Cast Member: Eric Tsang

While Derek Chiu’s latest film is an acceptable blockbuster, the wit and style of the director’s earlier works is sadly fading away from him.

With a welcome big screen appearance by Anita Yuen and an all-star rendition of Sam Hui’s beloved ’Private Eyes’ theme, this celebration of Hong Kong is an unpretentious distraction.

The formula that made the original so successful has naturally remained untampered, but the scope of effects and stunts clearly expanded.

It’s such a shame that one of Lam’s more appealing roles is hamstrung by unusually poor direction from Tsui Hark.

It has to be admitted that there are some decent moments within the film and it certainly brings more smiles to the face than many a Chinese New Year comedy of the past.

Everything is so over-the-top and forced while desperately trying to drag all of those ensemble hits of yesteryear kicking and screaming into the 21st century. The result is a bizarre mix.

‘And I Hate You So’ could and should have been much better; instead the viewer is left with a good film that simply didn’t realise its full potential.

Director Yee Chung-Man combines the conventions of commercial film-making with the subtlety of art-house cinema, but never loses the main heart of the film.

Overall it’s a wonderful film, a blockbuster people call it, and maybe it is, but really for us Asian movie fans this is what it’s all about – a hard hitting, hard punching film with a heart of gold and a fist of iron.

Hung and Wu Ma still manage to keep the film interesting with their charming on-screen personas and some noteworthy kung fu routines.

‘Carry On Hotel’ should work better than it does, but, due to uninspired writing and direction, is merely passable entertainment.

The few moments of promise at the beginning do not last long and the occasional flashes of action are merely there to trick us into sitting through the whole thing.