A WONDROUS BET (2005-HK)
review by Neo


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This is not what you call a movie...
Sometimes you can lower your expectations, but to lower your intelligence is a total different matter. That is certainly the case for the new EEG’s movie trying to promote Isabella to become the next big guns. It is not hard to believe that Twins, Boyz all played supporting role to this young girl, but while it is a logical marketing technique, sometimes, it is just a stupid marketing ploy. A movie that tries to be cute, but ends up perhaps too cute for Neo’s liking, as it is not the sweet 16 cuteness, but rather a mentally retarded cuteness. I am not sure what audience this movie is aimed at, perhaps, it is aimed at children under the age of 7 and it would probably be wrong for 19 year old to comment on how stupid it is. Isn’t a total crap movie, but rather a movie that has cute moments that is way over-used and in term creating a mixed effect upon the audience. When the best thing in the movie is a CGI effect – bug, in a human acted movie, you do know something is wrong with this world.

The movie goes like this: On a magical ocean cruise, wondrous things happen to three people: Ka Ka (Nicola Cheung) is suspicious of her boyfriend but ends up developing more trust in her love. Danny (Eric Tsang) wins a load of money at the ship's casino. Ha Suet (Loletta Lee) is a cancer patient determined to kill herself on the cruise but is stopped by a stranger.

You don’t have to be an Einstein to work out that the plot is damn cheesy and what’s worst is that the acting from the lead girl – Isabella Leong is almost non-existent. It is a disappointing follow up after an adequate performance earlier this year in Eye 10, but then again, what else do you expect from an EEG movie – apart from being cute. That’s not to say that I am a hater of cute movies, and certainty I am not. It is just that this movie lower my intelligence below my personal par that I get angry about. Sure Isabella is young and EEG has always been stupid, but isn’t a good enough excuse to churn out a crap like this, just when HK is experiencing quite possibly its worst year, in what is already been a backward integrating last decade.

One saving light however is most likely the CGI bug, a definite copy of that Hollywood movie – A Bug Life, but that movie was at the very least good and fun to watch even for a grown up viewer like my parents. However, for this movie, I can so not imagine my parents seating through this without thinking “wtf” throughout. The bug performs well and provides the sort of cuteness that Isabella actually lacks, maybe it is me, but I don’t like my girls like an absolute skeleton, but then again I wouldn’t like them fat either (slightly tanned athletic type body is my favour). Yes I am contradicting myself, but this movie is that bad, actually hilariously bad.

Perhaps, the only thing that Bug Me Not did well is bring out an underlying moral message about how we should respect insects more and actually treat them like a friend. Watching this movie may actually stop you from killing the next bug or spider in front of you, but it wouldn’t stop you from seeing a fly in front of the TV and you throw a glass or some shit at it. Well, I guess I am being a bit too harsh, but when a movie insults my intelligence, then I will not back off and any moment of sweetness will be wiped out, and filled up with a totally negative mindset. No I am not saying that Isabella shouldn’t lead in a movie, and besides it probably isn’t her fault anywhere, but damn you EEG, you have made crap movies, I have forgiven you and even overlooked them, but please, just never ever insult my intelligence again!

I rate it 0.5/10

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Genre: Comedy
Director: Director: Tony Leung Hung-Wah
Cast: Eric Tsang Chi-Wai, Loletta Lee Lai-Chun, Nicola Cheung Sun-Yuet, Eddie Pang Wai-On, Otto Wong Chi-On, Viann Leung Wai-Ka, Kawaii
Reviewed by Neo (Andrew), September 2005