Any caseworking suspense is drowned out by an over-abundance of visual pizazz: disjointed shootouts, arbitrary camera angles and cinematography that draws the eye to lighting patterns, not people.

This China/Hong Kong co-production is lively, stylish and well-performed; it just doesn't know when to stop.

Dig deeply and you may find a metaphor about corrupt, uncompassionate government. But mostly "The Bullet Vanishes" is an agreeable period buddy movie, and that's plenty.

A sumptuously realised detective mystery that merges Holmesian deductions with shootouts, explosions and action sequences -- some of which are shown with slow-motion bravado.