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Cast:
Do
Do Cheng
Waise
Lee
Alfred
Cheung
Michael
Chow
Lam
Kau
Producer:
Alfred
Cheung
Director:
Alfred
Cheung
Score:
 
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HER
FATAL WAYS II
AKA:
Her Fatal Ways 2
Year:
1991 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
Following
her successful mission in Hong Kong, Chinese Inspector Cheng
(Do Do Cheng) returns to her beloved homeland and enjoys the
trappings of her moderate fame. Her trip to Hong Kong has left
its mark though and the once fiercely anti-capitalist
Inspector now finds herself warming to her westernised
neighbours. Meanwhile, the cousin (Waise Lee) of her Hong Kong
partner Wu visits China with his uncle (Lam Kau, returning in
his role from the original) and brings his westernised ways
with him. When he witnesses a murder in the hotel that he's
staying in, the Hong Kong cop now comes under the scrutiny of
the Chinese law enforcers. Inevitably, this solitary witness
is teamed up with Inspector Cheng in an attempt to find out
the identities of the killers and their motives for the crime.
Alongside this odd couple is Cheng's unusual cousin Hsiao
(director Alfred Cheung) and equally peculiar policeman Niu.
Together the investigators uncover an underworld plot that
puts them all in danger and requires their individual skills
to succeed.
With
such good box-office returns for 'Her
Fatal Ways', not to mention critical acclaim and awards,
it was no surprise that this sequel followed hot on the heals
of the original. Though the production loses Tony Leung Kar
Fei, it gains Waise Lee in an almost identical role and plays
on the same culture clashes that made the original so popular.
This time, despite the best efforts of the cast and crew,
there is a definite feeling of deja-vu about this follow-up;
the comedic set-pieces and situations are very familiar while
the change of location does little to change this. 'Her Fatal
Ways II' fails to capitalise on the spark and spontaneity of
its inspiration, tending to get too bogged down in farce
without aiding the film's consistency. So clearly is this
apparent that, by the hour mark, the main storyline grinds to
a near halt and stumbles from one scene to the next.
Despite
these faults, 'Her Fatal Ways II' once again benefits from a
superb lead performance from Do Do Cheng. Cheng was always one
of the most gifted comic actresses of her era and, with the
character of Inspector Cheng, she finds her niche. It is
Cheng's naivety and stubbornness that make the film worth
watching even during its lesser moments and her inevitable
clashes with Waise Lee proves to be quite entertaining. With
brief spurts of action added to the blend, there are certainly
reasons to watch the follow-up to the recommended first part.
It's important to remember that this is nothing out of the
ordinary though and, if you didn't enjoy the original, it's
unlikely that you'll enjoy this weaker sequel.
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