Bad news on the doorstep:
There are no laugh-out-louds in this fourth instalment but there are plenty of giggles. The humour is built on character mannerisms and we can be happy about that, especially when it's the simple overused story on the unfeminine ball-breaker woman who gets played out by a playboy-for-hire only to find love somehow in the end. New mum Sandra Ng plays this ball-breaker, having long been synonymous with all non-traditional women roles in Hong Kong acting. It's always a joy to watch her just stand there and do whatever comes to her mind. However, Louis Koo's romantic roles have never been convincing and in this movie, he is found wanting. The chemistry between them is also forced, just like in the plot. Good thing Happy Ghost Raymond Wong enters the movie halfway to give us another male lead to look at. There's also a cameo for Charlene Choi to look out for but with the exception of Ronald Chen, the supporting characters could have done more if director Vincent Kok cooked up somethin better for their time.
Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?
Performances aside, there are many scenes referencin other movies (even
Hollywood ones) and Sandra Ng's water-splashin sidewalk dance is
rather amusin, not to mention a clever cover-up of who's who involving
Sandra's boyfriend in front of her confused parents. The 'mou lei
tau' from Stephen Chow's opener in 1992 seems very far away now, with
this diverse but controlled humour we are asked to accept. It's like a
complete package of 'safe' surprises. Well, let's hope it's going to be a
good year then.★★★Bonus material: