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Gameboy Kids
AKA: Game Kids "I want a story!"
Andy Lau and Aaron Kwok
Year: 1992
Director: Gordon Chan Car-Seung
Action: Yuen Tak
Cast: Andy Lau Tak-Wah, Aaron Kwok Fu-Sing, Rosamund Kwan Chi-Lam, Ng Man-Tat, Sandra Ng Kwun-Yu, Poon Wang-Ban, Yuen Woo-Ping, Vindy Chan Wai-Yee, Peter Mak Tai-Kit, Mak Hiu-Wai, Spencer Lam Seung-Yi, Lawrence Cheng Tan-Shui, Teddy Chan Tak-Sum, Yuen Tak (cameo), Jeff Lau Chun-Wai (cameo)
The Skinny: Andy Lau vehicle which provides a true test of one's tolerance to nonsensical HK-style comedy. Occasionally amusing, but mostly not, this is only for the most diehard fan of Andy Lau. However, you may stop being a fan after seeing Gameboy Kids.
Review
by Kozo:

     Nonsense comedy from Gordon Chan, which features Andy Lau in not one, but two roles. The first role is a whiz kid who's some sort of learning genius; he has the ability to do nearly anything moments after seeing it for the first time. He also looks exactly like Wong Kau-Tai, the successor to a turbulent triad empire. Wong has been called back to Hong Kong when his father, Uncle Eight Taels (director Jeff Lau), passes on. Uncle Eight's brother, Seven-and-a-half-Taels (Ng Man-Tat), and top bodyguard Chung (a dubbed Aaron Kwok) await the appearance of Wong, because his presence will quell a burgeoning gang war.
     Then a switch occurs, ala The Prince and the Pauper. The whiz kid goes in place of the actual Wong Kau-Tai, who's—get this—actually a rude midget also played by Andy Lau. The scenes where Lau and his obvious stunt double make like a Jawa extra are worth checking out because they're both weird and convincing. The rest of the film is similarly weird, but also totally bizarre and nonsensical. When the fake Wong arrives in Hong Kong, he's installed as the triad head, and eventually decides he wants the triad to be good. This doesn't sit well with Wong's rivals, including Yuen Woo-Ping as Master Dragon. His daughter Chi-Lam (Rosamund Kwan) plots to kill Wong to help her dad, but she soon falls for his childlike charms. The audience has presumably left or is making their fourth cell phone call.
     The development for this wack-fest is nonexistent. People join forces, fall in and out of love, and generally behave strange without any apparent logic or provocation. Much of the dialogue involves Cantopop references and wordplay, and nobody behaves like a regular human being would. This includes Aaron Kwok as Chung, who looks to have the "cool" role as the ultra-loyal bodyguard. Sadly, he doesn't really do much, and spends most of his time waiting on Andy Lau, whose performance makes you understand why it took him an extra seven years to win an acting award. Lau has shown he can be a good actor, but his wacky characters are more annoying than funny. And when he acts like a whiny kid, his acting cred takes an even bigger hit.
     For popstar chasers, this film might offer some charms, but it's so uneven that it can tire you out. Many of the performances are annoying and borderline offensive, and the nonexistent plot and abundance of unfunny antics only increase the desire to hit the "stop" button. You'd think that some action would arrive to make things semi-worthwhile, but it's mostly strange action involving a basketball, a large slingshot and an inflatable killer whale. If that piques your interest then go ahead and check this movie out. However, if you aren't able to rent it then I suggest you quell your masochistic tendencies and see something else. (Kozo 2003)

Availability: DVD (Hong Kong)
Region 0 NTSC
Universe Laser
Widescreen
Cantonese and Mandarin Language Tracks
Removable English and Chinese Subtitles

image courtesy of Universe Laser and Video Co., Ltd.

   
 
 
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