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Starring
:
Timmy
Hung
Wayne
Lai
Miku
Ueno
Law
Kar Ying
Tats
Lau
Gloria
Yip
Sammo
Hung (cameo)
Sam
Lee (cameo)
Chin
Kar Lok (cameo)
Meng
Hoi (cameo)
Super
Delfin (cameo)
Producer
:
Sam
Leong
Director
:
Tommy
Lo
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OSAKA
WRESTLING RESTAURANT (2004)
Reviewed
by Andrew Saroch
When
his father dies and leaves him a hefty inheritance, aspiring
chef Ricky decides to invest it in a restaurant of his own.
Before he can put his plan into action, Ricky receives a
phone-call errant brother Mike who is stationed in Japan and
encourages his brother to join him there. Despite his
animosity towards his brother, Ricky reluctantly agrees and
meets Mike who proceeds to show him the joys of Osaka. One
such local pleasure is the active wrestling scene and it is
this event that inspires Mike to dream up the idea of a themed
restaurant in Hong Kong. After no small amount of persuasion,
Mike convinces his brother to invest his inheritance into this
Osaka wrestling eatery and the hunt is on for waiters who will
double as pugilists. Joining the brothers is Japanese reporter
Kyoko who has been stranded in Hong Kong after falling ill and
resolves to work at the restaurant when she discovers that her
hero, Super Delfin, fights there. The masked fighter is not
Super Delfin though, it is in fact Ricky who is keen to hide
his identity after getting Kyoko the sack. Rivalry for the
hugely successful restaurant comes from Ricky's old boss
Dragon whose own business is suffering, while a computer disc
hunted by a professional killer adds to the confusion.
The
title sets the tone for this modestly budgeted oddity. Full of
less well-known actors and celebrity cameos, 'Osaka Wrestling
Restaurant' is the kind of unpredictable blend that could only
come from the East; there's action, ludicrously broad comedy,
surreal moments, romance and drama. The sum total of such an
exotic mixture of ideas is a film light enough to blow away in
the wind, but with a few encouraging signs of entertainment
for undemanding viewers.
While
the comedy is hit-and-miss (mainly the latter) and has that
localised lunacy that doesn't travel well, it does raise the
odd smile. Timmy Hung plays the naive hero with enough
cowardice and simplicity to make the broader comic scenes
work, though the sloppy slapstick does grow thin very quickly.
Surprisingly, Wayne Lai is given a character who is faced with
real drama as he tries to win back his wife and son. This
proves to be a moderately successful inclusion by director Lo;
the scenes of heartache add some pathos to the story, but as they
are juxtaposed with nonsensical humour they sometimes seem out
of place. 'Osaka Wrestling Restaurant' is packed with emotions
and ideas, but the over-the-top nature of its execution means
that its stronger elements are diminished by the frivolous
mood. Tommy Lo tries to juggle too many ideas, though at its
base the comedy isn't consistently amusing enough to forgive
the film's shortcomings.
The
main selling point of 'Osaka Wrestling Restaurant' will
perhaps be the intriguing cameos it contains. Sammo Hung is a
welcome inclusion in his brief appearance as a food critic,
while Gloria Yip is given a bigger role as Mike's estranged
wife. Tats Lau - an actor who seems to be ubiquitous in Hong
Kong cinema these days - appears as the professional killer in
the film's annoying throwaway plot, an instance of farcical
padding by the film-makers. At the end of an at times
entertaining and at other times frustrating 90 minutes, the
viewer doesn't quite know what to make of this production. For
anyone who wants something a bit different from Hong Kong's
blockbusters, this may be a worthwhile purchase. Be warned,
though, that 'Osaka Wrestling Restaurant' is not going to be
to everyone's taste.
Rating:
 
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