Reviewed by: Chungking_Cash Date: 05/31/2009 When "My Lucky Stars" proved the New Year's most profitable action-comedy in February-March of 1985, decidedly there wasn't enough time to properly lay ground work for a sequel. As such "Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars" (released six months in the wake of its predecessor) lacks focus like a kid in a candy store. Ironically, the film's title characters -- a regrouped ensemble of randy buffoons from the first installment -- aren't necessarily the main attraction and regularly step aside to make room for a healthy dose of cameos tediously weaved into the storyline. While the film's lack of concentration plays like a tribute to the Depression era comedians the actors are illuminating on screen most of the film's humor is lost to the nine tones of the Cantonese dialect. Still, the film's opening gag is a gem on par with Sammo Hung's best bits as a director of occasionally offensive comedies and his on screen finale which pits him against Australian martial artist Richard Norton is far and away the film's high mark. Reviewer Score: 5

Reviewed by: cal42 Date: 05/04/2006 The third and final Lucky Stars film to feature (but not star) Jackie Chan. From then on, the Lucky Stars took a bit of a downward turn in terms of box-office returns. Sammo takes on more of the action in this one. Yuen Biao and Andy Lau also beef up the action content. Although the switch from singer to actor doesn’t seem to hinder Hong Kong stars as much as their western counterparts (Twins notwithstanding), it has to be said that Andy Lau never truly convinces in the same way as, say, Leslie Cheung, Faye Wong, Anita Mui etc. Although Richard Norton makes a great adversary for Sammo, it’s still all much of the same as far as the Lucky Stars mob goes. You have more of the same “horny guys together with a beautiful lady” type of shtick, and again, while not wishing to condone this type of behaviour, it does seem that it’s the men that are portrayed as the true idiots of the piece. Anyway, this time it’s the turn of Rosamund Kwan to be duped into lying in a bathtub of water with a straw in her mouth to evade a non-existent fire. She lies there in just silk pyjamas, the water making the thin material transparent as she lies there with her eyes closed, the men ogling her soft warm body and dreaming of touching the milky-smooth mounds of her firm, small…erm, where was I? Oh yes, the depiction of men in this film is totally unrealistic. There’s probably a plot in there somewhere, but for the life of me I can’t remember what it was. Interestingly, there’s a spoof news-reel intro to this film that goes on about war and other major events in the 20th century, ending by saying that this has nothing to do with the film, which is kind of a nice touch really – it’s like they’re saying that the whole thing is just a bit of fun and not to be taken too seriously. All in all, a bit of fun with the odd bit of cracking action thrown in – both Sammo and Yuen Biao have one fantastic show-stopping move each. Time has mellowed me to these films somewhat, and I can now see them for the mindless bit of harmless fun they were intended as being. Not to be taken internally. Reviewer Score: 7

Reviewed by: Inner Strength Date: 01/13/2002 Summary: GOOD Ok, nothing original, no story, but hey....it's funny and full of action. Better than the original I think, the Lucky STars are at it again, but I don't think Charlie Chin was in it, I think he must have been, but can't think off the top of my head. Then again he was seeing Brigitte Lin at the time, so he was probably busy with her:) Well worth seeing, lots of comedy, check out Wu Ma (Ng Ma) as the physic! Rating: 3/5 (This rating is based on the year & genre, so don't think it's based as a comparison on new releases etc.)

Reviewed by: MrBooth Date: 09/14/2001 Summary: Lose the lucky stars and this could be a great film There are basically two films on this DVD. One (the one shown on the cover) is a perfunctorily plotted story about Kung Fu cops Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao and Andy Lau (yes, that Andy Lau) going up against of assassins who want to kill Rosamund Kwan over a letter. This film is mostly fight scenes, and they're pretty good. Unfortunately it only lasts about half an hour. The other film follows the Lucky Stars' "hilarious" schemes in an effort to grope women half their age. Rosamund Kwan becomes their target for most of the film. Their schemes are fundamentally rather rapy, which makes this film rather distasteful and not at all funny (their schemes aren't even particularly clever or convincing). There's relatively little overlap between these two films really, apart from Sammo crossing over from one into the other for the excellent final fight sequence. I could quite happily recommend simply skipping the sequences with the Lucky Stars and treating it as a Jackie/Sammo/Yuen Biao short with Andy Lau guest appearance. The movie does feature practically everyone in the world in the cast somewhere or other, including Yasuki Kurata as a villain, with an excellent fight against Jackie, Michelle Yeoh in a brief cameo as a judo instructor who gets her ass kicked by Sammo, Sibelle Hu reprising her role as the police inspector Sammo fell for in MLS and, well... a whole bunch of random people at the end. I guess the Lucky Stars series was pretty popular in HK at the time, but it must have been a time and a place thing or something... apart from the fight sequences you've basically just got an episode of Benny Hill :-( Reviewer Score: 3

Reviewed by: Sydneyguy Date: 05/05/2001 Summary: Pretty good All the LUCKY STARS series is confusing me but this is a funny movie with lots of action and stunts!! Another half action/comedy movie but worth watching!! 8/10 Reviewer Score: 8

Reviewed by: Fhrx Date: 03/31/2000 Summary: Mostly a great movie... Jackie Chan returns with Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung in this, the third installment of the lucky stars series. This time around it sees the lucky stars give themselves a well deserved holiday after their last success ( In “My lucky stars” ) and they head off to Thailand for a while. Now I didn’t understand why, but for some reason they have to cut their holiday short to head back to Hong Kong to team up with cops Jackie and Yuen to defeat a team of assassins heading there to kill a drug lord Jackie has been assigned to protect. The story, while a bit hard to follow at times, is alright but I for one are sick to death of the “Lucky stars” always trying their hardest to get a feel of any woman they can get there hands on. In “Winner and Sinners” they were quite funny but this third time around you just don’t laugh much and wish the lucky stars would beat each other to death… On to the good bits, the action. While the action scenes are a bit few and far between, when they go off they are great. For an entrée we have Sammo taking on a whole group of sword wielding women and he doesn’t hold back when punishing them either – great stuff from the big guy. The main course in the middle is a gem with Biao, Chan and his boys taking on a warehouse full of criminals. The ensuring fight is great with Biao once again showing his acrobatic ability with a couple of great aerial kicks from the little guy. The last major fight scene is quite a good one as well, with everyone putting in a top performance. One of the criminals uses a pair a sai with great skill and so to counter this Sammo ends up fighting him using, get this, tennis racquets! And he is quite impressive too. All up, a good movie but the Lucky Stars antics and the lack of plot brought my score down somewhat. The appearance of Richard Norton and a cameo from Michelle Yeoh added to the flavor as well. Overall I give Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars 6.5/10

Reviewed by: hokazak Date: 12/09/1999 Surprisingly unfunny for a movie heavily weighted towards the "comedic" side of the spectrum - especially when compared to the very funny and related film, "Winners and Sinners". The "Tailhook" style of humor, about men constantly trying to sneak a "grope" off of women who don't fight back, is tasteless and annoying. A waste of the talents of Sibelle Hu, Rosamund Kwan (except for her "posing as blind to escape a killer" scene), and Michelle Khan (in a cameo appearance). There are some good fights scenes sprinkled throughout - Samo, armed with Tennis rackets, takes on bad guy w/ sais; Samo vs. Richard Norton; Jackie, Yuen Biao and another guy duke it out w/ a roomful of badguys.... (Features the 'crazy-moustache guy' from "Yes Madam!".)

Reviewed by: hkcinema Date: 12/08/1999 The cock-eyed crime-busters from My Lucky Stars take a breakin Thailand to celebrate their undeserved success from their previous case. Their vacation is cut short when they have to rush back to Hong Kong as they learn that Thai assassins are on the way to kill a Hong Kong drug lord. Detective Jackie Chan finds his assignment switched from giving the drug lord a hard time to protecting him from the assassins. [Reviewed by Rim Films Catalog]

Reviewed by: hkcinema Date: 12/08/1999 The lucky star gang are back again as Chan must stop a bunch of assassins. A riotous movie with plenty of good fights including Samo on the tennis rackets. (7/10) [Reviewed by Dave Warner]

Reviewed by: hkcinema Date: 12/08/1999 Chan heads a team of crime-fighters who take on the task of destroying a powerful underworld organisation. (2/5) [Reviewed by Elliot's Guide to Films on Video]