DANGEROUS GAMES (CHINA 2008)

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Info

Title: Dangerous Games

Country: China

Year: 2008

Box Office: N/A

Director: Wang Guang Li

Producer: N/A

Starring: Eric Tsang, Xia Yu, Gigi Leung, Tang Yan, Qi Ji

Genre: Comedy/ New Year

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Review

Lack of humour in typical Mainland style…

Review by Neo: Maybe it is just Neo, but really the Dangerous Games just isn’t suited for Hong Kong humour. Call me a racist or whatever, Mainland humour is somewhat different to what we have got used to in even the worst comedy from Wong Jing. Don’t get me wrong, I liked flicks like Banquet, Flying Daggers, Hero and even The Promise, but the aforementioned flicks aren’t exactly comedies. Remember that awful Contract Lover, that we have to sit through last year, think no more, as the though of seeing Fan Bing Bing being misused is alone well worth grieving. In the back cover of the official Hong Kong version VCD of this flick, it claims that this performance from Eric Tsang is better than his role in Comrades, A Love Story. What a unanimous piece of fraud and perfect example of misleading Mainlander advertising. Then again, it doesn’t take a movie critic to tell you that this is no Comrades: A Love Story, but in fact it is once again, those wanna-be smart Mainlander comedy that just doesn’t quite make the cut.

With all being said, maybe it is just Neo that doesn’t know how to appreciate, comedies in Mainland style. Perhaps, he is still whining as to the reason why he bothered watching such a movie, maybe it was the attraction of former screen goddess Gigi Leung, or the ever increasing popularity of Eric Tsang. Still, it is a waste of acting talent, and if not for the pretty face of newcomer mainland starlet (Tang Yan), it would have been a miracle that the current reviewer could have sit through such pure crap.

Eric Tsang has almost successfully re-invented his media personality since his Infernal Affairs days. He has gone from a goofball and laughing stock due to his funny looks and dwarf like appearance to the now CEO-look or the head of a triad corporation. Still, Eric Tsang is able to stand above the crappy script that is being thrown at him. The other attraction is Hong Kong starlet Gigi Leung, whose career seems to have gone from bad to worst. Think no further than last year’s Wonder Women and now to the point of insanity in playing the Dangerous Games. She is certainly a pretty face to look at, but she is suitably wasted in an undemanding role. Her chemistry with (Xia Yu) is also questionable at best.

With all being said, Neo is always someone who looks on the bright side, which in other words, he will dig hard within piles of shit to look for some sort of saving grace. Luckily for the case of the Dangerous Games, there is the fresh looking newcomer in Mainland starlet (Tang Yan). Not only does she sustains the current reviewer’s attention, but provides some sort of light shining within a fairly disappointing film. Without being a total bias observer, but it is always better to have an eye candy than not have one.

All in all, Dangerous Games is yet another fail attempt at comedies from the Mainland capital. Using HK stars may well earn you a few extra bucks at the box office, but when the script and grassroots of the movie is so crap and lame, it is really hard to have anything to cheer about. Perhaps, it is the barrier between HK comedies and Mainland comedies, or maybe it is just down to Neo’s own personal preferences. HK stars, Gigi Leung and Eric Tsang does their best and Mainland starlet (Tang Yan) keeps Neo’s eyes looking busy, but at the end of the day, Dangerous Games isn’t a good film and it is that actually bad. In fact, it is a film that even Wong Jing would be ashamed of… (Neo 2008)

I rate it 1/10