WHEN I read somewhere that Ah Long Pte Ltd had broken some box office records, my curiosity was aroused. I have always been a fan of Jack Neo. He has produced some great Singapore movies in recent years.
There was absolutely no reason to believe that he didn't come up with another winner this time. So like a dear old friend, I went to take a peek at Ah Long Pte Ltd. Mark Lee has been one of Jack Neo's stalwarts in his previous movies.
In case you don't know who is Jack Neo, he's that chap who directed this movie and several others like Money Not Enough, I Not Stupid and Just Follow Law.
Jack has got it down pat when it comes to Hokkien nuances and other dialectic Chinese jokes that have the Hokkien community roaring with laughter in the cinema while non-Chinese others are wondering what the heck has just happened at that coffeeshop talk.
I have several issues with this film. First, it was slightly disjointed, at least to my perception. I fully understand you can't have profanity in the movie because it is a big no-no with the censorship board but the references to bad language were not conveyed very well.
In its attempt to plaster certain scenes with innuendoes and other thinly veiled references, the dialogue fell flat and it's because the subject matter, gangsterism, was treated with kid gloves.
Yes, triad matters are not to be taken lightly but to give it the lighter touch, there has to be a degree of finesee that belies what is seen on the screen. Unlike other Jack Neo's films, this one tries too hard.
The casting wasn't quite right in my opinion. Mark Lee as the effeminate husband (Fang) of Wang Li-Hua (Fann Wong) was for once not very convincing in his role.
Fann Wong, one of my favourite Singapore actresses, was a trite too serious as the gangland boss who decides not to apply the rough touch to her line of business.
I thought she would be great if the movie is a bit more serious but this is supposed to be a light/dark comedy so it has to strike a balance.
Fann was good in certain scenes but below average at other junctures.
In fact, Ah Long Pte Ltd reminded me of that Korean movie My Wife Is A Gangster which I thought was absolutely hilarious. That movie has all the right ingredients of a great comedy film, and some spectacular fighting scenes.
The gangland clashes in Ah Long were too contrite and even flippant. Some of the co-stars didn't look menacing enough. Sometimes, casting is of great significance.
Malaysians would be pleased to note that the locations for some of its scenes were identifiable as places they have visited. The Hokkien and Cantonese in the movie were not exploited to their maximum effect.
With this kind of movie which has the propensity to appeal to Chinese communities who understand the connotations of certain dialects, the dialogue has to be subtle and yet effective.
I think on this aspect, Ah Long Pte Ltd has failed to a large extent. However, all is not lost. It is fairly entertaining at certain junctures. However, in the end, it fizzles out.
I think Fann Wong deserves better and Jack Neo is capable of a much better production. Perhaps another more solid sequel?