Film Name: 英伦琵琶 / Banana Cop / 英倫琵琶
When talking about old Hong Kong, one cannot help but mention Golden Harvest.
Golden Harvest was a legend in Hong Kong cinema, dominating the scene for a full decade from the 1980s to the 1990s. At its peak, it even forced the long-standing rivals Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest to join forces against it.
Back then, the so-called “Big Three”—Mike Kar, Stanley Shek, and Raymond Wong—were at the height of their glory. Today’s post-90s generation likely only recognizes Wong Bak-ming, now dubbed the “King of Trash Films.”
A seven-member creative team—the Big Three plus Tsui Hark, Shih Nan-sheng, Eric Tsang, and Teddy Robin—collaborated to build a new cinematic empire. Series like Old Time Buddy, the Lucky Star franchise, and the Best Partners films propelled New Art City to its zenith, cementing its signature brand of comedy.
Released in 1984, “Banana Cop” remains largely unknown to contemporary audiences. It continued New Art City’s action-comedy style and international approach, setting the story in Britain—though this location proved largely irrelevant to the plot, serving perhaps merely as a gimmick.
Director Leung Po-chi, born and raised in Britain, studied film at the London Film School and worked at the BBC. Having helmed the pioneering Hong Kong police action film “Jumping Ash,” he should have been well-versed in this genre. Yet the film’s outcome fell short of expectations—reasons known only to its creators. Liang Puzhi has long since stepped back from directing, yet I was surprised to find his name listed as director for the unreleased horror film Spy Eyes. Could the 74-year-old director be making a comeback? Upon further inspection—noting the cast, screenwriter Wong Bak-ming, and the horror genre—a strong premonition arises: another dud in the making. Still, a sliver of hope lingers.
The film’s biggest weakness remains its lack of comedic punch. Seeing names like Sam Hui and especially Teddy Robin initially sparked my interest, but within half an hour, it felt far below expectations—especially compared to New Art City’s peak works.
On Douban, the film’s plot summary is intriguing—just one line: “A very humorous movie.” Interestingly, the screenwriter is none other than Hong Kong’s renowned lyricist Poon Yuen-leung. This was his first screenplay after joining Golden Harvest in 1984, and he also penned the lyrics for the film’s theme song. In recent years, Pan Yuanliang directed “Hi Fidelity” and “Shadows of Love,” earning a Hong Kong Film Award nomination for Best New Director. His lyric work, the theme song “Liang Xin Hua” from “Hi Fidelity,” won Best Original Film Song at the 31st Hong Kong Film Awards.
It’s impossible not to feel a pang of nostalgia for the passage of time and the fading of youth. The young Sam Hui in 1984 was truly handsome, the young Teddy Robin in 1984 was truly adorable, and the young Red Lady in 1984 was truly… young.
Please specify：Anime Phone Cases » Banana Cop 1984 Film Review: It all began with New Art City.