The Case of the Cold Fish (1995) Poster

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7/10
A lazy cop and a H.K. inspector team up to find an elusive murderer.
Captain_Couth18 February 2005
The Case of the Cold Fish (1995) stars Michael Chow and Michael Wong. The two actors are a like in many ways. They're both foreign actors who made careers in Hong Kong (Wong's from the U.S. whilst Chow hails from Canada). The two make a very likable duo and turn this movie from what ordinarily be a mundane police drama into an enjoyable action comedy.

A lazy and bored (but content) island police officer (Michael Chow) is finally given a case that's interesting. A series a bizarre murders have scared the locals silly. To make matters worse, a Eurasian Hong Kong inspector (Michael Wong) makes a fool out of himself after partying too hard causing a drunken riot. Inspector Wong wakes up in a holding cell and learns about his late night escapade. Whilst in jail he quickly befriends the island cop and protects him from the angry locals who are not only afraid of the murderer but have a strong dislike for Inspector Wong because he represents the Hong Kong government and they suspect he's their to prevent them from re-uniting with mainland China! When the two officers decide to help each other out (with a little convincing from Danny Lee) can they put their heads together and catch the killer before it strikes again?

A very likable movie featuring two underrated stars. Sad that Michael Wong can't break into Hollywood, but he's found a home in the Hong Kong Cinema. Danny Lee not only produces this gem but he has a cameo appearance as well.

Recommended.
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One of Michael Wong's finest...
exploding_durian_fist18 January 2015
Warning: Spoilers
... even if there is a hint of sarcasm in the use of the word "finest" ;)

This film is absolutely hilarious - the previous reviewer has summed-up the main points, but it's the classic Michael Wong-isms which really make this film so funny - how he can say lines like "gaam yaht you really are a ging chaat" (today you really are a police officer) with a straight face, is beyond me.

His trademark mixing of (bad) Cantonese and (surprisingly not always perfect) English often have me rolling about laughing, but it just works so well here. And you have to give him plus points for taking the constant "sei gwai lo" (damned white man) and "Jerk Sir" insults like a man.

He triumphs in the end, of course, and even manages to endear himself to the Lantau Island cops (even if the islanders don't fully accept his city-boy SDU ways). And the ending is not quite what I would have expected. But this is a bit of a forgotten near-classic, which mixes comedy and crime in a way which is rarely seen these days.

My main criticism would be of the City Connection DVD, which is VCD quality at best (though the subtitles are very clear). But, let's face it, a rubbish film is a rubbish film, even if it has a Blu Ray-quality transfer, so I can live with that.

One of the best Michael Wong films, even if it can't possibly match the masterpiece that is "Beast Cops".
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