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THREE
AGAINST THE WORLD (1988)
A.K.A.
- 3 Against The World
Reviewed
by Andrew Saroch
Well
respected detective Charlie Chan (Andy Lau) is given the task
of guarding a priceless copy of the Koran which is being
exhibited at a local museum. Naturally there are numerous
other parties who have also fixed their eye on the artefact:
firstly there's Ma Ju-Lung (Keung) who is a first-rate fighter
and keen gunman; there's also Cho Mei Fan (Robin), a top thief
whose reputation precedes him. These two use their various
means to get the Koran while Chan has to be one step ahead of
them to protect it. Things are further complicated when Cho's
beautiful daughter (Kwan) takes a shine to Chan and is torn
between her love for the brave detective and her loyalty to
her father. All is resolved as the three parties must firstly
join forces, then engage in one final stand-off to see who
will get the much-wanted Koran.
Andy
Lau's cinematic boom period (late 80's-early 90's) saw the
actor/singer star in literally scores of movies. Many of these
parts followed the usual 'rebel without a clue' stereotype
that he had played to death by the late 80's, but 'Three
Against The World' allows Lau to try a different role and in a
different setting. This, however, works superbly and Lau is
allowed to try his fighting skills (albeit minimal) against
kung-fu veteran Tsui Siu Keung and co-star with the lovely
Rosamund Kwan; both aspects give this film a real lift. The
period detail is well-realised as is the pace of this
production which draws the viewer in and gives them a very
entertaining 90 minutes. The action - especially the three way
battles - is excellent and is mixed in very well with the
comedic content to form a fine film.
Although
not his most important film and certainly not his most famous,
'Three Against The World' is a welcome addition to the Andy
Lau canon and certainly worth catching.
Rating:
 
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