Funny Triple

Kai Xin Shuang Xiang Pao
1985 / 90m - Hong Kong
Comedy, Action
2.5*/5.0*
Funny Triple poster

Funny Tripple is not the world's most original film, but fans of 80s Hong Kong action comedies should feel right at home. When Eric Tsang takes up the role of a funny cop, you know what to expect, and this film delivers in spades. It's just that the execution is somewhat lackluster.

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Two cops are always together on the job, so much so that they've become friends outside of work. Their latest case will test their friendship though. They are hunting down Boss Sin, helped by his crafty righthand man, and they get involved in a romantic dispute that drives a wedge between them.

There's a bit of action, there's lots of comedy nonsense, and you get lots of banter between Eric Tsang and Anthony Chan. On top of that, Pak-Cheung Chan is trying to play the bad guy. It's all very silly and fun, but there are so many similar films that it's difficult to imagine this one will stick out in any way. Amusing filler though.

Khrustalyov, My Car!

Khrustalyov, Mashinu!
1998 / 147m - Russia
Comedy, Drama
3.0*/5.0*
Khrustalyov, My Car! poster

I'm not the biggest fan of Russian dreariness, but there's no point in denying that some of their films are visually arresting. Khrustalyov, My Car! is one of those films where I didn't care too much about the characters or the plot, but kept watching because of the entrancing cinematography.

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Klenskiy's life is going too well. A group of Jewish doctors is plotting to kill Stalin, and even though Klenskiy isn't involved, he feels this puts a target on his back. His luck changes when one day he is summoned and brought to Stalin himself. The man is ill and he demands that Klenskiy heals him.

The film is surprisingly lighthearted, though the comedy contains a pretty dark undertone. The radiant black-and-white cinematography is something else though, given even more prominence by the moody settings. It's a shame the runtime's a bit excessive and the film does run out of steam in the second half. Still, a fine discovery.

Star Abyss

Xing Men Shen Yuan
2024 / 86m - China
Sci-fi, Action
3.0*/5.0*
Star Abyss poster

China working on its sci-fi collection. There's still no big boom, but from time to time you'll see a new sci-fi film pop up. Star Abyss is a typical iQiyi project, meaning it's short, concise, and on the cheap. At the same time, it's also pretty entertaining and despite some shoddy CG, it wasn't boring.

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A spaceship gets stuck in a wormhole. Instead of the prospected 30 minutes, they'll be spending 7 years inside, before they'll come out the other side. There are too few survival pods and two killer plus their engineered killing machine are loose on the ship. Some tough decisions lie ahead.

The CG really isn't good (and often quite pointless), but the setting is fun and the mix of sci-fi and action is amusing enough. The film is pure genre filler and never pretends to be anything more, apart from the ending maybe, which felt a bit too drawn out. 70 minutes would've been better, other than that, amusing filler.

Crocodile Dundee II

1988 / 108m - Australia
Action, Comedy
2.5*/5.0*
Crocodile Dundee II poster

Slightly more amusing than the first one, though a great film this is not. It's mostly better because Dundee is allowed to return to his roots, which changes the film's dynamic. That means fewer "outback man in the city jokes", but more "criminals in the outback" jokes. It's different enough to warrant a sequel.

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When Dundee's girlfriend gets mixed up in some drug business, our fearless Australian doesn't hesitate and sets out to recapture his kidnapped woman. He gets her back, but by doing so he angers the criminals. They fly back to Australia, where Dundee has a better chance of keeping them from harm.

The first half of the film's a little iffy, but the second part makes up for it. There are some decent jokes packed in the latter half, as long as you keep your expectations in check. It would've been nice if the film had been a little shorter, and the performances still aren't that great, but it's amusing enough.