Yam yeung lo 16: Wui dou mou hap si doi

It had to happen -- here's a meta-TROUBLESOME NIGHT episode, which begins with the cast discussing with the director ideas for the next TN movie. When the boys try to escape the brainstorming session by climbing out the bathroom window, they are transported to the Song Dynasty and find themselves right in the middle of the story of Wu Song, the tiger killer (from the classic novel THE WATER MARGINS). It turns out Wu Song is not the big hero of legend, and the boys have to help out a bit, along with a ghost looking for revenge that was never in the original story. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it was awfully fun to watch. All the cast regulars took Song Dynasty character roles, including Helena Lan and Simon Loui. Kenny Bee joins the cast this time out, as Song Jiang, leader of the bandits. If you are very familiar with the Wu Song story, TN16 might entertain you, as it did me, otherwise, best forget it.

The 16th film in the Troublesome Night series bombs - basically, it's a fantasy mess with no plot and no scary/ghostly stuff. Series veteran Simon Lui returns after a seven film absent, but even he cannot redeem this story, which takes place in the Sung Dynasty. There, the characters channel the famous period Chinese folk tale "The Water Margin," a story set a thousand years ago in ancient China involving a cruel government, con artists, a beautiful but crafty village girl and a sword-wielding martial artist - all trying to overcome adversaries.

Again, the movie is plot less with just a lot of nonsensical stuff, and bad acting. The filmmakers were really on some serious drugs, thinking setting a ghost story in the imperial times based on a non-ghost folk tale was a great idea. Give this movie a pass - this should not even be part of the Troublesome Night movie trilogy!

Grade F