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Starring
:
Andy
Lau
Maggie
Cheung
Anthony
Wong
Roy
Cheung
Chan
Hui Man
Paul
Chun Pui
Hsiao
Hou
Action
:
Mak
Fei Hung
Benz
Kong
Poon
Kin Gwan
Producer
:
Yuen
Gam Lun
Director
:
Benny
Chan
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WHAT
A HERO! (1992)
Reviewed
by Andrew Saroch
Any
re-teaming of director Benny Chan and Hong Kong superstar Andy
Lau would always be welcomed by me after the sublime 'A Moment
Of Romance'. The searing romantic drama has rarely been
equalled before or since and the thought that the pair could
conjure up just a tiny portion of such excellence is a welcome
prospect. Unfortunately, 'What A Hero' is completely different
in mood, style and, most significantly, quality.
Wah
(Lau) is a village policeman who, due to the reputation of his
father and his own deeds, has been elevated to the position of
folk hero. When the Hong Kong police force finally invite him
to join them, Wah jumps at the chance and leaves all of his
family and friends behind to realise his dream. On his arrival
though, the newcomer finds that he was a big fish in a small
pond and is now no more famous than any of the other
hard-working cops. Thankfully Wah allies himself with a team
of zealous police officers who, while not exactly successful
at their work, are at least welcoming to their new colleague.
Wah finds that the rival police team - led by arrogant chief
and Tae Kwon-Do champion Yeung (Cheung) - are keen to
establish themselves as the top crime solving department in
the entire station. What adds to the tensions between the two
groups is Wah's refusal to join Yeung and his assertion that
the self-assured chief is a disgrace to the force. As the
police begin to track a gang of villains through Hong Kong,
Wah becomes disillusioned and begins to wonder if his move to
the city was the right decision to make.
It
would be wrong for me to expect Benny Chan and Andy Lau to
reproduce the qualities of the superlative 'A Moment Of
Romance', but to differ from it so dramatically is an
unpleasant surprise. Not quite knowing whether it is a comedy,
action film or thriller, 'What A Hero!' manages to put in so
many elements without ever succeeding in any of them. While
Hong Kong cinema has a tradition of genre-twisting productions
- films whose mood can turn upside down in a matter of seconds
- this is a movie that shows what can happen when it goes
wrong. The comedy is unfunny, the action surreal (and
especially incongruous given its modern-day setting) and the
drama is so under-developed that it merely wastes valuable
celluloid. Such a combination of flaws naturally seals the
fate of what could have been an entertaining action comedy.
The
few moments of interest in 'What A Hero!' are based around a
couple of well-choreographed fights and a guest appearance by
fabled Shaws' star Hsiao-Hou. Andy Lau (and his doubles) are
pushed to the limit by some sharply defined and inventive
action - though their effectiveness does begin to ebb away as
the film progresses. Instead of building on these exciting
moments, Benny Chan seems happy for them to turn
unintentionally comic with characters pulling off ludicrous
'special moves' and incredulous leaps through the air. The
fact that the film is set in urban Hong Kong and tries to
offer a realistic storyline completely undermines what is left
of the interest in the action. 'What
A Hero!' also completely wastes Maggie Cheung - by no means an
easy feat - and relegates her to a thankless role that creates
a tired romantic sub-plot. A three star film for action, but
overall just two and a half.
Rating:
  
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