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Cast:
George
Lam
Teddy
Robin
Cherie
Chung
Sarah
Creswell
Billy
Lau
Producer:
Karl
Maka
Dean
Shek
Raymond
Wong
Teddy
Robin
Director:
Po
Chih-Leong
Score:
 
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BANANA
COP
AKA:
N/A
Year:
1993 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
The
popular teaming of George Lam and Teddy Robin were given
another big screen feature with this early-80s comedy
thriller. However, the big difference with this feature and
the films like 'All
The Wrong Clues' is not only its movement away from madcap
farce, but also its unusual London setting.
When
two men are killed in London's Chinatown, the local police are
faced with a host of witnesses who refuse to talk.
Anglo-Chinese police inspector Yau (Lam) manages to coax some
information out of the community about the crime and discovers
that Hong Kong criminal 'Ping Pong Ball' (Robin) may have been
inadvertently involved. Yau travels to Hong Kong to organise
the release of the convict, though he eventually has to trick
'Ping Pong Ball' into helping out Scotland Yard with the case.
With the prospect of facing a severe beating from his rivals
in a Hong Kong prison, 'Ping Pong Ball' risks his life by
returning to London to help with the case even though his
previous visit had helped him acquire a number of enemies. Yau
and 'Ping Pong Ball' begin their investigations by looking
into the dealings of a shady Chinatown businessman, but the
shifty informer decides to escape from Yau and manages to find
shelter with a blind teacher (Chung). As 'Ping Pong Ball'
plans his next move and Yau searches London for him, the
killer begins to target the both of them.
I
had read a few very positive reviews of this film during its
appearance at the London Film Festival over a decade ago and
some less positive ones since, and so I was quite unsure as to
what faced me with this early 'Cinema City' hit. Encouragingly
for me, 'Banana Cop' is a success for the majority of its
duration and, even in its weaker moments, doesn't let the
viewer down too dramatically. With a profitable fusion of Hong
Kong cinema's energy and unpredictability with a gritty, yet
always fascinating London location, 'Banana Cop' manages to be
fresh despite some plot-holes.
The
buddy movie was already well used even by the time this
relatively early entry into the sub-genre was released, but
the lead pairing has the advantage of experience together as
well as two strongly written characters. Though backgrounds of
both characters are sacrificed, the cultural and social
differences between the two help to flesh out their personas.
George Lam gives one of his best performances as Inspector Yeh,
managing to be typically stoic (a feature that has often
condemned him in other films) while also showing some
emotional depth. It's little surprise that Teddy Robin is such
an able sidekick - not only had his own screen personality
been well documented before this, but he was also one of the
few actors who could boast a real chemistry with George Lam.
Although the two are as different as is expected of these
'buddy' films, the difference here is that, even towards the
end, their relationship is ambiguous. Even a potentially
unenviable role for Cherie Chung is given enough value by
director Po Chih-Leong.
Po
Chih-Leong has shown himself to be a director who can weld
together Eastern and Western elements in subsequent features.
'Banana Cop' is an early example of how the two diverse
cultures can compliment each other if a skilled film-maker is
at the helm. Though a few of the background characters are a
bit too 'cor, blimey guv'nor' at times, they are still light
years ahead of many Hong Kong portrayals of Westerners.
'Banana Cop' is a quick-moving film that is at times amusing
and at times, thanks to some fine direction, suspense-filled.
Well worth watching and a pleasant change from the norm.
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