Site Features
- Asian Film Awards
- Site Recommendations

- Reader Poll Results

- The Sponsor Page
- The FAQ Page
 
support this site by shopping at
Click to visit YesAsia.com
Asian Blu-ray discs at YesAsia.com
 
 
 
 
 
To Err is Humane
Chinese: 標錯參 "Why is this loser standing next to me?"
Kenny Bee and Sammo Hung
Year: 1987
Director: Alfred Cheung Kin-Ting
Writer: Alfred Cheung Kin-Ting, Alex Law Kai-Yu
Cast: Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, Kenny Bee, Joey Wong Cho-Yin, Anthony Chan Yau, Leung Saan, Carrie Ng Ka-Lai, Wu Ma, Charlie Cho Cha-Lei, Ng Man-Tat, Shing Fui-On, Joan Tong Lai-Kau, Bolo Yeung
The Skinny: This kidnapping comedy doesn't rate a must-see, but for eighties Hong Kong Cinema it does possess its fair share of enjoyment.
 
Review
by Kozo:

Alfred Cheung directed this decently entertaining comedy about nice-guy kidnappers Sammo Hung and Kenny Bee. Hung is Ting, an overweight employee at a jewelry company who's constantly picked on by boss Ms. Chou (Leung Saan). After he's blamed for the theft of a large payoff, he loses his cool and decides to get revenge on his employers. He plots to kidnap Ms. Chou and ransom her for 800,000 HK dollars. Sadly, his bumbling leads him to accidentally kidnap Jo (Joey Wong), the illegitimate daughter of Mr. Chou. However, before Ting even discovers that he's kidnapped the wrong person, co-worker Biu (Kenny Bee) sweeps in and steals Jo out from under him. Meanwhile, wacky cop Anthony Chan screws around instead of actually solving crimes.

This clever kidnapping comedy treads on some dark turf, but never really goes beyond mildly bothersome. The filmmakers make sure you know Biu and Ting are nice guys; and as you expect even Jo will find that out eventually. If anyone is evil here, it's Mrs. Chou, who would rather have Jo dead than part with anything close to a sizable amount of cash. As such, it's easy to root for the two guys...once they team up. Before that, everyone seems moneygrubbing and just plain shallow. Luckily, Sammo Hung and Kenny Bee are likable enough dopes, and Joey Wong matches her usual flower-vase standard. Their genial presences shore up the fact that the film really possesses no truly great gags, and whatever action occurs is very, very minor. Furthermore, Anthony Chan is more annoying than funny as the lead cop, and some of his shtick can be tiresome. Still, this is an enjoyable little movie, and even the film's eventual moralizing seems appropriate and not entirely wooden. To Err is Humane is ultimately nonessential viewing, but it possesses enough minor HK Cinema charm to make it worthwhile. (Kozo 2003)

 
Availability: DVD (Hong Kong)
Region 0 NTSC
Joy Sales (HK)
16x9 Anamorphic Widescreen
Cantonese and Mandarin Language
Removable English and Chinese Subtitles
Find this at YesAsia.com
 

 image courtesy of Deltamac Co., Ltd.

   
 
 
LoveHKFilm.com Copyright ©2002-2017 Ross Chen