The Underground Banker isn't so much a Cat III movie as it is a parody of one.
It was difficult to tell at first, since so many Cat IIIs open with scenes of silly humour, but once the film passed the halfway point, it became clear to me that director Bosco Lam (A Chinese Torture Chamber Story) had his tongue firmly in cheek, poking fun at films such as Run and Kill, Dr. Lamb and The Untold Story.
The film stars 'Bunman' himself, Anthony Chau-Sang Wong, as meek truck driver Tong Chi-Ming, who moves into a new public housing complex with his wife Kitty (Mai Ching) and son Tak (Wai-Lim Chu). Soon after, Tak makes friends with neighbour Dr. Lamb (Lawrence Ng), a reformed serial killer, and Kitty is reacquainted with an old flame, Canner (Chi Yeung Wong), with whom she begins to play mahjong.
When Kitty loses a fortune gambling, Canner introduces her to his loan shark brother Chao (Ka-Kui Ho), who gives her the money she needs, but at an interest rate that she cannot afford. Forced into prostitution to pay her debts, Kitty is no longer able to keep her situation a secret from her husband, who sells his truck to try and help. Chao refuses to let the couple off the hook, and humiliates Chi-Ming, who leaves with his cash. Not content with making Chi-Ming lose face, Chao also tries to rape his sister Chi-Kwan (Pui Hui), sends a gang of thugs to steal his money from him, and then torches his apartment with his wife and son inside.
Three months later, after visiting his disfigured son in hospital (the film's funniest scene, in which everyone breaks down in floods of tears at little Tak's inability to play computer games), Chi-Ming finally snaps, and with Dr. Lamb by his side, goes looking for revenge.
Over-the-top mayhem ensues, with Dr. Lamb learning to love killing again, and the once affable Chi-Ming chopping and slashing his way through Triad henchmen to get to the villainous Chao. If you're a big fan of the Cat III genre, Bosco Lam's affectionate parody should prove a whole load of demented fun, right up to the castration of Chao in the final act.
7.5/10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.
The film stars 'Bunman' himself, Anthony Chau-Sang Wong, as meek truck driver Tong Chi-Ming, who moves into a new public housing complex with his wife Kitty (Mai Ching) and son Tak (Wai-Lim Chu). Soon after, Tak makes friends with neighbour Dr. Lamb (Lawrence Ng), a reformed serial killer, and Kitty is reacquainted with an old flame, Canner (Chi Yeung Wong), with whom she begins to play mahjong.
When Kitty loses a fortune gambling, Canner introduces her to his loan shark brother Chao (Ka-Kui Ho), who gives her the money she needs, but at an interest rate that she cannot afford. Forced into prostitution to pay her debts, Kitty is no longer able to keep her situation a secret from her husband, who sells his truck to try and help. Chao refuses to let the couple off the hook, and humiliates Chi-Ming, who leaves with his cash. Not content with making Chi-Ming lose face, Chao also tries to rape his sister Chi-Kwan (Pui Hui), sends a gang of thugs to steal his money from him, and then torches his apartment with his wife and son inside.
Three months later, after visiting his disfigured son in hospital (the film's funniest scene, in which everyone breaks down in floods of tears at little Tak's inability to play computer games), Chi-Ming finally snaps, and with Dr. Lamb by his side, goes looking for revenge.
Over-the-top mayhem ensues, with Dr. Lamb learning to love killing again, and the once affable Chi-Ming chopping and slashing his way through Triad henchmen to get to the villainous Chao. If you're a big fan of the Cat III genre, Bosco Lam's affectionate parody should prove a whole load of demented fun, right up to the castration of Chao in the final act.
7.5/10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.
- BA_Harrison
- 21 giu 2019