Dai cheung foo

I'm not sure if "Men in Black" is supposed to mean something in Cantonese/Hong Kong but I was very amused by how they filmed this movie. Though it's a simple story of four men looking to play while their spouses/partners are away, it's set like a typical Hong Kong thriller, with action sequences, scenes of faux suspense, and even a twist that's revealed at the end.

The cast is uneven. The veterans are effortlessly good - Eric Tsang, Chapman To, Jordan Chan, Teresa Mo - but they make the newcomers pretty bad in comparison. Of the latter group, the only one I know is Candy Lo, and though I love her song "Rubbish," I don't think she's a particularly good actress. Not yet anyway. Neither is the cute young guy of the group, who mainly stands out because his name is inexplicably "Spirit Blue." I was wondering if he's a singer or something but no, apparently he's just a cute amateur actor with an odd stage name.

It will be difficult for anyone not steeped in Hong Kong culture to make much of this film.

The film takes on the shell of a Hong Kong gangster film, specifically Infernal Affairs, and inject it with a completely different subject, infidelity of a kind commonly found in Hong Kong men. One needs to have seen Infernal Affairs to truly appreciate the in-jokes, and to know the recent history of Hong Kong to get many of the local jokes.

Granted, there is not much substance to the film in terms of making you think. But it is still a piece of Hong Kong comedy so skillfully woven together, with so many cameo(es), that you can not but laugh yourself silly all the way through.

I watched this movie a long time ago and I thought that it was...... hilarious? Original? I don't know... I cannot describe this film. I can only say that I could not stop laughing when I watched it, especially the bit when 'Gau Suk' was in the pub and was trying to escape... the pseudo-urgency and the fake emotional input from the actors was... not original but hilarious and refreshing... I thought that the film was a thrilling ride of fun, yet apart from its hilarity it had a moral dimension that examined the morality of infidelity... with good humour.

9/10

CYP

Combine the HK triad genre with 4 infidel men and what you get is one hell of a mad spoof! Hilarious and refreshing, this film is a cleverly-executed parody of the stereotypical HK gangster movie. Kudos to the creators of coming up with such a novel idea!

Having sent their partners on a holiday together, our 4 musketeers set out to carry out the ultimate mission to cheat on their other halves for that one day. The fact that they're doing it in honour of their 'ninth uncle' (Tony 'The Lover' Leung as the 'big brother', who sacrificed himself to protect these 4 men from being 'caught', and is now being cruelly imprisoned in his home with no access to porn and women) after 5 long years of planning makes the story all the more absurdly amusing!

Seeing Eric Tsang and Jordan Chan spoofing the triad boss roles that they are so familiar with really is great fun. Add the always stupid looking Chapman To into the picture and you really have a barrel of ready laughs. Of course, not forgetting to mention the cast of women led by veteran comedy actress Teresa Mo and a very crude Candy Lo (what a blast!), all taking part in a surprisingly thrilling cat-and-mouse chase with the hapless men. An enjoyable film that is well supported by a unique story, a competent cast (watch out for those cameos!) and a thoughtful closure.

In the mood for a fun and funny battle of the sexes? Try "Men Suddenly in Black," a lighthearted screwball comedy/triad gangster spoof with a great ensemble cast. Eric Tsang (recently seen as the gangster boss in "Infernal Affairs") is the inspiration for a group of fellows who just want to let loose and have a little adulterous fun. The only problem is that their wives and girlfriends are constantly keeping an eye on them and thwarting their plans and schemes.

But one day the four women plan a short trip to Thailand. Opportunity! Time to make plans! The movie follows the men as they conspire to drink, skirt-chase, and engage in other male-bonding rituals while the girls are away. It seems that the poor guys just miss their bachelor days and gee, what the girls don't know won't hurt them, right? Oh, but the ladies are not stupid. Their suspicions peaked, they take us on a cat-and-mouse adventure as the guys try to stay one step ahead. Elaborate deceptions and near-misses ensue.

What makes this movie so enjoyable are the cast and the vignettes that the guys go through. The plan allows for each guy to engage his own separate pursuit while still allowing for episodes of group activity (such as a visit to a cyber sex café and a hotel room party). All this is intercut with the ladies planning their own traps for the guys.

And these vignettes are nothing short of hilarious. See the guys try to negotiate for better looking and more interested "dates" at the cyber café (and learn that what is advertised is not exactly what you get, especially when you are trying to do it on the cheap). In one especially inspired episode, the guys are almost caught by camera-wielding paparazzi (the last thing the guys need is to be on the evening news). The whole scene plays out as a spot-on send-up of a John Woo film. Slow motion flying through the air, and, well, I don't want to give it away, but when you see what they use instead of guns, I dare you not to laugh out loud.

Another funny episode involves "Ninth Uncle." It seems that in an earlier escapade, Ninth Uncle (played by Tony Leung Ka Fai, "The Lover"; Johnny To's "Election") took the fall when the girls showed up, thus allowing the other guys to make a clean getaway. Now he is a prisoner in his own home (his wife won't even allow him to read "porns," poor guy!). Very funny stuff here.

As I mentioned before, the cast is great. In addition to Tsang and Leung, the movie features Jordan Chan, Chapman To, Teresa Mo, Candy Lo, Tiffany Lee, and a number of cameos.