Film Name: 霹雳先锋 / Pik lik sin fung / Final Justice / 霹靂先鋒
I’m a terrible fan of Stephen Chow—only yesterday did I finally watch this long-awaited debut film of his.
Unexpectedly, I loved it.
To sum it up in one sentence: Stephen Chow’s creative style was already showing promise here, truly earning his place as the trailblazer in Stephen Chow’s filmography.
But I find it a bit odd that he won Best Supporting Actor. Shouldn’t he have been the lead? His screen time wasn’t exactly small~
Too bad I’m not familiar with Li Xiu Xian or Huang Bo Wen. Never mind. Based purely on my shallow opinion and gut instinct, let me make a crude guess about Stephen Chow’s creative contribution.
The opening scene with the speeding car reminded me of Longest Journey and The Mermaid. It establishes the location and characters cleanly and efficiently.
Zhang Tiezhu’s first attempt to apprehend BOY, their scuffle, had a touch of humor. BOY was quite sharp—it took a decade-long veteran inspector this much effort to catch him, and he even kicked the guy in the crotch. When the gun was pointed at his groin, he immediately backed down. This mischievous little hoodlum was already a prototype of Wei Xiaobao.
One scene where Zhang Tiezhu’s henchman tries to drag BOY away—he doesn’t actually pull him, it’s all performed by Stephen Chow himself. It already has the seeds of exaggerated cartoonism. When BOY finds the judge on the rooftop, he mimes and gestures to Zhang Tiezhu about the machine gun, his face flushing with fear; later, when taken hostage, he shakes in terror—all these moments.
When the principal attempts suicide, the two work together to save him. During the chicken leg scene, their banter reveals a heartwarming telepathy. In the nightclub, unlocking handcuffs unlocks emotional barriers. After being beaten by the judge, spending the night at home shows the protagonist’s care and warmth, while BOY’s vulnerability and gratitude flow naturally amidst their constant bickering. Warm-hearted yet comical, witty yet touching—I wonder if this was the director’s design or truly Stephen Chow’s creation. After all, this formula feels so familiar, so quintessentially Stephen Chow, so full of love and so deeply memorable. Even if it was the director’s vision, no one else could match Stephen Chow’s richness and subtlety.
The Golden Horse Awards truly had discerning eyes, bringing Stephen recognition, honor, encouragement, and widespread fame.
From this film onward, the era of Stephen Chow’s cinema officially began.
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