Customer Reviews

Bet to Basic

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This fast-paced comedy by director "Paul" Sing-yuen Chung bubbles along without weighty issues or consequence. Mahjong masters vie for the coveted title as King of Mahjong. As one who has no clue how this domino-like game is played, I was a bit lost for the first half of the film as the various players had winning tile combinations. However, Chung adds loads of broad slapstick comedy. Flying Dragon enlists his cousin Roy's help. Roy is extremely lucky because of a jade pendant his mother gave him, but cares little for the game. The evil bushy-eyebrowed student Morpheus -- yes, the name is lifted from The Matrix -- beats his boss and enlists his girlfriend to romance Roy to relieve him of the lucky pendant. Some of the film is utterly silly like a musical dance number thrown in with the past masters wearing clown wigs. Another hilarious sequence comes as Flying Dragon urges his cousin to relax by dressing up as a woman and hitting on his cousin. Probably one of the funniest bits comes as the Chinese poke fun at Americans by disqualifying Flying Dragon from the last competition because he has a pair of nail clippers that classify as a "Weapon of Mass Destruction." "We play by American rules!" This is a wild and silly comedy that picks up during the second half of the DVD, so keep watching. Enjoy!

The movie was alright. I expect it would mean more to someone who knows the game of majong. Much of the movie centers on majong gameplay.

I purchased this used when I saw the ties to Kung Fu Hustle. Parts of Kung Fu Hustle get a bit rough, but it is very imaginitive and entertaining. Bet to Basic even borrowed a minor element from Kung Fu Hustle.