Watches
August 22, 2021
Yuen Chor directs a full-blown comedy. Compared to other Shaw Bros directors, Chor seems to be more versatile. Or at least more willing to try out different genres, as his talent for comedy turns out to be very limited. There's no lack of loud, nervous banter here, but actual jokes are few and far between.
Hong Kong is doing very well in the 70s. The Hang Seng Index is soaring and Hong Kong citizens are eager to play the stock market, even though they have little to no experience. A security guard and his landlord get lucky and hit it big, but their sudden wealth comes with its own set of problems.
The most notable element of this film is the soundtrack, which almost sounds like it was made for a video game, only video games didn't really exist back then. Performances are mediocre, and the comedy is limited, luckily the pacing is solid, and the runtime is pretty short. Chor feels a bit lost with this material, but it's interesting to see him take on all these different genres.