Tricky Brains
CAST

Stephen Chow Sing Chi
Andy Lau
Rosamund Kwan
Chingamy Yau
Ng Man Tat
Waise Lee
Shing Fui On

ACTION
Benz Kong
WRITER

Wong Jing

PRODUCER
Jimmy Heung
DIRECTOR

Wong Jing

RATING
   Tricky Brains
Tricky Brains
AKA : N/A
Year : 1991     Reviewer : Phil Mills

Chi Man Kit (Lau) is a very serious and studious young man who is a respected member of his business firm and considered by many to be a front runner for promotion.  That is until he begins dating the bosses daughter who is also sought by the rich and powerful Macky (Waise Lee).  Rather than tarnish his own good name though, Macky decides to disgrace Kit by hiring the world famous King Of Tricks (Chow) to do his dirty work.  Now the question is, with the smart and wily King Of Tricks unleashing his full arsenal against Kit, will Macky get his way or will true love find a way to conquer all and ride this tidal wave of tomfoolery?

 

 

This early Chow Sing Chi/Wong Jing vehicle is something of a slow starter thanks to a surprisingly stilted (and slightly irritating) performance from Andy Lau that dominates the film's opening.  Thankfully for both the audience and the rather sheepish looking Lau, it isn't too long before Chow enters into the action bringing with him his unique brand of deadpan humour and a multitude of successful slapstick routines and in-jokes.  Alongside him is the equally amusing Ng Man Tat who proves that the chemistry between the pair is often the key to a lot of their films, so much so that the laughter here eventually becomes infectious enough to allow Lau to loosen up for the final third.  Of course this wouldn't be a Wong Jing film if some of the jokes weren't bordering on tasteless and there are the odd couple that stretch the imagination but thankfully they do little to deviate from the film's overall fun and frivolity.

Distributor : Mei Ah (Remaster)
Region : 0 (NTSC)
Running Time : 107 mins
Video :
Letterboxed with anamorphic availability. Another nice remaster from Mei Ah that is clean and crisp with no signs of wear. Minor grain is occasionally present but that is to be expected with a Hong Kong film from this era.
Audio :
DD 2.0/5.1 Cantonese or Mandarin soundtracks with removable English, traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese subtitles.
Extras :
- The rather pointless Databank
- Trailer for the film itself
Notes :
N/A
Tricky Brains
Tricky Brains
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