Considering the title O.C.T.B Case - The Floating Body (OCTB being short for Organized Crime & Triad Bureau), you would think someone like Danny Lee would've used it as an excuse for a a gazillion movies long, cheap series, all detailing one case per flick. This never happened as such, at least not in name or on the big screen. This Category III thriller from the director of Liu Jai (Home For The Intimate Ghosts) contains the oddities and pleasures you've come to expect from the genre, and also a minor dramatic element that's not entirely unworthy. Ben Ng plays the violent brother of Wong Wan-Choi's character and despite trying to be the sweet guy, it can't co-exist with the violent streak of his. All leading to the accidental murder of his brother's wife (Lily Chung, in a fully clothed role for a change) and subsequent chainsaw dismemberment of her remains. The latter being a gloriously satisfying sequence for us gorehounds and it seems remarkably enough left untouched by the censors. Director Lam certainly never does showcase a knack for subtlety though, including in this sequence and the bizarre choices that begins to pile up after this. While a standard murder investigation thriller follows (with the cop heading the case being played by Bobby Au, a character with only a select crew of bumbling idiot cops by his side. Now THAT is a change for the genre), Lam never underplays any critical moment, especially evident in his choice to feature a highly aggressive, sweeping score that feels more like library cues.

Ben Ng is a worthwhile element here though, staying true to his rep amongst fan circles as one of the most dangerous actors on two feet and it's a role that draws similarities to his Red To Kill-stint, only with a hint more sympathy directed towards him. Despite ticking off the genre requirements such as setting parts of the movie in flashback, O.C.T.B Case - The Floating Body has sporadic, very memorable elements despite. Yeung Yuk-Mui, Kwan Hoi-San and Teresa Ha co-stars.

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Just when you thought Joseph Lai couldn't find worse gwailo actors, he strikes "gold" with Offical Exterminator 4 - Goddess Mission, inserting Mike Abbott and dudes from Curly Hair Hostel into either a Hong Kong or Taiwan something. The original has immigrants with attitude (including a sexy leading lady) that robs for a living but gets drawn into infiltration missions for the police and that's where villain Mike Abbot (and his mind reading) fit in. Easy to figure out, hard to follow, most of the direction by the pseudonym Joel Law is merely golden when his unnatural white folks enter the frame. With a Ken Logan as our cop lead fighting very little himself (enter Chinese doubles in poor wigs!), a little Re-Animator score theft, a ludicrous/friggin' sweet cat fight (not with cats) courtesy of our original director and a brief appearance by a ninja not making much of an impressive threat, it's certainly middle of the road for IFD but short, sweet and hokey enough to follow through.

KENNETH'S REVIEW: While this immigrant drama doesn't necessarily fall into the "If you've seen one, you've seen them all"-category, Kong Lung's direction of Lillian Lee's (Rouge) screenplay never really coheres. More episodic than structured around a plot, at center are mostly kids of slightly varied social status. Some newly arrived immigrants and some with a secure place, mostly it turns out they have in common a continuing search of the key to life. Even old time immigrants cross their paths, mainly bathroom attendant Lu (Liu Wai-Hung) and also a cop (Roy Chiao) with civil servant duties but also a heart. The running time plods along without a true sense of purpose and character-revelations merely makes the the film sink into heavy melodrama that no one benefits from. The style is suitable street and intentions noble but no weight is ever added, not even from the adult performers. In a truly mind bending scene, humane cop played by Chiao has a young girl attached to a leash like a dog, for almost comedic purposes but it won't sit well with viewers. Director Kong Lung co-starred in Long Arm Of The Law as well as directing The Red Panther.

Ma (Zhang Fengyi - Farewell My Concubine) is let out of prison after completing a manslaughter sentence. Finding out that his wife DuXia (Carrie Ng) has remarried, his meeting with her brother (Paul Chun) carries the message that the son in the family (Siu Jun-Kwan) is not Ma's but that his died young of a heart disease. Refusing to believe that fact, Ma takes DuXia's son on a road trip to reclaim his own worth, face his fears and prove his fatherhood. Some would call that kidnapping too...

Lawrence Lau (Spacked Out, My Name Is Fame) shoots this road movie in China, adding synch sound Mandarin and that gosh darn, criminal cinema-simplicity that makes for gems in this reviewer's mind. Being nicely unpredictable with the drama as Ma is an irrational guy that could really genuinely be out to do harm to an otherwise solid family. He is in his ways abusive but is out to throw out the spoiled kid in favour of one knowing about the rough life he very well could've had. Before things are made clear, we're very glad to be pulled in a few different directions. We don't know things, Lau's direction of writers Liu Heng (Judou, The Story Of Qiuju) and Cheung Tan's (Dragon Inn, The Promise) screenplay doesn't reveal anything but small doses at a time, equaling in-depth character building and One And A Half excels via this choice. Warm humour and usually gentle emotions, the show is undoubtedly Zhang Fengyi and Siu Jun-Kwan's, opposite performers that strike up wonderful chemistry. Played, directed clearly and with subtlety, it looks too easy almost. One of Lawrence Lau's very best films.

In the sequel to Happy Bigamist, Hsin (Anthony Chan) and friend Hua (Kenny Bee) have their women exit their lives, their arms broken and a dual scare that they might turn gay if spending too much time together. When Frances (Cherie Chung) enters both their lives, a love triangle and rivalry starts. Hsin even tries to hide the fact that he even knows Hua, going extreme lengths to remain hidden in the process...

Anthony Chan surprisingly sidesteps the potential pitfalls when briefly dealing with the homosexuality issue and generally provides a workable genre effort here. A little too extreme and lacking in spark at times, it's much thanks to Cherie Chung's interaction with the former Wynners members that One Husband Too Many does spark on a general level. Some smirks, slight sweetness and a short running time later, no viewer will have their lives changed but although an assembly line product of its time, you obviously find more horrible cinematic crimes in the genre during any era. Outside of the male leads, the carryovers from Happy Bigamist, Anita Mui and Pat Ha put in brief appearances. Alfred Cheung and Michael Chan also stops by.

A little bit of Angel, Inspector Wears Skirts and Stakeout is mixed together for Jeff Lau's second film as director. Also known as Thunder Cops, Lau crafts both lame, amusing and even dark results from his action comedy, giving Sandra Ng both a fine comedic showcase but also an early chance to show off dramatic chops (which would be developed later in the 90s to a fine degree). While never truly fast paced and entertaining like the best Jeff Lau movies are, Operation Pink Squad really is a throwaway effort but does its job neat and quick with the fight scene at the playground being the standout moment in terms of action. Lau shows that he can create dark atmospherics effectively but his successful recipe in my mind has always been when dabbling with the supernatural on a comedic level. Thankfully he went on to shoot the sequel to this (Operation Pink Squad 2: The Hunted Tower) and Haunted Cop Shop 2 subsequently then. Billy Lau, Woo Fung, Lowell Lo, Ng Man Tat, Lam Chung, Helena Law, Charlie Cho, Suki Kwan, Ann Bridgewater and Ricky Hui also appear.

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