Executioners

Although less of an audience-pleaser than its colorful predecessor, this darker, more ambitious sequel to the superheroine saga THE HEROIC TRIO (1992) has a better grasp of its characters, and a grim, futuristic atmosphere that justifies the principal characters' superpowers. Besides supplying wonderfully sympathetic and noble roles for its three leads, the film's scenario also provides a fascinating reflection of Hong Kong's anxiety over the country's 1997 reunification with mainland China.

In a postnuclear future, radiation has contaminated the water supply. An evil genius, Mr. Kim (Anthony Wong), has developed a purification system that supplies the public, a...