Hearty Response (Japan Version) DVD Region 2

Starring Chow Yun-fat as a lazy cop whose path of least resistance tactics gets results, this movie references backwards and forwards in time, playing as both a more contrived version of Wild Search and a dry run for Tiger on Beat. As in Wild Search, love grows between cop and country girl, and as in Tiger on Beat, Chow sports ugly clothes, hangs out with a short partner with a perm, and drives a mini. He also is very hard on women, particularly his girlfriend, Judy, who's no prize but who certainly deserves better than what she gets here. It's interesting that Chow Yun-fat is so rough with women in his early movies, and yet remained such a heartthrob.

Chow is up for a new partner and is assigned Long Man, the uncle of his Superior Officer, and a lazy, short bum of a cop whose only goal in life is to stay a cop ("Consider my height? How else will I bully people?" he whines). He and Chow are on a stake-out amidst the Lee Kum Kee bottles at the local supermarket looking for Addict Hung. Hung comes on the scene, as well as a hungry and lost Joey Wong, a speeding car, a pair of handcuffs and a head trauma which all conspire to put Joey in Chow's care. The two hit it off but, come on...he's a cop, she's an illegal immigrant. How will they ever come together.

With the aid of Chow's mom, it does blossom. The action scenes are minor but effective, relying on car stunts and actors falling from great heights to great effect. But what's best in this movie is how caught up you'll get in the sticky taffy of Joey and Chow's love story. Never has the chemistry generated by these two actors seemed so relaxed, and Joey Wong is at the top of her game. She may have her detractors, but this movie is a potent love drug. The story moves quickly, with Chow uttering such inarguable bits of wisdom as "I find being a jerk with you is better than being a jerk alone," but at the end of the day there's still a dirty-minded baddie who'll come between them in a harrowing scene. As well as a priceless cameo by Kent Cheng.

This is a movie that goes to the brink, and then chickens out. But there's no doubt that it goes there.

by Grady Hendrix