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¯««iÂùÅT¬¶ (1984)
Pom Pom


Reviewed by: cal42
Date: 04/19/2009
Summary: No surprises

There’s something reassuringly familiar about all Hong Kong comedies from the eighties – the music, the situations, the visuals and often the cast is usually the same. POM POM (apparently the Cantonese onomatopoeic sound of gunfire, like our “bang bang”) is one such comedy of familiarity that pits two loser cops against a crime lord. Beethoven (John Shum) and Ah Chiu (Richard Ng) bumble through crime scenes and generally screw up everything they touch while trying to get off with women (in the case of Ng, the pair’s superior officer Anna (Deannie Yip)).

The template for this is clearly 1983’s WINNERS AND SINNERS, and I’m sure some of the musical cues from that movie are used here as well. The movie is directly referenced once and even some of the characters pop up for a quick cameo (still dressed in the “Five Lucky Stars” dungarees). Mind you, just about everybody gets a cameo in this film including, but not limited to, Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao.

But while WINNERS AND SINNERS and its sequels contained action scenes, POM POM is an all out comedy with no action to speak of. The comedy is exactly what you’d expect it to be: lots of gags, some slapstick and plenty of situations where our hapless heroes are trying to woo women under farcical conditions. One involves Richard Ng on a date with Deannie Yip in his appartment where John Shum has provided an unwelcome and inebriated prostitute. Ng tries to hide the prostitute’s presence from Yip’s eyes in a setpiece scene that has predictably unfortunate consequences.

Of course, the humour in POM POM is patchy, and more gags miss than hit. The best scene by far is the inept “fight” between Shum, Ng and Dick Wei on a rooftop armed with bamboo poles, which is pretty hilarious. And, like almost every film with him in, Richard Ng bares his arse. I’m sure he must have had a nudity clause in his contract saying he has to strip off for every film!

They say familiarity breeds contempt, but sometimes you want to watch a cheap and cheerful no-brainer that fails to challenge you on any level. And the best thing about this film is you know exactly what you’re going to think of it before you’ve seen it.

Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: dandan
Date: 03/08/2006
Summary: shum and ng...

richard ng and john shum are two loser cops who live together, they are doing their best to turn their fortunes around by nailing sha, but with no luck.

it's an entertaining and pretty funny 80's hong kong cop comedy, ideal sunday night watching, plus with the likes of dick wei, yuen biao, sammo hung, stanley fung, jackie chan, charlie chin and, i'm sure i saw, lam ching ying making brief cameos, you're on to a winner.

fun and funny...


Reviewed by: Frank Lakatos
Date: 02/10/2006
Summary: One of the funniest Hong Kong comedies ever!

One of the funniest Hong Kong comedies ever! John Sham crapping lies to the woman in the bar, while a Richard Ng dozes off out of boredom of Sham's stories, a high dramatic staff figght between Dick Wei, Ng, and Shum, and Richard Ng pulling of a Delon Belmondo car see(you should see the expression on Ng's serious face as he does a reverse, while the passenger Shum looks straight ahead in mimdlessness), Ng getting the crap beaten out of him by Chen Lung and the gang using those loud 80's kickboxing effects, and tons of other hilarious antics make the original the best movie in the series, even better than Pom Pom Strikes Back, and better than most HK comedies made at the time and at the present. The lucky stars, fresh off from Winners and Sinners(1983), with Shum even pulling off Chan's daring skating under the rig stunt, including Jackie Chan, doing motorcyle duty, and Yuen Biao, driving a garbage truck, all make cameos. Highly recommended! 5/5


Reviewed by: sharkeysbar
Date: 06/04/2005
Summary: pom pom yeah yeah!

I found this film a great mid 1980s comedy, but dont be mistaken that it may be an action film, it isn't. But it is full of slapstick, bad jokes, a love interest and everything else that makes it a winner. Compared to films made now, it looks second rate, but the humour is strong and for its day it was a winner. Recommended for a few belly laughs and some embarrassing moment humour. I'd watch it again and again. 8/10


Reviewed by: Graeme Noble
Date: 04/18/2004
Summary: Funny but Lack of Action

I really enjoyed this film but there is only one fight in the whole film.
The fight is a stick fight which lasts 40 seconds between John Sham and Dick Wei, although it's comical and bad!
Overall a funny film, but for action freaks, a bad film!

7/10 - entertainment value
0.5/10 - action value


Reviewed by: Inner Strength
Date: 01/13/2002
Summary: HILARIOUS

Although many people don't like Richard Ng, I think he is great. This has got to be his best movie in my opinion. Him and John Shum are best friends, and also police partners. They are fighting crime in their own special way. Deannie Yip is the love interest to Richard and they all get into all sorts of problems.

Rating: 4/5

(This rating is based on the year & genre, so don't think it's based as a comparison on new releases etc.)