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Review
by Kozo: |
Inspired but tragically silly, this classic comedy from the
early eighties spawned an entire series, numerous spin-offs,
multiple copycats, and finally an unfortunate 1997 revival
film. Sam Hui stars as King Kong, a suave cat burglar who
makes off with some diamonds and subsequently comes under
investigation by parties too numerous to mention. When evil
Caucasian jewel thief White Glove gets involved, the local
law enforcement agencies call in legendary U.S. detective
Kodojak (spear-bald Cinema City exec Karl Maka). Paired with
tough-talking HK cop Inspector Ho (a feisty Sylvia Chang),
Kodojak makes apprehending King Kong his first priority, after
which the two team together to find White Glove and bring
him to justice.
If it were only that simple: the
pair must also find time to act totally loony and romance
Inspector Ho and her sister. What follows is a “falling in
love” montage to the tune of the wildly popular “Best Partners”
theme song by Sam Hui. While modern audiences would be staring
in disbelief, the audiences of the past were probably pissing
in the aisles. This is an incredibly dated film, but it contains
some real enjoyment. Hui and Maka share some good chemistry,
and all three of the principals turn in effectively funny
performances. There are also some good stunts, and the frenetic
pacing is a definite plus as it never allows one joke to fall
flat without another five racing in to fill the void. Stephen
Chow probably spent years studying these movies. This is more
of a pop-culture oddity nowadays than a classic farce. Still,
if you take the time to learn the personalities and the culture,
then this can be a very fun ride. (Kozo 1998) |
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