Joe Cheung’s Rosa is a buddy movie produced by Sammo Hung, that pairs the perennially underrated Yuen Biao (who also directs the action) with singer-actor Lowell Lo, with a script (though as often for Hong Kong films of the eighties, ‘outline’ would be a better word) by Wong Kar Wai. But despite that interesting pedigree, it doesn’t truly stick out from the mass of Hong Kong comedies of the decade. Yuen and Lo play cops who get on their superior officer’s (Paul Chun) wrong side but get a chance to redeem themselves by locating a police informant who has critical evidence against a local gangster (James Tien, not exactly cast against type). Their main help in finding him is his girlfriend Rosa (Luk Siu Fan), a model with whom Lo falls in love, while Yuen himself becomes romantically involved with Lo’s sister (Kara Hui). All those feelings, plus the two cops’ constant bickering, slows down the investigation to a crawl, until the gangster decides to take action.
In following the template of Hong Kong action comedies of the eighties, Rosa features a lot of bantering, pratfalls and slapstick, with no real action scene save for an ending warehouse brawl. The comedy is mostly uninspired and often dragged down by Lowell Lo’s loud, hyperactive shtick, though Paul Chun is good fun as the duo’s vain superior officer. Yuen Biao and Kara Hui bring their immense likeability and an easy-going chemistry between each other, and Luk Siu Fan provides the film with ample sexiness (though the film treats her mostly as walking cleavage), but the finale is the only thing that sticks in the mind : Yuen Biao trades blows with Dick Wei as they take the fight to a cold room (it’s a joy to watch but not on a par with their dizzying match-up in Millionaire’s Express), while Kara Hui takes on multiple henchmen and James Tien chases Lowell Lo around with a buzzsaw in a meat locker. If only the whole film had been as inspiredly fun.
Long Story Short : An uninspired comedy that drags along until a fun action finale, Rosa should have been much better considering the talent involved. **
Asian Film Strike 
ashiusx
/ March 20, 2017What, I can’t believe Wong Kar Wai worked on this film. I saw this film a bit back on Youtube. It was pretty fun for what it was.
LP Hugo
/ March 20, 2017Indeed, Wong Kar Wai wrote quite a few HK comedies in the eighties.
ashiusx
/ March 20, 2017Are you going to review his films ever? I like to hear your thoughts on them?
LP Hugo
/ March 20, 2017Maybe one day, but as it is, so much has been written about them that I would have to have something fresh to bring to the table.
ashiusx
/ March 20, 2017Yeah, that’s why I avoid talking about them as well. Kind of like reviewing Star Wars at this point. LMAO
LP Hugo
/ March 20, 2017Haha, exactly.
ashiusx
/ March 20, 2017Just curious, why you prefer writing your reviews in English than French? It’s easier to capture a bigger audience through English?
LP Hugo
/ March 20, 2017Yes, that’s it: I love my native language, but English allows for a much wider readership.
ashiusx
/ March 20, 2017Did you specialize in any type of writing degree? Because your reviews are so well-written and English isn’t even your first language.
LP Hugo
/ March 20, 2017Thank you! Yes, I studied English literature and translation. What about you, where are you from?
ashiusx
/ March 20, 2017I’m from Iranian American, I was born there. My family came here in 1995, I’m now 23.
Well, I’m trying to get a bachelor’s degree to enter Law School. The degree that I’m working is now on History.
I find English and French fascinating languages in some ways. They’re both alike in some ways.
French is the most ”Germanic” out of the major romance languages and English is the most ”Romance” out of the Germanic languages.