From Beijing with Love

His name is… no, not James Bond but Ling Ling Chat aka Sevin (Stephen Chow), although this disgraced former secret agent perfectly manages to bluff and bumble his way through a particularly tricky case which sees the body count rise while at the same time, slapstick and a hefty dose of humour make this Bond spoof one of the most entertaining Hong Kong action flicks from the early 90s.

We already now what’s in store just by watching the opening sequence, which is a wonderful send-up of the usual Bond opening titles (complete with a very familiar tune…) but wait for the twist! No time is wasted and it’s gung-ho action from the start when a particularly nasty baddie, who somehow resembles Iron Man, steals the skull of a precious dinosaur fossil from the Chinese Government. This he achieves with the help of a golden gun which can do pretty much everything, from shooting trough brick walls and what have you. Humiliated and angry, the government calls on Ling Ling Chai (director Stephen Chow) of all people, a disgraced former secret agent who know earns his living as a humble pork butcher in a tiny backwater – although even there he somehow manages to enjoy the occasional glass of vodka martini (presumably shaken, not stirred). Delighted about the trust his superiors seem to still have in him, Chai (who also goes by the undercover name Sevin) assembles all sorts of weapons and gadgets, though as it turns out, his most trusted weapon is his massive chopping knife!

The fact that he spends hours to groom himself and dresses in a dapper fashion cannot hide the fact that Chai is not the sharpest tool in the box, regardless of how many sharp tools he may carry with him. For example, when he arrives at the posh Regent Hotel, the receptionist politely informs him that Ling made a mistake because his booking is actually for the Regent Motel, a ramshackle abode which houses all sorts of vermin, including human vermin.
His next blunder happens when he mistakes a dog, who holds a red rose in its mouth, for his contact. Of course, the real contact is a rather attractive young woman named Lee Heung Kam (Anita Yuen) and the dog is her companion. Anyone who knows their Bond flicks will be aware (unlike dimwit Chai) that Kam is not really the partner she pretends she is but a ruthless assassin who has been assigned to kill Chai - that’s because Government head honcho Yuen (Wong Kam-Kong), who happens to be Chai’s commander, lies to Kam that Chai is behind the theft of the dinosaur skull. Of course he isn’t – but why would Yuen lie about it?

It goes without saying that Kam’s numerous attempts to make away with Chai backfire (quite literally!) in the most spectacular fashion, thanks to his bumbling and hapless ways. We also know that it can only be a matter of time before Kam begins to fall for him hook, line and sinker – but she is indebted to Yuen and it’s anything but easy for her to switch to the other side. Yes, there are Bond-style girls galore and pretty much every other cliché in the book, including a female assassin who really is deadlier then the male of the species. Expect gags and violence galore in this superbly executed slice of Hong Kong action cinema which also boasts high production values and the perfect on-screen chemistry between its two stars Stephen Chow and Anita Yuen. Only low point are the subtitles which don't always add up... For example, when Chai catapults himself high into the air in one scene, he yells "Giiiibson" numerous times, whereas the subtitles display "Saamsonight". What?

FROM BEIJING WITH LOVE makes its UK Blu-ray debut and the first 2000 copies are presented in a Limited Edition O-card slipcase with Collector’s booklet. Bonus material includes various audio options, audio commentaries, plus new and archival interviews.