Daai laap mat taam Ling Ling Fat

Saw this on a flight from Tokyo to HK - had no idea what it was about (still don't, really) but it had my wife and I ROTFL. There's bits about the alien autopsy, Academy Award speeches and cooking shows, I think.

Doesn't make any sense, has cheesy effects and this isn't really acting, just mugging for the camera and winking at the audience, but everyone's very charming and once you stop worrying about the story (there might have been one, somewhere), you won't stop laughing.

This movie is one of those which I can't decide whether I like or not.

It has some crazy fight sequences (verging on ridiculous) which are great, and some really impressive p**s-takes of james bond, butch cassidy etc... the action is great if you like over-the top silliness.

However, after about the first hour, the plot takes a turn and when 'inspector gadget' goes off to find a new concubine for the emperor pretty much nothing happens for about half an hour.

This is made up for in the final sequence which seemed surprisingly high-budget.

You should see this film if you are willing to accept that it is not to be taken seriously - and do not despair if you think they 'used up' all their action when the first few fights were over - be patient.

What makes 'Daai laap mat taam 008' different from other Kong Fu comedies is that it's slightly more offbeat and has less kong fu. But hang on, it's funny as hell and endearing. I love the character Ling Ling Fat (Stephen Chow) and his wife Kar Ling (Karina Lau). Chow as Fat is a royal servant, an inventor, a medicine man, a devoted husband and a cop is amazing. He shows another side of his comedic talent that is very different from what he did in 'Shaolin Soccer' and 'Kung Fu'. Carina Lau displays her versatility by playing a comic role as the devoted and loving wife Kar. The relationship of the two characters is very well portrayed and is one of the highlights of the film. There are also many funny characters as I mentioned in the summary that just make the movie experience more fun. The over the top fight scenes are both comical and well shot, fitting well with the context. Yes, a lot of the scenes are done in a cheesy way, a lot of them are far fetched too but then again, it just adds to the humour. There are several laugh out loud moments and very funny twists. I am pretty sure that one will be unstoppably laughing throughout the film. I find 'Daai laap mat taam 008' to be a very refreshing comedy but it's probably the kind one would either hate or like very much.

Well, if you are familiar with Stephen Chow, then you should definitely watch "Forbidden City Cop" (aka "Daai laap mat taam Ling Ling Fat") from 1996. Now, with my interest in Hong Kong cinema, I oddly enough had managed to not watch this movie before 2020. Actually, I hadn't even heard about it prior to sitting down to watch it.

Which was a mistake on my behalf, because "Forbidden City Cop" was entertaining and enjoyable, and it was a very archetypical Stephen Chow movie, for better or worse. I enjoy his movies and his comedy, so this was a nice treat for me to watch.

The storyline is actually good, and it is laced with a good amount of action and comedy. Of course it is, this is a Stephen Chow movie after all. And directors Stephen Chow and Vincent Kok managed to put together a very enjoyable movie.

The movie offers a wide variety of genre mixes, such as comedy, martial arts, drama and mystery, so there definitely is something for just about anyone sitting down to watch it.

If you haven't already seen "Forbidden City Cop" then you should do so if you get the chance, especially if you have an interest in these types of Asian movies.

My rating for this movie lands on a six out of ten stars.

I saw the movie in a theater during a Martial Arts HK movie festival and like the other reviewer, couldn't stop laughing! It's silly, fun, not historically accurate, there are some creative "side bits", i.e. the academy award scene mentioned in the other comment, but everything that happens in the movie drives the plot and fits with the style of the movie.

It's the one movie I always look for when I go to rent videos. It's hard to find, (there's only one place in Seattle that has it, as a DVD)but if you see it at the store, or playing during a movie festival, go see it!