Naked Ambition

Notice: The new rating for "Ho Ching" in Taiwan is Taiwan:R-18. Please refer to your update in this movie. The man with the tan, popular actor Louis Koo, takes on producing duties with Naked Ambition, an entertaining but problematic look at Hong Kong's sex industry. Based on the true-life exploits of co-writer Frankie Chung Kin-Keung, the film details the rise of two guys (played by Koo and Eason Chan) from lowly editors at a magazine to kings of the local porn industry. Along the way there's laughs, jabs at the porn industry, digs at their consumers, appearances by some comely Hong Kong actresses, occasional no-name skin, and then a final dip into the conflicts and moral issues that might arise from running your own porn empire. That's where Naked Ambition eventually derails. Directors Dante Lam and Chan Hing-Kai (who also co-wrote) let their film degrade from a potential satire into a pandering comedy-drama that touts the strength of brotherhood. Huh?