My Beloved Bodyguard (2016) User Reviews

Sammo Hung coming to terms with old age and dementia.

[chrichtonsworld · 7/10 · 1 July 2016]

Let me start this review with a translated quote used in the film: The old man is like Kung Fu Panda I have no clue if they truly said that originally. Despite, this quote does sum up the abilities of Sammo Hung's character Ding. Ding is a retired Central Security Bureau officer from Beijing who is in the early stages of dementia. He is a man full of regret and remorse but chooses to seclude himself rather than confront the issues that are plaguing him. One big strain on him is the fact that his granddaughter got missing while he was watching over her. But then at one point in time Cherry Li , a little girl from next door sneaks into his apartment to hide there after fighting with her father. Which is the start of an unique friendship.

One thing you will have to understand that this Sammo Hung vehicle isn't the typical martial arts film he used to make. Sammo has gotten old and apparently he wanted to address this. So most of the focus is on Ding being an old man. He receives some backup from old friends to make this statement. People like Yuen Baio, Dean Shek, Yuen Wah, and Tsui Hark to name but a few. These are nothing but glorified cameo's. But since I had not read anything about the film in advance I was pleasantly surprised to see them. For me it wasn't a disappointment like some reviewers have stated. More so because they had been given the impression to come into action as well. Now that would have been something I must admit so I do understand the criticism. Although it did not hurt what they were going for in the film. At it's core this film is about Ding coming to terms with old age, dementia and guilt. The action is just in service of this.

This explains the fact that there is not that much action. And while I also was expecting more I understand that somehow this would not be fitting regarding the theme. Or even would destroy the message that Sammo Hung wants to make clear to the audience. But don't despair the little action that is present is more than satisfying. Especially in the finale where Sammo goes Steven Seagal on the bad guys. Mainly using his arms and where he is using his opponents power against them. It makes sense to me that on old man would be limited in his move set so that was a nice touch.

Andy Lau also is involved in this film as an actor and producer. He plays the low life father of Cherry and basically is the reason why trouble starts in the first place. His role while significant is small and just right as he manages to evoke enough emotions. Another thing you have to understand is that this film doesn't go that deep into issues like dementia or bad parenting. Instead it tries to appeal to your emotions about these issues. And this is something that Sammo Hung does real well.

So for me this film was well worth the watch and while I was expecting a more action packed adventure I got something just as good in return. We all become old one day and then we can't do the things we used to do. You have to be prepared for that.

My Beloved Bodyguard is decent one time watch entertainer with brilliant performances.

[shobanchittuprolu · 7/10 · 6 July 2016]

My Beloved Bodyguard (2016): Apart from martial arts and Kung Fu,China also has good drama and comedy films which are entertaining.My Beloved Bodyguard is action drama film directed and starred Sammo Hung in lead role.

Plot: A retired bodyguard Ding (Sammo Hung) who has settled into a corner of the world where China, Russia and North Korea meet as he suffers from early dementia finds a new friend in a young girl Cherry Li (Jacqueline Chan). When her life is threatened by her father's connection with a local crime lord, .the bodyguard must call upon his long forgotten skills to save her.

Plus Points: 1)Performances: This movie has brilliant performances by both the lead roles which stands out as major highlight of this movie.The relationship between Ding and Cherry is adorable and they both did their parts perfectly.

2)Good Moments: This movie has some good moments which are highly entertaining.We can thoroughly enjoy this movie without getting bored.

3)Music: BGM is very good and really helped this movie a lot.

Minus Points: 1)Plot similarities: This movie has huge resemblance to Korean gangster film The Man From Nowhere, but in a more family-centric, grandfatherly format.

So My Beloved Bodyguard is decent one time watch entertainer with brilliant performances.

My rating 6.5/10

A real mixed bag...

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 7 July 2018]

Sammo Hung's first film as a director in twenty years is THE BODYGUARD, aka MY BELOVED BODYGUARD, a Hong Kong/Chinese co-production that also features Hung in the leading role. It's definitely a mixed bag of a movie, a mixture of only semi-successful character and human drama with some crime genre tropes, cliches, and martial arts scenes. As with many films these days, the trailer is an example of false advertising, making this look like an action-packed movie wheras in reality it's quite slow and sedate, only kicking into gear in the last thirty minutes.

I love Hung as an actor but he gives a thoroughly subdued turn here; I found him more sympathetic (and his acting finer) in HEART OF THE DRAGON. Andy Lau gives an energetic performance in support and I was delighted to see various cameos from old Hung buddies like Yuens Wah and Biao as well as Tsui Hark and Karl Maka; it's just a pity they're all so brief. The film's story is quite predictable and has some slow spots, although the action scenes are fun and seem in part to have been inspired by the likes of WARRIOR KING and THE RAID 2. I could have done without the animated bone-breaking all the time, but generally the choreography works so there's little to complain about. A lot of us were hoping that THE BODYGUARD would be a new classic to rank alongside Hung's old hits, and it's disappointing that it's not. But you could do worse, and superficially it's not too bad.

Not anywhere near Sammo's best, this dull and uninvolving drama indulges in an hour of tiresome setup before an underwhelming action-packed finale

[moviexclusive · 29 March 2016]

For someone who has dedicated more than half his life reinventing the martial arts genre of modern-day Hong Kong cinema, Sammo Hung certainly has not been resting on his laurels. Not only did he recently direct Aaron Kwok and Gong Li in the many extravagant action set-pieces of 'The Monkey King 2', he has also been busy assuming similar duties on Benny Chan's upcoming period action blockbuster 'The Deadly Reclaim'. Compared to these two elaborate big-budget epics, 'The Bodyguard', which sees Sammo assume multi- hyphenate duties as director, action director and lead actor, feels like a walk in the park for the 64-year-old actor/ martial artist.

And it probably is, judging from the friends who have turned up to see Sammo return to the director's chair after a hiatus of close of two decades – including Yuen Wah as the postman of the sleepy town at the border of China and Russia where the movie is set, Yuen Qiu as a social worker, Yuen Biao as the town's police commander and Karl Maka, Tsui Hark and Dean Shek as a bunch of town elders who always have a quick barb to trade with each other. Besides these notable alums from Hong Kong cinema past, contemporaries like Hu Jun, Feng Shaofeng and Eddie Peng have also turned up for the all- stars reunion – though we're leaving out special guest star Andy Lau, since he is after all producer of the movie through his Focus Films company.

Though it is unlikely to expect each one of these guest stars to have a meaningful place in the film, those expecting any of them to have anything more than a glorified cameo will be sorely disappointed. Except for Lau, who plays father to the young girl whom Sammo's titular bodyguard befriends and eventually protects, not a single one of the other actors contributes any more than a 'blink-and-miss' appearance, so there's no point wondering if any will spar with Sammo at all. Oh yes, you would do well to know that these 'guest appearances' are completely extraneous to the story, which tells of a retired Central Security Bureau (CSB) officer named Mr Ding who calls upon his very particular set of skills to protect an innocent life.

As much as that premise lends itself to a martial arts showcase for Sammo, 'The Bodyguard' is anything but. Indeed, those looking for a straight-out action flick will very likely be disappointed, for Sammo approaches the 'Taken-like' high-concept movie in a conspicuously low-key manner, so much so that it ends up being an hour of set-up, exposition and character build-up for a single extended close- quarter showdown that conveniently pits Sammo against two warring gangster factions at the same time and in the same place. To call it an action thriller would in fact be a misnomer, for it is at best a simple character drama with some bits of action thrown in to lure unsuspecting viewers from Sammo's considerable fan-base.

That drama largely consists of Sammo either looking lost due to the early onset of dementia that his character is suffering from or acting shy due to the advances of his landlord Madam Park (Li Qinqin). Crucially, Sammo plays his character so aloof that we cannot quite identify with the grief he has supposedly been carrying in his heart after losing his granddaughter while out with her many years ago, which is also why he is currently estranged from his daughter now in America. In the same way, we can also hardly feel the connection between his character and the young girl he now feels responsible for, or for that matter why he suddenly snaps out of his usual passivity to defend her in the third act.

It's no secret that Sammo is a better fighter than an actor, and the fact that he does plenty of the latter and too little of the former in the first two acts makes the movie a drag. Only in the last half hour does Sammo abandon his dementia-induced stupor for a one- against- many showdown against Choi's henchmen and the Russians, which gives him the chance to engage in the sort of lethal bone- breaking we suspect most would be waiting for. Yet it is hardly breathtaking stuff – especially for those well-acquainted with Sammo's previous movies – and too many close-ups as well as a slower-than-ideal frame-rate for Sammo's lightning-quick moves ultimately make this too-little too-late finale slightly underwhelming.

That expectations are high for 'The Bodyguard' is inevitable; like we said, this is the first time that Sammo is in the director's chair after helming both 'Mr Nice Guy' and 'Once Upon A Time in China and America' back in 1997. Yet even without the weight of such expectations, this languid drama with just one modest fight sequence at the end is unlikely to satisfy action fans or the rare audience member looking for a serious-minded story on redemption. At this age, there is really little that Sammo need do to cement his legacy as legend, but it should also be said that anyone looking for him to revive his past glories on the big screen will go away empty. We adore Sammo just as much as his most ardent fan, but even that love and respect is not enough for us to find anything redeeming about 'The Bodyguard'. Sorry, 'dai gor'.

A Fading Bodyguard

[Vinny37 · 7/10 · 30 January 2021]

Slow moving, with spurts of swift kung fu action. The slowness reflects the early stages of dementia, when Ding understands that his memory is seriously fading: I might have called it The Fading Bodyguard. A neighbour's young girl, Cherry Li, looks to him for the stability she lacks with her separated and bickering parents. Her father, Li Zheng Jiu, steals a bag of gems from a Russian gang, to pay off a gambling debt to a Chinese gang, but realising that both sides then threaten his life, goes into hiding. The Chinese try to kidnap Cherry, ideally to find but at least hurt, her father, causing Ding to mentally recover enough to unleash his old kung fu skills to protect her. He looks upon her rather as a granddaughter. Years earlier he had lost a granddaughter, perhaps kidnapped, for which he never forgave himself-nor did his daughter for losing her daughter. Ding is a weary old man, fading away from memories. His landlady, Miss Park Seon Nun (once ideologically subtexted as 'Ms' Park, but otherwise as 'Miss' Park), wishes to care for Ding by marrying him. But few care for Ding as he drifts into dementia. After stunningly, and rather gorily, defeating the Chinese and Russian gangs, it seems that he has again been unable to protect a young girl in his charge, but there is a heart-warming end for him.

A highly enjoyable movie...

[paul_haakonsen · 7/10 · 11 February 2021]

I was fortunate enough to get the chance to sit down to watch the 2016 movie "My Beloved Bodyguard" (aka "Wo de te gong ye ye") here in 2021, and I must admit that this was definitely an entertaining movie.

Sure, I hadn't even heard about the movie prior to getting to sit down to watch it. But that was hardly an issue, since this was a Hong Kong movie and it had the likes of Sammo Kam-Bo Hung and Andy Lau on the cast list. So needless to say that of course I had to sit down to watch this movie from writer Jun Jiang and director Sammo Kam-Bo Hung.

Well, you got to admit that veteran Hong Kong actor and martial artist Sammo Kam-Bo Hung definitely still got it. He puts on a very memorable and good performance in this movie, and the role he played really fit him well in the movie. And it was also a treat to see Andy Lau in a semi-crooked role here. And the movie have some nice appearances by Hark Tsui, Biao Yuen, Karl Maka and Wah Yuen - so there is something of a treat for us long-time fans of the Hong Kong cinema.

And it should be pointed out that "My Beloved Bodyguard" is a detour from the usual comedy martial arts that Sammo Kam-Bo Hung is known and loved for. This 2016 movie is fairly brutal, as there are lots of bones broken throughout the course of the movie, and it is done in a rather visceral manner too.

The storyline was really enjoyable and the pacing of the movie was high throughout the course of the entire movie. And that made for a very fast-paced and enjoyable movie.

"My Beloved Bodyguard" is a combination of many genres; drama, crime, action and martial arts. And director Sammo Kam-Bo Hung managed to pull it off quite nicely for a wholesome movie.

This is a movie that is well-worth taking the time to sit down to watch, as it is entertaining from beginning to end. My rating of "My Beloved Bodyguard" lands on a seven out of ten stars.

Steven Seagal in China...

[destroyerwod · 4/10 · 5 March 2017]

I watched this movie expecting a rather fun martial art movie. I saw Sammo Hung in many Chinese kung fu movies and although he was always somewhat fat he always delivered decent stuff. Was it always believable? You decide. But this movie ... Well OK let me start by the beginning.

I understand a movie has to set up characters and development. But nothing happen for over 30 minutes. Then we have a very short action scene and nothing happen again for another 30 minutes. There is only one big action piece in the movie and although its better filmed than an usual Steven Seagal action scene, you can clearly see the guy is overweight and can't match with these peoples. Some decent camera work and wire stuff hide the obvious, but the action is plague by a weird looking slowmo effect way too present.

Is the story any good? Well not really... The acting is OK from the little girl i supposed but Sammo is wooden as a 2x4. I guess this movie want to be more of a drama than an action movie but even there i had trouble getting into it. Maybe its cause I'm not Chinese...

Overall i was very disappointed by this. To me it compare to the bad Steven Seagal movies when nothing happen but even worst. Usually with Seagal you have half decent gun fights and Seagal being the smart ass and pulling a few good lines, but here nothing.

I am giving a 4 by compassion for the attempt at a touching story and i am being very generous.

Old man Logan version of Kung Fu Panda

[spicy_bee · 6/10 · 22 November 2018]

How i decided my rating Sammo Hung - 0.8 Andy Lau - 0.5 Jacqueline Chan - 0.7 Qinqin Li - 0.5 Other cast - 0.5 Story - 0.4 Screensplay - 0.6 Action/Martial Arts - 0.7 Comedy - 0.3 Drama - 0.7 Ending - 0.7 Total - 6.4

If Po from Kung Fu Panda grew old with dementia and lived a lonely life then this is what it would be like. Sammo Hung is a master of kung fu trained in an elite security force living the golden years of his life regretting his biggest mistake.

Befriended by a neighbor whose father is a degenrate gambler unable to pay off his debts and a land lady who wishes to take care of him, Sammo Hungs' character lives his life in mediocrity until he is thrust back into a world of violence.

Heart felt scenes and bone cracking violence(Seriously!! a lot of broken bones!!) make this movie a wholesome entertainer. Sammo Hung does a good job; whereas the plot could have been a little more structured. The shaky camera action gets a bit old towards the end but I enjoyed watching Sammo kick some ass.

The movie was slow at times but is definitely worth watching when you relax and have some tea reminiscing the good old days of martial arts.

Oh Sammo what have become you ?

[Eddie_weinbauer · 3/10 · 4 August 2016]

Sammo Hung has gotten old.And agreed to do this slow cooking movie.(For reasons way beyond me)Some people has pointed out,that maybe it's more philosophical.That it's about Sammo coming to terms with his old age at 61, and wanting to show that he still got it. Which he do and don't in many ways.You can clearly see that the fights isn't the same anymore.Though I have no doubt he fakes heavy breathing (at times) The people he fight screams out of his league.

Most of this movie focuses on Sammo as Ding,and old retired palace guard, walking around being old and forgetful,in a suburban neighborhood. Believe me it's as boring as it sounds. There a old female sphincter neighbor, who has taken the liking to him.But he is either not interested or don't understand her advance.Hard to make out which.A little bit of both I think. Than there's a girl next door who have a dad with a gambling debt,who enters into his life,who he seem to feel is both a nuisance and pleasure. And he somewhat feels protective of her,over her abusive dad.

The fight scenes with x-ray cut in, like in Romeo must die, are great and neatly choreographed.But you can't help seeing that Sammo is to old, for the people he suppose to beat up so easily. Jackie Chan often hides his disadvantages behind acrobatics,and by using his surroundings against his opponents.A chair here, a table there. But Sammo goes toe to toe ,with the bad guys in the movie,and you clearly get the impression they holding back big time.

The biggest problem is the slow pace and Sammo's moping blank expression. The story isn't all that interesting either.I give it a 3 I still think sammo has a lot of talent left in him. But he should put it to better use

Samo Hung despite acting his age is still alive and kicking

[jordondave-28085 · 7/10 · 18 April 2023]

(2016) My Beloved Bodyguard (In Chinese with English subtitles) DRAMA ACTION

"The Bodyguard" as the movie is referring to is Sammo Hung Kam Bo, as he plays a retired Central Security Bureau, as he bonds with a young girl often neglected by her father, Li Zheng Jiu played by Andy Lau. He becomes her bodyguard as her father gets himself involved in both Chinese and Russian gangsters, regarding a debt and a stolen bag of jewels and money. Upon watching it on rental was able to cut through some of the sappy parts as opposed to watching it on theater. Tsui Hark director of "Time and Tide", Dean Shek of "A Better Tomorrow II" to Karl Maka of "Aces Go Places" series make small cameos.

It's nice to see some of known Hong Kong favorites still finding work, and although those were small parts, it is still nice to see them alive and still acting. As the Hong Kong industry is not what it used to be.

Decent heart moving film.

[PakistanFilmUpdates · 5/10 · 24 September 2018]

It was good highlighting elderly suffering from member lost. The fight scenes were very slow but the close quarter combat of the technique and the detail very, very well done. The fight scenes makes Steven Seagal's 2016 films look like a beginner.

Very enjoyable!

[npvarley · 8/10 · 1 September 2016]

I am really at a loss as to why this movie gets such bad critical reviews. I found it to be a very enjoyable movie.

Sammo Hung is a long-time mainstay of Hong Kong cinema and it is good to see him directing again after two decades.

The leads in the movie all do an excellent job. The relationship between Sammo Hung's old man, suffering dementia, and Jacqueline Chan's mischievous young girl is beautifully played. Andy Lau manages to make his character almost likable, even though he is a wife-beating ogre.

The supporting cast are also very good. The three old guys who make fun of Sammo's character are hilarious. Tsui Hark makes a welcome cameo as one of the three old guys.

The action scenes are very well filmed, with Sammo in typically good form, despite his advancing age.

All in all, I can thoroughly recommend this movie to all fans of the genre. You'll have an enjoyable 98 minutes of viewing!

Disappointing

[Wizard-8 · 3/10 · 8 April 2018]

Years ago, I remember seeing some of Sammo Kam-Bo Hung's movies he made in the 1980s and enjoying them. So when this recent effort of his popped up on Netflix, I decided to give it a look. Sadly, this movie for the most part is a letdown. First, if you are expecting Hung to show off the kung fu wizardry he showed in the past, you will be very disappointed. He only has TWO scenes in the movie where he shows off his martial art skills. Even worse is that in these two scenes, his fight scenes have the trademarks of many bad martial art movies, that being the camera is zoomed extremely close to the actors, and the editing is extremely quick. I realize that Hung is in his 60s now, but I am convinced he still could have been better showcased.

But that is not the only problem with this movie. Past IMDb user complaints about the movie being slow and dull are unfortunately correct. There's very little action in the movie (with or without Hung), and there is barely a plot. The movie more often than not seems to be spinning its wheels.

I will admit that Hung gives a pretty good and sympathetic performance, and the movie on a technical level is first rate, looking very slick and expensive. But the movie is all the same unsatisfying. Stick with Hung's 1980s movies instead.

A shameless copycat patched-up work like a messy Chop-Suey dish

[MovieIQTest · 27 April 2016]

This film has shameless copied, borrowed, stole many other foreign films from Korea, The Man from Nowhere (2010), from Belgium, The Memory of A Killer (2003), and Nicholas Cage's 2014 film, Dying of The Light, as well as a rumor in November, 2014 that Al Pacino and Brian De Palma, director of Scarface (1983) would adapt "The Memory of A Killer" into an American version. This Chinese copycatting film is as close as the Nicholas Cage's role in "Dying of The Light", about a CIA agent with dementia, his body functions were staying mostly fine but his brain got Alzheimer's disease. Then heavily borrowed the story from The Man from Nowhere.

Sammo Hung played the guy who was once the palace guard of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing, he got such disease and deteriorated rapidly after his retirement. The storyline only added some awkward, unrealistic and highly unlikely romance, and the appendix-like sub-plot of Andy Lau's character, father to a young girl, a hopeless compulsory gambler.

The close combat fighting scenes are also heavily borrowed and copied from most of Steven Seagal's action movies, by breaking knuckles, elbows, knees, ankles, neck of all of his opponents, fighting daggers, long or short knives with bare hands and did the most severe body damages to those who unknowingly fighting an unimaginable fighting machine. But the thing is that Sammo Hung is too fat, too old and too bloated to the extreme, making the fighting scenes just looked more like choreographically awkward rehearsals.

The story, the scenario and the plot were just too contrived and stereotyped in rigid Chinese way. It's neither like "The Man from Nowhere" that connected us to the young girl and the mysterious killing machine guy, nor gave us any empathy connection of how sad the guy in "The Memory of A Killer", trying to not being useless and helpless. The Bodyguard only gave me some awkward and impatient numb feelings, completely disconnected. The awkward senior romance in this film only made me feel pathetic and nauseating.

Hiring those once famous Kung-Fu has-beens as supporting roles were also totally unnecessary, only made the whole film more loose and flat.

This is a pathetic patch-up work with a very poor script.

No idea what this movie wanted to be

[siderite · 5/10 · 10 September 2018]

A retired bodyguard with onset dementia protects the neighbor's daughter from Chinese and Russian mobsters. He is old, fat and can kick behinds as long as they don't move away from him, then he can't get to them because he has bad knees. The entire premise was funny, but this was not a comedy. Instead, it was a kind of tragic drama action movie. Or at least it wanted to be.

There were good parts in it, like fragments of possibly good movies, but they were they were put together was disastrous.

WEAR A BULLETPROOF VEST INSTEAD...!

[masonfisk · 4/10 · 5 July 2018]

Sammo Hung stars in The Bodyguard not to be confused w/Kevin Costner's film of '92 or even the great My Bodyguard w/Chris Makepiece & Adam Baldwin. This plays loosely like a film named Memories of a Killer where a hitman struggles w/his craft as he slowly becomes swallowed by the onslaught of dementia. In this case, Hung is a former military man who still has the action bonafides but even something like finding the keys to his home becomes a debilitating chore. Again we have an uneasy mix of violent kung fu w/extreme sentimentality which are in constant odds w/each other but feelings trump action here & not for the better leaving this heartfelt exercise feeling very futile.

Disappointing

[liquiddenti · 3/10 · 27 July 2019]

First of all I gotta say I'm a big Sammo Hung fan. I've watched his movies and his TV series Martial Law. This film plods along at a slow pace with an okay script and too be fair some really nice cinematography. Now want really gets my goat is the fight scenes and the way they have been filmed. Everytime there's Sammo kicking the film becomes this blurry shaky cam nonsense! My god its frustrating to watch. I've no idea why they filmed the fight scenes this way. I don't think it's to try and disguise Sammo getting on a bit ( considering he had a heart attack during IP man 2 and went back to work 2 days later) or whether it's to try and add some dynamic effect. I wanted to watch this to see Sammo in action but what I watched was some blurry fight scenes. I'm gutted.

Sammo's still got it

[darrenmurray84 · 8/10 · 3 May 2016]

My Beloved Bodyguard is the first film Sammo Hung has directed in almost 20 years. Although not one of Hung's classics, this is still streets ahead of what the critical reviews have said.

Originally My Beloved Bodyguard was to star both Hung and Jackie Chan, in the Andy Lau role. The film has obviously went through some rewrites since then, as I can't see Chan playing the type of role that Lau plays here.

The plot of the film steals somewhat from movies like " Man on Fire" and the "Man from Nowhere", with Hung as a retired Civil Servant protecting a young girl. In this case it is local triads, who Lau, the child's father, owes money too.

Some reviews have complained about the lack of action in the movie. Must having been watching something else, as there are a number of good action/fight scenes in the movie. There's an excellent chase sequence with Lau and a number of gangsters, that is only let down by being a bit short, then a fight between Sammo and some thugs who come to his house. Then there is the extended finale, with Hung taking on a group of gangsters. Unlike the comedic fights Hung used to take part in, this is just brutal, with multiple limbs being broken.

The film has been harmed somewhat by its advertising campaign which shows the actors, some of which are legends like Yuen Biao & Yuen Wah, that appear in the movie in action poses. Unfortunately most of the actors on the posters only appear in the film in limited cameos, which is a shame. This isn't a fault of the film, as i'm sure Sammo had nothing to do with the advertising.

On the performance side, Sammo is his usual self. His fans won't be disappointed. Lau is also good, in the only other lead role of the film. Only Lau could turn a somewhat waste of space, into a likable character. Lau also acts as the films producer.

On the directing side, Sammo shows his skill behind the camera, and although his action scenes are more edited that in the past, his choreography still shines through. Only drawback is his overuse of a blurry slow-mo effect which can be somewhat distracting.

If you are a fan of Hong Kong cinema and/or Sammo Hung, I would definitely recommend "My Beloved Bodyguard".

Gem of a film

[phillipjbrown · 8/10 · 2 October 2020]

Vastly underrated, this is a gem. Sammo Hung in great form both as an actor (playing dementia so well) and in the brutal fight scenes. Great supporting actors, especially Andy Lau and the child. Loved the scenes of Chinese life (slightly idealised of course) and the gangsters. Nothing I didn't like really and kept my attention. The understated romance sub plot was sweet and T Hark ina bit part was just funny. Well worth watching .

Unfor...gettable

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 21 June 2021]

Actually quite the forgettable character here. But it's an illness he has - which does not make him a good witness. To anything - much less a crime he saw. Having said all that, since it is Sammo Hung you can bet there is a lot of fighting going on - emphasized with some CGI (the impact of the things Hungs character is doing).

And while there are some fights throughout, the ending felt or reminded me a little bit of the movie Unforgiven ... the old man who has to deal with a lot of bad guys. Hung having dementia ... he does not use the tools we've seen in something like Memento - just in case you though that. Add to that a side story with Andy Lau ... also quite action packed when he has the chance and certainly one of the best stunt set pieces set in a staircase ... and you have quite the entertaining movie, that also is giving you a story to have fun with (though fun may be the wrong choice of word ... since it's more a drama)

Former military man becomes heroic family man

[Horror_Flick_Fanatic · 8/10 · 18 July 2021]

It's a very likable film. I was searching for "The Hitman's Bodyguard" (2017) with Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, and Salma Hayek but I ended up with this film and I kept it rolling because I found the characters Ding (aka Kung Fu Panda) and the little girl so likable and the story sweet. I was surprised in this age of films demonizing all men to find this kind of film. To see an older man as a hero protecting this young girl. The film is beautifully film as well.

Anyway, I really enjoyed it. I just wished it was better known here in the West. Unfortunately I had a difficult time finding its English title and IMDb page. I had to use utilize Google for help.

I liked the disguised humor, discreet, good...

[RosanaBotafogo · 8/10 · 25 February 2021]

I liked the disguised humor, discreet, almost nonexistent, delicious soundtrack too ... Very cute and captivating the Vigilante, who is also the director, the little girl steals the scenes, a good production, dramatic, fun, well produced ... third and last act rest for the martial arts, as it could be, beautiful scenes, almost a magically choreographed ballet, but I don't feel like it that much ... That final little, to the sound of "The Marmalade", exciting ...

Wonderful film

[mgmason-28337 · 8/10 · 27 March 2021]

Sad storyline with dementia and loss. But great acting. Loved it👍