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Starring
:
Sammo
Hung
George
Lam
Deannie
Yip
Stanley
Fong
Michelle
Yeoh
James
Tien
Dick
Wei
Action
:
Sammo
Hung
Producer
:
Sammo
Hung
Director
:
Sammo
Hung
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THE
OWL VS. BOMBO (1984)
A.K.A.
- Owl Vs. Bumbo
Reviewed
by Andrew Saroch
The
Owl (Lam) is a suave and sly criminal who uses various
confidence tricks to get by in life. After pulling off a major
trick on a notorious gangster, The Owl decides to keep a low
profile and retire from the hectic life of crime that he's
become accustomed to. At the same time, Bombo (Hung) - a
short-tempered, yet fairly harmless robber - also decides to
leave the underworld and keep his head down. Their quiet lives
are suddenly turned upside down though when a disgraced police
officer decides to blackmail them into helping him in a series
of challenges. Firstly the two are forced to help out at a
local Youth Probation centre where the juveniles are sure to
give them a very hard time. Then their mysterious blackmailer
also uses them to keep a close eye on a corrupt land-developer
who has made a fool of the law once too often. Both tasks seem
unbearable but the two are reminded constantly of the
incriminating evidence that has stacked up against their past
lives. Things take a turn for the better when The Owl and
Bombo both begin to find love in the unlikely setting of the
Youth Probation centre; The Owl has his eyes fixed on a pretty
young teacher while Bombo befriends one of the centre's
organisers. The pair also begin to make some progress with
their students as the former delinquents warm to the genuine
empathy that these two new teachers offer. This, however,
leaves them with an even harder task to complete their
mission: bringing to justice the corrupt land-developer. While
searching for a way to do this, they also discover who the
shady blackmailer is and the reason behind his scheme. In an
eventful final reel, 'The Owl and Bombo' agree to finish their
assignment and come face-to-face with the villainous hordes.
'The
Owl Vs. Bombo' is one of Sammo's forgotten works as director.
This is, in some ways, unfair as the film is a good 100 minute
mixture of comedy and (minimal) action. It's true that when
compared with films such as 'Pedicab
Driver' this severely pales in comparison, but so do many
other acceptable Sammo vehicles. 'The Owl Vs. Bombo' features
some good action at certain points of the film, but is mainly
a comedy and this should be remembered on starting to watch
the film. The humour of the film often raises a smile as Sammo
continues to impress as the hapless everyman who, although a
master fighter, is found wanting in relation to the opposite
sex. Sammo's hard-nosed fight skills against Dick Wei at the
film's conclusion is in stark contrast to his lovable
innocence as he romances the always-dependable Deannie Yip.
One noteworthy plus point of this particular film is the young
actors who play the various members of the probation centre;
some give quite touching performances in their odd glimpses to
shine. This unusual advantage means that the little drama that
is in the film is well-acted and quite effective.
While
not offering the very finest of Sammo's work, 'The Owl Vs.
Bombo' is an entertaining and worthwhile slice of 80's Hong
Kong cinema. The action is perhaps too brief and the comedy
doesn't always amuse, but there are certainly worse films to
spend time watching.
Rating:
 
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