San kei hap lui

Clearly inspired by the Disney/ Pixar animation "The Incredibles", Hong Kong funnyman Vincent Kok's latest film "Mr and Mrs Incredible" follows a similar story arc in sketching the ordinary lives of two extraordinary people- or retired superheroes, to be more precise. They are the debonair Gazer Warrior (Louis Koo), whose superpower as his name suggests is his laser-like gaze, and the delightful Aroma Warrior (Sandra Ng), whose superpower as her name suggests is her beguiling aroma.

Married for close to ten years now, Gazer and Aroma Warrior are now enjoying anonymity as Huan and Red respectively in the secluded Rainbow Village. How secluded is it really? Well, an utterly hilarious opening sequence tells of how it takes one month for the newspaper to be delivered from the capital to the village- by then even "new news" is already "old news", Huan remarks.

While Huan spends his time reading the "old newspaper" for his fellow illiterate villagers, Red runs a humble restaurant where a trio of plump middle-aged gossip-monger ladies spend their time extolling their plus- sizes and criticising Red's svelte figure. The monotony of their lives has taken its toll on their marriage, most prominently their sexual drive and by extension their ability to conceive- despite their best attempts at trying to inject passion and excitement into their lives.

Like the husband-wife couple in "The Incredibles" therefore, Huan and Red continue to look back with fond memories on the extraordinary crime- fighting days. Life hasn't been much of a kick (pun intended) anymore compared to the past, the latter of which we get a glimpse of through an extended flashback. This consists of an OTT but laugh-out-loud sequence where Gazer takes out four bank-robbing pest-robbers (I kid you not)- namely Ant, Cockroach, Devil Scorpion and Toad- and another amusing sequence where Aroma punishes an abusive husband (Chapman To in a cameo). Vincent Kok's script also takes the opportunity to poke fun at Hollywood's masked vigilante, Batman, by having Gazer adopt a deep, growling voice, a la Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne.

While the flashback boasts the kind of exaggerated slapstick which is signature of many Hong Kong's 'mo lei tau' comedies, Kok adopts a surprisingly low-key approach for most of the movie- whether in terms of physical or verbal comedy- when finding humour in the tedium of his characters' seemingly ordinary lives. Kok also eschews the frenetic pace often associated with his movies in favour of a more relaxed, easygoing and spontaneous style here- perhaps a deliberate influence of producer Peter Chan.

One good example of this is Huan and Red's visit with a real estate agent to a prospective house beside a picturesque lake. Rather than simply dash to the comedic punchlines, Kok spends more time on the buildup as Huan and Red devise methods to depreciate the price of the house- including pulling off a chunk of wall and crushing it to bits to deceive the agent into thinking that the house is made of inferior materials, and purposely causing a crack in the fireplace that runs right up to the chimney. While many Hong Kong comedies have tended to hurl its barrage of jokes relentlessly at its audience to largely hit- and-miss results, there is a distinct sense that the gags are much more calculated here, and indeed most of them are genuinely funny.

It's a pity then that less thought has been put into the story which largely remains stagnant until the last third of the movie, when a martial arts competition held in their village that turns out to be a sinister power-grabbing (literally) attempt forces Gazer and Aroma out of retirement mode. For a movie that's been relatively light on CGI for the most of its duration, its CG-packed finale may come as a bit of a surprise, but kudos to Vincent Kok for not over-doing the special effects, employing it judiciously enough for the dramatic climax.

Despite its shortcomings, "Mr and Mrs Incredible" remains an thoroughly entertaining, and uproariously funny superhero action-comedy. Louis Koo reveals a hidden gift for deadpan humour here as Gazer, and he shares a nice rapport with the ever-amusing Sandra Ng throughout the film. Of course, one may easily find fault for how derivative this may be of "The Incredibles" or even "Mr and Mrs Smith", but what it lacks in originality, it more than makes up for with a generous helping of wit and humour.

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Sure the main characters happen to be super heroes. But in essence they are as human as can be. It is fun to see the couple romancing each other. And for once this is a production very light on drama. That would just ruin the overall vibe. The visuals are nice and certainly the highlight of the movie. No matter where you look it is one nice image after another. Why not? Not all movies have to be about something to be enjoyed. The comedy also is light so it won't make you laugh all the time. But there are enough scenes that are recognizable which makes it all very adorable. Also the pacing is not what you would expect from a movie containing super heroes. People expecting some decent action will get their money's worth. But most action scenes are very short and they only are there to put another spin on the romantic plot. Overall a very entertaining experience.

I'm not much for campy comedy action films. this was not; it was just an honestly good film! fun; good characters, good action. I personally would have liked more action and a longer length; but for what the movie makers were trying to accomplish it was perfect. i gave it a seven out of ten just because some parts were a bit too much campy. good job over all though. i'd love to see a sequel or a prequel. i kinda felt it was a week in the life of goku and chichi (which for me was a plus). the villain was a bit weak, and the supposed masters too goofy; but all in all i liked this movie; and recommend it for what that might be worth. enjoy.

For an entertaining movie, I did not expect too much from the Kungfu or other technical effects. The plot is plain, the settings are not bad, but the director and the actors are excellent! However, I was deeply moved by the romance and true love of this superhero couple. One could just check this trailer out--on you tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twk3IrPeKaQ&feature=fvsr to see how sweet this movie is. It really reminds me of my dating experience with my husband six years ago. When love melts into everyday life, there is not too much thrill. Though we can strongly feel secure, calm, and happy in everyday routine life, just like this unique couple.

Time was the studios of Hong Kong turned out three wildly entertaining movies most weeks. Since the mainland took over, your are lucky to get a couple a year and this one, despite heavy promotion, is not one of them.

A super hero comedy, the film rips off KUNG FU HUSTLE and The INCREDIBLES. Masked & cloaked Gezar Man Koo and Aroma Woman Ng have given up on their secret identities to settle in a small village, with domestic complications in her doing all the work and the non arrival of a baby. Their past catches up with them, when an Imperial secret martial arts tournament arrives there.

Intriguingly, comedienne Ng is still about, where those striking beauties of the great days of Kong Kong film have dropped out. Her strident character irritates at this length but she and the costumes are the best elements in the film. In sub-titles, the comedy is leaden and the effects work falls behind the every day excellence we are used to now.