Writer: Wong Jing

You’d expect a film with Sammo in would have something special in the action department, but even this is very average and certainly not up to his usual quality.

The laughs can be a bit too parochial for inexperienced viewers while the sudden mood change from touching romance to typically surreal canto-humour may be too jarring for some.

What could have been a classic is rendered merely enjoyable by the prominence of some very weak comedy.

‘The Romancing Star’ might be a product of a particular time and culture, but its problems do not lay there – the fact is that it’s unfunny and annoying.

Crazy cult classic that lives up to its mad-as-a-bag-of-frogs rep, ‘The Seventh Curse’ is some delicious Hong Kong Category III madness.

I did notice my skin peeling off as the film neared its conclusion, though on closer inspection this seems to have been what doctors call ‘The Chapman To effect’.

A cast of real stars has been assembled and coupled with effects that range from the good to the poor, but overall this is still a cold film with very little heart.

‘Till Death Do Us Laugh’ hits a nice balance of horror and comedy, with neither outweighing the other, whilst never taking itself so seriously as a collective that the audience can’t have a bit of fun with it.

‘Treasure Hunters’ never has a dull moment and from the opening credits to the very last kicks of the finale this is a top-notch Shaw Brothers’ film.

It has a fairly optimistic aim of being a comedy ‘Detective Dee’ and while it might not quite achieve a happy union between its components this is an undemanding distraction.

Of course this wouldn’t be a Wong Jing film if some of the jokes weren’t bordering on tasteless and there are a couple that stretch the imagination, but thankfully they do little to deviate from the film’s general fun and frivolity.

Unfortunately, just as you find yourself warming to his style, Wong Jing falls prey to the failings that would long be associated with him.