After waiting for this movie to get theatrical release for about a year or two, I finally got to see an Asian import DVD thanks to a friend.
Wow. You know, you read all these articles about the joy present in Hong Kong movies and how American movies just don’t match up. Then you watch the movie. See how pure enthusiasm for making movies permeates every frame. Then you show a roommate a brilliant scene (the kung fu musical). And they go, “Huh?”
Sigh.
I’d never heard of Stephen Chow until this movie (evidently he’s quite the workhorse: actor, director, writer, etc). And sure the movie’s pretty heavily weighted towards him. But everyone’s having fun here. The Bruce Lee goalie. The stockbroker with the iron stomach. Yeah.
I can see how some people would see this movie and lump it with their notions of cheesy 70’s chopsocky films. The film knows it too, even pokes fun at some of the stock conventions. And the special effects here are well done (if a bit over the top). And the finale uses those effects to splat a sense of epic over everything. It’s stirring. Really.
Hopefully whoever’s in charge of such matters will get off their duff and release this movie (the fanboy in me screams, “Make sure it’s Cantonese with English subtitles!”).