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Cast:
Andy
Lau
Brigitte
Lin
Cheung
Man
Francis
Ng
Ng
Man Tat
Deannie
Yip
Anita
Yuen
Richard
Ng
Fong
Hak On
Action:
Kuo
Chui
Producer:
Stephen
Shiu
Director:
Eric
Tsang
Score:
  
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HANDSOME
SIBLINGS
AKA:
N/A
Year:
1992 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
In
the 'Villains' Valley' resides the notorious 'Ten Untouchable
Villains' who are well known throughout the land. Accused of
stealing a fund set aside for famine victims, the 'Ten
Untouchable Villains' are confronted by a powerful fighter
(Cheung Man) and her entourage who has been assigned to bring
them to justice. The alleged thieves are saved from certain
death by the fighter's husband who believes the Villains to be
innocent. The ensuing battle sees the justice-seeker defeated
and her husband left paralysed so the Villains decide to rear
the child who has been left over by the couple as their own.
When the young child grows into a tricky and cunning warrior
(Lau), the adopted parents send him out to find the two
members of the 'Ten Untouchable Villains' who actually did
disappear with the riches. On his travels he meets a
beautiful, but very powerful fighter Eve (Lin) and the two are
drawn closer together with each encounter. However, little do
they both know of their real identities and the subterfuge
within the clans they have become embroiled in. The intrigue
increases during a nationwide martial arts competition that
will decide who will be given the chance to be the
justice-giver of the land. Therefore the double-crosses come
thick and fast as the hidden agendas of the numerous
participants become clear.
'Handsome
Siblings' doesn't begin with much cohesion and matters get
more and more convoluted by the end. What starts off as a
comedy fantasy film with a certain degree of logic and humour
quickly develops into a frustrating blend of woeful comedy and
uninteresting plot twists. The two leads are watchable and
adept throughout, but too much time is given to Ng Man Tat and
Deannie Yip as the annoying sidekicks; both stars have
certainly entertained in the past, but here they just appear
in the storyline to add another in a endless line of bad taste
jokes. Unfortunately, the more serious side of the plot is not
much better and throws in the usual bizarre narrative turns
with little reason. Director Eric Tsang showed with 'Aces
Go Places' that a zany and illogical caper can be
thoroughly entertaining, 'Handsome Siblings' , however, is too
indecisive to achieve this. For all the definite weaknesses
there are still a few good moments and clever action pieces;
the expected fantasy action is fairly enjoyable and acts as a
minor compensation for the other periods of annoyance. Above
average production values help and a touch of style to the
proceedings as does the all-star cast, but it still may not be
enough to earn this a proper recommendation.
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