Gwok chaan Ling Ling Chat

In the grand tradition of Get Smart, we have here a wonderfully wacky send-up of 007 action films. For the first roughly 2/3 of the movie, I was literally rolling out of my seat laughing with this film's ontarget, brilliant skewerings of spy film cliches. As much as I hate to say it, though, at the 2/3 point the film begins to lose its focus. It starts to concentrate too heavily on creating the Bond mood, and consequently ends up being far too serious. Up until that point, though, it was really something special. The only other qualm I have is that it is far, far too violent. You have fingers getting sliced off, a man getting glass shoved into his face, necks being slashed, etc. Heck, just as the movie is building its comedic potential, a minor character gets brutally stabbed in the head. Had this been done in an over-the-top manner, it could have been very funny, like the Black Knight scene in Holy Grail. But they instead opted for a hyper-realistic look, that, when introduced into a heavily comedic environment, presents an uncomfortable clash of styles and makes the often startling violence uniquely disturbing and grotesque. Still, if you can overlook its flaws, this is definitely a movie worth seeing.

One of Stephen Chow's finest works, so many iconic dialogues and characters. Yes, it is a little derogatory, but it reflects the views of many Hong Kong people at the time, but it is done mostly as comic relief. At the heart of it, I don't think Stephen was being racist, but more as a poke at the system. The movie is only a little less than 1.5 hours long, it's amazing how such a simple film can get so much done in such a short period of time with enough plot and character development to make it a classic. Watching the movie so many years later, I get to see a lot of things I couldn't understand as a kid, and appreciate this film even more. It serves as a token of the past, and in a way reflects how society and perception have changed over the years.

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.

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.)

Standard comedy about a wannabe spy who gets double crossed by his boss, except hes got a chopper (butcher knife) and knows how to use it!

The plot is pretty thin, but this is still a funny movie, as are most of Chow's movies. Be sure to add this to any Stephen Chow marathons you might be hosting, otherwise, you can miss this one for another of his better films.