Publicity
Stills of "My Wife Is A Gangster 3"
(Courtesy from Cathy-Keris Films)
In Korean and Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles
Genre: Action/Comedy Director: Jo Jin-gyu Cast: Shu Qi, Lee Beom-soo, Hyeon Young, Oh
Ji-ho, Jo Hi-bong RunTime: 1 hr 55 mins Released By: Cathay-Keris Films Rating: PG
A-ryong,
a daughter of a triad boss in Hong Kong, is wrongfully accused
of killing the boss of a rival gang and is threatened to leave
the country. She decides to stay in Korea for some time where
her mother might be now. She is guided by Gi-chul, who is
given the mission to protect her but it's not easy for them
to get along. Meanwhile, an assassin is sent to Korea to kill
A-ryong and there seems to be no choice for Gi-chul but to
take her to his hometown disguising her as his wife. What
will happen to this Chinese gangster wife?
Movie Review:
If
you are not familiar with the “My Wife is a Gangster”
series, don’t fret, as this instalment has nothing to
do with the original except it shares the same director. The
original was the 4th highest grossing movie in Korea back
in 2001 and international starlet Ziyi Zhang scored a cameo
in the second.
You
got a feeling there’s another milestone in the making,
this time round in the form of Shu Qi. The HK Star plays A-ryong,
the daughter of a triad head (Ti Lung) who is being framed
of murdering the boss of a rival gang. On the request of her
father, she decides to lie low in Korea. And a small-time
hood, Gi-chul (Lee Beom-soo) is assigned by his boss to be
the host for A-ryong.
Although
it’s touted as an action-comedy, the comedy element
plays a stronger role than the former. There are scenes after
scenes of hilarious dialogue exchanges, toilet humour and
mild sexual references. One recurring joke, which particularly
stand out is the bantering between the freelancer translator
hired to be the communication bridge for A-ryong and the rest
of the cast which includes Gi-chul’s loyal assistants,
Catfish and Snapper. Hyeon Young who plays the translator
steals much of the scenes with her halting Mandarin and deliberate
bad translation knowledge to scare off Gi-Chul and gang.
Shu
Qi for the most part has to put on a pretty aloof and cool
façade, a far cry from her usual “damsel-in-distress”
roles. On the contrary, her Korean counterparts are more instantly
lovable and likeable. Seeing the lot of them hamming it up
is what makes “My Wife is a Gangster 3” an enjoyable
ride!
The
much talked-about action scenes are rather weak on the whole.
Credit still has to be given to Shu Qi for her hard work with
all the sword-fights and wire-works. At times, it seem like
a rehash of her previous work, “So Close” (which
I personally felt that Shu Qi was better in this one) and
a sequence involving a huge explosion in an open-air restaurant
barely last for a second.
The
best way to enjoy “My Wife is a Gangster 3” is
to go in expecting to slurp up some hot “Kimchi”
style humour. Go easy on the action and you might find this
a decent piece of entertainment amid the blockbuster season.
Movie Rating:
(Easily digestible. Easily likeable. The lady boss
rules once again!)
