Mo deng bao biao (1981)

Chou Sai-Cheong. a bitter supervisor of a Hong Kong private security company, teaches unusual guard tactics to new recruits such as electric mats, parachuting off burning buildings and ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Hui

Writers:

Michael Hui, Samuel Hui (screenplay)

Stars:

Michael Hui, Samuel Hui, Ricky Hui

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Hui	...	Chou Sai-Cheong
Samuel Hui	...	Sam
Ricky Hui	...	Bruce Tang
Stanley Sui-Fan Fung	...	Fan (as Shui-Fan Fung)
Marilyn Wong Cho-See	...	Chen
Sing Chen	...	Gang Leader
Joe Junior	...	Man sabotaging race
Ray Cordeiro	...	Man sabotaging race
Sai Cheong Hui	...	Fan's Father, Security Company Chief
Hoi Sang Lee	...	Bald Gang Member
Tau Wan Yue	...	Crossed-eyed Gang Member
Kam Bo Wong	...	Bald Gang Member with Mustache
Chun-Ying Cheung	...	Curly Gang Member (as Jun-ying Cheung)
Hark-Sun Lau	...	Taipan Law
Man Huang	...	Mrs. Law

Storyline

Chou Sai-Cheong. a bitter supervisor of a Hong Kong private security company, teaches unusual guard tactics to new recruits such as electric mats, parachuting off burning buildings and counter-attacking gunfire. He was secretly observed by his new boss (Stanley Fung) and, unimpressed by his work, the new boss demotes Chou and promotes Chou's assistant Sam (Sam Hui). Under the leadership of Sam, Chou and new recruit Bruce Tang (Ricky Hui) encounter a slew of misadventures, including pursuing stowaways on a party boat. Bruce ultimately falls in love with one of the stowaways. Finally, they all get entangled in a plot to steal one of China's most prized treasures on display in Hong Kong, and in a plot involving some missing government money that the security officers were guarding.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese

Release Date:

17 December 1981 (South Korea)

Also Known As:

La Patrulla Chiflada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Golden Harvest Company, Hui's Film Production Co.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

The horse-racing scene at the end has film around the wrong way: when the number 7 horse is shot, one notices its number is reversed.

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Connections

Spoofs Superman (1978)

User Reviews

One of the finest

Perhaps the pinnacle of comedy writing and acting in colonial Hong Kong. Michael Hui's genius is best demonstrated in Security Unlimited, which he penned. The Chinese humour is uniquely evident: some of it is slapstick, but a great deal rests on puns and jokes which require a little more thought.

He co-stars in this film along with Sam (who also composes the theme) and Ricky Hui, his two younger brothers, all playing security guards. Michael is the senior officer to Sam, training a bunch of new recruits, one of whom (Ricky Hui) is colourblind, under the regulation height, and has only got into the force by flattery.

The timing of all the gags is impeccable and in this respect, foreign viewers will liken it to British comedy, à la Peter Sellers or even Dick Emery. However, the film and its jokes are uniquely Hong Kong Chinese.

There is no overall plot to the story: it centres around individual assignments at a fictional company, Wong's Security. The first part of the film looks at the training of the officers, and shares some oddball comedy with the later Hollywood flick Police Academy. Fortunately for Hui's reputation, this film pulls off the humour more naturally, easily resulting in more laughs.

It's little surprise to find that Michael Hui won the best actor award at that year's Hong Kong Film Awards as a result of his performance in Security Unlimited. If you get to see this in its original Cantonese and understand the language, then this is the only way to enjoy it: dubbed versions will doubtlessly leave audiences puzzled about the above comments.