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POM
POM (1984)
Reviewed
by Phil Mills
Two
of the most insane cast members of the 'Lucky Stars' movies
are thrust into the limelight for this all out comedy-fest
that is set very much in the same vein as their group outings.
It has the same music, visual slapstick routines and even
cameos from Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao, so this
should make up an ideal concoction, shouldn't it?
Curly
and Beethoven are two cops notorious for being more adept with
their mouths than their weaponry. Whilst on a routine
inquiry they discover the dead body of a woman who just so
happens to be the girlfriend of one of the biggest drug
dealers in town. As it turns out, she was also the
guardian of a book containing a list of all the criminal
transactions that had taken place. This little item is
now in high demand by both sides of the law but with these two
bumbling buddies holding onto it you just never know where it
is going to end up next.
As
far as the humour side is concerned, 'Pom Pom' is certainly on
the same wavelength as the 'Lucky Stars' series and will
definitely be to your liking if you appreciate all that you
have seen before. Shum and Ng forge an enjoyable
on-screen chemistry as they are both loud, opinionated and
never afraid to go into a situation with their lips flapping
before their brains kick into gear. This is complimented
by some very cleverly thought out scenarios in which our
heroes must use their cunning to avoid landing themselves in
hot water and they often end up in some hilarious
consequences. As usual though, the downside with this
style of comedy is that you often end up with the occasionally
annoying "I just know what is going to happen so I wish
it would hurry up" moments which leave the viewer
cringing whilst the all too obvious scenario is played out and
this is noticeable in parts here.
However,
the main flaw in 'Pom Pom' that really disappoints is the
absence of a good story line. The aging premise of a
pair of cops chasing drug dealers is far from fresh so this
gives the film more of a comedy sketch type feel. You
barely notice what the supposed aim of their escapades are and
just watch on as it jumps from routine to routine without an
explanation as to why they have decided to insert this
particular errand at that time.
If
a little more effort had gone into the plot then this film
could have earned 4 stars but as it stands it comes across as
more of a Monty Python television show rather than a complete
film. However, it is definitely worth owning if you like
the 'Lucky Stars' style and just can't get enough of
those handy dating tips.
Rating:
  
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