R E V I E W :   For Bad Boys Only

Reviewed 2/26/01 | Background | Movie Review | DVD Review | Recommendation

    

Background 

For Bad Boys Only (2000)
Universe / 2000 / 101 minutes
Directed by Raymond Yip Wai Man
Written by Manfred Wong

Writer, producer, and sometimes director Manfred Wong is one of the men responsible for the Young and Dangerous series of films, as well as The Stormriders. Ekin Cheng became a star in those films. Wong wanted to make a film starring Ekin Chen that played against expectations, and For Bad Boys Only is the result.

The film was released in late 2000.

Movie: plot, performances, production, rating

Plot: The improbably named King (Ekin Cheng Yi-kin), his sister Queen (Kristy Yeung), and their friend Jack (Louis Koo Tin-lok) comprise the Bad Boy Squad. They specialize in reuniting people with their first love. After an explosion-filled opening sequence set in Thailand, the squad returns home and receives requests from three new clients, all of whom are looking for their "first love." But the three women they are seeking look suspiciously alike. Complications ensue.

Performances: Sadly, the believability of the performances are undermined by the utter banality and stupidity of the script. Shu Qi plays the three "first loves." All four of the main performers look good but play empty and unbelievable characters.

Production: The script and the direction are at war. Manfred Wong's embarrassing script would have us believe that a (presumably sane) man could seriously fall in love with a woman who is clearly a robot or a clone, among other inanities. Having spent 100 minutes of my life watching this atrocity, I do not wish to spend any more recounting any more of the plot or its various details. Director Raymond Yip Wai Man tries to make a fun action comedy but the script weighs the proceedings down. Much as I tried (and wanted) to view this film as a lighthearted romp, I simply could not swallow it whole.

Rating: Category IIA. Many explosions, plenty of shooting, and a fair number of bodies pile up, but no explicit violence is depicted.

DVD: look, sound, subtitles, and features

Look: The letterboxed (1.85 to 1) presentation looks very good. Only some dirt and speckles on the source print keep me from describing this as excellent. The black levels are deep, the colors are vibrant, and the fleshtones are natural.

Sound: I listed to the Dolby Digital 5.1 "International" audio track (featuring Cantonese, Mandarin, and Japanese) and it sounded excellent. Use of surrounds was expansive and the explosions really boomed. The other audio track provided is Dolby Digital 5.1 Mandarin.

Subtitles: The English subtitles are white with a thin black backing. They were easy to read with few mistakes apparent. Other subtitles provided are traditional and simplified Chinese.

Features: Eight chapters are listed with full-motion video in the chapter menu. Stars' files (biographies and filmographies) are provided for Manfred Wong, Ekin Chen, Louis Koo Tin-lok, Kristy Yeung, and Shu Qi. The film's original theatrical trailer is provided, as well as very effective trailers for the recent releases Marooned and Queen of Kowloon. A 15-minute "Making of" feature is also provided, with subtitles available in English, traditional and simplified Chinese. It has behind-the-scenes footage, brief interviews and comments by the principal players, and some comments on the special effects.

Buy, rent, or pass?

Pass. It looks like it might be a lot of cheesy fun, but the script's apparently dead-serious ideas about love and romance put a serious drag into the proceedings.

 

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