Review of King Of Beggars

Introduction

When it comes to Hong Kong cinema today, Stephen Chow is the name on most lips. With his brand of `nonsense comedy`, he has revitalised an industry that seemed to be in decline, and with hits like Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle, energised and entertained audiences worldwide. In a business where everyone is looking for the next big thing, I have heard him described as the next Jackie Chan. Seeing as the original Jackie Chan is still making movies that may be a bit premature, but it still makes me want to set aside some time to find out just what makes a Stephen Chow movie. As is usually the way, I hadn`t seen either of the blockbusters before King Of Beggars popped in my in-tray for review, so this is my first encounter with the work of Stephen Chow.

Chan So has been born into a privileged life. Son of a wealthy and influential father, he wants for nothing, is waited on hand and foot, and admired by all and sundry in his town. It doesn`t matter that no one in his family ever bothered to learn how to read or write, especially when they have too much money to count. His problems begin when he pays a visit to the town`s brothel, where he is smitten with a prostitute named Yu-Shang. Yu-Shang is there with ulterior motives though, she is actually with the Beggars` Association, left without a leader since the previous King of Beggars was assassinated, and she is actually trying to get revenge on the man who did it. The villainous Chiu is also there, but Chan So intervenes by trying to barter for the affections of Yu-Shang, ruining her plans. But Chan So is intent on marrying Yu-Shang, and she accepts on condition that he becomes a kung-fu scholar. It`s off to the Imperial City to enter the Kung Fu Scholar Tournament. Chan So excels, and despite Chiu`s meddling wins the tournament. However, when someone brings to the Emperor`s attention that the illiterate Chan So had to have cheated on the written exam, both Chan So and his father are punished by having their property confiscated, and sentenced to spending the rest of their lives as beggars. It`s hard for them to survive at first, unaware of the tricks of the street, but Yu-Shang recognises them and takes them into the Beggars` Association. The sorcerer Chiu is still up to no good, and his sights are now set on the imperial mantle itself. All that stands between him and the throne are some lowly beggars.

Video

A 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer for King Of Beggars is given the usual HKL treatment. The print is clean and absent of most print damage, and the image comes across quite clearly on this disc. That said, it comes from that period of Hong Kong Cinema where the film stock was usually quite grainy, reflected here, and there is an overall softness to the image.

Audio

You get the choice between DD 5.1 Cantonese and English, as well as DD 2.0 mono Cantonese. Subtitles are provided with translated English and Dutch tracks. I listened to the Cantonese track and found it to be pretty front-focused for the most part, with some ambience to the proceedings. I sampled the English dub and found it to be one to avoid at all costs.

Features

Somehow this disc feels naked, and it took me but a second to realise why… No Bey Logan audio commentary! That`s like rhubarb without custard, Laurel without Hardy. It just seems so wrong. What`s worse is that from what I can gather from the Internet (so it must be true), Bey Logan and Hong Kong Legends have parted company. So no more Bey Logan commentaries, ever.

Instead, we get the usual HKL collection of featurettes and trailers, all presented with a nice animated menu. As usual there are trailers and information for eight other HKL releases, and the UK and Theatrical trailers for King Of Beggars are presented in a Promotional Gallery.

Rags to Riches: An Interview With Director Gordon Chan does just what it says on the tin. Lasting 20 minutes, he talks about updating the character for contemporary audiences, the making of the film and more.

Beggars Banquet: Interactive Stephen Chow Biography presents a few pages of text detailing Stephen Chow`s career. Navigating around the text, you can play more from the Gordon Chan Interview as well as a tenuously linked trailer for Magnificent Butcher.

I really miss that Bey Logan commentary.

Conclusion

King Of Beggars didn`t quite hit the mark for me, although my expectations were high given what I have heard of Stephen Chow. The film comes across as disjointed and unsure of itself as if it is looking for an identity, but there are some moments of comic genius. The story itself is a familiar one, of the sort related in many Hong Kong movies. A precocious and cocky individual is brought low by his pride, and then undergoes a rebirth to gain maturity and new skill to prevail. There`s inevitably a gorgeous girl to fall in love with, as well as a scheming villain who`s instrumental in the hero`s initial defeat, and who must be bested before the end credits roll.

The film seems uncertain in its tone. That it is a kung fu comedy is apparent, but it veers from the romantic to the absurd, trying to win our sympathies for the protagonists` plight one instant, while presenting us with moments of sheer silliness the next. Interspersed in all this, are some dark moments when the villain is on screen, including a gruesome human sacrifice that seemed very out of place. It`s when the film veers to the absurd that it grabs the attention, with moments of humour that reminded me of the Zucker movies such as Airplane. Inevitably it would be Stephen Chow`s character that would be at the heart of these moments, and it becomes apparent why he is so well regarded when it comes to kung fu comedy.

In an industry where there is a plethora of kung fu styles, King of Beggars introduces two more, Dog Beating Stick kung fu and Sleeping Lohan kung fu (no Lindsay). The action is hilarious and frenetic, but unfortunately the same can`t be said for the film. King Of Beggars has a mundane story, and an uneven feel to it. It proceeds in fits and starts and feels much longer than the scant 95 minutes it is. I felt like I was waiting for the next laugh to come along, and while it was invariably laugh out loud funny, it was followed by a lull in the proceedings, while the film had another identity crisis. It`s one to try before you buy.