This year’s big New Year’s movie is standard New Year’s silliness, and possesses a plot that seems like a retread of the previous All’s Well That End’s Well flick from 1992. Roy Chiao is dad, a kind patriarch who tries to teach his sons the correct values, but not without a lot of hijinks that yield varying degrees of hilarity. Raymond Wong is Son #1, who can’t seem to appreciate his ugly duckling wife Christine Ng, who’s kinda clueless herself. She begins to lust after renowned photographer Emil Chow in a Bridges of Madison County parody. Son #2 is eternal student Francis Ng, who’s madly in love with a rowdy triad chick (Amanda Lee), who his father disapproves of. Francis decides to bring home sweet Wu Chien-Lien, and pays her big money to act even more crazy such that dad will eventually approve of Amanda. Son #3 is Stephen Chow, who’s a scummy free-loader who pretends to be insane to mooch off the family leading to all sorts of wacky Chow shtick. However, he learns the value of being a decent fellow, character development that’s common for these flicks but false if you consider what actually happens in these silly comedies. Overall this is an amusing diversion with some fun jokes but a lot of trying ones. Basically the thrill is watching big stars act like total loons, a concept that was better served in Wong Jing’s Boys are Easy. Now that was inspired silliness. This film is just plain silly. (Kozo 1997)

image courtesy of Mei Ah Laser Disc Co., Ltd.