The Owl vs. Bumbo

Sammo Hung is a thief who has just retired. he is living an ordinary life until someone from his past blackmails him into helping juvenile delinqents. also a victim, is one of his former thief friends...

moderately funny surroundings, some good laughs, and some good fights. a touching moment with the teenagers as well. 7/10

Although it might be dated 40 years ago the action scene provided and comedy sketches still can crack a laugh or two in it .. the storyline is simple but the action scene were not.. Sammo Hung dance sequences is amazing.. George Lam deadpan comedy were hilarious

Michelle Yeoh debut film as a teacher was great... the interaction between in the classroom was emotional and touching too

Stanley Fung and Deannie ip supporting roles were funny

I would not say it's great but definitely worth your time..

it's hard to find it in a better quality only DVD version available and hopefully it will get restored in at least a 720 or 1080 version one day.

A pair of likable thieves, Owl (George Lam) and Bumbo (Sammo Hung), are blackmailed by ex-cop Inspector Fung (Shui-Fan Fung) into volunteering at a juvenile detention centre, where the duo fall for two pretty employees at the centre (Deannie Yip and, in her first movie role, Michelle Yeoh), teach the unruly kids how to find a job, and foil a major smuggling ring led by the evil Au Gan (James Tien).

Owl vs Bumbo is unlikely to qualify as an essential Sammo Hung movie for most martial arts fans unless they have a particular yearning to see its portly star performing aerobics in a spandex leotard and legwarmers (in which case they should seek immediate help!). What we get is a typically daft knockabout Hong Kong comedy with a heavy dose of cloying saccharine sentimentality, but not nearly enough impressive kung fu scenes.

After lots of mildly entertaining silliness, the highlight of which is an impromptu Fred Astaire-style dance routine by Sammo, the film culminates with the obligatory showdown between the good-guys and the nasty criminal gang where Sammo finally gets to kick some serious butt, aided by the kids from the reform centre who turn up on BMX bikes to lend a hand.

5.5 out of 10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb.

(1984) The Owl Vs Bumbo (In Chinese with English subtitles) ACTION/ COMEDY/ DRAMA

Decent Sammo Hung Kam Bo feature as a professional bank robber "Bumbo" which is just a code name whose just stolen a great sum of money from the bank only to submitted to some gangsters. An anonymous caller then calls him up then tells him to do specific duties and one of them was to meet another professional thief code name "Owl" played by George Lam and are instructed to teach/ encourage a group of unfortunate/ impoverished kids to seek for some employment with one of two instructors Michelle Yeoh. Upon watching this film, they're a lot of Hollywood influences, particularly "Blackboard Jungle", "to Sir With Love" and "Singin' In The Rain" which is nothing more than a backdrop to showcase comedic situations and some fighting which I liked to see more of since some of the comedic stuff doesn't always work.

Apr 2021

Here we "Owl vs Bumbo" or "Owl vs Bombo", starring Sammo Hung, George Lam, Stanley Fung and a young Michelle Yeoh.

Typically good stuff as you would expect with these stars, although at times it gets slowed down by the drama elements of taking a class of bad element kids and turning them in to a bunch of goody goodies, that story has featured several times in American films,

Still plenty of fun to be had, not a great deal of kung fu.

Ultimately another winner from Sammo Hung.

9 out of 10.