Mr. Mumble    (1996) 

                                                                                  Panorama Entertainment / EMC Motion Pictures Ltd.

                                                                                                  

                                     Cast:  Michael Chow Man Kin, Pauline Suen, Eric Kee Ka Fat, Jessica Hester Hsuan, 

                         Francoise Yip, Yi Fan Wai, Chow Chi Fai, Simon Loui, Eddie Maher, Alex Ng Hong Ling,

                               Ricky Wong, Calor Tan, Jiang Rong, Wong Ying Kit,  Jessica Law, Cheng Yuen Man,

                                                                  Kenny Wong, Jessica Chow, Eddy Liu

                                      Cameo:  Jamie Luk Kin Ming, Money Lo, Amy Chung Wai Yi, Herman Yau   

 

                                                                 Writer:  Michael Chow, Gumby Law        

                                             Producer:  Eric Kee         Executive Producer:  Eric Kee, Alex Chan      

                                                                                 Director:  G-Man 

                                                                                                         Genre:  Comedy/Action

                                   

                                                      "It's troublesome to chop you into pieces, you're bulky."

 

                                          Michael Chow Man-Kin        Michael Chow Man-Kin as Mr. Mumble

 

                            In 1991 Andy Lau played the comics character Ryu Saeba in the HK classic Savior of the 

                                       Soul. Later on none other than Jackie Chan portrayed Ryu in City Hunter (1993). Now

                                      Michael Chow Man-Kin offers his own take on the character in Mr. Mumble (1996). As 

                                           co-writer and star, the beady-eyed actor has fashioned a nice little vehicle for himself

                                                                           (it is, we are told, “A Michael Chow Film”).

                                                                                   

                             A thin plot houses a truckfull of witty one liners and sight gags. Mr. Mumble, an ace SDU 

                              sniper, is missing from a hostage situation because he is too busy  picking up loose women in 

                                      a bar. Though it turns out to have only been a training exercise, he is still fired. Then he tries 

                                      to woo a pretty babe named Sheron (Paulyn Sun), who happens to be the daughter of triad 

                                        boss Chiu Sai Pak, and unwillingly betrothed to another triad boss- her loudmouth cousin 

                                         Simon Chan (Simon Loui). They pay Mr. Mumble a hefty sum to bring Sheron back for 

                                         marriage. But then Simon is killed by an assassin (Yi Fan Wai). Mr. Mumble becomes 

                                      Sheron’s personal bodyguard, and main squeeze. More trouble arrives when Chiu’s former 

                                       partner (Chow Chi Fai) betrays him, hiring Mumble’s former SDU commander (Eric Kee)

                                                                                    and entire squad to take the three of them out          

 

                                        Francoise Yip & Michael Chow       Jessica Hester Hsuan in Mr. Mumble

                                          Francoise Yip sleepwalks through a small, unnecessary flower vase role, and Jessica 

                                        Hester Hsuan has another guest starring part, nothing remarkable. While Michael Chow

                                      is no Jackie Chan, the film is sometimes reminiscent of Jackie's movies, like the inclusion of   

                                      some outtakes in the closing credits, and is not far from qualifying as family entertainment.

                                       Michael Chow is actually funny. My verdict on Mr. Mumble: not too shabby.

                                               ___________________________________________________ 

 

                            Related viewing:  City Hunter (1993)  Jackie Chan, Chingmy Yau, Richard Norton

                                                                                         Savior of the Soul (1991)  Andy Lau, Anita Mui, Aaron Kwok

 

                                                                                    

 

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