The quest to make more money continues! After last fall's La Brassiere cleaned up at the box office, the exact same people (both filmmakers and cast) return to once again demolish all comers. This time, decidedly male designers Wayne (Louis Koo) and Johnny (Lau Ching-Wan) are charged with creating the world's greatest baby product. As the film is set firmly in movie-land, Wayne and Johnny should be able come through. Of greater concern is whether or not the film can succeed.
     Having delivered the world's greatest bra, Johnny and Wayne have gone their separate ways. Wayne is still involved with executive Lena (Gigi Leung), but Johnny and Samantha (Carina Lau, in a cameo appearance) have broken up. Despite that, Samantha hires Johnny to lead the new baby division of the female-dominated Sis Group. Their strange Japanese bosslady (once again played by Chikako Aoyama) has charged them with creating the ultimate baby product. Johnny is game, but he needs Wayne. So he goes and begs his buddy to team up again. Literally.
     Wayne agrees to come on board, but he's leery of working so close to Lena, who's starting to get ideas of a ring and some wedding bells. Furthermore, Wayne is totally afraid of babies. Luckily, the Japanese office sends over baby expert Boey (Cecilia Cheung), who has supreme baby-communication skills. Her presence throws the office in an uproar, as the office gets overrun with tykes, all angling to be test subjects for whatever wacky design inventions Wayne and Johnny come up with. Even more, Boey is eligible competition for Wayne, who's still unsure of his future with Lena. And, Johnny has a new secretary, a hyperventilating ditz named Sabrina (Rosamund Kwan, in a fun against-type performance). Office romance and political hijinks ensue.
     Or at least, that's what returning directors Patrick Leung and Chan Hing-Kai (who co-wrote the script with Amy Chin) are hoping. By assembling the same cast (who turned in terrific performances in the first film), and getting Rosamund Kwan and Cecilia Cheung, the filmmakers have essentially upped the ante. Like all sequels, the idea is bigger, better, faster and funnier. The enlarged cast and numerous romantic entanglements make for more potential comedy, and the film shoots from one scene to the next with little pause for breath. Speeding things up is a welcome move, as the film stuffs so much into its two-hour running time that it threatens to burst.
     However, that's where the problems occur. What exactly is Mighty Baby about? Is it about the men discovering who they truly love? Or, is it about Wayne coming to terms with his baby phobia? Or, is it about Wayne and Johnny engaging in histrionic homoerotic rites of friendship? The safest answer would probably be: all of the above, because the film tackles all of that and even more. Time is alotted for child abandonment, screwy nipple-fetish neuroses, a hilarious office romance subplot, Andy Lau impressions and even inter-dimensional travel via one of Wayne and Johnny's failed devices. That's right: a baby travels into another dimension and returns with snazzy futuristic duds courtesy of said other dimension. And then the film cuts to a new scene.
     Given all that, it seems as if the filmmakers had no idea what they were doing, and passed the time by thinking up new and more bizarre ways in which to amuse themselves and possibly the audience. Nothing that happens in Mighty Baby seems to have any consequence. Johnny and Wayne are guaranteed women no matter what, and even if they bicker at the most inappropriate of times (like in the middle of an important presentation), they're still going to come out looking and smelling good. None of the women are going to realize what incredibly immature doofuses these guys are, and will patiently wait until the next important presentation, which is where these guys always make all their big romantic decisions. And they won't get fired for interrupting meetings to solicit the affections of women. Yeah, just like real life.
     There are a few moments that seem to indicate an appropriate direction for the film. Wayne and Lena must take care of one child when the mother goes AWOL, and in doing so they confront their own possible parenthood. The scene might be a bit hackneyed, but it represents a logical and even affecting progression for the characters. However, that moment is sandwiched between a truly bizarre and annoying subplot involving a screwy hospital administrator named Dr. Kim (Jim Chim Sui-Man), who engages in nipple fascination and hypnotherapy. Why does this happen? Who the hell knows?
     At least there's funny stuff. Many of the gags are laugh-inducing even when they make no sense. Not that they need to; one of Hong Kong Cinemas tried-and-true formulas has always been nonsensical weirdness with big stars acting like loons. All the actors are extremely game here, and for the most part they succeed. Louis Koo continues to show surprising comedic chops, and Cecilia Cheung is suitably adorable as Boey. Lau Ching-Wan, Gigi Leung and Rosamund Kwan all have their moments - when the script and direction help them out. When the filmmakers falter, they leave their actors without any place to go, and the resulting scenes are filled with bizarre and sometimes interminable overacting.
     When all is said and done, it's the actors - and the audience's loyalty to them - that make or break Mighty Baby. If the viewer is driven by idol fascination then the occasional hilarious gag - combined with the abundance of eye candy - can make the film a passably entertaining time. And, it must be mentioned that the babies are amazingly cute. They even seem to act at times, and frequently upstage big babies Lau Ching-Wan and Louis Koo. Add all that together and some satisfaction can be had. But is it a good movie? Uh, not really. (Kozo 2002)

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