Cast Member: Eric Tsang

Clifton Ko has been behind the lens for quite a few of these family comedies though the box-office hit ‘It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World’ is one of his best efforts.

Clocking in at around the 80 minute mark, ‘Jiang Hu’ is short and snappy, delving into a a specific moment in the characters lives making it neither overly complex or lacking in substance.

Having emerged from the debacle that was ‘Kung-Fu Cyborg’, Jeff Lau returns to his beloved sub-genre of the nonsensical and it’s certainly an improvement on his previous effort.

Even as an outsider looking in, this reviewer has to admit that the occasional moments of entertainment sprouted forth from ‘Just Call Me Nobody’.

As a continued supporter of Hong Kong cinema, it gives me no pleasure to call this absurd mess the biggest waste of a big budget in recent memory.

It gives me no pleasure to say that I would even consider, if heavily medicated, watching ‘The Spy Next Door’ again rather than this.

Although certain aspects of the series have changed in this third part, ‘Lucky Stars Go Places’ still proves to be an entertaining and undemanding film that fits well into this popular film series.

It tackles a complex subject with real skill and, while not pretending to be the definitive film on the matter – as if any one film could claim to be – it is a work of rare brilliance.

Samson Chiu can be congratulated for taking a bold step in a new direction while still retaining much of the gentle punch that is associated with the brand.

It’s not a perfect film – the quirky moments are sometimes a bit too overdone and the pace is slightly inconsistent – but it is a nice surprise.

Newcomers will enjoy the fight action, the slightly more experienced will also appreciate the comedy and the veteran viewer will be entertained by the great cast.

If you’re a fan of Hong Kong comedies then this one certainly delivers the goods and you’ll also be rewarded with a couple of hard-hitting action scenes along the way.