May-June Variety Shows

It’s time for another round-up of TVB’s variety shows under the direction of Eric Tsang and Wong Cho Lam. Through May and June, it felt like TVB was producing variety shows at a breakneck pace and ended up giving short shrift to its shows. Many of the concepts have potential, but was not given enough time to develop. 

• Dub of War (好聲好戲): The show shined a spotlight on the unseen voice actors at TVB. It was amazing to learn about how dubbing works and all the skills it takes to do a good job. I was genuinely surprised by the excellent performances from some of the participants. Rating: 9/10. 

My top five most impressive performances: 

5. Yuki Law and Marktwo Lee - For newbies, this was an impressive performance. Especially when Marktwo says his first line, I thought they were using Ron Ng’s voice.

4. Moon Lau and Tedford Wong - Moon and Tedford were better at dubbing characters outside of their age range than the three finalists. 

3. Sisley Choi and Owen Cheung - They sounded as if they were playing the original clip. The chip goes through a lot of emotions and both of them were handled it well. Owen Cheung has always been more impressive doing imitations than using his own voice. 

2. Yoyo Chen - Yoyo was able to speak in another dialect as if she was fluent and no one even taught her!

1. Joey Thye - I was most surprised by Joey’s performance. She sounds just like Grace Chan and even timed her breathing and crying perfectly with the clip. 

Bonus: Coty Wong and Tinson Lung - They are instructors for a reason. Their performance was at the next level. 

• Case Unclosed (死因有可疑): In the first head-to-head battle with ViuTV, TVB brought a knife to a gunfight. The show looked like an amateur production next to ViuTV’s serious efforts. It is disappointing because I really like the concept of a murder-mystery show. Rating: 5/10. [Full review here]

• Top Sales (識貨): This was essentially an advertising spot disguised as a show. Zero interest from me when I couldn’t (and wouldn’t, even if I could) buy the products they were selling. But Yoyo Chen is on a hot streak. Rating: 2/10. 

• Prelude to TVB All Star Games: The Ring (明星運動會前哨戰: Fight盡): The show suffered from some major cutting issues. Training, interview and competition clips were haphazardly thrown together like a tossed salad. The show also makes a lacklustre effort to introduce the fighters to the audience. The audience can’t feel like they are part of the fighters’ journeys when they only see them for seconds at a time and barely know who they are. Rating: 4/10. 

• Mean Talk: I loved the juicy gossip that was being spilled on the show! Six episodes was definitely too short. There’s plenty more tea to be spilled. Rating: 7/10.

TV Wars: Battle of the LARP

TVB and ViuTV recently had their first direct battle. Both stations produced a variety show that involves "live action role playing" (LARP), where players role play as characters in a scenario and solve mysteries. To intensify things, the twin shows debuted on the same day, in the same time slot. 

Let's see how the stations fared in the "Battle of the LARP"!

Participants:

TVB's Case Unclosed was hosted by Alex Fong, Sammi Cheung, Arnold Kwok and Kayan Yau. Matthew Ho, Moon Lau, Pakho Chau and Stephanie Cheng appeared as guests. 

ViuTV's All Suspicious featured a rotating cast of players, headlined by Justin Cheung and Hedwig Tam, and included Yatho Wong, George Au, Tang Lai Ying, Jace Chan and others. 

Verdict: Tie. Unless you are a fan of a particular artist, it is unlikely that the line-up for either show had much effect on the average viewer. 

Format: 

Case Unclosed had two cases over five episodes. Each case featured six players, led by “Detective Soap” Alex Fong. Each case began with the players introducing themselves and their timeline. It was followed by two rounds of investigation and discussion. Detective Soap also got a chance to question two players alone. Afterwards, the players made closing statements and then voted on the culprit. The truth was revealed through a narrated reenactment. 

All Suspicious had six cases over 15 episodes. Each case had between 6-8 players. A brief description of each player’s role was shown to the audience using title cards. The players then jumped straight into investigation. The players were free to talk with each other and form alliances. They may also have individual side missions to perform. There were generally two rounds of investigation and discussion before the players voted on the culprit. The truth was revealed in an epilogue. 

Verdict: Case Unclosed. The format of the game is actually pretty similar on both shows, but Case Unclosed wins by making the case and characters easier to follow. The chief complaint from netizens of All Suspicious was how it had too many characters and confusing relationships between them, which made the cases hard to follow.

Content: 

Both of Case Unclosed’s cases were murder mysteries. The stories seem acceptable for this type of game, as each character had a plausible motive and opportunity to commit the crime. However, the evidence and characters were thinly developed. There was sparse evidence for each case and it only weakly supported the supposed truth. The characters lacked background besides the basics and their timelines. 

All Suspicious had more variety of cases aside from murder, such an art heist and bomb threat. Some of the cases also incorporated side missions and secondary plots. The character backgrounds were sketched out and they each had secrets or hidden relationships with other characters. There was an abundance of evidence to sort through and most had an explainable purpose to the plot. 

Verdict: All Suspicious. The cases, evidence and characters were richer and added interesting layers to the show. The show improved after the first case, as the audience became more familiar with the players and game. The players also broke the fourth wall more to explain to the audience what was going on.

Aesthetics: 

Case Unclosed looked like an amateur production. The rooms were set up in a studio next to each other and labelled with paper signs. Walls and ceilings were missing. Players have to walk along a marked path on the ground to avoid walking through "walls." The set felt crowded as the players and crew moved around the space. Cameras and areas outside of the set frequently appeared in shots. 

All Suspicious looked much more professional. The show was filmed in real locations, but did not suffer from the lightning issues that seem to plague non-TVB shows. The room set-ups were more realistic and spacious. 

Verdict: All Suspicious. The production values looked better than expected and overall, looked more professional than Case Unclosed.

Overall: All Suspicious

ViuTV clearly took the more serious approach to producing their show and put together an all-around professional production. Meanwhile, TVB seems to have hastily clobbered together a show. You know you've lost the battle when you have to add a disclaimer that the show was made on a low budget to preempt criticism. 

April Variety Shows

With Eric Tsang at the helm, TVB released a full line-up of new variety shows in April. Here are my thoughts on them:

• Big Big Old World (尋人記): I watched two episodes of this and it was not as boring as I thought it would be. It was interesting to see what has changed and what hasn't for the subjects of the old news clips. Rating: 5/10.

• Stars Academy (聲夢傳奇): The format of the competition is what makes this show thrilling. The staged totally coincidental twists and turns has me at the edge of my seat each week. The singing talent is good for the most part, but not as great as JW's expressions. Rating: 9/10.

• Mamas' Day (日日媽媽聲): This show is unexpectedly hilarious with the three hosts badgering male guests. It is probably borderline male-hating, but women go through enough with pregnancy and childbirth that they should be allowed to have some fun at the expense of men. Rating: 7/10.

• Have a Big Laugh (開心大綜藝): Many people say this show is just a revival of Enjoy Yourself Tonight (EYT), but I don't mind that. The first episode was way too loud and chaotic, which they thankfully fixed in more recent episodes. The segments range from unfunny to mildly entertaining. Rating: 5/10.

• Prankenstein (大整蠱): This show is a straight-up copy of Johnson Lee's Office of Practical Jokes, except with more immature and juvenile pranks. The only watchable part was the "big" prank of each episode and even most of those fell flat. However, the show gave us this cute segment that basically made me an instant fan of Ali Lee, so I will forgive its shortcomings. Rating: 2/10. 

Even though I don’t love all of the shows, it’s great to see TVB finally putting the “variety” back in its variety shows, rather than just travel and cooking shows! 

Deep in the Realm of Conscience Thoughts

Producer: Mui Siu Ching
Genre: Historical
Cast: Steven Ma, Nancy Wu, Annie Liu, Kenneth Ma, Edwin Siu, Alice Chan, Chrissie Chau, Jacqueline Wong

• This series tried to do too much. It started as a historical drama, became a detective series, and then turned to palace scheming, with a mixture of romance and failed comedy in between. The series had a large cast, which meant each also had their own story to add to the clutter. 

• So much time was wasted on the useless story lines that the final face-off between the Emperor (Steven Ma) and Princess Taiping (Alice Chan) turned out to be a huge letdown. The whole climax was half-baked and poorly edited to fit within a span of less than one episode. 

• The "scheming" in the series was predictable and overused. Anyone who has watched another palace series can guess what is coming next. 

• I was expecting a lot more scheming between the four bureau heads. It was a waste of the veteran actresses they lured out of retirement for this series. 

• The rhyming lines were ANNOYING. The effort to combine a serious historical drama with Can't Buy Me Love style humour was terrible. 

• The lost sister plot was a big waste of time. The final revelation about the sister's murderer was a mere footnote and irrelevant at the end.

• Have you ever seen a palace with so few people working there? Must have spent all the money on the costumes and sets. 

• Speaking of work, the duties of the palace maids apparently consist of spying on guards bathing in the river, gossiping, and romancing. There is also no regard for palace rules. Servants and maids can enter whenever they please and speak out of turn without consequence. 

• Annie Liu is the mandatory goody two-shoes character, which meant that I was automatically going to be annoyed with her, but her accent only made it worse. Why didn't they dub her lines? Annie does look gorgeous in ancient costume though. 

• Alice Chan had a great presence that was befitting of a princess and trounced all the other women. But her character seemed to have faded into the background during the second half of the series. 

• I like seeing new faces in TVB dramas, but there was no need to have Chrissie Chau play this concubine role. I was waiting for her character to turn evil, but she remained naive and dumb until the end. 

• Steven Ma's performance is all about his subtleness. Watch those subtle changes in his facial expressions. It is acting at its finest. 

• Nancy Wu and Edwin Siu both turned in solid performances, but they didn't really stand out. 

• Kenneth Ma already seems like a boring person in real life, he does not do well with a boring character like this one. The romantic line between him and Jacqueline Wong was forced and should have been cut.

• Savio Tsang deserves a mention for the excellent scene he did in jail before his execution. 

• Hands down the most cringeworthy acting was by Andrew Yuen as the imperial physician. The scene where he was found guilty and pleading for his life was comically bad. 

Rating: 3/5. No sequel please!

Raising the Bar Review

Producer: Joe Chan
Genre: Legal
Cast: Ben Wong, Grace Chan, Jeannie Chan, Stephanie Ho, Moon Lau, Louis Cheung, Elaine Yiu, Timothy Cheng, Natalie Tong

Review:
Raising The Bar takes a fresh angle on the oft-seen TVB legal drama. Instead of the typical case-by-case structure, this series focuses on the daily routines of a lawyer. The depiction of a lawyer's job is fairly realistic and shows the less glamorous side of the profession. There are also little tidbits, like the call to the bar or scheduling hearings, that are rarely seen in other legal dramas. The cases cover a variety of matters before the court and do not shy away from sensitive topics. For once, legal procedures and reasoning are mostly followed. It is also shocking to know that there is actually more than one judge in Hong Kong.

I was worried about the overwhelming number of characters at the beginning, but the series quickly deals with that by regulating some characters to the background. That is not to say, however, that the focus went to the best stories. The second half of the series put an overemphasis on romantic lines that no one cared about (ie. Elaine's affair). Further, it throws logic out the door with the sexual harassment case, which any competent lawyer should have gotten rid of a long time ago.

The four girls were surprisingly capable of carrying the series. They clearly had a lot of fun filming together, which shows in their on-screen interactions. Grace Chan shows why she is perhaps deserving of her rapid climb to lead status as she looked comfortable and natural in her role. Jeannie Chan suited the role of the snobby rich girl and smoothly managed her character's transition into a more humble person. Stephanie Ho is cute and provided comedic relief. Moon Lau fared well for her first series; though she was not particularly impressive, she was certainly not bad either.

Ben Wong hits the nail with his professionalism as an experienced barrister, especially with those reading glasses. Elaine Yiu needs to stop being given these discontent wife roles. Natalie Tong has been doing a great job with her subtle performances. Louis Cheung is a really versatile actor, but his character's odd obsession with aliens was something that I don't get. Timothy Cheng is funny in his interactions with Stephanie and Natalie. King Lam does a good job with his clueless lawyer, while Hugo Wong is great eye candy despite limited screen-time.

So does Raising the Bar actually raise the bar for TVB productions? Maybe slightly, but it is not without its faults. What does the jury think?

Rating: 4/5


Raising the Bar Alternative Ending

Tiger Cubs II Review

Producer: Lam Chi Wah
Genre: Police, action
Cast: Joe Ma, Linda Chung, Him Law, Oscar Leung, Mandy Wong

If Tiger Cubs II proved anything, it is that TVB cannot make a good sequel. Everything that made the first series enjoyable - the action, the adrenaline rush, the brotherhood and the brilliance of the SDU - is gone. It is replaced with immaturity and incompetence. The bad guys (including a group of handicapped people) ran circles around this supposed "best of the best" squad. In the first series, the SDU always came back with mission accomplished. In the sequel, I can't remember a case where they didn't fail in some way. Even the guest stars paled in comparison to the original, with only Nancy Wu and Johnson Lee as the biggest names.

The cases themselves had potential, but the ideas were poorly executed. The criminals could do whatever they wanted against the ineffective SDU team. But the SDU would always manage to take them out in the end with ridiculously convenient ways. The plot holes turned the whole series into a big joke. The punch line is of course the finale with the SDU getting run down at their own headquarters until they receive divine intervention by way of a bubble. The overarching case about Linda's blown undercover identity was muddled among all the other things that were happening.

Unlike the original series, which focused mainly on the action, the sequel tried to incorporate more conflict and emotion. That turned out to be the biggest undoing because every single character became annoying to watch. Ah Lai (Him Law) was immature, with his stubborn defence of his colleague and the poor handling of his relationships. Chin Sir (Joe Ma) was too laid-back as his team was falling apart and never even tried to explain himself. Ah Yuen (Oscar Leung) spends far too much time grieving. Ah Keung (Mandy Wong) was weak. And Madam Chung (Linda Chung)... she was in a league on her own. It is beyond me how someone of her mental fitness could pass the test to become a police officer again.

The acting from the cast makes the series twice as difficult to watch. Linda's performance can only be described as torture for the audience. It was a nightmare seeing those bulging eyes and clenched jaw. Her acting was as fake as the scars on her body. Joe was majorly lacking on the emotional scenes and had zero chemistry with Linda. Oscar lost his charm from the original series and was trying too much to force his signature winks in. Him and Mandy are relatively better than the rest, although they need to lighten up. Benjamin Yuen was unnoticeable except in one early episode. Timmy Hung does not leave much of an impression either. It says a lot when the best performances actually came from the guest stars, including Pal Sinn, Jade Leung and Nancy Wu.

Rating: 2.5/5. Flying Tigers? More like Tiger Prey.

Overachievers Review

Producer: Marco Law
Genre: Modern, business
Cast: Wayne Lai, Raymond Wong, Power Chan, Raymond Cho, Edwin Siu, Nancy Wu, Susanna Kwan, Maggie Siu

Review:
This series is exactly like the wealthy family that it is depicting – glamorous on the outside, but rotten on the inside. As an anniversary series, Overachievers has a grand appearance: an all-star cast, extravagant sets, glamorous clothing... okay, maybe not so nice hairstyles... but the plot was a disaster.

It's easy to understand why the Chinese title was changed from "Business Wars", because business was certainly the least of the worries in here. The first two episodes feature a seemingly intense war between father and son. But after that, it is almost forgotten and replaced with pointless drama between irrelevant characters. The Raymond-Nancy love-sickness was a drag. Power Chan and Maggie Siu, while both are entertaining, add almost nothing to the overall plot. The entire Edwin-Sisley line was neither entertaining nor necessary. After twenty episodes, you will realize you've gotten nowhere. Then in the last week or so, the plot takes a turn for the worse and we suddenly have a few wackos at our hands. Until finally, everything is wrapped up in a ridiculous ending.

The biggest problem was certainly the dramatic character changes. Elliot Ngok's character suddenly decides he's going to push away all his children with his unreasonableness and Raymond Wong's character becomes an insane serial killer. I get that these two characters drive the series to its climax, but it is really hard to watch when everything stems from such illogicialness. The character that was actually the most interesting, but ultimately wasted, was Susanna Kwan. From the way she handled her husband's infidelity, she was made to seem like a smart, calculating lady who patiently awaits her chance for revenge. Yet in the end, she proves incapable of managing the corporation or getting revenge on her son's true killer.

Wayne Lai seems to have lost his touch and now only acts as various versions of Chai Gau in his dramas. Raymond Wong has too much "force" in his acting, like the way he pushes his dialogue out or the way he grabs his female co-stars. Edwin Siu is over-exaggerative in his attempt to deliver comedy. Raymond Cho is good as the useless son, but this is not a break-through for him. Power Chan is the best of the "Five Tigers", as he always finds a way to make his characters stand out. Elliot Ngok acting is just right as the patriarch and is also convincing in the scenes after his stroke. Amazingly, Jason Chan's acting was not cringe-worthy in this series. There was only about one scene where I noticed his hands gesturing randomly. Fred Cheng is cute in his performance.

Nancy Wu is a capable actress, but she never attracts attention on the screen. In contrast, Maggie Siu can grab attention with her expressions or movements even when she is not talking. Susanna Kwan was the perfect choice for the semi-villainous step-mother. Unfortunately, her character didn't use all of her potential. Grace Chan was impressive in her debut. She is natural and at ease next to the veterans, and her crying scenes can already beat out some actresses with more experience. Sisley Choi also made a good debut, but she has a weaker screen presence compared to Grace. Ali Lee was quite noticeable too.

Rating: 3/5. Overachievers underachieved.

Line Walker Review

Producer: Man Wai-hung
Genre: Police
Cast: Michael Miu, Raymond Lam, Charmaine Sheh, Elena Kong, Sammy Sum, Sharon Chan, Benz Hui

Review:
Move aside, Lives of Omission. Line Walker is taking the title as the ultimate undercover series. With the 10000000 UCs, I’m wondering why it took so long for the police to catch up to the bad guys. Oh, that’s because all the bad guys are cops and all the good guys are with the triads. Yikes!

Line Walker does a better job than Lives of Omission at exploring the life of an undercover. Their sacrifices and hardships are played out on-screen and can be felt by the audience. Line Walker also wins with its thick plot, which is laid out nicely with the way it keeps the suspense, from the 5th UC to the black cops to the final big boss. (insert momentum-killing comedic moment). Characters come and go, making up an insanely high death toll. (insert slow-motion action scene with sub song). Yes, there are logic flaws, but don’t you know you’re watching a TVB series?

Charmaine Sheh puts in a lively performance. I love her during the comedic moments. Even though I hated how the comedy ruined the serious atmosphere at the wrong times, Charmaine is cute during those moments. However, I did not enjoy her crying and screaming scenes. I did not feel sad for her, just annoyed. Is this a TV Queen performance? I concur Charmaine may be the most suitable candidate to take it, but I do not agree that her performance was the best of the year.

Raymond Lam can be a good actor when he’s not hiding behind his chok image. His character in Line Walker reminds me of Highs and Lows. He’s playful in the beginning, which is fun to watch, but then he starts losing control as his character becomes more serious. He sways his body too much when he’s talking and when he’s screaming, his eyes grow infinitely larger.

Next we have our lovebirds, Sammy Sum and Sharon Chan. It would have been so lovely if they had realized their love for each other earlier and eloped together, far, far away from this series. Actually, I didn’t mind Sammy too much. Handsome man and has the poise of a finance whiz when he's not being so lovesick. Sharon is the real problem here. Her character is supposed to be an intelligent madam-turned-unofficial UC who ends up saving the day.  But Sharon does not fit into this type of role. Watch The Ultimate Addiction and watch this and you will know what I mean. She doesn’t carry that brilliance on her and she only ends up looking pretentious.

Michael Miu and Elena Kong’s story was the truly touching love story. Not overbearing, not dumb, but a mature relationship, portrayed by two fantastic veterans. Michael, ever so fit at his age, is perfect for this type of good cop perhaps turned bad cop role. Michael can do what Raymond cannot, that is, look chok while still not forgetting to act. Elena also does a fine, fine job. Completely believable as an abused woman and then finding her strength as a lawyer standing up against injustice.

Never imagined Benz Hui could pull off this kind of role. Samantha Ko succeeds at being icy, but not much else. Her face looks really plastic in HD. Oscar Leung was trying too hard to act cool with the way he walks and holds out his arms. All Patrick Tang had to do was perpetually squint his eyes in anger until he died. Same old Toby Leung, whose status at TVB seems to be falling rapidly. They could have cut her out completely and no one would have noticed. Ankie Beilke appears to have taken the role as TVB’s new seductive heiress.

Rating: 4/5. That’s the number of UCs in a room at any given time.

Rear Mirror Thoughts

Good luck finding such intimacy between the two leads in this series.

Producer: Fong Chun-chiu
Genre: Modern, romance
Cast: Wayne Lai, Louisa So, Tony Hung, Natalie Tong

• An analogy to describe Rear Mirror: a minibus moves slower than a race car, but for some people, it is an acceptable mode of transportation. Translation: If you want a simple drama to relax with, this is a good one; if you're looking for a thriller, look somewhere else. 

• The romance between Wayne and Louisa has been described as "subtle". Subtle is the right word, if it meant barely existent. You can convince me that they have a deep friendship, but I'd be hard-pressed to believe romance is in the air for those two.

• The family infighting plot adds some much-needed drama to the series, but at its core, it is just another formulaic TVB storyline. 

• The abrupt change (or better to say, revelation) of Chung King-fai's character in the end was uncalled for. If the writers wanted a devious plot, they needed to give it more development. But in my opinion, such a plot does not fit with the overall atmosphere of the series.

• Wayne Lai looks rather bored, or he is very tired. Either way, it felt like he was acting in his sleep. At times, there were flashes of "Chai Gau" from Rosy Business, which is not appropriate for his character in here.

• Louisa So is a respectable actress, but she just didn't radiate the charm as leading lady. 

• Tony Hung has proven himself to be a decent actor. He did a good job as a shy introvert with his hesitation and hand-wringing.

• Natalie Tong has quietly been improving. An enjoyable performance and good chemistry with Tony.

• This must be the third or fourth time Elaine Yiu has played the ex-girlfriend/ex-wife type.

• I found Ram Chiang to be a little on the odd side. I don't get why his character always had the suspicious look. Would understand if he was in on the scheme by Chung King-fai, but he wasn't.

• Amy Fan reminds me of Margie Tsang (Note: Margie was Roger Kwok's elder sister in D.I.E.)

• It's a bit tiresome seeing the same veteran actors in every single drama, such as KK Cheung, Mary Hon, Lau Kong, etc.

• Overall, another small production that will be forgotten soon enough. 

Rating: 2/5

Too lazy to write a proper review, but since some of you are asking, I decided just to share some of my thoughts on Rear Mirror.

Black Heart White Soul Review

Producer: Amy Wong
Genre: Modern thriller
Cast: Roger Kwok, Kristal Tin, Ron Ng, Louis Cheung, Waise Lee, Leanne Li, Lisa Lau

Review:
Black Heart White Soul is a fast-paced gripping thriller. It has an intense plot with a lot of unexpected twists and brilliant schemes. The story follows along in a logical way with all the parts closely linked together. The characters are intriguing and fleshed out. Each of them has their own ulterior motives, which serves as the main driving force of the series. The police are still made to look incompetent, but at least the lawyers know how to make a proper rebuttal this time.

The series makes the point that no one is completely good or completely bad. For example, the villains still have a good side, showing their love towards their wife, lover or daughter. And the “righteous” hero, Ron Ng, still uses morally questionable tactics to achieve his goals. It illustrates that there are plenty of grey areas in life; sometimes good or bad depends on the circumstances or perspective. I love the ending where there isn't a sudden epiphany on the part of the bad guys and they all turn good.

Roger Kwok is the perfect fit for the role of “Matt”. He maintains a sincere outer appearance, while slowly letting his inner evilness seep through. I don’t know who else can do that sly smile as well as Roger. Kristal Tin’s role requires a lot of emotional scenes, which she handles well, but she was somewhat overshadowed by everyone else. Ron Ng is in yet another hot-headed police role, except this time he is an all-round jerk as well. He has the same facial expression throughout the whole drama, which is the exact same one he had in Ruse of Engagement. The only thing that changes is his hairstyle and not in a good way either.

Louis Cheung is an actor I quite admire. He has done a good job in every role he’s had so far and it’s no different in here. Leanne Li has improved as an actress; she was very into her character, especially in the last confrontation scene with her husband. Vivian Yeo has also improved, but unfortunately had a limited role to play. May Chan has a generally likeable character, but she is sometimes annoying for being so loud-mouthed. She makes a good couple with Ho Yuen Tung. As for Lisa Lau, to put it bluntly, her face was too distracting for me to notice her acting. Jason Chan had a minor role that disappeared after a few episodes, but even in that short amount of time, he manages to be the worst actor in the series. He acted nothing like a lawyer, let alone a hotshot one. Someone needs to glue his arms to his side.

Rating: 4.5/5

Ghost Dragon of Cold Mountain Review

Producer: Marco Law
Genre: Ancient, detective
Cast: Kenneth Ma, Selena Li, Power Chan, Pierre Ngo, Lin Xia Wei, Raymond Cho

Review:
Don’t be fooled by the sales presentation or the title of this series. This is not a wuxia series; rather it’s a modern investigation series set in ancient times. It starts off with a few mysteries which are interesting enough, though not exactly memorable. I've been spoiled by the thrilling mysteries from Storm in a Cocoon and Ruse of Engagement, so the ones here are only mediocre in comparison. Then the story moves into the mandatory romance part and the cases start blending into the background amidst all the romantic mess and other randomness. There never seemed to be any urgency with any of the cases. This is especially true with the final case of the Jurchen spy where the imminent threat of an invasion is never felt and the characters hardly even cared.

The real joy of this series is the characters, each with their unique background and personalities. They each have their strengths and weaknesses, making them very real people. It was nice to see the constables develop from fighting against each other to comrades who will stick together in the face of danger. The interactions between them are fun to watch and often results in comedic moments. Also a nice touch by the writers to have all the character names refer to animals.

Kenneth Ma is fine until he has to do emotional scenes and then he can't get rid of those puppy eyes. He has terrific chemistry with Selena Li. As for Selena, she was cute in her first role as "Tou Fa", although a bit too loud. Her second role as "Yan Mei Leong" was manipulative and cold – a big contrast with her first role and well-portrayed by Selena. A testament to her acting skills when you hardly notice they are the same actress.

Power Chan shows off his wide range of acting skills all in one character. He is arrogant and egotistical in the beginning, but slowly learns to trust his colleagues. As the vigilante, he was kind and wise. Power even makes a brief reappearance as a eunuch, in reference to his popular role from The Confidant.

Pierre Ngo’s rough character is a refreshing change as I’m tired of seeing him as a wimp turned righteous hero. Lin Xia Wei is a decent actress if only she wasn't so lovesick in every drama. Raymond Cho's character was likeable, but I stop short of saying it’s an award-worthy performance only because it’s not a difficult role to play. Candy Chang needs to tone down her acting, but she's already much better than other newcomers.


Rating: 3.5/5

The Ultimate Addiction Review

Producer: Chong Wai-kin
Genre: Modern, finance
Cast: Bosco Wong, Kate Tsui, Nancy Wu, Ben Wong, Sharon Chan, Elena Kong

Review:
At first glance, the financial sector is relatively new territory for a TVB drama and has potential for brilliant manoeuvers by power-hungry and greedy businesspeople. The purported lesbian relationship also looked to be a bold move for TVB. But the series tells us “Never forget who you are”, and TVB shows why they won’t be forgotten for their sloppy productions any time soon.

Give TVB 20, 25, or 30 episodes and the result will be the same: slow development in the beginning and then a whirlwind of events towards the end. Kate’s revenge plot is dragged out for at least two-thirds of the series, only to amount to essentially nothing. There’s not much going on in terms of “investigating” Bosco's misdeeds. Heck, I’m not even convinced he’s that bad. He is blamed more often for things he didn't do.

The story veers away from the financial theme too often, although the scriptwriters do deserve credit for incorporating some hot financial topics, such as virtual currency and corporate governance structures. Yet there wasn’t the same kind of variety when it came to the types of accidents that happen to the characters.

The costume department needs some serious revamping. Bosco’s wardrobe can only be described as hideous. Sharon Chan’s makeover was ugly. Jazz Lam’s black nail polish was a distraction every time it showed. The casting department had their share of problems as well. June Chan as Stephen Wong’s wife? Geoffrey Wong as Kate Tsui’s father? Clearly, no one paid attention to the age of the characters when assembling the cast.

The acting was not the saving grace of the series either. Kate Tsui looked weak and dazed throughout the series and it’s not just because she was diagnosed with that disorder. Sharon Chan doesn't pass for a high-ranking madam and she was way too deliberate as a villainess. Her pairing with Ben Wong was awkward and produced no feelings of romance. Nancy Wu fared better than those two, though this is far from her best work. She seemed to be at a distance from her co-stars. Bosco Wong does a pretty good job, especially with the smugness he showed that is appropriate for the self-confident tycoon. Ben Wong’s unpolished cop character at the beginning was a refreshing role for him, though he was inconsistent with keeping up that image. Elena Kong is a great actress, but didn't get a chance to shine here. No one challenges Gloria Tang for the worst acting in this series. It was almost unbearable to watch her recite her lines emotionlessly.

Rating: 2/5. The Ultimate Flop.

Never Dance Alone Review

Producer: Eric Tsang, Joe Chan
Genre: Modern
Cast: Carman Lee, Rachel Lee, Gloria Yip, Angie Cheong, Fennie Yuen, Elvina Kong, Flora Chan

Review:
Put seven women together and I had expected a cat fight. Luckily, Never Dance Alone chooses a different path. It turned out to be an entertaining and heartfelt series.

For older viewers, it was a nice trip down memory lane. Watching this series with my parents, they couldn't help but share memories from their school days. Alan Tam's songs were artfully used to enhance the feeling of nostalgia. But viewers of all ages will find that they can resonate with the messages about friendship and dreams. The series was thoughtful in its examination of friendship and inspiring in its message to pursue your dreams.

The story occurs in the past and present. I like the interconnections between the two time frames, with the two generations doing some of the exact same things. The casting of the young actresses was done well. They all bare resemblance to their older versions. Their acting is better than most newbies and they exhibited a youthful energy. They were given ample screen-time, which unfortunately meant less time for the veterans.

Carman Lee was phenomenal. Never have I been so entranced by a performance. It's hard to look away from her whenever she is on-screen. Her every expression, every movement, every line delivered was perfect. Her chemistry with her on-screen husband, Lawrence Cheng, was impeccable. Not to mention her stunning beauty regardless of whatever her real age might be.

Flora Chan turned in an excellent performance as well. She carried herself with the arrogant manner of her character. Yet at the same time, she was able to make her character one that the audience would sympathize instead of hate. And her dancing was spectacular.

The other actresses also left memorable impressions with their characters. Each of them fully embodied their characters and acted in their roles without restraint. The bond between the ladies feels genuine and deep, as if they really have known each other for 20 years. I have not seen most of these actresses before and I am truly wowed by their talent.

The series is rounded off with good performances from the supporting cast. Lawrence Ng shows off his comedic side, a big difference from his normally professional image. Lawrence Cheng plays in his typical loving husband role, but as I said, his chemistry with Carman was remarkable. Miu Kan Fung was superb as the mean mother-in-law. Special mention to the maid Daisy who was seriously hilarious. Even Eliza Sam has improved to the point that her acting and accent doesn't bother me here. It was great to see the guest stars too, including Eric Tsang himself!


Rating: 5/5. A rare gem.

Storm in a Cocoon Review

Producer: Leung Choi-yuen
Genre: Mystery, family
Cast: Steven Ma, Tavia Yeung, Evergreen Mak, Maggie Siu, Natalie Tong

Review:
I’ll admit I thought Storm in a Cocoon would have the cliché family infighting storyline. The series turned out to a pleasant surprise. It had an excellent cast and a solidly written plot. The series is essentially divided into two parts: a whodunit mystery for the first 20 episodes and then “property protecting”, as the Chinese title suggests, for the last 12 episodes.

The mystery part was very intriguing and suspenseful. There is a long suspect list as everyone seems to have something to hide. It was fun crossing off the names along with Ka Yeung (Steven) and Bing Bing (Tavia) in the series. With each crossed-off name, a new secret is exposed and a new direction must be taken. The whole story was woven together masterfully, with each clue, secret or partial flashback leading the audience to think that one person did it, but there turns out to be a very logical explanation for their actions. As a rule, the ultimate culprit will be the least unexpected one. Overall, a delightful segment to watch.

The second part of the series reverts to a power struggle and revenge story. While it is a classic set-up, this series manages to throw in many creative plot twists to keep the audience on the edge. Unfortunately, the scriptwriters run out of creative juices a little too soon and put together a finale that rips-off Titanic and TVB’s own Beyond the Realm of Conscience. It is still a good part two to follow up the thrilling mystery.

The series features a strong cast, anchored by Stevia. Steven and Tavia undoubtedly share great chemistry, this being their fourth partnership. They are a couple that balked against all tradition and adversity. Their deep love is apparent with the way they interact and look into each other’s eyes. As for their individual performances, Steven does an excellent job portraying Ka Yeung, a man who was forever changed by his experiences in the military. He is able to show that inner turmoil in the scenes where he is alone. Meanwhile, I didn’t like Tavia’s loud-mouthed character in the beginning, but thankfully, she tones it down when she was put in charge of the silk factory. I love the scene where she collapses against the wall, crying. It shows how despite her fortitude, she is still, at the very heart, a woman deeply affected by her husband’s absence.

In contrast, Evergreen Mak and Maggie Siu were a couple that was unable to survive through the adversities. They are both strong veteran actors who were able to display this tragedy on-screen. However, Evergreen lacked presence until he turned evil. Even then, he didn't give off an evil vibe, but that could be because his character isn't really evil at the core. Maggie, on the other hand, was brilliant in portraying a woman who is both strong and weak – strong in defending her sorority against harm, but weakened by her love for Evergreen. In the end, her character was useless in preventing his misdeeds and died an unnecessary death.

Matt Yeung and Natalie Tong were a side story, though they had their cute moments. Matt excels in these shy, boy-next-door roles. Yeung Chiu Hoi was decent being a traumatized younger brother. Stephen Wong is suitable as a villain. Akina Hong had many layers in her performance of a very interesting character. KK Cheung makes a great villain and he even had the local accent (Shunde is actually his native town). All others unmentioned are okay, but no standout performances.

Rating: 4.5/5

Will Power Review

Producer: Tsui Ching Hong
Genre: Modern, legal
Cast: Wayne Lai, Moses Chan, Fala Chen, Christine Ng, Jason Chan, Sire Ma, Vincent Wong

Review:
I was worried that Will Power would be another terrible legal drama, but to my surprise, it turned out better than I expected. I appreciate that there are more court scenes than I can count on one hand (looking at you, Awfully Lawful). I like that there are not one-sided arguments and that the arguments have at least some legal basis (ahem, Friendly Fire). Of course, it’s not perfect by any means, but if you wanted 100% accuracy, you should probably go to the local courthouse. That being said, if this series is used as any measure, there are about six lawyers and one judge in Hong Kong. Conflict of interest laws? What is that?

Will Power is different from most legal dramas in that the majority of cases are integrated into a bigger storyline. There aren't random characters running around, which gives the leads more screen time and opportunity for development. The story is appropriately paced, such that 32 episodes does not feel like too much for once. The series builds nicely towards the climax, where there are a few good twists. I was disappointed, however, that the writers took the easy way out in the finale.

I’m glad that the romance did not detract from the legal cases. The relationships were mature, with no crazy geometric shapes or unnecessary drama. In fact, it had some humorous moments, as the two big lawyers turned into petty men in front of their girlfriends.

With 2 TV Kings, their acting was a joy to watch. I like Moses a lot better in serious dramas than comedies. Wayne does not look as tired as his previous dramas. Both were great acting as professionals. The ladies didn’t have a big role. Fala had better emotional scenes than in Triumph in the Skies II, but after her break-up with Vincent, she was regulated to a “be supportive/worried-looking” role. Christine didn’t have a chance to shine either. All she had to do was sit and be judge-like. I noticed an odd twitch to her eyebrow sometimes, which made me feel like she’s about pull out a Beauty at War scheme.

Arguably the best actor in this series is Chung King-fai. It’s great that he’s not in a preachy-grandfather role. He is devious and manipulative with a perfected smirk. Elliot Ngok, which I usually find overdramatic, has thankfully toned it down. Another convincing performance by Power Chan as a mentally challenged character; he deserves consideration for Best Supporting Actor again. Poor Vincent Wong for taking 23 slaps. He may have gone a tad overboard in some scenes, but generally did well. Susan Tse and Mary Hon are veterans at doing the “keeping a secret for 20 years” thing.

The worst acting goes to Jason Chan. He seemed perpetually at lost about where to position himself and what to do with his hands. Compared to Bullet Brain, Sire Ma actually did better and part of the reason is because she’s up against Jason. Still, she was an unconvincing rape victim, alternating between too composed and too hysterical. But no worries, Jason was an even worse boyfriend of a rape victim. He also lays claim to the title of most unconvincing defendant facing murder charges.

Conclusion: How much willpower does it take to finish this series? Surprisingly, it carries itself.

Rating: 4/5


Related posts:
Will Power Overview and Preview of Cases
Theme Song
Promo Clips

Sniper Standoff Review

This is Casual TVB's 200th post! Yay!



Producer: Kwan Wing Chung

Genre: Police, action

Cast: Eddie Cheung, Michael Tse, Kate Tsui, Kathy Chow, Eliza Sam, Alice Chan

Plot: 
Kate Tsui jumps from more explosions than I can count. Kathy Chow survives a head shot. Michael Tse casually lets bullets whiz by him, while the foreign president's whole family can dodge bullets in sync. No, this is not Matrix 4, just Sniper Standoff.

And the SDU team? Oh look, here they come, rushing in after the damage has been done.

Review:

If, from Tiger Cubs, you got the impression that the SDU was invincible, Sniper Standoff will show you that they are not. They are made to look so incompetent that it's almost laughable. From beginning to end, they are out-witted by a single person, and even in the end, they did not catch the bad guys based on their own merits. If these are the so-called "best of the best", I cannot imagine what the worst will look like.

The plot is full of holes and inconsistencies. It's not just in the details, like why Kate is chasing down criminals in 5-inch high heels. The scriptwriters overlooked more fundamental errors. What about the fact Kate pointed a gun to someone's head in public? How can Eliza Sam shoot down a criminal against orders and receive no disciplinary action, whereas Michael got the boot over a similar incident?

What I do like about this series is the fast pace. There are lots of exciting action scenes: bullets flying everywhere, explosions, car chases, etc. The plot is also moving along quickly. All the cases fit together into the larger story; there is no dwelling on irrelevant sub-plots. Although the plot itself is bullet-ridden, at least the story, taken as a whole, felt like a coherent story instead of a mash-up of randomness.

Michael Tse has unfortunately become Laughing Gor in all his roles now. His character is pretty much the same as Laughing Gor, except he works for the triads this time. Kate Tsui is also in her typical role as police officer for the n^th time. However, she does a good job in the emotional scenes in the latter half of the series. Eddie Cheung has a stoic character, but he manages to bring out the personality of the character. Kathy Chow just looks old. I was looking forward to see her character's change for the bad, but it was unsatisfyingly short and incomplete. Eliza Sam is unsuitable as a sniper as she lacks the tough demeanour. I'm glad there wasn't a heavy focus on her. That being said, I would have loved to see better development of the character itself. She spent more time whining about not being able to participate in real missions, rather than actually proving herself capable of being a real SDU. Alice Chan, in a similar position as Friendly Fire, is less attractive here, with toned down seductiveness and evilness.

Conclusion: Watch with half a brain and just enjoy the action. 

Rating: 3/5

P.S. Someone actually compiled a video of all the explosions Kate has survived (link)


Related posts:
Tiger Cubs vs Sniper Standoff
Overview - Sniper Standoff
The Police Career of Madam Kate

Triumph in the Skies II Review

Producer: Sharon Au, Joe Chan
Genre: Modern, romance
Cast: Francis Ng, Julian Cheung, Fala Chen, Myolie Wu, Ron Ng, Kenneth Ma, Elena Kong, Nancy Wu, Him Law

Review:
Imagine the series as a plane flight. After a lengthy delay, passengers finally get to board the flight, where they are unexpectedly welcomed by an unfamiliar tune. Nonetheless, it’s been a long wait and everyone is just happy to be on board. The plane has a smooth takeoff. As the plane makes its climb, the passengers look out the window, seeing the city they are leaving and looking forward to the journey ahead. The plane starts cruising along at 9,000 m. Everyone is settled in comfortably and the flight attendants hand out some snacks. The passengers were expecting the main course, but they accept it anyways. The attendants come around again, this time with drinks. Still no main course. By now, some people start to get restless. They check the flight tracker and find the plane is still at the same level. Nothing wrong with this height, just that we had expected the plane to fly higher. Then slowly but surely, the plane starts losing altitude. Why? Because Holiday is controlling it. Not everyone notices, because some are no longer paying attention. The few that do complain loudly. Finally, before anyone realizes, the plane has touched down for a safe landing.

Fans of the original have waited ten long years for a sequel, so everyone is understandably excited for this series. Not even a crappy theme song can change that mood. The first few episodes don’t disappoint. Bright, beautiful scenery, with everyone looking sharp in their uniforms. Captain Koo is especially charming and steals the spotlight just as easily as he steals women’s hearts. We relieve memories from the original and find out what our beloved Sam, Isaac, Roy and Coco have been up to in the past ten years. But further development of these characters eludes us for 20 episodes. Instead, we are served with random side stories and a lovesick Holiday. Gradually, some viewers get bored and find something else to do. For those who stuck around, we wonder: is anything exciting actually going to happen? The short answer is no. There are some bumps along the way, but it is mostly a calm flight from start to finish.

TVB sequels all have a common formula: forget about the very profession that enticed viewers in the original and insert as many love lines as humanly possible. Triumph in the Skies II follows this to the word. First, there’s the Isaac-Summer-Josie-Teddy rectangle. Then there’s the love not-sure-what-shape with Sam/Holiday/Zoe/Daniel/Jayden. And don’t forget the whole Heather/Roy/Tony/Mr. King pyramid. We’re learning more about geometry than aviation.

The original series was heavily focused on romance as well, but the problem with the sequel is: one, the imbalance between love and work and two, the ill-development of the love lines. Many things were missing, such as how Sam falls in love with Holiday or the cause in Jayden’s character change. 42 episodes is a long time; there should be no need to rush at the end. Too much time was wasted on irrelevant things (Eliza’s mom, anyone?), such that development of the main characters was stunted.

Still, Triumph in the Skies II is the highest rating drama of 2013, so there must be reasons for its success. There’s the nostalgia from the original and watching how the characters have grown up. Surely, the actors themselves have matured and it’s great to see the chemistry amongst the cast working together again ten years later. The series is light-hearted with no evil, back-stabbing, scheming sort of stuff. There’s the hot, steamy, sexy sort of stuff, but of course, we’re talking TVB here. There’s also a fair share of tear-jerking moments that will probably make you cry more than Fala. There’s laugh-out-loud moments, what-the-heck moments and many I’ll-never-fly-in-a-plane-again moments.

All in all, a series to laugh, cry, relax and enjoy, and before you know it, it’ll be end and you will realize it has been a wonderful journey after all.

Rating: 3.5/5

A Change of Heart Review

Producer: Nelson Cheung

Genre: Modern, suspense

Cast: Michael Miu, Bosco Wong, Joey Meng, Niki Chow, Vincent Wong, Mandy Wong, Elaine Yiu

Plot: 
A ruthless businessman has A Change of Heart after heart surgery, which greatly displeases his wife, who then has an affair with her subordinate, all the while suspecting her husband of an affair with the girlfriend of the heart donor who was also his doctor and whom has a twin brother that the girlfriend uses to get close to the businessman so she can investigate her mother's murder, which makes the wife so jealous that she goes to extreme lengths to get revenge, yet he remains true to her, except it was too late when she found out because she's done too many bad deeds and in the TVB world that means you must die no matter what because otherwise there will be complaints pouring in from lots of people with nothing better to do and we wouldn't want that now, would we?

Review:

A Change of Heart is one of the better series so far this year. Then again, that’s not saying much… To start off, this series boosts an attractive cast. The premise is interesting enough. The storyline itself progressed well and is intriguing with overlapping mysteries and curveballs. Even the most unsuspicious characters get embroiled as the mystery unfolds. The ending had some ingenuity, but was rushed as usual. Obviously, the script was far from perfect, but at least we can appreciate that it wasn’t a straight ride from start to finish.

Joey Meng was hands-down my favourite character. Ever since Consort Yu (Sheren Tang) of the original War and Beauty, I’ve been waiting for a character that would be equally as brilliant, manipulative and scheming. Joey is just that – chilling and evil to the core. She stops at nothing to get what she wants and never feels a tinge of remorse. This is my first time watching Joey and I can see why she’s such a highly-touted actress. She has great acting skills to go with her impressive looks.

Mandy Wong is quickly becoming one of my favourite actresses with her spectacular performances. Not for the first time, she is able to pull off a loud-spoken, selfish character without coming across as annoying. Maybe that's the reason she keeps getting these roles, because she is so excellent at that. She is completely immersed into her character and outshone the female lead, Niki, who was stagnant. 

Niki's character has a very emotional past, but Niki remained emotionless and distant throughout. At most, she just seemed to be moody. Her character can be unreasonable and too quick to jump to conclusions, which is not exactly a desirable trait for a police officer. Ironically, her best scene was not as herself, but as Joey acting as her in the confrontation with Michael. In that scene, I could really imagine Joey’s character being inside Niki's body.

The men paled in comparison to the ladies. Bosco Wong plays twins brothers who supposedly differ widely in personality, but he is one and the same for both roles. At times, I was confused as to which person he was. Still, he is charismatic and shares good chemistry with Niki. Michael Miu was entertaining as a super-egoistic businessman, but he lost that appeal after his surgery. I guess I just don’t like watching nice guys. His wife had every reason to be frustrated at him. His altruistic admission of his crime was, frankly, dumb. 

Vincent Wong and Elaine Yiu’s pairing was nothing to fawn over, nor were either characters vitally important for the story. But Vincent as a dorky detective wanna-be had his funny moments. He actually reminds me of an old classmate who speaks in the same manner. Benjamin Yuen was criticized in The Voice of Stars as being expressionless, and rightly so, because he’s just as wooden in here. The pair of Benjamin and JJ Jia never radiated that blissfulness as a couple, so it didn't matter much when their marriage fell apart. 

My suggested alternative ending: Joey as Niki should do more sinister things to frame the real Niki... 

Rating: 4/5 

Slow Boat Home Review

Producer: Leung Choi-yuen

Genre: Romance, comedy

Cast: Ruco Chan, Selena Li, Raymond Wong, Aimee Chan

Plot: A bunch of events happening on the island of Cheung Chau. (Overview - Slow Boat Home)

Review:

Slow Boat Home is a light-hearted drama that is nothing like Beauty at War or Bullet Brain. That’s enough to make this series appealing for some people. But upon closer examination, it is yet another drama with a sub-par plot and rushed ending. Had it been aired in another time slot, I suspect it would not get so much attention.

The storyline is neither unique nor interesting. For a romantic comedy, the love stories lack substance. Ruco and Selena were perpetually stuck in a cycle of reconciliation and break up. Elaine's appearance as the love "rival" was redundant. As much as I despise of love triangles, maybe a real showdown between Selena and Elaine would have added some spice. Aimee and Raymond's story saw more development, but I must have missed the part where she started liking him back because it came up out of the blue. Matt and Cilla's relationship was merely narrated in the finale. On the business side of things, the purported "grand" scheme to take over Cheung Chau amounted to nothing. And apparently it doesn't take much to build a successful business in Cheung Chau, whether it be a resort house or a restaurant chain. 

The characters don't generate much excitement either. Ruco is a filial son and all-around good guy with enduring love for his high school sweetheart. Ditto for Matt. Raymond, the typical lazy character who always accomplishes the most in the end. Cilla is the go-to spoiled HK girl. Aimee's search for her dad was a big yawn. Selena wasn't manipulative enough for my liking. Simply put, boring characters whom I never really cared about. 

Credit where credit's due, there are a few things that are commendable. You can admire the Cheung Chau scenery and shots from the Bun Festival. There was some decent acting from the leads (yes, even Mrs. Moses Chan). Aimee seems much more at ease in a modern, casual role where she is allowed to mix English and Chinese. Ruco and Selena have such amazing chemistry together that it's hard to believe this is only their first collaboration. The bromance between Ruco, Raymond and Matt is adorable, especially how they keep touching each other.

The not-so-praiseworthy: Ram Chiang's odd style was uncalled for. I always feel that Elliot Ngok's acting is OTT. Too much emphasis when he speaks and too much movement. Maybe Patrick Tang feels awkward filming with Selena, because he was terribly unnatural in those scenes.

Conclusion: A mindless series.

Rating: 2/5


Related Posts:
Historical Context: Cheung Po Tsai
Cheung Chau Bun Festival
Selena Beauty Tips

Bullet Brain Review

Producer: Lee Tim Sing

Genre: Science-fiction

Cast: Wayne Lai, Pierre Ngo, Sire Ma, Natalie Tong, Edwin Siu

Plot: A brilliant detective goes head-to-head against criminals and outsmarts them at every turn to keep Hong Kong safe. But I must have accidentally flipped the channel to another series about schizophrenia, stupidity and the supernatural.

Review:

The problem with this series is not with storytelling. Some viewers may have found it confusing that the backstory is given in separate parts, but it is actually quite straightforward. We know the brilliant Detective Columbo used to be very dumb but nice. Something happened to make him smart yet arrogant, but that something isn’t revealed right away. Simple.

No, the problem is with the story itself. First, this "detective" series isn't about solving cases, but Lee Tim Sing already warned about that before its release. What I had expected was a battle of wits between Wayne and Pierre since that was how the series was advertised. The battle of the wits never happened. Actually, if you really think about it, Wayne with IQ of 283 was outsmarted by Pierre with IQ of 203 most times, but he got lucky. Still, we got a weird lighting fighting scene, if that helps. 

What this series turns out to be is Wayne and Pierre taking turns vowing to help the other find their “conscious” back. Why is this so important anyways? The idea might sense for Pierre’s character since he was clearly evil. But for Wayne... sure, he was one arrogant bastard, but he was not evil. Aside from the bank manager case, nothing else he did was immoral, so I don’t understood Pierre’s desperateness to “save” Columbo by changing him back to the stupid Dai Hei.

Further adding to the problem with this series is the heavy focus on Sire Ma. She is, by far, the most annoying, immature, dumb madam EVER!! “9527, this is an order!” *teary-eyes* “Bo Bo!” Goodness, can someone explain to me how she could have been an elite graduate from Scotland Yard? And someone please tell Tim Gor that this diary thing is an absolute drag (recall Fala Chen in No Regrets?)

There are three versions of Wayne Lai in Bullet Brain and he performed well in two of them. As Columbo, he was absolutely despicable and displayed so much arrogance. You want to wipe that smug look from his face, which is exactly what Columbo is – the most hated man at the police station. As Dai Hei, he was a shy and innocent man. He shows the character’s insecurity as he tries to hold onto everyone’s hand. Wayne is able to draw a clear distinction between the two characters so that the continuous flashbacks are not confusing. Where he goes downhill is when he regained his memory and intelligence in the second half of the series. As Dai Hei x Columbo, all he did was look constantly worried or grieving.

Pierre Ngo did well until his character became smart and evil. After that, he was overly exaggerative in a bad way. While Wayne’s exaggerative gestures was to show Columbo’s arrogance, Pierre just came off as crazy. His hair and his laugh were plain weird.

Sire Ma… No words can describe my frustration with her. No doubt that her annoying character makes it easy to hate on her, but her acting definitely contributes to the annoyingness. A lot of times, she just stands there as stiff as a stick. Her emotional scenes need work and her pronunciation could see improvement.

Edwin Siu was the stereotypical good guy. There’s nothing special about him, except I would have loved it if he could slap some sense into Sire. Actually I thought he would have ended up with her, but instead Sire gets to be with her “Bo Bo”, which makes no sense whatsoever.

Natalie Tong was the shining star in Bullet Brain. She was very, very convincing as a deranged lady and she can easily make the switch to “normal” 40-year old in front of others. The last scene before her death was so touching that I actually got teary-eyed. She was even better than Wayne in that scene. Playing the daughter role, her best scene was when she sat with a slightly satisfied smile after pushing Pierre out of the car. This is definitely a breakthrough for Natalie; a pity she was cast aside in favour of Sire.

Conclusion: Stick to normal crime-fighting next time.

Rating: 1/5