Movies
Part of the In The Line of Duty series (in the West), from what I can see, the sequel to Yes Madam in Hong Kong. They sure had a way of messing up franchises and releases back in the day. It doesn't really matter though, this is a solid Hong Kong action film that will be a treat for everyone who loves 80s Jackie Chan films.
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Michelle Yeoh is excellent and easily outshines her costars. The action sequences are fun and impressive, while the pacing and runtime are perfect. The bad guys are less appealing, and the film felt a bit too familiar for someone who has seen all the big Hong Kong action spectacles of that era, but other than that, this was wildly entertaining.
A typical Hong Kong vehicle, with some minor Japanese influences. Hong Kong isn't too skilled when it comes to sci-fi/mecha adventures though, and so the result is quite cheesy, instead of fun and badass. The film still works as a somewhat quirky Hark comedy, but I would only recommend this one to people who appreciate outlier cinema regardless of quality.
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A criminal gang is terrorizing Hong Kong with the help of Pioneer I & II, two lethal robots. When Pioneer II gets damaged during a mission she falls into the hands of a skilled programmer. He reprograms the bot to help him fight the gang, but when he teams up with an ex-gang member, both the police and the criminals are on his tail.
I Love Maria offers a basic mix of crime and comedy, which is ruined by some terrible sci-fi elements. Hark fares well in front of the camera, adding some welcome comical notes, but as a director, he is incapable of finding the right tone. Don't expect too much from Tony Leung either, in the end, I felt almost sorry for his involvement in this project. Not the worst, but hardly a film worth recommending.