Poh wai ji wong

If you are familiar with the movies of Stephen Chow, then I assume that you are already familiar with "Love On Delivery" (aka "Poh wai ji wong"), the Hong Kong comedy from 1994.

Oddly enough, especially with my interest and fascination with the Hong Kong cinema, then it wasn't before now in 2021 that I stumbled upon this classic Stephen Chow movie. Actually I hadn't even heard about it prior to sitting down to watch it. And with it being a Stephen Chow and a Hong Kong movie, of course I needed no persuasion to sit down to watch it.

This is definitely and without a doubt a classic Stephen Chow movie, in every sense of that phrase. You had a funny storyline, detailed and funny characters, heaps of hilarious situations, with just a pinch of drama and fighting. And it works out wonderfully.

I must admit that I was more than genuinely entertained by "Love On Delivery", especially because the storyline was so funny. But the performances in the movie were also spot on. So what's not to like?

Writer Vincent Kok definitely wrote an interesting and entertaining plot and story for this movie, and director Lik-Chi Lee managed to make the transition from script to screen very well. And needless to say that the acting performances in "Love On Delivery" were good.

Speaking of acitng performances, then aside from Stephen Chow in the lead, this 1994 comedy also has the likes of Christy Chung, and Ka-Sang Cheng, and some special appearances by Philip Chan and Jacky Cheung. So if you are well-traversed in the Hong Kong cinema, then you will definitely see some familiar faces here.

If you enjoy Hong Kong comedies, then I can warmly recommend that you sit down to watch this 1994 movie. Even with 27 years passed since it was released, this is a movie that still proves watchable and holds up even this long afterwards. "Love On Delivery" is a movie that is quite well-worth a watch. My rating of this movie lands on a seven out of ten stars.

Christy Chung stars as a Judo student and her teacher feels that he should be able to have her. Since she knows that she can have anybody, she decides to play around with her teacher and Stephen Chow shows up at just the right moment to get asked out to a Jacky Cheung concert right in front of the Judo teacher. In a poop involved confrontation, the teacher accidentally hits Chritsy in the face and Chow doesn't stand up for her. He says that he loves her dearly, but she won't date a coward. He starts training in kung fu, and like all Chow movies, there is no training and this is just a reason for more comedy. They drag the story out with tons of hilarious stunts and jokes. So after briefly learning kung fu, Chow sort of gets lucky against the Judo master where he fights him in a Garfield mask. After saving Christy from possibly being rapedd, he ends up losing credit for his good deed and she finds a boyfriend in no time. One that can protect her that is. This guy just kind of shows up to get rid of all types of martial arts since his Karate is so superior. He also takes the credit for being the masked Garfield hero and Chow ends up having to fight him in a contest.

There are 3 fight scenes. The first one is played for laughs, the second is a huge throwdown, and one of the very few times I found myself rewinding a Stephen Chow movie for the action. A lot of effort was put into this scene and that is for sure. The final battle in the arena is a mix of comedy and realism. Some of the choreography is good and MMA is put to good use. Chow never does end up learning kung fu, so he has to defeat his enemy by using his wit. Luckily, he did do some weird training on top of a moving van and it proves to be very useful. The gags never stop. Another Stephen Chow classic.

A very silly comedy that makes the most out of the visual medium. This film makes its mark on the audience with intense zooms and dolly shots, wide-angle lenses, over-the-top sequences, strange and hilarious scene transitions, creative visual gags, absurd fight sequences, and rapid, witty dialogue. It plays with highs and lows with the unbounded imagination of a child and never relents. Poh wai ji wong is a light hearted comedy that earns its place on the silver screen.

Not knowing any of Chow's films before seeing Shaolin Soccer, I only heard about this HK comic actor and thought he was just another of the typical broad comedians that come out of the HK film industry. Shaolin Soccer was a real revelation but it could have been a unique instance. Kung Fu Hustle showed me that he was an accomplished comedic talent. I have been trying to find his earlier films and am finally succeeding. I encourage you to do the same.

There's a lot to compare Chow with the classic comedians of the US film industry. Unlike Jacky Chan who has publicly stated his fondness for Buster Keaton, Chow seems to be more related to Harold Lloyd style. A low key personality in crazy situations. Unlike Chan and many other HK performers, Chow never forces his personality over the top. He surrounds himself with inventive situations and great supporting characters. The one unique aspect about Chow is the philosophic nature of many of the characters he plays. This film is a good example.

Lots of very good comic situations and a great climax. The main drawback is the overused wide-angle cinematography which make the film look cheaper then it should. This film has a lot in common with his more famous films so it should be enjoyable.

Good time.

Don't expect any kind of substance in this film (or in most of Chow's films). Director/producer Wong Jing has a knack for putting together ridiculously shallow but hilarious plotlines and throw them altogether like the way one tosses a salad. This film is no different. However, if you like Chow or if you like whacky comedies then you won't be disappointed; it sure has some ridiculously funny moments.