The Unmatchable Match is a Cinema City action/comedy/drama
that was made back when there were movies with Stephen Chow,
not Stephen Chow Movies. Chow is an undercover cop who must
befriend former triad kingpin Chan Wai-Man to investigate
a brutal diamond heist. It turns out that Chan is innocent
of the theft, but not of the fencing of the stolen goods.
The credit for the actual theft goes
to Shing Fui-On, in his “pissed-off’ acting mode. In the process
of his investigation, Chow and Chan bond and become “brothers,”
and their growing relationship forms a good three-quarters
of the film. Then bad guy Shing reappears and threatens Chow’s
girlfriend and professional scenery Vivian Chow. The result:
a shoot-out. Danny Lee appears now and then to lend his name
to the box-office marquee.
A marvelously unoriginal movie, The
Unmatchable Match succeeds at being somewhat enjoyable
if not terribly interesting. The storyline and execution are
routing, but at the characters and actors prove engaging.
This is a good example of an HK film that coasts on the personalities
of its stars. Chan Wai-Man makes an good partner for Chow,
and considering Chow’s usual over-the-top comedic shtick,
it’s interesting to see him try to act for a change. (Kozo
1996) |
