Film Review: Hardcore Comedy falls on its face
Edmund Lee
Starring: Kelvin Kwan Chor-yiu, William Chan Wai-ting, Dada Chan Ching, Oscar Leung Lit-wai
Directors: Henri Wong Chi-hang, Chong Siu-wing, Andy Lo Yiu-fai
Category: III (Cantonese)
The fallout from the surprising triumph of Pang Ho-cheung's (2012) continues with , a crass and lazily plotted dud that assumes it has the local audience's support simply because its filmmakers are not sucking up to the mainland censors for a change.
With each of its three parts produced by an established filmmaker and directed by a debutant, the project is themed around three major vices: prostitution, gambling and drugs. The result couldn't be more underwhelming.
The highly stylised "Shocking Wet Dreams" section, produced by Derek Kwok Chi-kin and helmed by visual effects veteran Henri Wong Chi-hang, opens the film as arguably the most memorable of the trio. It follows two porn-obsessed friends (Kelvin Kwan Chor-yiu and Terence Chui Chi-iong) who end up living in a rundown apartment building turned brothel.
As they shift their focus from losing their virginity to saving a beautiful neighbour (Michelle Wai Si-nga) and the prostitutes from the clutches of a corrupt cop (Timothy Cheng Tse-sing), Wong offers sometimes clever, mostly infantile gags about everything from Japanese porn to TVB dramas.
The next segment, "Run on Drugs", is produced by Ng Kin-hung and helmed by music video director Chong Siu-wing. It centres on a heartbroken and dorky young man, Kit (William Chan Wai-ting), who is tricked into delivering psychedelic mushrooms for a cross-dressing dealer.
