Men Suddenly In Black
Starring: Eric Tsang, Jordan Chan, Chapman To, Teresa Mo, Marsha Yuen, Candy Lo, Tiffany Lee, Spirit Blue Director: Pang Ho Cheung The film: This is the sort of action-packed, low-brow parody Hong Kong filmmakers do best. Four wannabe tough-guys are on a mission - not to save the world or pull off the crime of the century - but successfully to cheat on their wives and girlfriends while they are on a trip to Thailand.
The cinematography is straight out of a Hollywood action flick. In a darkened room, team leader (Eric Tsang) solemnly slaps the gang's equipment on the table. But instead of 007-type gadgetry, they are given the powerful 'blue pills' (Viagra).
In another faux dramatic scene, a man flies across a Pacific Place restaurant with kung fu deftness, before snatching his credit card away in mid-air, lest his wife see the charge for the lunch he had with his mistress.
The better you know Hong Kong, the more you will like MSIB, which is filled with great local gags and references about Jordan cybercafes, Kowloon Tong love hotels and even the tai tais' second-hand handbag shop, Milan Station.
Hong Kong films have always had such laughably bad English subtitles that there are even websites dedicated to them. Thankfully, this DVD's better than the usual ('Fat head! I burn you to BBQ chicken!'). Instead, it offers surprisingly accurate and well-timed translations of the rapid-fire Cantonese and Putonghua dialogue. Of course, there are a few plays on words that are impossible to translate, but the writers do a commendable job of capturing the coarseness and humour of street Cantonese.
