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Starring
:
Sandra
Ng
Elsie
Chan
Ann
Bridgewater
Din
Laap Man
Suki
Kwan
Wu
Fung
Ng
Man Tat
Helen
Law
Billy
Lau
Lowell
Lo
Jeff
Falcon
Director
:
Jeff
Lau
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OPERATION
PINK SQUAD (1988)
Reviewed
by Andrew Saroch
After
their success in the academy, four female cops are thrust into
the male-dominated world of the police force. The sudden
opposition from the male police officers forces the quartet to
forget their minor squabbles and team up against their rivals.
Two of the team, Siu Mui (Ng) and 'Shy Grass' (Chan) are later
assigned to a stakeout operation focusing on a blind musician
(Din Laap Man) who is connected to a diamond robbery. Although
the musician is innocent, the police are sure that his former
girlfriend - the actual robber - will be back to reveal where
she's hidden the gems. After a few minor mis-haps, Siu Mui
manages to befriend the suspect though her feelings gradually
develop into something more substantial as time goes on. The
violent ex is not far away though and is very keen to recover
the gems she escaped from prison for.
With
obvious allusions to Wellson Chin's 'Inspector
Wears Skirts' films, Jeff Lau's mixture of comedy, action
and drama is a diverting piece of popcorn entertainment.
Taking its cue from Chin's popular series, 'Operation Pink
Squad' is uneven and has a plot that is full of holes, but its
charm comes from that 80s energy that was so pivotal to so
many action comedies of the time. Jeff Lau constructs some
very amusing situations, most notably the scene where Sandra
Ng is trapped in the suspect's flat, and makes sure the pace
zips along quite nicely.
Key
to the film's strengths is Sandra Ng, an actress who is now
seen as one of the most talented performers in Hong Kong. In
those halcyon days of the 80s, Ng was the loud and goofy
stooge who acted as comic relief while the beautiful actresses
around her played it straight. Her performance in 'Operation
Pink Squad', though, allows her to display those awkward
traits, but as the film turns more dramatic near the end, she
is then allowed to expand her range. It is therefore clear
that much of the enjoyment of 'Operation Pink Squad' also
hinges on its excellent central performance.
When
talking about films of this nature, it is obviously understood
that they are not high art, but they never allude to those
lofty heights anyway. What the potential viewers will get with
this enjoyable production is a solid combination of some
amusing comedy scenes, a few dramatic moments and a couple of
well choreographed action sequences - Ann Bridgewater's short,
sharp fight with a small army of aggressors is a definite
highlight. 'Operation Pink Squad' might not be to everyone's
tastes - it tries to absorb too many genres to be a total
success - but it certainly passes the time adequately.
Rating:
  
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