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Cast:
Fu
Sheng
Cherie
Chung
Natalis
Chan
Patrick
Tse
Shek
Kien
Mary
Jane Yung
Heung
Kam Lee
Chiang
Kam
Producer:
Lawrence
Wong
Director:
Wong
Jing
Score:
  
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HONG
KONG PLAYBOYS
AKA:
Hong Kong Playboy
Year:
1983 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
'Romantic
Sheng' (Fu Sheng) is the spoilt, idle, yet fun loving son of a
wealthy Hong Kong socialite. Although his mother is very keen
for him to marry, Sheng is happy lavishing money on his
hobbies and charming the affluent ladies of his social circle.
Tired of a having such an irresponsible son, Sheng's
mother decides to order him to find a wife otherwise his
lavish lifestyle will be brought to a halt. Although reluctant
to take part in these plans, Sheng soon finds a young woman
who he deems worthy of his attention and uses all of his
smooth skills to win her heart. Unfortunately for him, he is
not the only admirer; there is also an immensely popular and
effortlessly suave suitor (Tse) and the ruthless young
'charmer' (Chan) to contend with. What therefore started off
as a simple proposition now turns into a battle of wits and
trickery between the three playboys who all have their own
ways of winning the hand of the girl they love. Unbeknownst to
Sheng though, his distant cousin (Chung) is secretly in love
with him and, beneath the very straight exterior of this
visitor, is a far more suitable match for the misguided
playboy. Sheng realises this too late though as she decides
she can no longer wait to be noticed by him and leaves while
he is set to marry his original target. The race is then on
for him to decide which direction to take and which woman he
really loves.
What
is a pleasant romantic comedy is laced with an undercurrent of
tragedy due to Fu Sheng's death shortly after the film's
release. After proving himself to be one of the best actors
working for Shaw Brothers, Fu Sheng was eager to branch out
into other mainstream genres and prove that he was a genuine
superstar of the local film industry. 'Hong Kong
Playboys' proved that he did have the talent to be a major
star in the comedy genre as the film proved to be a big
box-office success. Sadly Fu Sheng's death in a car accident
meant that his potential was left unrealised and, while his
work in the martial arts genre certainly serves as a
significant testament to him, his chance to cement his
position as one of Hong Kong's greatest stars was left
unfulfilled. Despite these tragic thoughts, it's
important to judge the film without any exterior influences.
'Hong
Kong Playboys' is dated in the way that so many 80s comedies
prove to be; the fashions, gadgets and music raise the
occasional eyebrow and what may have been in vogue twenty
years ago hasn't aged that well. Nevertheless, the film stands
firm on its solid entertainment value and manages to avoid
getting too bogged down in the quirks of the era. Instead, the
production relies on character comedy and basic slapstick
rather than cultural or overly localised humour. Not all of
this hits the mark though; there are moments when the film
gets stuck in a repetitive strain of comedy which undermines
the good work of the previous portions. By the time 'Hong Kong
Playboys' draws to its inevitable conclusion it is clear that
the pace has slackened and therefore the endearing
entertainment has dwindled somewhat. Without giving too much
away, 'Romantic' Sheng's bride-to-be is quite cruelly treated
as well considering her relative innocence in the film. Some
of these criticisms are minor quibbles though. Although I
would never call myself a 'fan' of director Wong Jing he has,
at his best, an ability to inject a great deal of energy from
potentially ordinary storyline; though I think this has rarely
been achieved by Wong Jing of late, 'Hong Kong Playboys' gives
some suggestion that he could certainly do it earlier in his
directorial career. Wong Jing also utilises regular cohort
Natalis Chan's gormless traits to full entertainment as well,
drawing on Chan's clueless expressions and juxtaposing them
with Patrick Tse's style.
I
could highlight the positives and the negatives of 'Hong Kong
Playboys' for the rest of the review, but the point that
really needs to be emphasised is that this is truly Fu Sheng's
film. This is not a comic masterpiece and doesn't amuse in
quite the manner that it imagines it does, but with a leading
man of Fu Sheng's calibre this is almost to be forgiven. His
mixture of arrogant charisma and 'little boy' innocence is
superbly balanced by this consummate performer. 'Hong Kong
Playboys' is worth watching for eager Shaw Brothers'
aficionados and Fu Sheng fans alike.; there's enough quality
present to just about please either set of viewers.
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