The second film in my fifth match-up in the second round of the 90s Far East Bracket is CRAZY, and yes, that needed to be in caps!
Screenplay By: Jeffrey Lau
Directed By: Jeffrey Lau
I’ve ever been a big fan of Asian martial arts flicks, even less so of the more slapstick and zany ones. For whatever reason they’ve never appealed to me in the same way that they appeal to so many others. I wasn’t aware that Se Diu Ying Hung Ji Dung Sing Sai Jau was a zany, slapstick, Asian martial arts comedy until I popped it into the DVD player. The cast drew me to picking this one for the Filmspotting 90s Far East Bracket. Needless to say once I realized what type of movie Se Diu Ying Hung Ji Dung Sing Sai Jau actually was I became a wee bit apprehensive and wondered what I had gotten myself into.
At first most of my apprehension was being confirmed, Se Diu Ying Hung Ji Dung Sing Sai Jau was so crazy and so slapstick that I didn’t see the point to it. Characters were saying things and doing things that I just didn’t care about, to put it simply try as I might I could not get into the film. Then I noticed I was chuckling at the antics on screen and the characters were engaging me with how crazy they were. I don’t know when exactly it happened, but by at least a half hour into Se Diu Ying Hung Ji Dung Sing Sai Jau I was really digging what I was seeing. The film had an inviting energy to it, it was having fun with itself and I had no choice but to follow suit.
That inviting energy was spurred on by the films cast, every actor was having a glorious time with their roles. I don’t think anyone can say they love movies until they have seen Tony Leung Chiu Wai waddle around and have a gay old time pretending to be a duck. That sort of willingness to dive into the wackiness of the film was exhibited by every one involved. When the cast is willing to show that much exuberance and is clearly having a blast playing their parts it’s only natural that their energy would rub off on the viewer.
I don’t know much about the correlation between Se Diu Ying Hung Ji Dung Sing Sai Jau and Dung Che Sai Duk. All I do know is what can be found on a basic Wikipedia search. Dung Che Sai Duk ran so over budget that the director of that film, Kar Wai Wong, decided to produce Se Diu Ying Hung Ji Dung Sing Sai Jau to help cover the costs of his epic. I can only imagine how much enjoyment I will get out of Se Diu Ying Hung Ji Dung Sing Sai Jau once I have seen Dung Che Sai Duk. Even without understanding the back story of the two films, I really liked Se Diu Ying Hung Ji Dung Sing Sai Jau, and that should say something about how much fun there is to be had with this picture.
I don’t think there are any deep layers to be found in Se Diu Ying Hung Ji Dung Sing Sai Jau, but if someone who is more versed in Asian culture and cinema knows that there is, then please, fill me in. What I do know is that Se Diu Ying Hung Ji Dung Sing Sai Jau is boatloads of zany fun. Se Diu Ying Hung Ji Dung Sing Sai Jau is an odd film, it’s most definitely not for everyone, but I had a blast watching it. It took me a few minutes, but eventually I was completely into what Jeffrey Lau was selling me, chalk Se Diu Ying Hung Ji Dung Sing Sai Jau up as a win for the crazy, slapstick, Asian martial arts comedy genre.
Rating:
***1/2
Cheers,
Bill
Bill's Movie Emporium 