Chocolate Inspector
Director: Phillip Chan
Year: 1986
Rating: 7.5
Michael Hui plays
his character with such a casual, playful and slightly bemused attitude that
it almost feels as if he has invited the viewer into his home and is putting
on a show for them. His humor has been referred to as “deadpan cool” and
that neatly describes it – sort of a “button down” HK Bob Newhart. Just sit
back, relax and allow Hui to put on some skits for you – some fall a little
flat, most are amusing and a few are classics. The comedy in this film is
a lot like Hui – subtle, underplayed and it feels like it has a twinkle in
its eye. The film starts off slowly, but as the characters take on form the
comedy becomes more cohesive and enjoyable. The charm of the film slowly
creeps up on you and by the end a real affection for the characters has grown.
Though it often feels as if the plot is simply a loosely structured narrative
for Hui to perform some comedic routines, there are actually a few effective
sentimental moments and some dramatic ones as well. Hui is an Inspector in
the police force (the name Inspector Chocolate comes from the character’s
liking of candy), but has been stuck at the same level for a number of years
and he is usually on the outs with his superior – Roy Chiao. His career is
not being furthered much by his bumbling, constantly eating assistant - played
by his brother Ricky Hui.
He realizes that his career has really hit its nadir when Chiao first assigns
him the missing people and cat unsolved cases – and then puts his inexperienced
daughter (Anita Mui) under his command. Anita Mui gives a sweet and loopy
performance as a policewoman usually more concerned with winning the 1986
Miss Hong Kong contest that she has entered than in her police duties. Chiao
has warned Hui that if even so much as a hair on his daughters head is hurt
and her chances for the Miss HK crown are damaged, Hui will be castrated!
Needless to say by the end of the film, Anita looks as if she has been in
a stock car rally (but Hui still seems intact!).
One of Sibelle Hu’s twin sons has gone missing and Hui and crew stumble their
way through the case in their attempts to get to the bottom of it. Sibelle
who usually plays a tough “girls with guns” character is terrific as the
distraught and heart broken mother.
There are a number of small enjoyable moments – Hui combing his hair with
a cactus or smiling his way through a scolding from Chiao so that he doesn’t
lose face from onlookers, but two scenes in particular had me in stitches.
One is when Anita is practicing how she will react when it is announced that
she is the winner and both Hui brothers start giving her advice – and another
scene when Michael is disguised as a female midget who at one point steals
a bottle of milk from a baby. It’s just an easygoing comedy that should have
you feeling pretty good by the end.
