(left) Shawn Yue and Linda Chung, and (right) Aloys Chen in Playboy Cops.
Chinese: 花花型警
Year: 2008
Director: Jingle Ma Chor-Sing
Action: Stephen Tung Wai
Cast: Shawn Yue, Aloys Chen, Linda Chung Ka-Yan, Shaun Tam Chun-Yin, Wong Yau-Nam, Ella Koon Yun-Na, Teddy Lin Chun, Xiong Xin-Xin, Michelle Mai Suet, Danny Lee Sau-Yin, Philip Ng Won-Lung, Vincent Kok Tak-Chiu, Samuel Leung Cheuk-Moon
The Skinny: Unexpected, though not in the most pleasing way. Playboy Cops is a fluffy buddy film that exceeds its incredibly low expectations, making it a surprising, though somewhat guilty slice of Hong Kong Cinema. Not really quality, but not much is nowadays.
Review
by Kozo: Depth, thy name is not Jingle Ma. A cop buddy flick starring pretty young men Shawn Yue and Aloys Chen, Playboy Cops initially seems like fluff for fluff's sake. Jingle Ma directed this presumably vapid action-comedy, which looks to target teen girls as its primary audience. At least, that's what the poster, cast, and spiffy Jingle Ma cinematography would seem to indicate. In truth, Playboy Cops mixes new and old Hong Kong Cinema in a sometimes effective, though questionably tasteful way. The new stuff: younger actors, Mainland investment and talent, a commercial premise, and a clean vision of Hong Kong that borders on sterile. The old stuff: sometimes out-of-place action, clichéd pathos, and such a blatant disregard for consistency or expectations that one could wonder if they walked into the wrong theater. Playboy Cops ends up a lot different than the "We're pretty and we kick ass!" poster would seem to indicate. If that sounds like a spoiler to you, then stop reading now.
Still around? Here goes, then. Playboy Cops is a hard film to describe, and not because it has a surprising or accomplished story. In fact, the paper-thin premise that passes for a plot in Playboy Cops is incredibly shallow and unbelievable, and wouldn't pass muster as a B-grade direct-to-video flick, much less a major theatrical release. Shawn Yue is Michael Mak, a "Playboy Cop" because he's the son of a rich tycoon who fights crimes with money. He pays way too much money for information, bribes people out of committing crimes, and uses wads of $1000 bills to lure bad guys into the slammer. Occasionally he kicks ass, too. Michael possesses a righteous, somewhat lazy attitude, and disregards both authority and anyone else who thinks his methods are wrong. Basically, he's a Cop Who Breaks All The Rules?, except he's rich, trendy, and wears cool white sneakers. Despite his status as a law enforcer, his rich tycoon father vaguely disapproves of his free spending, but Michael refuses to change, handing out bills at an alarming rate in the name of justice.
Besides being a poor financial planner, Michael's other major failing is his inability to win the heart of Lisa (TVB starlet Linda Chung), who's apparently the only girl around who won't fall for his "money solves all problems" attitude. Enter Lincoln Lin (Aloys Chen a.k.a. Chen Kun, of The Knot and The Little Chinese Seamstress), who wanders into Hong Kong from the Mainland to investigate the death of his brother (Teddy Lin Chun). Lincoln is also rich, and apparently has some connection to Lisa. He meets Michael while eating at a posh Central-located club for rich bastards, where the loaded-with-dough get together to party and belittle the hired help, one of them played by Son of Ti Lung? Shaun Tam. Michael and Lincoln butt heads over Lisa because she used to date Michael and now seems to be doting on Lincoln, and Michael demands that she must be his. The two spar and exchange boring banter before Michael decides to help Lincoln on his investigation because he really does want to be a good cop, and not just a rich one who uses his money instead of his wits.
Appearing in seemingly his tenth Hong Kong movie in the past year, Shawn Yue handles his silly character with solid screen charisma, cementing his status as Hong Kong's most versatile and least picky young actor. Yue can handle both action and drama, is unafraid to poke fun at himself, and usually avoids the self-consciousness that contemporaries Nicholas Tse and especially Edison Chen are partial to. As his partner, Aloys Chen spends most of his time looking pretty and slightly bemused - not exactly top qualities of a kick-ass cop action hero. Then again, these guys are too pretty to be your typical cops, and given their homoerotic male-bonding banter seem to be only a shade away from Brokeback status. Teen girls may dig Playboy Cops automatically because it's a cop movie starring two young, thin, and pretty guys who act both tough and sensitive, and look great in expensive suits and luxury cars. If this doesn't qualify as some sort of thinly-disguised Yaoi manga-to-screen adaptation, then I don't know what would. As a bizarre bishonen fantasy, Playboy Cops isn't without its obvious charms - that is, if such a thing is your cup of tea.
What Playboy Cops is not is a solid film. Jingle Ma is a competent commercial director and can certainly make things look attractive. However, without a good script or actors, his films suffer. Playboy Cops is oddly paced; the first half of the film meanders aimlessly, and features too many scenes of Shawn Yue and Aloys Chen basically doing nothing. They chase dead-end leads and banter incessantly, all the while revealing their personal issues, none of which are that compelling or original. Luckily they're both likeable guys, and the fight sequences are charged with effective impact if not overt flair. Action director Stephen Tung gives the few fight sequences energy, preventing them from being over-the-top without reducing them to obvious shots of the actors posing. Add in a bout against a vaguely amusing professional fighter played by Xiong Xin-Xin (Clubfoot from the Once Upon a Time in China movies), plus an appearance by Hong Kong Cinema's official Man Who Plays Cops? Danny Lee and you have a movie that comes off as a standard, workmanlike action comedy not unusual for late nineties Hong Kong Cinema. That was when urban-set, Hollywood-influenced action films came into vogue (i.e., Tokyo Raiders, 2000 A.D., Downtown Torpedoes), and Playboy Cops seems to belong to the same bland, unspectacular club.
作者: 花花鱼~~~ 时间: 2008-4-13 15:30
本帖最后由 dream 于 2016-6-10 18:39 编辑
上面的评论有点过于苛刻:sms2
作者: blue_angel_12 时间: 2008-4-28 14:35
本帖最后由 dream 于 2016-6-10 18:39 编辑
Thanks for the review!
I really like the movie.. aloys did a great job! :loveliness:
作者: 花花鱼~~~ 时间: 2008-7-18 13:16
本帖最后由 dream 于 2016-6-10 18:39 编辑
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Playboy Cops Awards
Chinese Title
花花型警 (Fa Fa Ying Ging)
English Title
Playboy Cops
Cast
Shawn Yue
Aloys Chen Kun
Linda Chung
Shaun Tam
Danny Lee
Michelle Yim
My Comments
I've watched this movie twice actually. I think I left it too long after my first time watching it to make a detailed review about it.... so I watched it again and thought to myself, "I better do the review or else I'll forget what to say!"
Before and after watching this series, I know and believe there are more fans of Shawn & Linda than Aloys & Linda? Haha! I prefer Aloys [and his role] over Shawn's. However, both male leads did their job really well. Ahh did I mention that Shawn and Aloy's chemistry was amazing? So funny how they "disliked" one other (more like Shawn not liking Aloys) but becoming such good mates because they both "don't have much friends".
Shawn played the classic playboy who spent a lot of his father's money in order to solve crimes. Whereas Aloys is the "quiet" one who only wanted to find about his brother's death. What I'm really happy about is not dubbing Aloys voice! They actually let him speak mandarin - along with cantonese in the movie. That was a bonus to me.
I also really liked the "sad" story both leads went through. Very touching. Aloys had a bullet-type metal thing stuck in his brain and therefore was afraid to sleep. As for Shawn, died able to solve a case without using money...... but didn't get to have dinner with his dad and step-mum. Awwww!
Linda, on the other hand, did a good job as always. However, I was disappointed that her role wasn't fully developed and she didn't get much screentime. I understand though, the movie is focused about Aloys and Shawn. Linda was just "the girlfriend".
On the other hand, Shaun was a terrific villain! At first I couldn't tell that it was him because he had no glasses on. He was so wicked and such a "dog". His laugh and evil-doings was just madness. What I was surprised was how kind-hearted Wong Yau Nam became just seeing how "grusome" Shaun was to Linda!
Is this series worth watching? Yes! All the lead did a very good job and there are some kick-ass fighting scenes which are done really well. I really liked the movie and wouldn't mind watching it the third time! =D
Awards
Best Actor: Aloys Chen
Awesome that he is the first mainland actor to star lead in a HK movie... and he did an excellent job! Hope to see him in more HK movies!
Best Actress: Linda Chung
What other actress is there in the movie? But even if there was, I'll still give it to Linda.
Most Improved Actor: --
Most Improved Actress: --
Best Couple: Aloys Chen & Linda Chung
Best Villain: Shaun Tam
Just so... evil.
Extraordinary Award: Shawn Yue
Loved his stubborness and just simply his acting has grown on me. Great job!
The 'What The..' Award:
Favourite Scene: The dinner with the Aloys, Linda and Shawn near a pool. Shawn proposes to Linda, asking her all these questions but rather than answering back, she repeats them to Aloys!
作者: 溪拓 时间: 2008-7-19 10:07
本帖最后由 dream 于 2016-6-10 18:40 编辑
晕!!
作者: blue_angel_12 时间: 2008-7-19 11:17
本帖最后由 dream 于 2016-6-10 18:40 编辑
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Playboy Cops Awards
Chinese Title
花花型警 (Fa Fa Ying Ging)
English Title
Playboy Cops
Cast
Shawn Yue
Aloys Chen Kun
Linda Chung
Shaun Tam
Danny Le ... [/quote]
哈哈﹐這是我的review! ;P
作者: 奥尔菲斯竖琴 时间: 2008-7-19 11:35
本帖最后由 dream 于 2016-6-10 18:41 编辑
挖到自己人的自留地了;P
作者: Athena2008518 时间: 2008-7-19 23:37
本帖最后由 dream 于 2016-6-10 18:41 编辑
Thanks for the reviews about the movie "Playboy Cops" I'm so sorry to say I have to take a dictionary to
read the above comments on the movie,the actors and the actress wrote by the gifted commentor although I
have studied English Literature for four years in the university many years ago. The vocabulary I have nowa-adays only limited on "finance and trade" dealing with my work everyday. I must have a introspection in order
to catch up your english level in reading and writing freely.:$
作者: blue_angel_12 时间: 2008-7-20 11:15
原帖由 Athena2008518 于 2008-7-19 23:37 发表
Thanks for the reviews about the movie "Playboy Cops" I'm so sorry to say I have to take a dictionary to
read the above comments on the movie,the actors and the actress wrote by the gifted com ...
No need to fret :P Your english is really good and I'm sure you'll just get better and better.
Good luck!
ictory:作者: Athena2008518 时间: 2008-7-20 13:48
blue-angel-12,thank you very much for your encouragement!:handshake
I 'll work hard in English in future not only for my job but for communication with all friends of the world.:P
作者: 怡暄 时间: 2008-7-21 11:30
Hi,
I am very new to this forum....for me, I find replying in english is so much faster than replying in Chinese Character...thus my contrubutions to this forum will be highly limited ;P
I love this movie and I agree that the best part of this movie is it is in both Cantonese and Chinese...this makes the show a whole lot more enjoyable.
作者: 坤梦 时间: 2008-7-25 14:37
5555555～～～哪位好心的姐姐能给翻译一下啊，俺晕！
作者: 柒小丽 时间: 2008-7-25 17:01
标题: 回复 #5 花花鱼~~~ 的帖子
苛刻才能进步
作者: 太子薯仔 时间: 2008-9-18 19:11
看不懂哎
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