Tian Cai Yu Bai Chi
1975 / 98m - Hong Kong
Comedy
2.0*/5.0*
The Last Message poster

Watches

June 24, 2021

2.0*/5.0*

Early Michael Hui comedy. Hui is probably the most famous Hong Kong director I've yet to truly discover, somehow his particular style of comedy doesn't really do it for me. The Last Message is a much-lauded film in Hong Kong, personally I prefer John Woo's comedy films from that same era.

Tim and Lee both work in a mental hospital. When Cheng Ming is brought in, they discover he carries a stash of old Ming Dynasty artifacts with him. The artifacts are broken and can't be sold, but the two manage to find out the source and they set out to pick up the rest of them.

Performances aren't spectacular, the comedy isn't that funny, the styling is bland and uninspired. There are a handful of memorable moments and the pacing is decent, making sure it never becomes too dull, but overall the film fails to leave an impression and I'm quite puzzled by its reputation.