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R E V I E W
Fight Back to School
Mei Ah / 1991 / 97 minutes
Directed by Gordon Chan Ka-Seung
Written by Barry Wong Ping-Yiu and Gordon Chan Ka-SeungWith Stephen Chow, Ng Man Tat, Sharla Cheung Man
B A C K G R O U N D : director, in cinemas, recent and related films
Gordon Chan Ka-Seung directed the dramas The Yuppie Fantasia (1989) and Brief Encounter in Shinjuku (1990), as well as the crime film Inspector Pink Dragon in 1991, before taking the reins for this one. He may have been better known at that point as a writer for such films as Double Fattiness and The Big Heat.
The film opened in Hong Kong cinemas in July 1991 and played for nearly two months. It grossed HK $43.8 million, finishing #1 at the box office that year.
The film appears to have put Chan on the map as a director. He and star Stephen Chow teamed again for The King of Beggars and the sequel to this film, Fight Back to School II, in 1992. Subsequently Chan directed Fist of Legend, Thunderbolt, and 2000 A.D., among others.
M O V I E : plot, performances, production, rating
Plot: Fledging police officer Star Chow is sent undercover to a school in order to retrieve his superintendent's stolen pistol. Another undercover operative, posing as a janitor, tries to help, while the lovely guidance counselor Ms. Ho provides a striking distraction.
Performances: Stephen Chow Sing-Chi is alternatively frustrated, exasperated, lovestruck, and dashing as Star Chow (sounded like Chow Sing Sing to me, but Star is what the subtitles said). Chow's frequent sidekick, Ng Man Tat, provides great support as the undercover janitor, while Sharla Cheung Man is suitably alluring as Ms. Ho (a role stolen from a teenage boy's fantasies). Roy Cheung Yiu-Yeung plays the leader of a local triad gang. Writer Barry Wong Ping-Yiu is very funny as the police superintendent; Paul Chun Pui is constantly flustered as the school superintendent.
Production: The only true test for a comedy is whether it makes you laugh. And this one made me laugh, sometimes so much it hurt. Add good acting, a touch of romance and sweetness, and an equally small measure of fighting, kicking, and gunplay, and a great film is the result. Gordon Chan's direction is spot-on, as is the cinematography by Cheng Siu-Keng (who later did Milkway Image productions such as A Hero Never Dies and The Mission), the art direction by Horace Ma Gwong Wing, the editing by Chan Kei-Hop (many UFO productions), and the musical score by Jonathan Wong Bong.
Rating: Category II. Some profanity, fisticuffs, and gunplay.
D V D : look, sound, subtitles, features
Look: The full-screen (1.33:1) presentation looks good. The original aspect ratio would have been preferred; unfortunately that is not currently available. Black tones are deep, colors are vibrant, and flesh tones appear natural. The source print, however, has been through the wringer, displaying a lot of speckling (dust and video noise).
Sound: The DD 1.0 (mono) Cantonese audio sounded fine. Nothing here to test the limits of your home theater system, but the sounds comes through loud and clear. No other audio options are provided.
Subtitles: The white non-removable (burned in) Chinese and English subtitles are easy to read and well timed. Some misspellings and awkward translations, but nothing too distracting. Occasionally the subtitles become unreadable in white backgrounds, and at times they run off the side of the screen.
Features: Nine chapters can be selected from a still frame menu. The original theatrical trailer is included. The main menu is text-only. No time coding is provided.
R E C O M M E N D A T I O N : buy, rent, or pass?
Buy. Well-rounded and very funny.
(Reviewed 08/27/01)
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