Caper
Director: Allan Fung
Yi-ching
Year:
1986
Rating: 6.0
A mid-level film
from Hong Kong in the 1980s of no particular distinction with no big stars
or a well-known director, but it was part of the D&B rush of films that
they were knocking out as fast as they could. D&B set up shop in 1984
with the money of Dickson Poon (to marry Michelle Yeoh a few years later)
and the talents of Sammo Hung and John Sham. They alternated between some
terrific action films (Yes Madam, Royal Warriors, the Tiger Cage series,
the In the Line of Duty films and Black Cat) and goofball comedies (the Pom
Pom films, Porky's Meatballs). 1986 was a particularly busy year with sixteen
films. Perhaps that explains why this one has no big names around it. Other
than Wu Ma who I think is great but is always a character actor going back
to his days at Shaw. The two leads are Cheung Kwok-keung and Ho Kai-nam,
two faces you may vaguely recognize but have no idea what films from. If
you recognize either, it would be Cheung who had a large part in Peking Opera
Blues, the best Hong Kong film ever in my opinion.
Cheung and Ho are brothers who escaped from
a war in Vietnam as children after seeing their mother killed. On the boat
to Hong Kong, they are stopped by pirates (Sunny Fang Kang) and Cheung is
tossed overboard. He makes it to shore where he is picked up by policeman
Wu Ma - who is going to turn him into a refugee camp until he realizes the
boy has some ESP powers and can help him pick winners in horse races. So,
he adopts him instead and Cheung becomes a cop. If you have seen many Bollywood
films, you can guess what happens to the other brother. He is brought up
by Sunny and groomed to become a crook. A very good one because he has ESP
powers as well. You know at some point they will meet head to head - one
a cop, one a thief and realize they are brothers. Que drama!
And they do over two diamonds in the household
of a triad boss. Two brothers each have one. If they lose it, they fall in
esteem. Their sister is played by Irene Wan who was a teenage idol after
Lonely Fifteen and Happy Sixteen. She and Cheung fall for each other like
instant coffee and their sweet romance is actually the best thing about the
film. Sunny and Ho are hired to steal the diamond of one brother by the other.
A tiny bit of action follows but it is more comedy than anything. Very light
and forgettable, but mildly pleasant while watching. Have had this one for
years, so nice to finally get to it.
