Ti Dao Bao
1992 / 88m - Hong Kong
Comedy, Fantasy
3.0*/5.0*
Lucky Encounter poster

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June 07, 2015

3.0*/5.0*

90s comedy To. Though the Hong Kong industry was enjoying one of its all-time highs and To was already pretty active, it wasn't really a definitive time for him. He was more of a follower than a leader then, keeping up with what was popular, but never pushing the envelope, as he would in the following decade. Lucky Encounter is a perfect example.

Chan is a malicious criminal who kidnaps Bou, his little nephew, for ransom. The boy ends up dead, the random stashed away in a well-guarded house. Chan needs the money and hires two cronies to help him get the ransom. When they find out what Chan did, they decide to help the boy's spirit in his quest for revenge.

The comedy isn't too subtle and the plot is all over the place, but that is part of the charm. With guys like Tony Leung and Anthony Wong on board, the cast is well fleshed-out, the cinematography is pretty solid too and the pacing is perfect. It's not the most memorable film, but good fun and a perfect oeuvre filler for fans of Johnnie To.