Jin zhuang da jiu dian

Well, I wasn't sure what I was in for here, when I sat down in 2021 to watch the 1988 Hong Kong comedy (Jin zhuang da jiu dian" (aka "Carry On Hotel"). But it being a Hong Kong movie was all that was sufficient for me to sit down to watch it.

"Carry On Hotel" felt like two different movies melded together in an attempt to make a single movie. First of all there was the part about a con artist working a fancy hotel, then suddenly it became a story about two car mechanics falling in love. I don't know what writer and director Jeffrey Lau was attempting to accomplish with this particular storyline, but it definitely didn't make for a wholesome movie.

And while "Carry On Hotel" definitely has a rather impressive ensemble of Hong Kong comedy actors on the cast list, with the likes of Jacky Cheung, Kent Cheng, Richard Ng and Eric Tsang, then the movie was just somewhat of a cluttered mess. Sure, it was watchable, but it hardly made for an enjoyable movie experience. Much less a movie that actually warrants more than just a single viewing.

I hadn't heard about "Carry On Hotel" before now in 2021, when I had the opportunity to sit down to watch it. But this movie was one that had managed to elude my radar, and it is just as quietly vanish back into oblivion. Writer and director Jeffrey Lau didn't manage to impress with this one.

My rating of "Carry On Hotel" lands on a less than mediocre four out of ten stars.

Not an installment of the British Carry On series, this is a Hong Kong film about the goings on in a fairly upscale hotel. Hidden cameras abound and you are treated to a dizzying array of slapstick nonsense. Some of it is marginally funny but it is more a silly film. It has comedic actors in it, like Jacky Cheung, Joey Wang, Eric Tsang and Cherie Cheung but the film really doesn't hold your interest. Its more humor for humor's sake and a lot of the situations appear labored. Its a little risqué at times, but only marginally. Although it passes the time and is not too long, I don't recommend it. The aforementioned actors have all done better in other films. This one doesn't quite hold up.

It's hilarious to me that the unequivocally British Carry On series was popular enough in Hong Kong to inspire its own set of exploitation films. Although Carry On Hotel doesn't really fit the vignette of that series and is as lightweight and inconsequential as they come, it still provides plenty of screwy all-star silliness and as many tonal mixes as something crafted by Wong Jing. As most of the stories are unrelated to one another, the film progresses without pausing for much unnecessary reflection or even explanation of what is happening, maintaining a comfortable pace to keep the proceedings moving without losing the viewer, however, director Jeffrey Lau struggles with consistency and pacing. We're merely expected to follow these numerous unimportant storylines while finding some form of entertainment in them. It seems that the presence of big stars and nonsensical comedy is meant to make everything all right, and it somehow does, ideal for spending a mellow afternoon with HK Cinema pals Eric Tsang, Cherie Chung, Joey Wong, Richard Ng, Cecilia Yip and Jacky Cheung. Unlike bigger and more ponderous all-star comedies, Carry on Hotel never attempts anything other than strange comedy and brief, amusing asides, a fluffy affair that can be suitably diverting, especially if watching these likeable stars engage in silly pratfalls is your idea of a good time.

This is a plot-less nonsensical comedy that is set in a hotel high-rise. Basically, we get to see the silly lives of a bunch of goofy people, with hidden cameras in their hotel rooms. From the hypnosis wannabe Donald Ng (Richard Ng) to the foul-mouthed Mr. Lau (Kent Cheng), the nonsensical stuff was horribly acted out and provided no substance or intrigue. Only the bit part with the Tour Guide (Eric Tsang) trying to get away from two psycho women (Cherie Chung, Pat Ha) provided a hint of entertainment. And, the movie somehow segued into a love story triangle with Jacky Cheung, Cherie Chung and Cecilia Yip, which also provided some level of entertainment and substance. But, other than that, don't waste your time with this film. There's really nothing to see here.

Grade D---