66. Detective Chinatown 2; movie review

DETECTIVE CHINATOWN 2
Cert TBA
121 mins
BBFC advice: TBA

It is a common trait of many comedies from the East that at least one of its lead characters shout... a lot
Baoqiang Wang fits the bill in Detective Chinatown 2 and keeps up the act for its entire two hours.
I have no doubt that Chen Sicheng's film will please Chinese audiences because my previous experience tells me that they enjoy zany slapstick comedy.
Chances are that they will also lap up the pace of the movie - it is very very fast - but, I have to admit that I struggled with it.
The movie's premise is interesting enough - Qin Feng (Liu Haoran) is among a group amateur detectives are brought to help NYPD solve a murder.
The clues come thick and fast and eventually lead them to realise a serial killer is on the loose.
But in the meantime, there is wackiness in abundance, a semi-naked chase scene, cross-dressing and a rather strange confrontation with gay bikers.
Wang plays the excitable foil to Feng whose character is is blessed with a photographic memory and flypaper mind which can work out the most fiendish conundrum.
But even he is have trouble piecing together the solution to these crimes in time to grab a $5million reward before the week-long deadline.
To be fair the investigation element of Detective Chinatown 2 is well-constructed and intriguingly complex but shouting, slapping and slapstick are not really my bag.
I am also afraid tacit jokes about gay people, cheap cross-dressing gags and general leering leave me rather cold.
But, as said, I suspect Detective Chinatown 2 will go down well with Chinese audiences who are not distracted by having to follow the super-fast subtitles and who are more plugged into its humour.

Reasons to watch: fast-paced detective comedy
Reasons to avoid: too much shouting and slapstick

Laughs: one
Jumps: none
Vomit: yes
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 5/10

Director's quote - Chen Schenk: "Right now, China is growing and becoming stronger in the world. However, Chinese films are not on the same level yet. My goal is to get my films to the American or global market and it should be the same for young directors.”

The big question - Would Chinese audiences go for just a little more sophistication?

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