone bitter with life could dismiss this movie so easily.

Tsubaki S Super Reviewer
Aug 09, 2007

Not Johnnie To's most famous movie, but still a decent movie. People that know him for his action/gun ballets; Exiled, The Mission or Fulltime Killer might not enjoy this much. With a title like Throw Down and it being Judo based, one might think To is replacing his bullets with fists. But the fights are not exciting and just people flipping one another over their shoulders. But that is not what this movie is about. This is just another movie from To that is story driven. Except this time it isn't disguised with action. If you take the time to actually take in the story and the characters, To fans should enjoy this movie.

Kevin " Super Reviewer