Paper Marriage (1988) User Reviews

Entertaining At Least

[crossbow0106 · 7/10 · 29 March 2009]

This film hovers between a 6 and 7. Sammo Hung plays Bo, a resident of the USA (the film is actually shot in Edmonton, Alberta) who agrees to a paper marriage with Maggie Cheung's Jade, in order to pay off gambling debts and for her to be able to reunite with her fiancée Peter, who was already out of Hong Kong. The film takes a few twisted turns and Bo goes back to boxing to pay off the money and Jade considers and does mud wrestling. Its funny to see every non Asian actor speaking in Chinese dialect (obviously dubbed). The boxing scenes with Sammo are fun, he has remarkable agility. The story itself is a little far fetched, though I'm sure the practice of a fake marriage was done often and is probably still done often. The film is fun to watch, but just a little outlandish. Its pure escapism and it succeeds on that level, so enjoy.

Sammo's answer to Police Story

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 11 May 2019]

PAPER MARRIAGE seems to have been envisaged as Sammo Hung's answer to Jackie's POLICE STORY. It's a story set and shot in Canada, where Hung's immigrant is 'married' to an equally desperate Maggie Cheung. The only thing these two have in common is a great desire for money, and lots of it, so the majority of the running time is made up of the usual bumbling Hong Kong-style comedy in which the pair get into scrapes. Hung gets into the ring and battles veteran villains Phillip Ko and Billy Chow in a couple of violent scrapes inspired by ROCKY, while Cheung indulges in mud wrestling in one memorable moment. Generally this is quirky, likeable stuff, building up to an appropriately exciting climax set in a shopping mall, with plenty of nods to POLICE STORY. There are stunts, crazed fight scenes, Hsiao Ho playing a mime, and Dick Wei doing what he does best, which is absolutely ripping up the screen whenever he's around.

Come Live with me - Hong Kong Style

[yadavanita-18093 · 7/10 · 4 March 2021]

This film may have taken the concept of James Stewart and Hedy Lamarr's Come Live with me(1941) but that is done to masterfully with the touch of Hong Kong Style Slapstick Action and Comedy that does not become a Copy but an Independent Film on its own.

At first you may think that it will be a cheap and routine Hong Kong Comedy of the 80's and 90's, it may be in many senses but still it has good fight sequences and good boxing matches, along with witty humour.

Combined, it is a good package of Entertainment, it may not be best of Hong Kong Comedy Movies by a margin but seeing Maggie Cheung in her early years is always a delight.

beautiful canada!

[secrective · 8/10 · 4 June 2003]

ah, love... or lack of it. Sammo Hung plays a retired boxer/gambler just trying to make a living. a huge debt causes him to seek some fast money, so he decides to help a friend immigrate his lover.

some super funny medical research testing, a good chase in a mall, plus a great underground thai boxing match. even a mud wrestling match featuring the lovely co-star! 8/10