Gillian and Sandy are two young girls down on their luck after one is kicked out of school and the other is an alien (??) abandoned on earth by her parents. When the two of them meet whilst looking for an apartment, they forge an instant friendship and decide to look for a place together. In the paper they see an advert for the perfect place so to decide to hail a taxi and check it out. In steps Jim Lo (Cheng), the heroic taxi driver who does his best to please all his clients in all departments. After dropping off the Twins, he leaves his card with them and tells them that should they ever need his assistance then all they need to do is call. Once inside the house though, Gillian and Sandy realise they may need Jim’s help sooner rather than later as they find themselves confronted by Black Rose (Mo) and numerous hidden traps. However, this is all one big plan by Black Rose as she wants the Twins to prove themselves so they can forge the ultimate crime fighting force!
After tip-toeing past the highly controversial ‘Twins Effect’, ‘Protégé De La Rose Noire’ was my first experience of watching a Twins (Charlene Choi and Gillian Chung) movie. I have to admit that the trailer certainly peaked my interest, as it looked like this would be a typically Hong Kong comedy that was littered with a combination of clever parodies and high octane action. Sadly though, the finished product proved to be nowhere near as entertaining, and the film is really made up of little more than a set of bizarre and unfunny slapstick routines. The plot is also completely nonsensical and it often feels like the creators are just trying to be “wacky” for the sake of it. Although some may appreciate this unfathomable silliness, I honestly found myself tiring of it quickly and was left feeling bemused and bewildered once the final credits rolled.
Performances from the majority of the cast are also more miss than hit. The Twins themselves spend the majority of the film trying to look cute rather than act, and their attempts at humour just appear overly exaggerated. Ekin Cheng on the other hand, is the straight man to their “comedy” duo and he spends most of the movie being battered and bruised around by the girls. There is of course some experience included in the form of Teresa Mo, but long-time fans will no doubt already be aware that she is an actress who comes right out of the Dean Shek school of comedy. Sadly she continues in that vein here, producing an extremely over-the-top and irritating character who is probably the worst of the bunch. In fact, the only person that ignited a slight spark of interest within me was Donnie Yen’s sister, Chris Yen. Not only does she show some impressive skills in the martial arts, but she also has a pretty decent on-screen presence.
‘Protégé De La Rose Noire’ is an extremely exaggerated and silly comedy that really failed to tickle any part of my funny bone. Chris Yen and the catchy musical score are about the film’s only pluses, and I’d have to say that this is really only worthy of a watch if you’re a big fan of the Twins.
- Teaser: ‘The Plot’ - April 22, 2024
- Blu-ray release: ‘Fearless Hyena Part II’ - April 22, 2024
- Theatrical release: ‘July Rhapsody’ - April 20, 2024
