This broadly humorous sequel to the cult hit MY LUCKY STARS is another film cast from the same mould: small scale comedy and laughs combine with hard-hitting action, the result is a roller-coaster of a film, slow in some spots and rip-roaring in others. The thing that really made me enjoy this film was the fun atmosphere, even more improved since the last instalment: the leads now seem really natural together (as they should, having starred in two ensemble films previously) and the comedy comes brisk and naturally. Plenty of the humour surrounds the boys' attempts to score with a pretty young woman, creating fires and fights in an attempt to grope and see her naked as many times as possible. Yes, it all sounds pretty low brow, but that's the point, and there's an innocence about the humour which makes it impossible to dislike.
Just about every cast member acquits themselves admirably in this production. The comedy stars shine through and the action heroes are quite wonderful. Comedy and action is mixed together in a successful, always moving, non-boring sequence. There are two main martial arts sequences, whilst the rest of the film involves incredible stunts (jumping from buildings and moving cars particularly), motorbike chases, shoot-outs, and just plain old-fashioned escapism (Jackie shooting the door off his car is a favourite moment). The warehouse attack, about halfway through, is a major tour-de-force for stars Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, and a young Andy Lau. Each faces a weapon-wielding toughie in a warehouse setting; the resultant fights are fast and furious in the truest sense of the words.
The film is really a who's who of Asian talent: along with bit-parts from popular players like Kara Hui, Jason Pai Piao, Phillip Ko, and villain Dick Wei, we have fresh-faced soon-to-be-famous bits from Michelle Yeoh and Andy Lau amongst the more established turns of the three leads. Rosamund Kwan lends fiery support but the fun is in the villainous trio, comprising Fat Chung with hilarious eyebrows; imposing Japanese villain Yasuaki Kurata, and best of all the Australian martial arts master, Richard Norton. In one of his first roles, Norton is great as the shell-suit clad baddie, particularly when shooting people with a machine gun whilst hang-gliding through the air! He also gets some great dialogue, such as in the final fight scene: "Painful?". Norton's tongue-in-cheek turn makes for the best villain of the series and every scene with him is a winner.
Sammo Hung only really comes to light in the film's finale, a chase-cum-shoot-out-cum-mass-fight in a theatre and a restaurant. There's a great gag in which a girl pretends to be blind, then some blistering action from Hung and Chan. Hung is particularly good, wielding wooden tennis rackets and beating bad guys like the pro he is. Obviously these kind of films are an acquired taste, a mix of old-fashioned slapstick, sniggering schoolboy humour, and the kind of martial arts flavoured mayhem they can only make in Hong Kong. It's reall rather good.
Just about every cast member acquits themselves admirably in this production. The comedy stars shine through and the action heroes are quite wonderful. Comedy and action is mixed together in a successful, always moving, non-boring sequence. There are two main martial arts sequences, whilst the rest of the film involves incredible stunts (jumping from buildings and moving cars particularly), motorbike chases, shoot-outs, and just plain old-fashioned escapism (Jackie shooting the door off his car is a favourite moment). The warehouse attack, about halfway through, is a major tour-de-force for stars Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, and a young Andy Lau. Each faces a weapon-wielding toughie in a warehouse setting; the resultant fights are fast and furious in the truest sense of the words.
The film is really a who's who of Asian talent: along with bit-parts from popular players like Kara Hui, Jason Pai Piao, Phillip Ko, and villain Dick Wei, we have fresh-faced soon-to-be-famous bits from Michelle Yeoh and Andy Lau amongst the more established turns of the three leads. Rosamund Kwan lends fiery support but the fun is in the villainous trio, comprising Fat Chung with hilarious eyebrows; imposing Japanese villain Yasuaki Kurata, and best of all the Australian martial arts master, Richard Norton. In one of his first roles, Norton is great as the shell-suit clad baddie, particularly when shooting people with a machine gun whilst hang-gliding through the air! He also gets some great dialogue, such as in the final fight scene: "Painful?". Norton's tongue-in-cheek turn makes for the best villain of the series and every scene with him is a winner.
Sammo Hung only really comes to light in the film's finale, a chase-cum-shoot-out-cum-mass-fight in a theatre and a restaurant. There's a great gag in which a girl pretends to be blind, then some blistering action from Hung and Chan. Hung is particularly good, wielding wooden tennis rackets and beating bad guys like the pro he is. Obviously these kind of films are an acquired taste, a mix of old-fashioned slapstick, sniggering schoolboy humour, and the kind of martial arts flavoured mayhem they can only make in Hong Kong. It's reall rather good.