Rating: 
Summary: Where is this going...
Review: ...you may ask yourself at the start of movie. A dinosaur skull is the object of many people's desires, but why it is so covented.. well, that's never explained. A man in impenetrable armor protects the skull from interloping secret agents (he's bad. We know he's bad because of the way he laughs - maniacally). Who does the Chinese government call in to help? A secret agent who is actually a butcher. Again, it's unclear if he's retired, under deep cover or being a butcher is just something he likes to do.Welcome to the world of Stephen Chow. Stephen Chow is well known in Hong Kong cinema fans as being the Lord of Satire - targets being Wuxia films, Iron Chef and here, 007 movies. I forget the term, but Stephen Chow's movies fall into a categorey of film loosely translated as "makes no sense." "From Beijing with Love" you know is going to be a rough ride when the silhouette girls attack Our Hero during the opening credits and he is forced to shoot them. The first time I watched "From Beijing with Love" (what do people outside of Austin, TX do to see good HK movies? We have a monthly showing at a local drafthouse! Poor souls who don't live here.), I counted no less than seven times when I almost lost control of my bladder from laughing. The plot is muddled, incomprehensible and too fun to accurately describe here without depriving the new viewer of some truly outrageous and funny moments. I will say just one more thing: "Magic Box!!!" Watch this movie. You will understand. It's boffo.
Rating:
Summary: Where is this going...
Review: ...you may ask yourself at the start of movie. A dinosaur skull is the object of many people's desires, but why it is so covented.. well, that's never explained. A man in impenetrable armor protects the skull from interloping secret agents (he's bad. We know he's bad because of the way he laughs - maniacally). Who does the Chinese government call in to help? A secret agent who is actually a butcher. Again, it's unclear if he's retired, under deep cover or being a butcher is just something he likes to do. Welcome to the world of Stephen Chow. Stephen Chow is well known in Hong Kong cinema fans as being the Lord of Satire - targets being Wuxia films, Iron Chef and here, 007 movies. I forget the term, but Stephen Chow's movies fall into a categorey of film loosely translated as "makes no sense." "From Beijing with Love" you know is going to be a rough ride when the silhouette girls attack Our Hero during the opening credits and he is forced to shoot them. The first time I watched "From Beijing with Love" (what do people outside of Austin, TX do to see good HK movies? We have a monthly showing at a local drafthouse! Poor souls who don't live here.), I counted no less than seven times when I almost lost control of my bladder from laughing. The plot is muddled, incomprehensible and too fun to accurately describe here without depriving the new viewer of some truly outrageous and funny moments. I will say just one more thing: "Magic Box!!!" Watch this movie. You will understand. It's boffo.
Rating: 
Summary: ...
Review: From Beijing with Love is actually one of the best spy picture parodies I've seen. While it's not as great as Casino Royale, the first Austin Powers, or Our Man Flint, it offers a wealth of gags along the line of typical Leslie Nielsen movies. Actually, I prefer this to Naked Gun and Spy Hard... while the enthusiasm is apparent, the jokes seem to come naturally and not devoid of intelligence... less sledgehammer, more watergun... From Beijing with Love also seems a bit more fresh, recontextualizing and toning down the stale routine in the Nielsen movies and Austin Powers sequels. I'd never venture that this is something everybody should see, or that it should be viewed over any number of other films, but for people who are looking for some light silly entertainment and have already exhasted the supply of it at the local video store, From Beijing with Love offers just that... I don't regret watching it, had a few laughs, but I probably should have rewatched Withnail and I or Dr. Strangelove instead.
Rating:
Summary: ...
Review: From Beijing with Love is actually one of the best spy picture parodies I've seen. While it's not as great as Casino Royale, the first Austin Powers, or Our Man Flint, it offers a wealth of gags along the line of typical Leslie Nielsen movies. Actually, I prefer this to Naked Gun and Spy Hard... while the enthusiasm is apparent, the jokes seem to come naturally and not devoid of intelligence... less sledgehammer, more watergun... From Beijing with Love also seems a bit more fresh, recontextualizing and toning down the stale routine in the Nielsen movies and Austin Powers sequels. I'd never venture that this is something everybody should see, or that it should be viewed over any number of other films, but for people who are looking for some light silly entertainment and have already exhasted the supply of it at the local video store, From Beijing with Love offers just that... I don't regret watching it, had a few laughs, but I probably should have rewatched Withnail and I or Dr. Strangelove instead.
Rating: 
Summary: Hong Kong/Stephen Chiau James Bond Parody - Classic
Review: Hong Kong comedies don't always translate well to a Western audience. This Stephen Chiau classic does not have this problem. When I recommend a comedy to Western HK action film fans, this is where I start. Chiau plays a lowly fish merchant who is recalled to duty as a James Bond-like secret agent. He even sips a martini as he stands behind his sidewalk butcher stand. Chiau's character isn't supposed to get to the bottom of the things, but as stupid and awkward as his character is, he's also dazzling with a blade and has smarts enough to succeed. "Spunky" Anita Yuen is partnered with him. There's also a Q-like character who is crazy. He creates a solar-powered flashlight. There's a fantastic execution scene toward the end. And there's much, much more in this excellent comedy. Highly recommended (especially to fans of James Bond films).
Rating:
Summary: Hong Kong/Stephen Chiau James Bond Parody - Classic
Review: Hong Kong comedies don't always translate well to a Western audience. This Stephen Chiau classic does not have this problem. When I recommend a comedy to Western HK action film fans, this is where I start. Chiau plays a lowly fish merchant who is recalled to duty as a James Bond-like secret agent. He even sips a martini as he stands behind his sidewalk butcher stand. Chiau's character isn't supposed to get to the bottom of the things, but as stupid and awkward as his character is, he's also dazzling with a blade and has smarts enough to succeed. "Spunky" Anita Yuen is partnered with him. There's also a Q-like character who is crazy. He creates a solar-powered flashlight. There's a fantastic execution scene toward the end. And there's much, much more in this excellent comedy. Highly recommended (especially to fans of James Bond films).
Rating:
Summary: One of Chow Sing Chi's best.
Review: It's a well known fact that Chow Sing-Chi's brand of canto-comedy doesn't always translate to the western audience. However, In this film he parodies one of the great icons of western cinema, James Bond. Unlike the Austin Powers films, From Beijing with Love puts the parody into a proper narrative frame. This also gives way to some highly entertaining action. Chow Sing-Chi is superb in his role as the humble butcher with the incredible meat cleaver and Anita Yuen makes a charming leading lady. Definitely one of his best.
Rating:
Summary: A funny movie!
Review: Let's face it, it's a James Bond parody a la Naked Gun! It's not necessarily my cup of tea, but I spent a great time watching it. This is the kind of movie that is not too complicated and that is fun to watch with friends. The main character is a butcher who is in reality a secret agent who is sent on a deadly mission after having been forgotten by his own employer for years (yes...years!!!). He is teamed-up with a beautiful secret agent who actually works in secret for the enemy (who is in fact his employer!). Like Leslie Nielsen in Naked Gun, he's not the brightest guy in the world and maybe the most naive. But he has an edge: his throwing knife... Wait 'till you see the first time he use it to understand... You can expect lots of funny situations and reboundings in this movie, but don't expect an intelligent comedy that will be remembered in ten years from now.
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious spoof of James Bond
Review: My son and I saw this film at an anime festival, and it was an entertaining break from the animation. Some very funny scenes in this spoof of Bond flicks, with a humble butcher turned secret agent-hero.
Rating:
Summary: My name is Chow, Stephen Chow
Review: Stephen Chow may not be the best actor around but he does deserve a place in the history of comedy with his non-sense style of hong kong slapstick. This one is a parody of James Bond and a good one too. Though the budget is low compared to James Bond and Hollywood style the jokes are adequate enough to sustain your interest throughout the film, that is, if you have an open mind to all tastes and styles of film different from Hollywood and the art house. In a sense that all the jokes are still very cheap in this movie but as they are making such a deep irony on the James Bond genre - the romantic western secret agent with lots of women around, with good taste and dry martini- it will make the whole James Bood heritage goes bankruptcy. I always find James Bond movies cheap movie in the disguise of high budget, high fashion and false western values. A deep parody of it such as this good will serve our intellgience well. But a parody from Chow, yes Chow, Stephen Chow, the common demoninator of cheap jokes and vulgar languague in Hong Kong movie, would perhaps make the best and final mockery of them all. It may even serves human race well if luckily it makes Hollywood starts not making James Boond film anymore and make something more intelligent than 007. As this Chinese secret agent from the reserved list of Chinese intelligence force, is a man with no fashion, surrounded by cheap women and with very low taste - he is in fact a butcher from the cheap street meat market in China. He makes it as the Chinese James Bood only because the spy head thinks he is the worst not the best to make sure he would not spoil his award - a priceless dinosaur skeleton. But though he is cheap, he drinks martini too. Instead of using a James Bond pistol, he uses a butcher's chopper, and he uses it well. It proves a deadlier weapon, more effective and with more blood. And his name again. Yes, do remember it: his name is Chow, Stephen Chow - the nonsense king of comedy from Hong Kong.
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