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Review
by Kozo: |
Gordon
Chan directed this entertaining kung-fu comedy that
features heavy production values in place of the customary
Stephen Chow shenanigans. Chow is the legendary Beggar
So, who starts off as a spoiled would-be scholar. He
may be a fine martial artist but his lackadaisical,
superior attitude and shameful illiteracy make him a
prime target for various nefarious evil-doers. Thanks
to their efforts, as well as his own spoiled laziness,
So receives a fitting fall from grace. He and his father
(Ng Man-Tat) are sentenced to be beggars, and So sinks
into self-pity.
Meanwhile, evil court magician
Norman Tsui Siu-Keung plans a coup, and a resistance
effort (led by Chow's usual leading lady Cheung Man)
plots against him. They want So to be involved, but
his pride won't allow it. It isn't until he learns the
nifty "sleeping kung-fu" that he regains this
self-confidence and can ascend to his rightful place
as leader of the Beggar Clan. And there's comedy, too.
For fans of Stephen Chow's
usual mo lei tau, King of Beggars may
seem puzzling. The brief asides for wacky comedy seem
almost extraneous, as director Gordan Chan is much more
concerned with the kung-fu clichés that typify
these sorts of costume pictures. The film moves a bit
slower than the usual Stephen Chow escapades, and actually
begins to resemble a western film in its three-act storyline
and tried-but-true plot devices. The result may seem
almost obligatory, but the film still manages to be
quite entertaining and enjoyable, though in a more mundane
way than you would expect from Stephen Chow.
Western audiences would likely
cotton to this Stephen Chow film, as it's extremely
accesible and devoid of the esoteric otherness that
typifies his usual work (i.e. All for the Winner and the Royal Tramp films). Those who want a
gradual introduction to HK's king of comedy would do
well to start with this film. King of Beggars was also well loved in Hong Kong, earning HK Film Awards
nominations for Best Picture, Director, Screenplay and
Music. (Kozo 1995/1997) |
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