Gwok chaan Ling Ling Chat

"From Beijing With Love" (aka "Gwok chaan Ling Ling Chat") turned out to be a very enjoyable Hong Kong action comedy that stars Stephen Chow.

Needless to say that a movie that stars Stephen Chow is bound to be enjoyable. There is just something about his movies and the characters he portrays that is highly enjoyable and entertaining. And "From Beijing With Love" was no different.

This is a wonderful spoof on the "James Bond" movies, but with a Hong Kong comedy twist to it. And it works out quite well, truth be told. It is a combination of a good storyline, interesting characters and nice acting performances that really brings this movie to its potential.

There is a good amount of comedy in the movie. Of course there is, as this is a movie with Stephen Chow in the leading role. But "From Beijing With Love" also has enough action and drama to make it interesting. And the mixture works out quite well in favor of the movie.

"From Beijing With Love" definitely is a remarkable movie from actor Stephen Chow, no doubt about that.

My rating from this 1994 movie from directors Stephen Chow and Lik-Chi Lee lands on a seven out of ten stars. I was highly entertained by the movie and was enjoying what transpired on the screen. High recommendable if you have an interest in the light-hearted side of Hong Kong cinema.

Caught this on DVD the other day...and I was laughing and smiling until the shopping mall sequence...where it abruptly shifted gears and positively reveled in cruelty and heartbreak...and then went back to being a goofy(but still blood-soaked) spoof. Well , I guess that 's part of the craziness of Hong Kong cinema that we all love....and I'm still smiling about the hilarious weapons and gadgets...the "solar flashlight" is priceless. Well worth seeing. Bond fans will love the riotous imitation of Maurice Binder's main title visuals...opening action sequence is as good as anything you'd see in a Bond film and Anita Yuen makes an adorable foil/adversary/partner for Chow. (But as I said, it is pure Stephen Chow nutball fun...like the guys who made "Shaun Of The Dead" and "Hot Fuzz", Chow takes no prisoners when he's out to bend a genre inside out and backwards.)

When I first saw this film I didn't know what to make of it - is it a Chinese James Bond or is it a Chinese Austin Powers. Well its neither and both at the same time if you get the drift.

Nevertheless it is totally insanely funny with its very silly plot and characters that had no credibility and I really enjoyed watching it. Fairly violent - but what else would you expect from a Hong Kong action film.

If you have ever watched a James Bond film and aren't all that particular about having a believable plot then you will more than likely find this to be a screamingly funny film. It sends up the genre and makes no apologies,from the over the top villain, to a 'Q' clone who borders on the insane,to a Femme Fatale of questionable allegiance this film has it all. A definite must see for anyone who likes a good laugh.

FROM BEIJING WITH LOVE is a fun and low budget scattershot spoof of the James Bond films, Hong Kong style. It's an outing for star, writer, and director Stephen Chow, who brings his quirky eccentricity to all three roles: this is the type of film that can have cheesy romance in one scene, violent death and murder in the next, and mix it up in a plot absolutely chock full of humour from film references to slapstick to some quite surreal moments.

Chow plays an ordinary butcher from the mainland who has a second life as a secret agent. When a dinosaur skull is stolen (this film came out after JURASSIC PARK) he is tasked with tracking it down, beginning a fraught relationship with female aide Anita Yuen (who is very good). The twosome face internal conflict and lots of low rent action scenes, most of which are rather funny. There's a Jaws clone and Pauline Chan as a hot femme fatale. The low budget is very apparent in the staging and occasionally in the special effects, but overall the film works very well indeed and I had something of a ball with it. Sure, it's not as polished as the bigger budgeted likes of SHAOLIN SOCCER and KUNG FU HUSTLE, but it always entertains.