Even within only the first few minutes one can readily discern that this is the type of title where some of the humor (if not also the scene writing at large) will be lost on those who don't speak Cantonese, and who don't possess meaningful awareness of both Chinese and international culture. The protagonist's very name exemplifies this, toying with a reference to Ian Fleming's James Bond, 007, and more specifically the film franchise of Eon Productions - and further emphasized with the opening credits that allude to Eon Productions, the protagonist's obsession with inventions (gadgets), and more. After its own fashion, this is a spy spoof with a setting in the imperial China of several hundred years ago. By no means is any of this to suggest that 'Forbidden City cop' can't be enjoyed by international viewers, but the first impression it makes is as a feature that's very distinctly made for a domestic audience, further including film-making sensibilities that may catch off-guard even those who are accustomed to, for example, the kung fu flicks of The Shaw Brothers or Golden Harvest, or the action romps of Jackie Chan.
Incidentally, some of Jackie Chan's body of work may be a fair point of reference in general, for as an action-comedy this quite consistently embraces outrageous cartoonishness that's only amplified by the brisk pacing. We get wildly exaggerated expressions and acting, loud and boorish scenes sure to ruffle the feathers of anyone who is sensitive to audio, plain silliness, crude sex jokes, slapstick, and more. It's relatively infrequently that the humor relies on more subtle variations, like a witty exchange of dialogue, sight gags, or a bit drawn out over a scene with the punch coming at the end. To that point, perhaps we can say that what we're seeing is a reflection of comedy and film-making in a different culture, but I'm inclined to think these qualities tie into actual criticisms. That pacing is broadly so steady as to be vexing, and that tendency in the audio toward clamor makes the proceedings feel harried and brusque. While there's much to appreciate here, in these ways the direction of Vincent Kok and Stephen Chow strikes me as a tad uncareful, and I think the humor would have benefited from a more nuanced, thoughtful hand.
In fairness, however, all these matters are rather superficial. In many other ways there's much to love about this picture, and at its core it's splendidly entertaining. The filming locations are beautiful, and the production design and art direction maybe even more so with their rich detail. Tremendous care went into the costume design, hair and makeup, and props and weapons, let alone stunts, fight choreography, dance choreography, and practical effects, and even the minimal post-production visuals. The camerawork and editing could maybe be a bit cleaner when it comes to visualizing the action sequences, but mostly Lee Kin-keung and Kwong Chi-leung demonstrate deft skill to help shape the feature. Even at their most overcooked I can't fault the cast for spirited acting, and in some instances the performances are genuinely great; more than not, when it comes to the fundamental orchestration of shots and scenes - especially the more shrewd or complicated ones - Kok and Chow's direction is pretty darn smart. Case in point, where the humor does rely on a more delicate touch (e.g., concurrent scenes of violence and frivolity), the comedic timing is kind of brilliant, and 'Forbidden City cop' definitely earns some laughs along the way.
The action is a blast, the best of the comedy is a joy, it's terrifically well made in general and easy on the eyes (further include superb use of lighting), and at its best the direction is wonderfully sharp. Very importantly, all this necessarily stems from the screenplay of Kok,Chow, and Edmund Liu. We might say reasonably enough that the quality varies some in the writing just as in the execution, particularly where the comedy is concerned. It does also seem to me that, strictly speaking, narrative cohesion breaks down some over time, and the movie becomes more about the action, the comedy, and broad vibes of a plot more than a discrete tale. Be that as it may, the story is duly engaging and compelling, and the scene writing is fabulously strong. Some details are stupendously clever (fantastical capabilities of antagonists, a centerpiece fight involving the protagonist's inventions) even as they may be paired with more overdone aspects. And through it all, what we end up with is a film that stirs together kung fu, period drama, action, various strains of comedy, and fantasy into a weird, vibrant, highly enjoyable whole.
It remains true that 'Forbidden City cop' has its faults. Some tidbits (mostly the more outlandish and/or sexual ones) completely fail to land, nevermind scattered tinges of sexism, fatphobia, and transphobia. Even at only ninety minutes I wonder if this isn't a smidgen longer than it should be, as the major sequence near the end of the second act feels like a proper climax. There are plenty of swell ideas here, but not all of them are treated well; even as it boasts some excellent humor and writing, the third act comes off to some degree like something taken from a totally different screenplay and rewritten to adjoin the first two-thirds. Still, this was made with no loftier intent than to have fun, and no matter how much we may scrutinize, it ably achieves that goal. I sat to watch with no real foreknowledge or expectations, and though not every facet meets with equal success, I'm pleasantly surprised by how much of a good time it turned out to be. Unless one has a special impetus to watch there's no need to go out of your way for this, but I'm very pleased with how entertaining 'Forbidden Citiy cop' is overall, and I'm glad to give it my solid recommendation!
